This week in trades, we start by looking back. Words rarely can adequately describe the efforts that trying to put together a weekly piece can require. What started as a fun project with a ‘weekly is easy, why don’t we have more pods from TeeJ and Kerry?’ attitude eventually turned into a chore. As we got into our groove and toned down the opinion, I lost the spark. To cover for my shortcomings I brought in a ringer in Tuner who has no shortage of opinions and was more than up to the task. Chros was no quitter though and has been the TWIT rock from start to finish. Thank you to both of you for all of your efforts over the last 4 seasons. I literally could not have done it without you. Thank you also to our guest commentators, Gerth, Dr. Moshe Finkelstein III, and Davey.
This Week Month in Trades continues the dismantling of the once ToC worthy New Orleans team and the sudden dismemberment of the Buffalo pitching staff. Buffalo is now a big question mark to cling to a ToC spot to finish their likely final season in the PL, assuming the sell of continues this offseason. The biggest surprise was the buying by Montana but unlike previous years of Montana-y-ness, these deals may have actually put him in a better situation than he started. I would even go out on a limb to call him the big winner on this deadline day. So without further delay, let’s see the trades!
| NO | SS Bren Spillane (50%) | FTW | RP Jim Sison (AAA) SS Pedro Ramos (R) |
Spillane was a huge disappointment in NO to say the least. For Ft. Worth, he has already equaled his WAR output from all of last year for NO.
Chase got a couple of meh prospects for having to hold 50% of Spillane…. This makes sense.
| NO | SP Sjoerd Reynoud | PIT | 3B Adam Bisset (A) 2043 PIT 5th Round |
Great buy-low trade for PIT here. Reynoud still has gas in the tank and has been fantastic for the Fishies.
I really like this deal for Tyler. He gets a solid pitcher and only has to give up a 5th round pick and Bisset (my scout is not a fan). This also makes sense for Chase as he is in full sell mode.
| NO | 1B Jason Slaybaugh SP Markus Widner RP Wu-ti Xuan $9,000,000 | SEA | 1B Charles Geudre 1B Maurice Wrightson (A) 2043 SEA 1st Round 2043 SEA 2nd Round 2043 SEA 3rd Round |
Don’t love the prospects here but if the picks can stay at #12 or at least in the Top 15 then that’ll help.
A deal I probably should not have done but I can’t help myself. Its no secret that I have hated the draft so I dont have any issues moving my picks.
| NO | Juichi Kanno (100%) (AAA) | VAN | 2043 VAN 4th Round |
I like Kanno a lot. He looks… really good.
Yeah I am missing something here. I like Kanno and only getting him for a 4th round pick is amazing. I guess the only saving point is he is a dick but still I would say Dave won this one.
| NO | 3B Colm Goodwill CF Leon Castillo (100%) $7,800,000 | LI | CF Vincente Romero 3B Ramon Gabriel (AA) SP Angel Diaz (R) 2043 LI 1st Round |
Gabriel looks like a stud and future batting champ. Pretty fair trade here, Goodwill was inconsistent in the PL but has been on fire for LI.
Colm is a nice bat to get and LI also got the money to cover him this year. I also love Gabriel and I am ok with LI moving him in a win now approach. The trading of CFs looks like a trading of one dead guy for another for both teams. WIN FOR BOTH!
| NO | CF Gerrie Bond RP Grover Lowdermilk (100%) RP Jim Sison (100%) SP Daryl Keirl (100%) $4,8500,000 | MON | OF Eikki Kankaanpera 2B Nick Boyd (AAA) RP Tate Beason (AAA) SP Deron Lewis (AA) RP Carlos Rosado (A) OF Mannus Coppens (A) RP Shao-Zu Chow (R) |
I was going to say I liked Kankaanpera but he was claimed off waivers by Boston. He’s a gold glover in LF if he can hit enough to stay in the lineup. Not sure what happened there.
I dont know the world I live in. Montana buying here does not make a lot of sense but I should not try to understand things. I dont love Bond but this deal seems fine for both teams.
| NO | RP Sicnarf Loopstok (100%) | BUF | SP Ivan Torres (R) |
Welp, I was hoping Loopstok would make a difference and be a nice LOOGY for me, but so much for that. Now he will be tasked with helping me stay afloat and cling onto a TOC spot.
The deal works even with Buff selling. I like Loopstok and all CHROS had to give up was a decent pitching prospect.
| MON | $3,000,000 | STL | 1B Tony Randolph (AAA) |
Is there a team that hasn’t had Randolph yet? Looks like the SS experiment failed. He should probably be taught 2nd base where his bat would play better.
3 big ones for Tony…. I can live with it. Panda is playing him at 1B and he would be a very bland 1B.
| MON | SP Francisco Gonzalez (R) RP Juan Gonzalez (R) | COL | 1B Dean Jackson (AAA) |
Eh, this is fine. Jackson is slightly useful and MON didn’t give up anything much, nor should he have. COL will pray that Gonzalez can pick up a point or 2 in control.
Oh Dean Jackson. You were my love when I first joined the league and now you are an old cow to me. I wish you the best my sweet princess.
| NV | 2043 NV 4th Round 2043 BUF 4th Round 2043 NV 5th Round 2043 BUF 5th Round | PORT | 3B Dao-zi Zhan (AAA) RF Sherman Kline (AAA) |
Uh.. Zhan is an above average starter at 3B, and Kline has star potential. They were traded for basically nothing. This is a steal by evil Davey.
ah for me I see this as a couple of fringe players for a bunch of fringe draft picks. I have probably 5 Zhans on my AAA team right now.
| NV | 2043 PIT 4th Round | PIT | 3B Bill Dixon |
Dixon is a potential gold glover who can hit a little, Davey’s prototypical player. Another nice pickup for only a 4th rounder.
I like this deal for Davey. Dixon has an amazing gap and I like a good gap. Good trade only giving up a 4th.
| STL | SS Cristo Lopez (A) 2043 STL 2nd Round 2043 STL 4th Round | PIT | SP Nam-shik Kwak |
This is fine. Lopez looks like a solid utility guy is Kwak is a bottom of the rotation SP.
Good deal for STL, getting a 3-5 pitcher for a couple of picks and decent 2b prospect.
| BUC | $2,500,000 | ACKC | RP Francisco Gonzales (AAA) RP David Maxwell (AAA) |
This is fine.
Sure why not.
| NO | RP Chin-yau Liu RP Taalay Ibragimov $1,600,000 | BUC | Nothing |
Pure salary dump. Liu looks solid though and may have been able to bring back something.
Sure again.
| CLE | SP Chris Holland $2,670,000 | TOL | CF Steve Chittick (AA) CF Art Hensley (AA) 2043 TOL 2nd Round |
Fair deal. Chittick was being discussed for Matson and I may regret not pulling the trigger on that.
Good deal for the bees. Both OF prospects are not sure things and have flaws. I dont hate the deal for Cleveland but I think I like it for the bees more.
| NO | 2B Tony Calhoun | EP | 2043 EP 3rd Round |
At worst, Calhoun is a very solid bench piece. Good pickup.
Again I hate picks so giving up a 3rd for Tony is a fine deal.
| STL | LF Joe Mueller 2043 MON 4th Round $983,000 | EP | 2043 EP 2nd Round |
Mueller should do well in the 3L, probably don’t want him starting in higher leagues though.
I like Mueller and would have probably given up a 2nd round pick for him.
| NO | C Aurelius Estrada | PC | 2043 PC 4th Round $1,500,000 |
The fact that he got cash in return for a backup catcher makes this a pretty good deal for me on NO’s end.
Money for nothing and your chicks for free….
| BUF | RF Jorge Herrera (50%) | BOS | SP Nolan Owens (AA) RF Yoshiki Shimizu (AA) RF Zhong-yi Yun (R) |
Not a perfect deal but it was the best on the table. I couldn’t risk Herrera possibly regressing (see 2041 where his contact temporarily went down and he had a very pedestrian year) and getting less in the offseason. Also his Eye just recently decreased which worried me. Yun can be a very good bat and above average 1B although he’s a dick. Shimizu is a sure thing star and should be a force at the top of the lineup. Owens is a lottery ticket, and I forgot there was a rescout on Aug 1 so I should have waited, but I’m praying he can bounce back when he returns soon.
50% is a lot ot hang on to for that many years so these prospects better be great. Lets see, Owens – amazing stuff for me has 9797 pitches… I like. Shimizu – 995410 pots…. I like Yun- 89978 Pots…. I like. When you want someone to hold 50% of a big contract you are going to pay and I think Boston did. I like this deal.
| BUF | RP Jeff Mahl (50%) RP Brewster Warble (50%) | MISS | RP Harold Hunter (A) 2B Ming-an Yin (R) |
Hunter looks like a future setup guy. Yin has nice power potential but I’m hoping for a little bump in contact. Two big bullpen pieces that should help MISS stay up in the SL.
Two strong RPs for a good RP prospect and an ok 2b prospect. This deal makes sense for both teams.
| BUF | SP Eric Matson (75%) | STL | SS Da-Xia Hui (A) 1B Miguel Bustamante (R) |
Took what I can get, but a pitcher leading the league in WHIP and a definite Ace should bring back a bit more. Might regret not getting Chittick. Bustamante is a DH and a good bat, hopefully can become closer to what OSA projects. Hui looks to be a solid MIFer and potential starter.
Current top ROTY player Matson was moved for two prospects. Hui like others have gap which I love and could be decent. Bustamante could maybe make his way to an average DH. I can’t hate deal as Buff was moving on but its not a lot of a return for holding.
| ACKC | $5,000,000 | CHS | 2043 CHS 2nd Round 2043 CHS 4th Round |
| PIT | $6,000,000 | COL | 2043 COL 3rd Round 2043 PORT 3rd Round 2043 COL 5th Round 2043 LI 5th Round |
| BUF | SP Dusty Fox (60%) RP Kenji Aoki (100%) $1,800,000 | MON | LF Martin Pliego SP Bobby Roode SP Nanomi Lajore (AAA) LF Tokaji Mizuno (A) SP Jorge Torres (A) |
Roode and Lajore are here because I have absolutely no depth and need to trot out warm bodies. Pliego and Mizuno aren’t studs but project to be pretty good bats, and Torres provides decent depth.
I dont understand this as Panda is the worst team in the 3L. I would say he should not be moving his farm but he really does not have a farm so maybe this trade works for him.
| STL | SP Ernesto Lopes (25%) | MISS | 2043 MISS 3rd Round |
Feels like kind of a light return for Lopez. He hasn’t pitched too well as of late but his ratings are still pretty good.
I love Lopes and I think getting him for a 3rd is a great move by Beau.
| BUF | SP Kent Good | HOL | SP Jose Torres (AA) LF Pepe Savinon (AA) RP Xin-fang Zha (R) |
Torres is a solid lefty SP in a league where that’s huge to have. PeePee is a huge dick but should hit enough to be an interesting leadoff guy, and Zha is another future setup type if he doesn’t die.
Kent Good is a good pitcher…… is this thing on. I have Jose as a 856 with only two good pitches. I would also like Pepe more but he is a dick. Zha for sure could be a closer. This deal is fine for both teams.
| TB | RP Von Hansen | MISS | SP Fred Jerger (AA) |
Von Hansen is a cool name, but feels like he’s missing a first name. And he’s a good RP. Not a fan of Jerger.
Another good pick up by the team just trying to stay in the SL.
| TB | SP Herve Favier (100%) RP Miguel Rodriguez (100%) | MON | SP Jim Steel (A) SS Antonio Cruz (A) 3B Danny Adams (R) |
Miguel Rodriguez is another pretty good RP. Pandas pick him up very cheaply.
I like this move by Mr. Panda. Again I am not sure what he is doing but he is doing it.
| BUF | SS Jose Santos $780,000 | MON | RP Scott Colorado (AAA) RP Ralph DePalma (AAA) |
Salary dump. Need warm bodies on the mound. Santos has sucked this year after last year’s career year, maybe he bounces back in the 3L.
Scott Colorado sounds likes a car dealership. Why not.
| KT | C Holden Ford (100%) | MON | RP Horiuchi Tanaka (AA) (100%) 2B Jose Negrete (R) |
Ford is a nice pickup and good bat for a Catcher. Pandas traded nothing here.
I dont know why Ford had to be moved. While he was never going to win a gold glove, I love his bat. Great pick up for Panda.
| BOS | $2,000,000 | MON | RP Grover Lowdermilk |
I hope the Pandas can extend Ford.
Lowdermilk did not stay long… Panda wanted the cash instead.
| SEA | C Pancho Hernandez 2043 SEA 4th Round | COL | RF Ken Norris |
Norris is a solid bat although unfortunately his bat doesn’t play well for a DH. Still not a bad get for a backup catcher.
I have a backlog of catchers and Ken Norris will be insurance for Prokop.
Epilogue
Thank you all for reading for the last 4 seasons and 9 months of your lives. Please thank Chros and Tuner for their hard work and if you’ve got a content idea, don’t just sit on it. Make it happen. This league loves content, the more the merrier.
Sincerely,
Cheese