All The Guardians Trades

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All The Guardians Trades

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Trades so far:

1. Rich Thompson, Wade Davis to Chicago Cubs for Ryan Roberts, Ben Revere, Jordan Walden

I had no problem giving up either pitcher. Both are young, but the talent I got back was much needed. Thompson is a fine 6th/7th inning reliever, but Walden has the stuff to close and despite some blown saves in 2011, the Angels are sticking with. He's the man.

Davis is going to be a back-end option for the Rays as long as they keep him and I think he can be a fine 4.20-4.50 ERA starter, throwing 180-200 innings a year, but that's it. Revere is 23 and has blazing speed and great defense, despite his lack of pop. I've watched him and like him. Roberts has finally come around and is a great utility guy who qualifies at SS, 2B, 3B and LF. I hope he's finally figured things out and can have four more productive years.

2. Andrew McCutchen, John Stilson, Josh Collmenter to Minnesota for Matt Kemp, J.A. Happ, Chris Herrmann

I certainly paid a premium for Kemp here, but I think it's worth it. I see McCutchen as a slightly less-powerful version at two years younger. Collmenter could be a fine pitcher or a flash in the pan...not sure. I've liked Happ for a while and at 29, he could certainly turn a corner and improve in Houston, showing the stuff he had in Philly. Herrmann is probably the closest thing Minnesota has to a Mauer replacement at this point and he showed good AA numbers. Stilson is a power pitcher with shoulder issues in his past.

3. Nicholas Kingham, Clayton Schrader to Minnesota for Chrstian Colon, Kyle Weiland

Nothing but a positional prospect trade. Colon is only one year removed from being a first-round pick. Worth the gamble. Sending two pitchers back was a fine price. One could turn out OK, but Colon is even usable this year as a 22-year-old.


4. Robert Bundy, Jed Bradley, Brian Goodwin to Cleveland for Vance Worley and Zach Wheeler

Here, I picked up a top-30 prospect in Wheeler and a 23-year-old MLB starter in Worley. The concern about Worley is that he came out of nowhere and had great success. That scares people. But to put up a 3.00 ERA in Philly as a rookie is impressive. I'm willing to gamble that while he may regress, he'll continue developing and figure out the league. Bradley is a big lefty, #15 in the 2011 draft out of Georgia Tech. Goodwin is a potential five-tool CF from UNC and Bundy is the older brother of Dylan Bundy. All solid prospects, but I got a nice pitcher back and got a nice MLB starter.

5. Justin Masterson, Fabio Martinez-Mesa, Christhian Martinez, Robert Whitenack to Houston for Blake Beavan, Billy Hamilton, Domingo Santana, Jordan Swagerty

In retrospect, not a trade I had to make, but one that I think I'll like as the years go by. Masterson is only 26/27, but I got a pretty good haul back. Martinez-Mesa and Whitenack are both coming off injuries and while Martinez sims OK this year, there are other relievers out there. Masterson was the prize with a nice projection and the potential to be a solid #2/3.

Beavan is a control pitcher and in Seattle, I suspect he could have some fine seasons as a #3/4, sitting with an ERA in the low 4s. Not a bad rookie campaign. Tough not to like Hamilton -- a shortstop who stole 103 bases last year. As long as he keeps posting a .350 OBP, he'll be a full-time shortstop for the Reds in no time. Swagerty is a solid pitcher who is destined to be a closer for St. Louis in a few years. Santana is 6'5" 200 and as an 18-year-old posted a 287 /.362/.833 line in single A between two teams (part of Pence deal). Big power potential as a right fielder.
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6. Josh Johnson, Miguel Montero, Eric Hamren, Trayce Thompson to New York Mets for Jeremy Hellickson, Yasmani Grandal, Rex Brothers, Sammy Solis

This probably ends up being one of the biggest trades I make in this league, given the importance of Johnson. While I had seven offers at one point, I had to choose the one I felt best helped my team in the future. And although I had many good offers with big-name prospects, I felt best about Hellickson. Ultimately, it was about getting the best single piece back. I may look back in two years and wish I picked a different option or, likely, some of those prospects won't realize their potential.

At any rate, getting a young stud pitcher is tough, even if you're giving up a young stud pitcher. Johnson's stuff and statistical history is better and he's only 28 to date, but I was worried about his health. Everyone knows his history and while his ZIPs for this year are very good, he's no good on the DL, which I think he will struggle to avoid.

Montero I think is a fine catcher and at 28 still has some solid years ahead, but that's a position I wanted to get a little younger at and I think Grandal is a stud in the making. Switch hitter with good power potential. Brothers is a top-notch left handed reliever who had a great rookie season. He soon could be Colorado's closer and if he cuts down on the walks, he will be very good. Solis is a left-handed starter in the Nats' system who has put up good numbers and could be a mid-rotation starter.
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7. Pablo Sandoval, Vance Worley and Kris Medlen to Seattle for Michael Pineda, Neil Walker, Lucas Duda and Jesse Biddle

While I was in no rush to deal Panda, a situation presented itself to improve, so I explored it. It started with Panda and Pineda, who ended up getting slammed this year in ZIPs due to the move east. Given that I don't have high expectations for this year, getting a 23-year-old power pitcher with an average 2012 projection didn't matter.

My main concern was the hit in hitting and getting Duda back was key. While the jury's out on his future ceiling, he had a great 2011 and the Mets seem to think he could be a big bat in the middle of their lineup. The next step was figuring out how to replace a third baseman, a position that is tough to find. Freese was on the table, but I preferred Walker, although it cost me Worley. I like him more than most and had counted on him being a solid #5 starter. But I was able to get back Biddle, who fits in nicely behind Wheeler as the system's second best starting pitching prospect and best lefty.

Overall, I took a hit in hitting and pitching probably for this year, but this year isn't my concern. I have a nice core of players with the oldest starting hitter at 28 and the oldest starting pitcher at 26.
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8. Jake Hager to Cincinnati for Steven 9-Ames

I ended up trading a little upside here for some present value. Hager is a 2011 supplemental pick and is described by most as a toolsy, scrappy kind of player. He does a little bit of everything. Whether he'll be another Pedroia or just won't have enough to make it, who knows. I had a couple shortstops on the depth chart ahead of him. Ames has a solid reliever projection along with some nice minor league stats to back it up. If he continues to have success, he will be a solid reliever for me.
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9. Howie Kendrick, Jordan Walden and Sammy Solis to Houston for Paul Goldschmidt, Bryan Brickhouse and Jonathan Galvez

Like the Matt Kemp deal, this started as talks about another, low-profile player and changed into a bigger deal for some stars. Goldschmidt is a guy I like and given there are only about a dozen players who project for 30 homers or more this year and probably 90 percent are untouchable, I thought this would be a guy to try to get while his value may be lowest. At 24, he has his career ahead of him and given the way he played in the playoffs and that Arizona doesn't have much behind him, it seems they have confidence in him. Although his K-rate is high, he takes a lot of walks, which is evidenced by his 92/88 AA k/bb ratio last year before his promotion. Galvez is a solid-hitting 21-year-old 2B in the Padres system and Brickhouse is an 18-year-old SP from Texas with a nice fastball.

I love Kendrick and Walden and didn't take dealing them lightly. Both All-Stars last year, I think Kendrick can continue being one of the top 2Bs in the league and Walden can continue flame throwing his way to saves. But, I feel like I had depth at both positions to make this trade. By bringing in Brothers in the Josh Johnson deal and already having Pestano, Mujica, De Los Santos and, most recently, Ames, my bullpen is still a strength. With Neil Walker, Ryan Roberts and Darwin Barney all having 2B and 3B eligibility, I felt I could deal Kendrick and not feel like I was creating a huge gap.

This trade gives me major protection for Kemp in the lineup and doesn't open up many holes since Walker has almost a duplicate projection as Kendrick for this year. It's a bit of a gamble and I think both Nate and I were nervous to pull the trigger. We'll see for whom it pans out. Hopefully both of us.
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10. Travis Snider and Christian Colon to Kansas City for Matt Carpenter and Andrew Chafin

This deal was made in response to losing Solis. Aside from Biddle, he was my only other lefty starter in the system and I wanted to replace him. Chafin had TJ surgery, missing all of 2010, but bounced back at Kent State to have 105 Ks in 89 IP and a 2.02 ERA in 2011. The reports sound as if he could be a legit #2/3 starter in the bigs. Carpenter, at 26, is a solid 3B and will be used as a left-handed pinch hitter off the bench. If he takes the Allen Craig route and forces his way into the lineup, he could do so by playing some 2B and some corner OF, which would only increase his value. He doesn't have a ton of power, but he can hit and he can draw walks.
But, I think the deal cost me a little bit. Travis Snider is a guy some people are getting impatient about. A first round pick in 2006, he's still only 24. I think he could still turn into the outfielder Toronto had hoped. Colon had a disappointing season in AA last year to some, but considering it was his second year removed from college, I'd cut him some slack. He drove in runs, took walks and hit for some power. While some are down on him, I think he could still be solid.
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11. Bryan Brickhouse to Baltimore for David Holmberg

This was a trade made based on the idea that I was going to deal Andrew Chafin. That deal fell through, but I was more than willing to pick up a third lefty starter to go with Jesse Biddle and Chafin. Brickhouse was a guy picked up as a toss-in with the Goldschmidt deal from Nate, but I like his upside. He's a fireballing righty from Texas. His fastball sits in the mid 90s and has hit 97. Not bad for an 18-year-old. He has a decent second offering, but hasn't developed a strong third pitch.
Despite having no pro experience yet, it was tough to send him away without even seeing him pitch. But for Holmberg, I think it's worth it. He often gets overlooked in the Diamondbacks system, which is stacked with the talented arms of Bauer, Bradley and Skaggs.
And while he doesn't throw 100, he commands four pitches well and gets Ks. As of this writing in two A+ starts, he is 1-1 1.38 ERA 13 IP 6 H 2BB 14K. Also drafted as a high schooler, he's only one year older than Brickhouse.
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12. J.A. Happ, Luigi Rodriguez, Anthony Meo to Cleveland for Tommy Joseph and Ivan DeJesus Jr.

As many of my trades have a tendency to do, this started with few of the final players being discussed. I was originally after another of Kelly's players, but as I added some free agents, it changed the complexion of the deal. Joseph was the main guy I was looking at here and I'm a bit torn. He's ranked the Giants' #2 prospect by Baseball America, but he still struggles to make consistent contact. If he comes up as a catcher and can hit for the kind of power it seems he can, he could be a monster. Meanwhile, DeJesus is only 24 and will serve as a solid backup infielder. Once he returns from the DL, he could find some playing time in L.A., who probably has the worst infield in baseball.

Going away are some players I like. J.A. Happ has been somewhat overlooked, but at only 29, he still has some years left in him. And he's only two seasons removed from a year in which he posted a sub 2.50 ERA in Philly as a starter. He's been solid this year. Luigi Rodriguez has been sought after by a few guys since he's a potentially solid leadoff/speedy with some pop centerfielder. Meo was a 2011 draftee for the Dbacks who could end up as a back-end starter or a power reliever.
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Tigers wrote:7. Pablo Sandoval, Vance Worley and Kris Medlen to Seattle for Michael Pineda, Neil Walker, Lucas Duda and Jesse Biddle

While I was in no rush to deal Panda, a situation presented itself to improve, so I explored it. It started with Panda and Pineda, who ended up getting slammed this year in ZIPs due to the move east. Given that I don't have high expectations for this year, getting a 23-year-old power pitcher with an average 2012 projection didn't matter.

My main concern was the hit in hitting and getting Duda back was key. While the jury's out on his future ceiling, he had a great 2011 and the Mets seem to think he could be a big bat in the middle of their lineup. The next step was figuring out how to replace a third baseman, a position that is tough to find. Freese was on the table, but I preferred Walker, although it cost me Worley. I like him more than most and had counted on him being a solid #5 starter. But I was able to get bad Biddle, who fits in nicely behind Wheeler as the system's second best starting pitching prospect and best lefty.

Overall, I took a hit in hitting and pitching probably for this year, but this year isn't my concern. I have a nice core of players with the oldest starting hitter at 28 and the oldest starting pitcher at 26.
Update: Totally dicked by Pineda injury. Now hoping Sandoval gains 50 pounds after a burrito-eating contest and required angioplasty.
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13. Ike Davis and Taylor Lindsey to Houston for Ross Detwiler and Cory Burns.

It was time to cut ties with Ike, as sad as it made me to do so. I had been holding out past the Valley Fever non-diagnosis, the bad spring, the slow start, the slow May and the slow June hoping Ike would regain some confidence and shake off the rust from last season's injury, but it hasn't happened yet.
But, I had been trying to deal Ike since the beginning of the season (March 23 post on the forum) not because of his slow start, but because of a logjam at 1B. With Goldschmidt and Duda already 1B eligible, I thought that Ike and his solid 2012 projection could be useful to someone else. Several trade talks including Ike fell apart, naturally, because of fears over his poor season.
Nate needed some offense and with not much at 1B, it seemed like a fit. I needed some pitching, so getting Detwiler back helps. He had a great start as a starter, only to have a few rough outings and get bumped to the pen with Wang coming back from injury. Luckily, Wang isn't very good, so I don't expect that to last. If anything, I think he'll get an SP/RP rating next year as a swing starter. Burns was a toss-in who has a 3.63 Sim ERA and who has had higher than 10k/9 ip ratings every step of his pro career. At 24 and in AAA, he has a career 2.36 ERA and 234/43 k/bb ratio in 188 career minor league IPs. Lindsey is an A+ second baseman in the Angels organization.
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14. Matt Kemp, Daniel Bard, Blake Beavan and Jordan Swagerty to Pittsburgh for Cole Hamels, Alex Gordon, Ian Desmond and Miles Head.

This was easily my most difficult trade to make to date. Josh Johnson was tough because of the projection and the interest. Panda is good, but didn't pain me. McCutchen got me Kemp, who I think is the best hitter in baseball. And now, dealing Kemp. JP and I had talked briefly about Kemp several times. Never did I feel there was a deal that really helped me overall. But with Hamels struggling for JP in the sim and Bard being lights out, plus Kemp being a big offensive upgrade to JP's lineup as a guy in his prime, things started coming together on this version.

My pitching isn't what I though it would be at this stage behind Hellickson with Bard struggling, Chacin getting hurt and Pineda having a major injury. I thought I was set with those four, but I was struck a big blow with the injuries and underperforming.

Starting with Kemp/Hamels was fine, but I wasn't prepared to lose all that offense. JP swung a quick deal with Gabe for Gordon, which filled the hole as a strong defensive outfielder, same age as Kemp with speed and power. Bard provided JP sufficient pitching in return. I didn't mind losing Beavan and while I like Swagerty, he's hurt. Head has been raking in A+ as a strong offensive 3B and Desmond provides a young, good defensive SS with some pop and speed.

I felt like the two additional pieces helped put this over the top. Hamels, I believe, is a top 5 starting pitcher. Gordon, while not hitting for as much power or stealing as many bases as last year, I think, is a solid 20/20 guy with a good eye and great defense. He will not replace Kemp, but will fill in the lineup.

Again, sad to see Kemp go because he's such a dynamic player, but I believe Hamels and Gordon will help my team for the next several years. If Hamels goes to the Dodgers as a free agent, that should only help his value.
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15. Billy Hamilton and Michael Pineda to Baltimore for Jordan Zimmermann and Luis Sardinas

This was a deal Steven and I had talked about for a little while, as I have asked him about Zimmermann for the better part of two months. I think he's a legit #2 starter and only 26. I'm hoping the injury that required TJ surgery two years ago doesn't crop up again anytime soon.

This deal is a little bit of a gamble for both sides. Zimmermann, we both agree, was the best player in the deal. He's had MLB success, is young and has a low ERA, decent amount of Ks and a low BB rate. The tough thing was coming up with a match. And I believe the price was high.

I have had many people ask about Billy Hamilton, the most exciting player in baseball. Through this writing (6/12), he has 73 stolen bases, which is three more than Anthony Gose, who finished second in the minors in stolen bases in 2011, had all year. What he's done has been amazing. And not only has he stolen many bases and will likely break the minor league record, but he's hit over .300 all year with a pretty stout OPS as a shortstop.

Pineda was the tougher piece to me. He's still only 23 and despite labrum surgery, I think will bounce back. I don't think it will be very soon, but I was willing to take a currently healthy MLB pitcher over a guy who I think will have a several-year recovery window. I see Pineda ending up like Anibal Sanchez, who required about three years of recovery/bad pitching before he could reinvent himself. Still a big risk, but Steven has a lot of reward if things fall his way. So, I think we both leave satisfied. Luis Sardinas is a solid-fielding, good-hitting shortstop for the Rangers who's only 19, so that was a nice added piece to help rebuff losing Hamilton.
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16. Cory Burns and Cory Gearrin to Cleveland for Brian Goodwin.

With Kelly making a run this season, he had a need for some RP depth. After having gotten J.A. Happ, who has posted a 3.02 ERA so far this year, Kelly came back for a little more pitching. Both Burns and Gearrin are under 26 and RPs with good numbers in AAA and solid sim projections. In return, I picked up a CF who's in Low A, but who has some potential with his bat, speed and defense. With Kemp gone, it was nice to restock the system a little with a solid outfielder.
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*EDIT 1/24/13 Missed these two:

17. Fautino de los Santos, Andrew Chafin to Oakland for J.J. Hoover, Brian Bogesuvic

I was trying to add a defensive outfielder to the mix. Ultimately, Bogusevic added little value and he didn't figure out how to hit all season. I lost a solid lefty in Chafin, but did get back a nice reliever in Hoover.


18. Alex Liddi to Washington for Al Alburquerque

I like Liddi; he's a good story, but I don't know if he'll survive with weak defense, despite his pop. Alburquerque was coming off major surgery, but being a hard-throwing RP with a sick slider is worth a gamble. He's only 26, so that was a good gamble to take.


19. Johnny Damon, Luis Sardinas, Tigers 5th Round Pick to New York Yankees for Sebastian Valle, Mel Rojas Jr, Yankees 4th Round Pick

Damon was a nice pickup in the offseason since he had a nice projection after a good season in Tampa Bay last year. I held onto him for a while until he finally signed a few weeks into the season. He has been highly productive for me, but he got to the point where he was taking up a roster spot that I wanted to free up. Sardinas is a nice, young, slick-fielding shortstop, but he's far away and while I like him, it will take several years for him to mature and possibly make the majors.

Valle has been named an all-star five times in five seasons and is now in AA for the Phillies as a catcher. Still at a young 21, Valle looks to be the future of the Phillies behind the plate. He displays solid defense and has power. Walks and Ks are a problem, but solid defense and power go a long way.
Rojas is the son of a major leaguer and a big switch-hitting centerfielder in A+. His 11 triples in 92 games is impressive. He also has 11 steals and 4 homers so far this year. Since I was giving up a little more on my end, the pick exchange gets me a little higher up in the draft this winter.
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20. Ross Detwiler, Matt Carpenter, Tigers Draft Pick 3 to Milwaukee for Kendrys Morales, Marco Estrada, Javier Lopez, Brewers Draft Pick 5

Ben and I had been kicking around trade ideas for a while with no success. With the Brewers falling out of contention, Ben started looking to 2013. He wanted Detwiler and I needed a bat. So, we started with Morales and Detwiler and went from there. Carpenter is having a nice season and will have a nice sim. Estrada the same. Lopez gives me a nice lefty arm out of the pen on top of Wright.
While I'm a big Detwiler fan, this deal helped me this year and beyond as the two main pieces are in their 20s.
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21. Sebastian Valle, Jhouyls Chacin, Tigers Draft Pick 4 to Arizona for Adrian Beltre, Garrett Jones, Ian Stewart

This was an interesting deal because since I have been searching for a future 3B for several months unsuccessfully, this deal was a result of another failed attempt. Jagger and I talked about Olt and were working around an Olt/Chacin deal before he and Nils ended up striking, very quickly, the Olt/Barnes for Lawrie deal.
So, that just added to my frustration of not being able to pick up a 3B. But, with him having Lawrie, I decided just to ask about Beltre. He certainly falls outside of my youth movement boundaries, but he is a solid 3B and probably the best defensively in the league. So, we talked and although Beltre is better this year, I'd be giving up a 24-year-old SP with two solid seasons under his belt. That required a little more. I wanted Jones to serve as a lefty pinch hitter this year and insurance for RF for next year. Stewart was a toss-in flier in the hopes that he can work out after having surgery for the wrist that has hampered him for several years.
I had to toss back a 4th round pick, which was fine, and Valle, who is a nice young catcher for the Phillies. With Grandal and Joseph, that was doable, though I think Valle has a future. All-in-all, i got a little older, but lost a player who I've managed without all season. And with Wheeler coming up next year, hopefully with a solid projection, and Diamond, currently sitting around 1.7 WAR, next year, I think I should still have the depth to cover.
Getting Estrada in the Milwaukee deal also helped in losing Chacin.
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22. Ivan DeJesus to Baltimore for Tony Sipp

This was a pretty low-risk, low-reward deal. Sipp, 28, has a league average projection (4.14 ERA, 62K/28BB in 52 IP) and has a solid projection against both lefties and righties (.230 baa, about). But, he's performing very well for Baltimore so far this year (3.21 ERA 88K/36BB in 73IP). So, I'm taking the chance that he'll keep things going. On the flip side, his arm could fall off since he's already 19 IP above his projection. But, luckily the gamble didn't cost much. DeJesus is 25 and a solid hitting 2B in the Dodgers system who got soem time in the bigs last year. He has a pretty decent projection this year, but for Steven serves as a nice backup plan for Blake Dewitt, Tim Beckham and Jose Iglesias. DeJesus is the kind of guy who has a decent average/obp and plays good enough defense and he'll serve well in that capacity. I already have quite a few middle infielders, so it worked out for both of us.
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23. Travis Harrison to Oakland for Jose Valverde

This was another deal that didn't take a lot of effort and, in my opinion, didn't cost me a ton to get done. Valverde (hopefully) gives me another solid arm for the back end of my bullpen. I've had some struggles there, and his solid projection should be helpful. In return, Jake picks up a solid-hitting 3B in Travis Harrison, who is in the Twins system. He's 19 and in the rookie leagues right now. He's far from making an impact, if he does, but Valverde helps now and probably for a few seasons.
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24. J.J. Hoover to Cincinnati for Kurt Suzuki

I have been looking for another solid catcher for this year and Suzuki gets it done. Yasmani Grandal and Tommy Joseph may be more useful next year, but for this year, they are both defensive liabilities. While Luke Montz has been solid defensively and better than expected against righties, he cannot hit lefties. With a VG throw and VG defense, he has helped my pitchers. But without another catcher, my team had a hole. Suzuki will provide sufficient defense and a good enough bat to platoon wtih Montz. In return, Ken picks up a solid young reliever in Hoover. He came over in a previous deal with the Athletics and didn't provide much bullpen help, despite a decent projection. After moving exclusively to the bullpen, he has put up solid numbers in AAA and the majors. He should have a good projection next year. But with a few recent reliever pickups, he was expendable.
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25. Ian Stewart, Yankees Draft Pick 4 to Washington for Evan Marshall and Nationals Draft Pick 3.

This was a small deal that, in the end, wasn't necessary, but it was at the time to free up some roster space. I got Stewart from Jagger in the Beltre deal as a potential stopgap 3B in a few years. Stewart is a guy I've always liked. He's had the power, obp, but never the bat in the majors. He's now sidelined for the year after wrist surgery, which may fix the problem he's had for two seasons. In exchange, I picked up an 11-draftee, Evan Marshall. He's a hard throwing righty working out of the Dbacks' AA team's bullpen. He's said to reach the high 90s with his fastball and could be one of those guys who ends up moving through the system quickly. I'd say there's an outside shot he could be useful in the sim next year, if he finishes strong. I also ended up with an upgrade in the draft. So, Z gets a gamble and I got some roster flexibility. Could be a win-win.
Last edited by Guardians on Fri Jan 25, 2013 12:15 am, edited 2 times in total.
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26. Zack Wheeler, Brian Goodwin, Tommy Joseph, Tigers Draft Pick 1 to San Francisco for Yovani Gallardo, Jacob Realmuto, Yankees Draft Pick 1, Giants Draft Pick 4, Giants Draft Pick 5

This one was a biggie. I asked Nils about Gallardo the weekend before the last week of trading and he said he wasn't looking to deal him. Then, Monday, he created a post taking offers and then asked if I was still interested. Nils wanted to start with Wheeler and Grandal, which I wouldn't do. I offered up Joseph, a 20-year-old catcher in AA as a potential replacement. Nils wanted more and asked for Goodwin, a toolsy CF in the Nationals system. He offered back Realmuto to fill in for Joseph and originally offered Troy Patton, before pulling him out of the offer. He also asked for a swap of first round picks and offered back later picks, later shutting down negotiations and giving me a "take it or leave it" offer. I thought on it for two days and didn't accept until 11:55 p.m. Aug. 31.

I've loved Wheeler since I got him earlier in the year and count him as easily my top prospect. I debated whether he and his high 90s FB, curve and change will end up being better than, the same as or worse than Gallardo. You can never tell. He has the potential to be pretty special, but he still has to get there. Goodwin, I like, but he's struggled badly in AA in his first pro season, hitting especially bad against lefties. Joseph, I like, but between his occasional use at 1B, less-than-stellar hitting in AA and the Phillies already having Valle and Ruiz ahead of him, I thought he was tradeable.

Ultimately, I think Wheeler can be about Gallardo -- mid 3s ERA, high K rate, higher than you'd like walk rate. So, I'm sacrificing four years (Gallardo 26, Wheeler 22) to get the guy who's already had the MLB experience. I'm also giving up Goodwin, who could turn out to be a special outfielder. He's got the glove, arm, speed and power to be solid. Ultimately, I decided that if I ever dealt Wheeler, it would be to get a mid 20s, top-tier SP and I think I did that. The picks didn't matter to me, I felt like given Realmuto's glove, the catchers were a push. It was Wheeler/Goodwin for Gallardo and I think that's a trade that realistically could be made in the majors. It was difficult, but I felt it helped my playoff chances this year and gave me stout rotation of Hamels/Zimmermann/Gallardo/Hellickson going forward.
I also took solace in the fact that in order to get Goodwin and Wheeler in prior trades, I didn't have to sacrifice a ton, so I was somewhat playing with house money. Time to restock the farm.
Last edited by Guardians on Fri Jan 25, 2013 12:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
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27. Rex Brothers to Chicago White Sox for Drew Storen

I know, you're thinking, "It's about time Pat made another trade." I asked Jim about Storen just before the playoffs, seeking an upgrade for the stretch run. Ultimately, Valverde accomplished that and provided solid innings for me at the end of the season.

I came back at him this week and he asked about Brothers, who is honestly a guy I wasn't planning on trading. I think he is a future closer. He has a huge left arm and can rack up the Ks. Unfortunately, he also gets a little wild, leading to a lot of walks. He's still young and I think the Rockies' future closer. Storen, on the other hand, was coming off an injury and had a solid regular season before a rocky postseason. A year older than Brothers at 25, he's already a top-notch closer. With him, Pestano, Mujica, Lopez, Bell, Valverde, Alburquerque, Ames, Wright and Sipp, I have a strong bullpen and some trade bait. This was helpful for both of us.
Last edited by Guardians on Fri Jan 25, 2013 12:17 am, edited 2 times in total.
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28. Erick Aybar and Yankees First Round Pick to New York Mets for Lorenzo Cain and Mets First Round Pick

John and I had tossed around Aybar/Cain in various forms for a while. I needed a young outfielder and he has been needing some middle infield depth for a while. All-in-all, I think it's a pretty even deal. Cain is two years younger, has 20/20 potential, has been hampered by injuries, but has some potential. Aybar is a solid SS who doesn't strike out much, can hit at the top of the lineup and is still only 28. Given that he was worth about a win and a half and plays a premium position, Aybar is worth a tad more and I'll move up about 10 spots in the first round, which should land me a nice player. Since the Josh Johnson deal hasn't quite paid the dividends I expected, I hope to get even with John on this one!
Last edited by Guardians on Fri Jan 25, 2013 12:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Tigers wrote:26. Erick Aybar and Yankees First Round Pick to New York Mets for Lorenzo Cain and Mets First Round Pick

John and I had tossed around Aybar/Cain in various forms for a while. I needed a young outfielder and he has been needing some middle infield depth for a while. All-in-all, I think it's a pretty even deal. Cain is two years younger, has 20/20 potential, has been hampered by injuries, but has some potential. Aybar is a solid SS who doesn't strike out much, can hit at the top of the lineup and is still only 28. Given that he was worth about a win and a half and plays a premium position, Aybar is worth a tad more and I'll move up about 10 spots in the first round, which should land me a nice player. Since the Josh Johnson deal hasn't quite paid the dividends I expected, I hope to get even with John on this one!
I wouldn't say this deal hasn't worked out for you. Hellickson had arguably a better season than Johnson and Johnson has now moved to the AL East. Hamren was awful in AAA while Brothers put up lots of innings and lots of k's with a sub-4 era in Colorado. Thompson took a step forward but really could have gone either way going into the season. Solis is coming back from injury and still has a ton of promise. Grandal put up a .863 OPS in 200 ab's in San Diego! He'll miss 1/3 of the season - but I'd still take him anyday. I would say this deal still looks pretty fair and should be a win-win over the next few seasons.
2008-2023 Mets: 1,054-1,223...463%
2006-2008 Rockies: 242-244...498%

IBC Total: 1,296-1,467...469%
2022: lost WC
2023: lost WC
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29. Heath Bell, pick #53, pick #99 to Milwaukee for pick #45, pick #83

Here I had to give up a solid back-end of the bullpen reliever in Bell, whom I like but didn't necessarily need. With Storen, Pestano and Mujica, along with Ames, Albuquerque, Valverde, Wright, Lopez and Sipp, I consider my bullpen a strength. In fact, I was carrying too many relievers. Ben needed a reliever and I wanted to move up a few picks. Eight picks in the second round may or may not do much for me and 16 picks moving from the 4th round into the late third round may not, either, but it couldn't hurt. It helped Ben and it opened up a roster spot, so I was happy with it.
Last edited by Guardians on Sat Jul 27, 2013 9:14 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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