Trade review: Cowhide and Prestige

Cowhide receives:
3B Kevin Youkilis CHW
SP Jair Jurrjens ATL
7th rounder
10th rounder

Prestige receives
SP David Price TB
SP Jason Hammel BAL
18th rounder
19th rounder

I understand why Dave makes this move, but I’d side with Lars in terms of value here. I’d just want a little bit more if I was Dave and giving up my first and fourth rounders. I just don’t trust Hammel. Unlike some who come out of nowhere, Hammel has been around, is over 30, and had potential but failed to produce. I understand he was in COL but going from COL to BAL doesn’t just make your ERA drop from 4.76 and 4.81 the last two seasons to 2.61 (Hammel’s ERA prior to be shellacked by the Angels for 8 ER in 3 ip on Wed), nor does it make your whip suddenly drop from 1.40 to 1.10. I think he can continue to be good, but regression is coming (or recently came) and his 8 QS in 15 starts (53%) is not a good a QS%. I can’t really argue with the Price as he’s had a good season and seems to be developing into the frontline ace he was expected to be. I gave up my first last year for Hamels and have certainly not regretted it. It is possible Dave eventually regrets including the players he did, as Youk could be on the way up now that he’s in a new place and Jurrjens looked awfully good in his first start back against the Sox last Friday (7.2 ip, 1 er, 3 h, 1 bb, 4 k). At the very least, happy to see Dave in it to win it.

In a buyer’s market like we currently have, Lars did very well for himself, capitalizing on one of the best FA pickups of the year in Hammel. He also got two pieces in Youk and Jurrjens who, if they can show they’re back to being their old productive selves, can also yield a pick or two down the line. Twenty rounds of upgrade is always good, but to get two picks in the first four rounds is excellent. I do wonder how this impacts Lars’ keepers going forward. I assume he’s not done, but right now it’s Granderson, AGon, Longo, then maybe Asdrubal, Stubbs, Youk, Edwin E, Lynn, Neftali? A team giving up on the season should have better keepers than that, so we’ll see how he maneuvers this going forward. At the very least he can acquire a bunch of picks, then trade for keepers in the offseason from competing teams with excess.