The actual trades are proof of nothing, there are rumors of the 3 different players being involved, none of which are substantiated. It could have been one of them or all 3 of them.
The Cubs flipped 1 player for another player. The Cubs flipped several players in the other trade, which was an either/or multiple player deal. One indicates a need to get rid of a certain player. The other trade indicates it was a standard deal addressing team needs. The thing about the trade of Palmiero that supports the idea he may have been a party to the folly is that Palmiero should have been moved to 1B and Grace was waiting in the wings, but lacked the power one would traditionally expect at a corner position.
