One Nut (4 trades) received:
Melky Cabrera, Ryan Dempster, John Axford, Andre Ethier, 1st (CNLS), 5th,
11th, 14th,16th, and 17th rounders
Gave up:
Jason Bartlett, Scott Baker, Josh Johnson, Dexter Fowler, Jake Peavy, 1st (UA), 3rd , 3rd, 11th 13th, 14th rounders
Jason no doubt took a difficult, yet successful week 19 to heart as he went 9-0-1 on the week, but only because Urban Achievers did anything but achieve. It moved him up to second place in the standings, a mere 4.5 games out of first with two weeks to go, but he has a tough remaining schedule (Keepin It, Prestige). In total, the one-day splurge cost him a 19-round downgrade and the chance to trade Josh Johnson for more before next season. The moves could possibly push him over the top this year, though Ethier hasn’t done much since his hit streak and Jason obviously has more faith in Melky than I do. He really needs Hanley to be back and productive and for Lind to get back on track. Axford is a nice addition, while Cahill isn’t as bad as his overall numbers indicate and he didn’t have to give up much (just because Urban Achievers has the worst record does not mean it will automatically be the first pick; in fact, there’s a chance the Colon NLS pick could be better). Dempster has pitched better since an atrocious start and is a good add, creating quite the strikeout-focused staff.
-----------------------------------
Angry Pirates (4 trades) received:
Josh Johnson, 3rd, 9th, 11th, 14th rounders
Gave up:
Andre Ethier, Jordan Walden, John Axford, Joel Hanrahan, 11th, 11th, 14th, 18th rounders
Overall, Kyle did a good job aggressively selling his closers and gaining 17 rounds in the process, while landing Josh Johnson, who will be risky, but certainly keeper-worthy going into next year (providing he doesn’t need surgery). When some douchebag (myself) wouldn’t just accept Hanrahan for a two-round upgrade (I didn’t think Joel was much of an upgrade over Nathan), he went out and found someone who’d give him three. Most just cave, but his approach helped him get situated nicely for next season, despite the relatively late call to end his playoff run.
-----------------------------------
Ring of Fire (2 trades) receives:
Joel Hanrahan, Brandon Beachy 15th, 18th rounders
Gave up:
Garrett Jones, 11th,14th rounders
A couple of nice additions after a motivated Dagan got on track with a much-needed 10-0 thrashing of the Pirates, which vaulted him from outside the playoff picture to #7. And he’s got the juice to make even more noise before the end of the season with the beleaguered Colon NLS this week, then a matchup with Anal before the playoffs. Still, even with the additions, it really only provides a dominant bullpen and yet another useful, but not quite great starter. The pitching will really dictate how far Dagan’s team can go. As far as what he gave up, seems appropriate and worthwhile given who he was replacing (Venters, Jones).
-----------------------------------
Colon No like Salad (2 trades) receive
Garrett Jones, Scott Baker, UA’s 1st, 11th rounder
Gave up:
Brandon Beachy, Trevor Cahill, CNL’s 1st , (UA),15th
I really liked the Beachy move for Russ, especially considering I basically gave him away in the Hamels trade – nice way for Russ to capitalize on the assets he had. I don’t really understand the 1st rounder swap in the Cahill deal, though. Sure, it’ll be nice if it turns into the number one pick, but he could’ve easily traded away the number one pick with the lottery system we have in place. Baker has been a better pitcher than Cahill this year, but he’s injured and that value doesn’t help Russ anymore. I just felt he could’ve got something more definite for Cahill.
-----------------------------------
Keepin It Real (1 trade) receives:
Jordan Walden, 11th rounder
Gave up:
Aaron Harang, 9th rounder
A great addition for Pierce, who was probably more low-key than he could’ve been during the bevy of trades over the past two months. That said, his team is good. Walden finalizes a makeshift bullpen built on the fly, which now includes Walden, Santos and Guerra – a threesome that could easily sneak the category away from those with deeper pens. If he gets A-Rod back at a reasonable level of production, Pierce could do some serious damage. My only complaint about his roster is he really could’ve used another pitcher or two (Danks and Billingsley would’ve made sense) with Hanson hurt. A trade with Moose where he sent Pineda and picks for MYoung, Danks, and Billinglsey would’ve made a lot of sense, as the starts for the young Seattle hurler are becoming less and less reliable.
----------------------------------------
Urban Achievers (1 trade) receives:
Blake Beavan, 14th rounder
Anal Hershiser (1 trade) receives:
Mariano Rivera, 18th rounder
Nice move on both parts. For someone who was supposedly thinking about keeping Mo, Dan didn’t really seem to be convinced of the idea, settling for a four-round upgrade for the best closer in the game – not really the going rate for a keeper. Perhaps he concluded, as most have, that closers are not keeper-worthy. There were a lot of silly trades in terms of pick compensation and I think four rounds is a fair rate for an upper-echelon closer. There’s a lot of teams with impressive bullpens, but a closer only does so much. A great one can contribute to Ks and most provide some rate protection, but really it’s all about the saves--and the amount they can accumulate is directly related to the team as a whole, making it difficult to know just who will dominate the category. In the end, if you’ve got three or four closers with full time gigs, you should feel pretty comfortable with that part of your team.
-----------------------------------
Moose is Loose receive:
Dexter Fowler, Jake Peavy, 3rd, 13th, 14th rounder
Gave up:
Melky Cabrera, Ryan Dempster, 5th, 16th, 17th rounders
Although it sounded like he was going to get aggressive, Brian didn’t maximize the value of his roster if he was indeed giving up. Frankly, his menu of prices was like putting a high-end steakhouse in the ghetto. There just wasn’t the appetite for that price. Now it looks like his keepers are decent/mediocre with McCann, Uggla, MYoung, Tulo, BUpton, and Greinke and he had at least a dozen rounds of upgrades available had he traded guys like THunter, JDanks, CBillingsley, DFister, RWolf, JPierre, APagan, and Kubel. The best thing I think he could’ve done is improved keepers like Young, who is tremendously valuable this season due to his versatility and place in the powerful Texas lineup. But he’s going to be 36 next year. Upton was another one he could’ve improved. He did make some trades prior to the deadline that improved his draft for next year, including this one with Jason, which I believe he did quite well on. But, in the end, he had a lot of mid-level, useful talent and I see this as a missed opportunity.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Trade Review - Anal and Moose
Anal Hershiser receives:
Mark Reynolds, JJ Putz, Jason Isringhusen, Jeff Franceour, 13th, 15th rounders
Moose is Lose receives:
Danny Valencia, Al Albuquerque, Tyler Clippard, Josh Reddick, 4th, 7th rounders
It was a lot to give up in terms of draft pick compensation, but no question this was a great move for the 2011 Anal team. He traded four guys who really belonged on the waiver wire and secured his 3B position (as secure as the up and down Reynolds can be), while picking up a solid bench player in Frenchy and two closers , which gives him one of the best bullpens in the league (with BWilson and Feliz). With the Avila trade, this is a pretty balanced offense. Andy has a few great SPs (Verlander, Haren, Cueto, potentially Strasburg) and a Who’s Who of guys whose name you might’ve not known before the season but have performed well (Vogelsong, Moseley, Worley, Collmenter, Beavan, and Humber), so this could either go very well or end very quickly for the newcomer. Sitting in 5th place, this has undoubtedly been a positive inaugural season for the Hershisers.
Mark Reynolds, JJ Putz, Jason Isringhusen, Jeff Franceour, 13th, 15th rounders
Moose is Lose receives:
Danny Valencia, Al Albuquerque, Tyler Clippard, Josh Reddick, 4th, 7th rounders
It was a lot to give up in terms of draft pick compensation, but no question this was a great move for the 2011 Anal team. He traded four guys who really belonged on the waiver wire and secured his 3B position (as secure as the up and down Reynolds can be), while picking up a solid bench player in Frenchy and two closers , which gives him one of the best bullpens in the league (with BWilson and Feliz). With the Avila trade, this is a pretty balanced offense. Andy has a few great SPs (Verlander, Haren, Cueto, potentially Strasburg) and a Who’s Who of guys whose name you might’ve not known before the season but have performed well (Vogelsong, Moseley, Worley, Collmenter, Beavan, and Humber), so this could either go very well or end very quickly for the newcomer. Sitting in 5th place, this has undoubtedly been a positive inaugural season for the Hershisers.
Trade Review - Cowhide and Prestige
Cowhide Joyride receives:
Dillon Gee, Jonathan Sanchez, Rick Ankiel, 8th rounder
Prestige Worldwide receives:
Hideki Matsui, Brett Cecil, Luke Hochevar, 9th rounder
The question here is not the draft pick compensation – a measly one round upgrade – it’s whether the players replaced are actually better for Lars. Matsui, no question, is better than Ankiel and has been one of the hottest hitters in the league since the all-start break (.470 obp!!). Both Hochevar and Cecil have ERAs over 4 (almost 5 for Hoche), whips over 1.30, and underwhelming strikeout totals on the year – though both have pitched better over the last month with ERAs closer to 3 and whips a hair over 1. Meanwhile Gee and Sanchez have better overall numbers, but have pitched poorly over the last month. Not a whole lot lost for Lars, but I wonder if Sanchez (who has over 1k/inning) will come back to bite him. Meanwhile, Dave didn’t get much of an upgrade, but he wasn’t getting much. Seems like, with Morrison to the minors, this teams has been thoroughly liquidated.
Dillon Gee, Jonathan Sanchez, Rick Ankiel, 8th rounder
Prestige Worldwide receives:
Hideki Matsui, Brett Cecil, Luke Hochevar, 9th rounder
The question here is not the draft pick compensation – a measly one round upgrade – it’s whether the players replaced are actually better for Lars. Matsui, no question, is better than Ankiel and has been one of the hottest hitters in the league since the all-start break (.470 obp!!). Both Hochevar and Cecil have ERAs over 4 (almost 5 for Hoche), whips over 1.30, and underwhelming strikeout totals on the year – though both have pitched better over the last month with ERAs closer to 3 and whips a hair over 1. Meanwhile Gee and Sanchez have better overall numbers, but have pitched poorly over the last month. Not a whole lot lost for Lars, but I wonder if Sanchez (who has over 1k/inning) will come back to bite him. Meanwhile, Dave didn’t get much of an upgrade, but he wasn’t getting much. Seems like, with Morrison to the minors, this teams has been thoroughly liquidated.
Trade Review - Montezumas and Urban
Montezumas Revenge receives:
Cameron Maybin, 12th rounder
Urban Achievers receives:
Jason Bourgeois, 10th rounder
Not much here other than I received a slightly better base stealer for a slightly better pick. Bourgeois has struggled when he’s had full time plate appearances and he’s played a bit over his head this year. Plus he’s gotten injured a lot and is a 29yo who never really did anything, while Maybin finally seems to be living up to his name recognition, stealing 30 bases so far.
Cameron Maybin, 12th rounder
Urban Achievers receives:
Jason Bourgeois, 10th rounder
Not much here other than I received a slightly better base stealer for a slightly better pick. Bourgeois has struggled when he’s had full time plate appearances and he’s played a bit over his head this year. Plus he’s gotten injured a lot and is a 29yo who never really did anything, while Maybin finally seems to be living up to his name recognition, stealing 30 bases so far.
Trade Review - Colon and Keepin It Real
Keepin It Real receives:
Sergio Santos, Javy Guerra, 13th rounder
Colon No Like Salad receives:
Raul Ibanez, Carlos Carrasco, 9th rounder
In a frantic series of moves to prep his roster for the playoffs, Pierce finally has something that resembles a bullpen. Resembles is the key word. There’s still some work here to do before he’s actually got enough to win the category over some of the other playoff teams, most of which have 3-4 stud closers. While Santos is good, I traded him because Ozzie likes to switch things up and play matchups, vulturing saves from Santos even when he’s playing well (like last night, for example). But a four round upgrade is a fair price for two mediocre closers.
Sergio Santos, Javy Guerra, 13th rounder
Colon No Like Salad receives:
Raul Ibanez, Carlos Carrasco, 9th rounder
In a frantic series of moves to prep his roster for the playoffs, Pierce finally has something that resembles a bullpen. Resembles is the key word. There’s still some work here to do before he’s actually got enough to win the category over some of the other playoff teams, most of which have 3-4 stud closers. While Santos is good, I traded him because Ozzie likes to switch things up and play matchups, vulturing saves from Santos even when he’s playing well (like last night, for example). But a four round upgrade is a fair price for two mediocre closers.
Trade review - Cowhide and Keepin it Real
Cowhide Joyride receives:
8th rounder
Keepin It Real receives:
Matt Joyce, Edwin Encarnacion, 11th rounder
An interesting trade in that Pierce receives a first half wonder (Joyce) and a second half wonder (Encarnacion). He didn’t have to give up a whole lot (a three round upgrade) to get them, but I still wonder how they fit on this team. With Trumbo, Wright, Sandoval, Ellsbury, Ichiro, Markakis and Werth, it seems like he gave up draft positions for a couple bench players. That said, Joyce was extremely valuable when he was hot and Edwin has been magnificent over the past three weeks, so if you can catch lightning in a bottle and both are hot at the same time, they could just ride Pierce to his firs t championship.
Dave, meanwhile, is closing a very successful few weeks of negotiations that yielded three extra picks in the 5th, one extra in the 6th and 7th, and two extras in the 8th and 9th, where he will stop drafting for the evening. He did so by not asking too much for his leftovers (he’s still got Morrison and HMatsui, by the way), settling for picks outside the top four rounds. Surely, he’ll be able to fill in nicely around BPosey, PFielder, RWeeks, EAndrus, RZimmerman, and TLincecum.
8th rounder
Keepin It Real receives:
Matt Joyce, Edwin Encarnacion, 11th rounder
An interesting trade in that Pierce receives a first half wonder (Joyce) and a second half wonder (Encarnacion). He didn’t have to give up a whole lot (a three round upgrade) to get them, but I still wonder how they fit on this team. With Trumbo, Wright, Sandoval, Ellsbury, Ichiro, Markakis and Werth, it seems like he gave up draft positions for a couple bench players. That said, Joyce was extremely valuable when he was hot and Edwin has been magnificent over the past three weeks, so if you can catch lightning in a bottle and both are hot at the same time, they could just ride Pierce to his firs t championship.
Dave, meanwhile, is closing a very successful few weeks of negotiations that yielded three extra picks in the 5th, one extra in the 6th and 7th, and two extras in the 8th and 9th, where he will stop drafting for the evening. He did so by not asking too much for his leftovers (he’s still got Morrison and HMatsui, by the way), settling for picks outside the top four rounds. Surely, he’ll be able to fill in nicely around BPosey, PFielder, RWeeks, EAndrus, RZimmerman, and TLincecum.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Trade Review - Ring of Fire and One Nut
Ring of Fire receives:
Brandon League, 18th rounder
Moose Is Loose receives:
Jon Rauch, 9th rounder
Dagan gave up an awful lot here for a closer period, nevermind one on a bad team. He’s definitely an improvement over Rauch, but I think a four-round upgrade would more than suffice – especially considering the number of closers that are available. Nine rounds is a lot and, in my opinion, more than the market called for.
Meanwhile, Brian made out well, but is going to have to work hard over the next three days to get full value out of his roster. Keepers can be traded for in the offseason, however the value of his non-keepers disappears after the trading deadline.
Brandon League, 18th rounder
Moose Is Loose receives:
Jon Rauch, 9th rounder
Dagan gave up an awful lot here for a closer period, nevermind one on a bad team. He’s definitely an improvement over Rauch, but I think a four-round upgrade would more than suffice – especially considering the number of closers that are available. Nine rounds is a lot and, in my opinion, more than the market called for.
Meanwhile, Brian made out well, but is going to have to work hard over the next three days to get full value out of his roster. Keepers can be traded for in the offseason, however the value of his non-keepers disappears after the trading deadline.
Trade Review - Angry Pirates and One Nut
Angry Pirates receive:
AJ Burnett, 4th, 10th, and 11th rounders
One Nut receives
Gio Gonzalez, Max Scherzer, Scott Baker, and 14th, 15th, and 16th rounders
It appears another team bites the dust, as Kyle sold off the heart of his pitching staff for draft picks, despite being slotted in the last playoff spot with a seven game lead on Dagan. Baker went back on the DL and appears to be having some trouble staying healthy, which is too bad considering he has had a great season. Gio’s stats have regressed to what you would normally expect and he is now solidly a non-keeper, despite some midseason discussion that suggested otherwise. Scherzer, meanwhile, is all over the place with the occasional six-run blowups mixed in with stellar performances, outings with one K then one with nine – sort of what we’ve come to expect from him. Overall, the threesome fit in well with Jason’s extremely volatile team. It could mean he trounces his way through the playoffs, or it could mean his ratings kill him. He’s certainly got Ks and Saves. It will be interesting to see how playoff teams structure their rosters going forward. So far, it seems the need for an offensive bench has gone out the window and teams are stacking up pitchers. Should be interesting.
Meanwhile, Kyle made a tough decision. He could’ve either traded picks for more pitching or traded off what he had for picks and he’s chosen the latter. He’ll have to move quickly to take full advantage before the trade deadline. Not sure if this was the right way to go so close to the trade. He made out pretty well here with one nice high pick and then some good upgrades for pitchers who are decent, but not great.
AJ Burnett, 4th, 10th, and 11th rounders
One Nut receives
Gio Gonzalez, Max Scherzer, Scott Baker, and 14th, 15th, and 16th rounders
It appears another team bites the dust, as Kyle sold off the heart of his pitching staff for draft picks, despite being slotted in the last playoff spot with a seven game lead on Dagan. Baker went back on the DL and appears to be having some trouble staying healthy, which is too bad considering he has had a great season. Gio’s stats have regressed to what you would normally expect and he is now solidly a non-keeper, despite some midseason discussion that suggested otherwise. Scherzer, meanwhile, is all over the place with the occasional six-run blowups mixed in with stellar performances, outings with one K then one with nine – sort of what we’ve come to expect from him. Overall, the threesome fit in well with Jason’s extremely volatile team. It could mean he trounces his way through the playoffs, or it could mean his ratings kill him. He’s certainly got Ks and Saves. It will be interesting to see how playoff teams structure their rosters going forward. So far, it seems the need for an offensive bench has gone out the window and teams are stacking up pitchers. Should be interesting.
Meanwhile, Kyle made a tough decision. He could’ve either traded picks for more pitching or traded off what he had for picks and he’s chosen the latter. He’ll have to move quickly to take full advantage before the trade deadline. Not sure if this was the right way to go so close to the trade. He made out pretty well here with one nice high pick and then some good upgrades for pitchers who are decent, but not great.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Trade Review - Donkey and Colon
Donkey Punchers receive:
Roy Halladay, Alexi Oganda, Jeff Niemann, 14th, 15th
Colon No Like Salad receive:
Trevor Cahill, Jeff Karstens, James McDonald, 1st rounder, 7th rounder
The second place Donkey Punchers continued to be aggressive as the deadline approaches, matching Montezuma’s trade with Russ a day prior. The trade values were similar ( I gave a 1st, 10th, and 13th) and both addressed the needs of the team, with Chris adding significant depth to his rotation while chopping off the wounded appendages. Oganda is an interesting one in that there’s been ongoing concern that his history as a reliever would eventually catch up to him and he’d regress terribly. That hasn’t happened, but he has been prone to some nasty, unexpected blowouts from time to time, as seen with his shoddy performance versus Seattle on Tuesday. Niemann, meanwhile, has been great since coming off the DL, looking similar to how he looked in the first half of 2010. If he continues that path of good halves, then this could be a nice add for Chris. Meanwhile, a keeper lineup of Bautista, Teixera, Crawford, Cruz, Halladay and Berkman (maybe Ackley) looks pretty good heading into 2012 as well.
Meanwhile, Russ gets what he sought out when he began last week and will have three first round picks to go along with Cano, Hamilton, Cargo, Felix, Kershaw, and Wainwright. Not bad and may challenge Casten for most jerkoffable roster after the 2012 draft. Considering he gave up Mike Stanton and Gio to get Felix and Hamels (freeing up Halladay to be traded), that was a nice move by Russ, even if it didn’t get him to the playoffs this year. He’s still got some pieces he could trade off too before the deadline comes up, so it may get even better. But considering the depth of talent available on the open market, Russ did well in a short period of time.
So, overall, mission accomplished for both teams. Well done, gentlemen.
Roy Halladay, Alexi Oganda, Jeff Niemann, 14th, 15th
Colon No Like Salad receive:
Trevor Cahill, Jeff Karstens, James McDonald, 1st rounder, 7th rounder
The second place Donkey Punchers continued to be aggressive as the deadline approaches, matching Montezuma’s trade with Russ a day prior. The trade values were similar ( I gave a 1st, 10th, and 13th) and both addressed the needs of the team, with Chris adding significant depth to his rotation while chopping off the wounded appendages. Oganda is an interesting one in that there’s been ongoing concern that his history as a reliever would eventually catch up to him and he’d regress terribly. That hasn’t happened, but he has been prone to some nasty, unexpected blowouts from time to time, as seen with his shoddy performance versus Seattle on Tuesday. Niemann, meanwhile, has been great since coming off the DL, looking similar to how he looked in the first half of 2010. If he continues that path of good halves, then this could be a nice add for Chris. Meanwhile, a keeper lineup of Bautista, Teixera, Crawford, Cruz, Halladay and Berkman (maybe Ackley) looks pretty good heading into 2012 as well.
Meanwhile, Russ gets what he sought out when he began last week and will have three first round picks to go along with Cano, Hamilton, Cargo, Felix, Kershaw, and Wainwright. Not bad and may challenge Casten for most jerkoffable roster after the 2012 draft. Considering he gave up Mike Stanton and Gio to get Felix and Hamels (freeing up Halladay to be traded), that was a nice move by Russ, even if it didn’t get him to the playoffs this year. He’s still got some pieces he could trade off too before the deadline comes up, so it may get even better. But considering the depth of talent available on the open market, Russ did well in a short period of time.
So, overall, mission accomplished for both teams. Well done, gentlemen.
Trade Review - Donkey and Urban
Donkey Punchers receive:
Derek Jeter, 17th rounder
Urban Achievers receive:
Erick Aybar, 7th rounder
As off as this may look on the surface, with Aybar approximately 50 spots higher in the overall Yahoo! Ranking and an impressive steals total, I like the acquisition for Chris. Jeter has turned things around since hitting number 3,000 and looks like his old self, sitting on top of that impressive Yankee lineup. Meanwhile, Aybar has slowed considerably and has been very mediocre over the last month. So, the move makes sense, though it leaves him relying almost solely on Coco to provide steals (though, one would hope Crawford gets moving soon). With that, I also think Chris gave up much more than he needed to for what was really not a huge upgrade talent-wise. At this point in the year and with so much mid-level talent available for only minor draft pick upgrades, 10 rounds is a lot to get someone who has had a pretty mediocre season overall. But if Jeter continues the level of production from the past month over the next two months, it could prove more than worth it.
On that note, Dan did a great job upgrading a pick for someone who has certainly worn out his welcome among the list of annual keepers. Surely, there wasn’t a whole lot of competition for Jeter’s services among the contenders, so however he sold it, he sold it well. The ceiling for the 7th round in 2011 was ESantana, CWilson, JGracia, which is quite good. So, while its perplexing that Dan wasn’t more aggressive in liquidating prior to the onset of fellow dumpers, considering he called it a season more than a month ago, good to see him back at it. There’s still some good pieces to move between now and Sunday.
Overall, liked the move for Chris, but the pick differential probably should’ve been smaller.
Derek Jeter, 17th rounder
Urban Achievers receive:
Erick Aybar, 7th rounder
As off as this may look on the surface, with Aybar approximately 50 spots higher in the overall Yahoo! Ranking and an impressive steals total, I like the acquisition for Chris. Jeter has turned things around since hitting number 3,000 and looks like his old self, sitting on top of that impressive Yankee lineup. Meanwhile, Aybar has slowed considerably and has been very mediocre over the last month. So, the move makes sense, though it leaves him relying almost solely on Coco to provide steals (though, one would hope Crawford gets moving soon). With that, I also think Chris gave up much more than he needed to for what was really not a huge upgrade talent-wise. At this point in the year and with so much mid-level talent available for only minor draft pick upgrades, 10 rounds is a lot to get someone who has had a pretty mediocre season overall. But if Jeter continues the level of production from the past month over the next two months, it could prove more than worth it.
On that note, Dan did a great job upgrading a pick for someone who has certainly worn out his welcome among the list of annual keepers. Surely, there wasn’t a whole lot of competition for Jeter’s services among the contenders, so however he sold it, he sold it well. The ceiling for the 7th round in 2011 was ESantana, CWilson, JGracia, which is quite good. So, while its perplexing that Dan wasn’t more aggressive in liquidating prior to the onset of fellow dumpers, considering he called it a season more than a month ago, good to see him back at it. There’s still some good pieces to move between now and Sunday.
Overall, liked the move for Chris, but the pick differential probably should’ve been smaller.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Trade Review - Montezuma and Colon
Colon No Like Salad receives:
Adam Dunn, Sergio Santos, Brandon Beachy, 1st rounder, 10th rounder, 13th rounder
Montezumas Revenge receives:
Cole Hamels, Craig Kimbrel, Gaby Sanchez, 16th, 17th, 18th picks
Every trade deadline needs a big blockbuster and this may be the first of several. Russ has officially called it a season following a bit of bad luck and some general draft disappointments, but he made quick work gobbling an additional first rounder and couple nice mid rounders while dealing off his late round picks. And he actually picked up a few nice players that could enhance the rosters of some teams in the league, namely Santos and Beachy, though Dunn would be a worthwhile speculative pick for a late rounder. And he’s still got Halladay waiting there to be scooped up for another first rounder, as well as some other nice rosterable pieces in Alexei, Weiters, Guerra, Ogando, Neimann and Zambrano. That said, its definitely a buyer’s market so it might be difficult to sell off all the pieces before the trade deadline on Sunday.
For me, well, I could’ve waited for the price to go down, but I didn’t want to chance it. Unlike past deals where I’ve enhanced my rosters through player-for-player trades, I felt a little dirty doing this one. I love the players, but I also feel like I just spent my son’s college fund on a Vegas vacation. Not having a first round pick next year will suck and you could argue that my roster was good enough as it was to win it all, but it was also a bit of a defensive move. Any numbers of playoff teams could grab one or both of these aces and suddenly my team strength of starting pitching is compromised. This gives me a rotation of Hamels, Beckett, Kennedy, Oswalt, Masterson (look at the numbers, he’s an ace), ESantana, Kuroda, Stauffer, Bedard, and Luebke – not an ERA over 3.5 or a whip over 1.23 amongst them (besides Oswalt) and they’ve all done pretty well at avoiding blowups this year. I wouldn’t have given up a first without gaining a keeper and I got a great one in Hamels, whose been just as good as Halladay and is 27. Santana, Hosmer, JUpton, Rasmus, Kinsler and Hamels is a pretty nice group of keepers I think. Meanwhile, I stay away from the whimsys of Ozzie Guillen (not to mention his crappy team) by dropping Santos, and, obviously, Gaby Sanchez is a huge upgrade over Adam Dunn, who I still don’t understand. It’s possible I make another move or two, but right now I think the roster can compete for a championship.
So, both teams got what they wanted. Whether they capitalize on it (a great draft pick for Russ, a championship for me), is another story entirely.
Adam Dunn, Sergio Santos, Brandon Beachy, 1st rounder, 10th rounder, 13th rounder
Montezumas Revenge receives:
Cole Hamels, Craig Kimbrel, Gaby Sanchez, 16th, 17th, 18th picks
Every trade deadline needs a big blockbuster and this may be the first of several. Russ has officially called it a season following a bit of bad luck and some general draft disappointments, but he made quick work gobbling an additional first rounder and couple nice mid rounders while dealing off his late round picks. And he actually picked up a few nice players that could enhance the rosters of some teams in the league, namely Santos and Beachy, though Dunn would be a worthwhile speculative pick for a late rounder. And he’s still got Halladay waiting there to be scooped up for another first rounder, as well as some other nice rosterable pieces in Alexei, Weiters, Guerra, Ogando, Neimann and Zambrano. That said, its definitely a buyer’s market so it might be difficult to sell off all the pieces before the trade deadline on Sunday.
For me, well, I could’ve waited for the price to go down, but I didn’t want to chance it. Unlike past deals where I’ve enhanced my rosters through player-for-player trades, I felt a little dirty doing this one. I love the players, but I also feel like I just spent my son’s college fund on a Vegas vacation. Not having a first round pick next year will suck and you could argue that my roster was good enough as it was to win it all, but it was also a bit of a defensive move. Any numbers of playoff teams could grab one or both of these aces and suddenly my team strength of starting pitching is compromised. This gives me a rotation of Hamels, Beckett, Kennedy, Oswalt, Masterson (look at the numbers, he’s an ace), ESantana, Kuroda, Stauffer, Bedard, and Luebke – not an ERA over 3.5 or a whip over 1.23 amongst them (besides Oswalt) and they’ve all done pretty well at avoiding blowups this year. I wouldn’t have given up a first without gaining a keeper and I got a great one in Hamels, whose been just as good as Halladay and is 27. Santana, Hosmer, JUpton, Rasmus, Kinsler and Hamels is a pretty nice group of keepers I think. Meanwhile, I stay away from the whimsys of Ozzie Guillen (not to mention his crappy team) by dropping Santos, and, obviously, Gaby Sanchez is a huge upgrade over Adam Dunn, who I still don’t understand. It’s possible I make another move or two, but right now I think the roster can compete for a championship.
So, both teams got what they wanted. Whether they capitalize on it (a great draft pick for Russ, a championship for me), is another story entirely.
Trade Review - Anal and Ring of Fire
Anal Hershiser receives:
Alex Avila, Ryan Vogelsong
Ring of Fire receives:
Jay Bruce
I like this move for Dagan, definitely. Bruce is still young and has tremendous power potential, as he’s shown in bursts thus far this year. While most expected this to be his breakout season and his bottom line reveals a breakoutworthy acknowledgement (61/22/67/7/.346), a lot of that production came during a short period of time he’s been way to up and down to really be considered broken through. Next year though, watch out. He’s still just 24 and has true five-category potential if you can be patient. Dagan has shown throughout his H&T career he can be very patient. Nice move capitalizing on the value of a couple of shrewd waiver wire pickups.
For Andy, I can see the thought process, but I just think he could’ve gotten more for someone I consider a potential high-end keeper for many years to come. Really, with all the teams looking to build up for the future, it would’ve been a great time to post a message stating you were interested in dealing Bruce and needed a catcher and a starter. My guess is Dagan, who was sitting with Mauer already, probably would’ve come knocking with something a little more powerful or reliable. Don’t get me wrong, Avila and Vogelsong have been great and have excellent overall numbers, but their lack of track record and/or pedigree make it difficult to project their continued production going forward, which is when you’ll need them most. Actually, it’s the only time you’ll need them, as they’ll both be in the draft pool and (in all likelihood) will be on a different team next year. While Bruce may be on his way to a 100/40/100/15/.360 line.
So, needless to say, Dagan definitely wins here in my mind, though Andy filled a gaping catcher hole with a very capable backstop.
Alex Avila, Ryan Vogelsong
Ring of Fire receives:
Jay Bruce
I like this move for Dagan, definitely. Bruce is still young and has tremendous power potential, as he’s shown in bursts thus far this year. While most expected this to be his breakout season and his bottom line reveals a breakoutworthy acknowledgement (61/22/67/7/.346), a lot of that production came during a short period of time he’s been way to up and down to really be considered broken through. Next year though, watch out. He’s still just 24 and has true five-category potential if you can be patient. Dagan has shown throughout his H&T career he can be very patient. Nice move capitalizing on the value of a couple of shrewd waiver wire pickups.
For Andy, I can see the thought process, but I just think he could’ve gotten more for someone I consider a potential high-end keeper for many years to come. Really, with all the teams looking to build up for the future, it would’ve been a great time to post a message stating you were interested in dealing Bruce and needed a catcher and a starter. My guess is Dagan, who was sitting with Mauer already, probably would’ve come knocking with something a little more powerful or reliable. Don’t get me wrong, Avila and Vogelsong have been great and have excellent overall numbers, but their lack of track record and/or pedigree make it difficult to project their continued production going forward, which is when you’ll need them most. Actually, it’s the only time you’ll need them, as they’ll both be in the draft pool and (in all likelihood) will be on a different team next year. While Bruce may be on his way to a 100/40/100/15/.360 line.
So, needless to say, Dagan definitely wins here in my mind, though Andy filled a gaping catcher hole with a very capable backstop.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Trade Review - Montezuma and Billy Chapel
Billy Chapel receive:
Hunter Pence, Jair Jurrjens, Clay Buchholz, and Brett Lawrie
Montezuma’s Revenge receive:
Ian Kinsler, Francisco Cordero, and Brandon Beachy
A trade that could ultimately prove very beneficial to Troy, while helping my team fill a void. While Billy Chapel loses recently acquired keeper Kinsler, Pence is at about the same value point in most keeper rankings and is more durable, a year younger, and playing in an offense the likes of which have never been seen in Houston. Meanwhile, he acquired Jurrjens who, despite a recent hiccup, hasn’t seen his era go above 3 all year, has a whip under 1 for most of the year, and is a QS machine. He doesn’t K a lot, which keeps him from be a top-level keeper, but he’s certainly had a season worthy of keeper status. Acquired in the second to last round, he was one of my all-time greatest fantasy picks. Buchholz is less clear as a keeper, but he’s certainly played near that level since stumbling out of the blocks in April and should be fine by spring training. Lawrie, who was called up mere hours after the trade went down, could be the real catch here if he has a solid end to the season. All in all, Troy made out pretty well.
I, on the other hand, also did pretty well filling a second base slot that has been essentially useless thus far with the underwhelming BRoberts, JWeeks, EY Jr., AHill creating a statistical void outside of BRob’s first two weeks. Kinsler appears healthy, for now anyway, and is a former member of the 30/30 club who has had up and down OBP outputs. A bit of a risk while giving up one of the most reliable players in the game, but I have JUpton, CBeltran, CRasmus, and JBourgeois in the OF, so he was expendable. The trade also gets me to the roster structure I want with one bench hitter and lots of pitchers. And suddenly I have three closers for the first time this season (drafting FRodney/RFrankling/JMcGee didn’t quite work out). I actually think Beachy will outperform Jurrjens for the rest of the season as well, as he has the K upside and isn’t facing an innings limit.
So I like my lineup a bit more today and Troy got a bunch of good players for one keeper. Everyone’s happy.
Hunter Pence, Jair Jurrjens, Clay Buchholz, and Brett Lawrie
Montezuma’s Revenge receive:
Ian Kinsler, Francisco Cordero, and Brandon Beachy
A trade that could ultimately prove very beneficial to Troy, while helping my team fill a void. While Billy Chapel loses recently acquired keeper Kinsler, Pence is at about the same value point in most keeper rankings and is more durable, a year younger, and playing in an offense the likes of which have never been seen in Houston. Meanwhile, he acquired Jurrjens who, despite a recent hiccup, hasn’t seen his era go above 3 all year, has a whip under 1 for most of the year, and is a QS machine. He doesn’t K a lot, which keeps him from be a top-level keeper, but he’s certainly had a season worthy of keeper status. Acquired in the second to last round, he was one of my all-time greatest fantasy picks. Buchholz is less clear as a keeper, but he’s certainly played near that level since stumbling out of the blocks in April and should be fine by spring training. Lawrie, who was called up mere hours after the trade went down, could be the real catch here if he has a solid end to the season. All in all, Troy made out pretty well.
I, on the other hand, also did pretty well filling a second base slot that has been essentially useless thus far with the underwhelming BRoberts, JWeeks, EY Jr., AHill creating a statistical void outside of BRob’s first two weeks. Kinsler appears healthy, for now anyway, and is a former member of the 30/30 club who has had up and down OBP outputs. A bit of a risk while giving up one of the most reliable players in the game, but I have JUpton, CBeltran, CRasmus, and JBourgeois in the OF, so he was expendable. The trade also gets me to the roster structure I want with one bench hitter and lots of pitchers. And suddenly I have three closers for the first time this season (drafting FRodney/RFrankling/JMcGee didn’t quite work out). I actually think Beachy will outperform Jurrjens for the rest of the season as well, as he has the K upside and isn’t facing an innings limit.
So I like my lineup a bit more today and Troy got a bunch of good players for one keeper. Everyone’s happy.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Trade Review - Cowhide and Donkey
Donkey Punchers receive
Derek Holland, 12th rounder
Cowhide Joyride receive
Ted Lilly, 11th round
Smart move by Dave at this point to start selling off the pieces for minor draft upgrades. He could make some nice headway over the course of the next 10 days. Although, he might’ve been able to get more for Holland if he waited until after his next start. The thing with Holland, as someone who suffered the pains along with the great success, is he is by far the most volatile pitcher in the league. He can go from a complete game shutout with 10ks to two-thirds of an inning and seven earned runs. That was the main reason he was jettisoned from my roster, as I don’t want to have to deal with him delivering a death blow. The volatility issue may be what makes it or breaks it for Chris, with guys like McDonald, Holland, Gallardo, Cahill, and Carpenter. Even stable guys like Hudson, Karstens, Garcia, and Marcum can only reduce the risk so much. But considering the options, yeah I’d definitely rather have him than Lilly, whose been nothing short of dreadful this year despite being healthy. So definitely a good move for Chris.
Derek Holland, 12th rounder
Cowhide Joyride receive
Ted Lilly, 11th round
Smart move by Dave at this point to start selling off the pieces for minor draft upgrades. He could make some nice headway over the course of the next 10 days. Although, he might’ve been able to get more for Holland if he waited until after his next start. The thing with Holland, as someone who suffered the pains along with the great success, is he is by far the most volatile pitcher in the league. He can go from a complete game shutout with 10ks to two-thirds of an inning and seven earned runs. That was the main reason he was jettisoned from my roster, as I don’t want to have to deal with him delivering a death blow. The volatility issue may be what makes it or breaks it for Chris, with guys like McDonald, Holland, Gallardo, Cahill, and Carpenter. Even stable guys like Hudson, Karstens, Garcia, and Marcum can only reduce the risk so much. But considering the options, yeah I’d definitely rather have him than Lilly, whose been nothing short of dreadful this year despite being healthy. So definitely a good move for Chris.
Trade Review - Prestige and Cowhide
Cowhide Joyride receive:
Brendan Ryan, Glen Perkins, 7th rounder
Prestige Worldwide receive:
Billy Butler, Andrew Bailey, 10th rounder
Nice move by Lars to replace two stinkers with legitimate category threats, while only having to eat three rounds. Dave has definitely proven to be the discount shopping center compared to Casten and may have been able to get more for the twosome, but you can’t blame him really. He too will have a fun time drafting next year and considering his keepers address some of the most shallow positions (2B, SS, 3B, C), he’ll be in good shape to fill in the holes. Meanwhile, Lars has done a nice job addressing some problem spots on his roster through a couple of trades with Dave. Neither Ryan nor Perkins belong anywhere near a playoff roster, while Butler is a great UTIL guy and Bailey is a nice third closer.
Brendan Ryan, Glen Perkins, 7th rounder
Prestige Worldwide receive:
Billy Butler, Andrew Bailey, 10th rounder
Nice move by Lars to replace two stinkers with legitimate category threats, while only having to eat three rounds. Dave has definitely proven to be the discount shopping center compared to Casten and may have been able to get more for the twosome, but you can’t blame him really. He too will have a fun time drafting next year and considering his keepers address some of the most shallow positions (2B, SS, 3B, C), he’ll be in good shape to fill in the holes. Meanwhile, Lars has done a nice job addressing some problem spots on his roster through a couple of trades with Dave. Neither Ryan nor Perkins belong anywhere near a playoff roster, while Butler is a great UTIL guy and Bailey is a nice third closer.
Trade Review - Urban and Grumpy
Urban Achievers receive:
Desmond Jennings, Matt LaPorta, 8th rounder
Grumpy Munchkins receive:
Fracisco Liriano, Josh Tomlin, 2nd round
Ugh. It doesn’t reach the level of the Weaver deal, but this makes no sense. Desmond Jennings is a nice player, but he hasn’t reached keeper status yet. As well as he’s played, he’s had a cup of coffee before and failed miserably. Don’t get me wrong, I do like him, especially in an OBP league, but would I take a chance and draft him before the sixth round next year? Not a chance, no matter what numbers he puts up. But the real crime here is giving up the second round pick. For a team that called it a season earlier than anyone else, I would expect Dan to be in better shape at this point. No, he doesn’t have to be Dave and Casten, nor doesn’t he have to publish a menu of prices for the crumbs left on the plate, but the fact that he doesn’t have a 2nd or 3rd round pick heading into next year is ridiculous. Meanwhile Casten has five (count em – 5!!) 2nd rounders and won’t be drafting past the 8th round now. Makes me almost want to give up and trade off parts. Dave only called it a season 10 days ago and he’s in great shape. There’s still time, so hopefully Dan makes the most of it or he may just find himself rebuilding again a year from now. On Casten’s end, he continues to use this opportunity to the best of his abilities and will no doubt be disappointed come the Aug 14th deadline. The smartest thing he’s done is continue to be active on the waiver wire front and has turned several of those pickups into pick upgrades. As someone who loves to find his sleepers in the draft, it’ll be interesting to see if Casten reaches for some players in the draft because he really won’t be drafting at all when the gold nuggets are found in the latter stages of the draft. He’ll be fast asleep, or looking at his roster and rubbing one out.
Desmond Jennings, Matt LaPorta, 8th rounder
Grumpy Munchkins receive:
Fracisco Liriano, Josh Tomlin, 2nd round
Ugh. It doesn’t reach the level of the Weaver deal, but this makes no sense. Desmond Jennings is a nice player, but he hasn’t reached keeper status yet. As well as he’s played, he’s had a cup of coffee before and failed miserably. Don’t get me wrong, I do like him, especially in an OBP league, but would I take a chance and draft him before the sixth round next year? Not a chance, no matter what numbers he puts up. But the real crime here is giving up the second round pick. For a team that called it a season earlier than anyone else, I would expect Dan to be in better shape at this point. No, he doesn’t have to be Dave and Casten, nor doesn’t he have to publish a menu of prices for the crumbs left on the plate, but the fact that he doesn’t have a 2nd or 3rd round pick heading into next year is ridiculous. Meanwhile Casten has five (count em – 5!!) 2nd rounders and won’t be drafting past the 8th round now. Makes me almost want to give up and trade off parts. Dave only called it a season 10 days ago and he’s in great shape. There’s still time, so hopefully Dan makes the most of it or he may just find himself rebuilding again a year from now. On Casten’s end, he continues to use this opportunity to the best of his abilities and will no doubt be disappointed come the Aug 14th deadline. The smartest thing he’s done is continue to be active on the waiver wire front and has turned several of those pickups into pick upgrades. As someone who loves to find his sleepers in the draft, it’ll be interesting to see if Casten reaches for some players in the draft because he really won’t be drafting at all when the gold nuggets are found in the latter stages of the draft. He’ll be fast asleep, or looking at his roster and rubbing one out.
Trade Review - Donkey and Urban
Urban Achievers receive:
Mariano Rivera, Russell Martin, 9th rounder
Donkey Punchers receive:
Yovani Gallardo, Mike Napoli, 12th rounder
Nice move by Chris to push Mo off as a keeper after Bell didn’t end up being traded. Gallardo has had an up and down season and remains very volatile, but the overall line (3.69era/1.32whip/124k/15qs) is still high quality. And Martin has predictably hit a massive cold streak after being fantasy’s top catcher for the first couple months. Napoli doesn’t play everyday, but sometime’s it more valuable to have an empty spot than someone that just sits their and chews away at your OBP day in and day out. And when Napoli is hot, there are few better. Chris solidified his staff without giving away much of a draft pick and avoided having to carry five closers. Meanwhile, I really don’t like the move from Urban’s point of view, namely because I don’t every condone keeping closers in a six keeper league (no, not even Mo). But that’s my strategy; at least he’s not sitting on his hands.
Mariano Rivera, Russell Martin, 9th rounder
Donkey Punchers receive:
Yovani Gallardo, Mike Napoli, 12th rounder
Nice move by Chris to push Mo off as a keeper after Bell didn’t end up being traded. Gallardo has had an up and down season and remains very volatile, but the overall line (3.69era/1.32whip/124k/15qs) is still high quality. And Martin has predictably hit a massive cold streak after being fantasy’s top catcher for the first couple months. Napoli doesn’t play everyday, but sometime’s it more valuable to have an empty spot than someone that just sits their and chews away at your OBP day in and day out. And when Napoli is hot, there are few better. Chris solidified his staff without giving away much of a draft pick and avoided having to carry five closers. Meanwhile, I really don’t like the move from Urban’s point of view, namely because I don’t every condone keeping closers in a six keeper league (no, not even Mo). But that’s my strategy; at least he’s not sitting on his hands.
Trade Review - Anal and Ring of Fire
Anal Hershisers receive:
Vance Worley, 13th rounder
Ring of Fire receive:
RA Dickey, 6th rounder
Nice move by Dagan to maximize value on a shrewd waiver wire pickup, while not really taking much of a downgrade. In a league that counts wins, this is a nice gain for Anal, but Worley really isn’t that much better than Dickey, both are regression candidates, and neither are considerably better than players on the waiver wire. Worley has never been viewed as much of a prospect, so the likelihood of him keeping up the ace pace is unlikely. Dickey finished last year strong and could prove to be very valuable if he does that again. Meanwhile, the 6th brought along guys like Bourn, Beckett, Anibal, CPerez, Adam Jones, Valverde, and Kendrick. It’s a little easier to make judgment on trades where both teams are in contention because they’re less likely to work for both teams. In this case, I’ll take Dagan’s side.
Vance Worley, 13th rounder
Ring of Fire receive:
RA Dickey, 6th rounder
Nice move by Dagan to maximize value on a shrewd waiver wire pickup, while not really taking much of a downgrade. In a league that counts wins, this is a nice gain for Anal, but Worley really isn’t that much better than Dickey, both are regression candidates, and neither are considerably better than players on the waiver wire. Worley has never been viewed as much of a prospect, so the likelihood of him keeping up the ace pace is unlikely. Dickey finished last year strong and could prove to be very valuable if he does that again. Meanwhile, the 6th brought along guys like Bourn, Beckett, Anibal, CPerez, Adam Jones, Valverde, and Kendrick. It’s a little easier to make judgment on trades where both teams are in contention because they’re less likely to work for both teams. In this case, I’ll take Dagan’s side.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)