Trade Review: Montezumas and One Nut

Montezumas receives:

1B Anthony Rizzo CHC

SP John Lackey BOS

One Nut receives:

2B Ian Kinsler TEX

RP Huston Street SD

1B Eric Hosmer KC

This is one of those trades enabled by the persistence of both sides. Jason and I rarely come together for a trade because I never feel like my needs are being heard and he probably doubts he can bilk me. That said, we have been able to trade when we both have clear needs (Adam Lind for Carlos Santana in 2011 was a good one, well, for me). Anyhow, I sent an offer to deal Kinsler for AGon a week prior and we didn’t really line up. But with Jason’s trade with Casten, in which he received Pujols and lost Utley, this made more sense.

After about two dozen exchanges, we centered around the above deal with Chacin instead of Hosmer. I was close to giving up until he sent this offer. I hesitated briefly to remember the good times with Hosmer, then remembered they were more frustrating than fun and considered the unlikeness that he rebounds with the type of furor that makes me want to keep him for a third straight year, and ultimately accepted. One homer? Really? After all you put me through last year, dreaming of the promise you showed in 2011, when I dropped Ian Stewart and grabbed you off the waiver wire and you finished with the type of numbers not typically seen by 22 year olds? All that and you give me the same power numbers as Juan Pierre. Most frustrating, especially when I considered just last year “Nah, I don’t need to pickup Goldschmidt. I have Hosmer! Let someone else get him.” These are the types of decisions that change the fortune of teams for a long time.

Anyhow, enough with my Hosmer whining, I actually think he’s still got promise and just needs elevate the way he has shown an ability to do in the past. It just doesn’t appear to be coming this year. Rizzo, meanwhile, has shown he has the power to be a top notch fantasy 1B for years to come and the upcoming warm days at Wrigley provide hope that he has a 90/30/100/15/.340 season in him this year, or something close to that. I needed something from 1B and felt using Dunn there was a waste of his OF eligibility, so I am happy to have someone who could be a building block for years to come. Meanwhile, with four people on the DL (and, little did I know, Gyorko would hit the DL the next day as well) and a sense of urgency given my place in the standings, I was glad to gain back active roster spots. I sort of wish I dealt League instead of Street now, but what can you do. Kinsler is a great addition for Jason because he has the ability to contribute to five categories. The problem for Jason is that half his team is injured currently. Once healthy, if he doesn’t fall out of contention, he could dominate the playoffs – at least from a offensive perspective with C: VMart, 1B: Pujols, 2B: Kinsler, 3B: Hanley, SS: Reyes, OF: AGon, OF: AJones, OF: Cain, UTIL: Headley, UTIL: Hardy. That’s quite formidable. Grab another stud pitcher at the deadline and he’ll have a heck of a team -- again providing they’re both healthy and productive. Meanwhile, I needed a pitcher and always liked LA Angels John Lackey. He looks like that guy now and I’m happy to fill out the middle of the rotation with his potential now that Peavy is on the shelf.