Trading Prince

[Fat Strat]

I just traded Prince Fielder and Adrian Gonzalez for Lance Berkman and Justin Verlander. Whadda think?


It might seem like I'm giving up a lot of power, and while that's true, I still have Ryan Howard at 1b.

My lineup now:

C: McCann
1b: Howard
2b: Polanco (Upton on the DL)
3b: Miguel Cabrera
SS: JJ Hardy
CI: Lance Berkman
OF: Holliday
OF: Hunter
OF: Granderson
UT: Eric Byrnes

Bench: Glaus, Abreu.

SP: Verlander
SP: Webb
RP: Fuentes
RP: Valverde
P: Capps
P: Chad Cordero
P: Neshek (Huston Street on DL)

Bench: Snell, Kazmir, Lackey

You might think that I look stacked, and I am, but this is a 9 team league. I'm second in the standings, and am next to last in ERA, WHIP, and WINS despite having aces in Lackey, Webb, and Kazmir, and great relievers in Street, Valverde, and Fuentes. I got some very bad starts out of Colon, Lincecum, Burnett, and Oliver Perez before settling on my current lineup. Definitley got the worst of Burnett and Perez.

Offensively I'm at the top of second in the league in everything except steals (punted that category), so I don't think I'll lose much giving up Fielder (Howard will replace him nicely) and Adrian Gonzalez (hadn't cracked my starting lineup in a month.)

Verlander should help me significantly in ERA, WHIP, and most importantly Wins, which should allow me to turn Kazmir or Snell around for more offense if I need it at the deadline.

Think it was a good move or not?

[vinsanity]

You dealt from a position of strength to improve your weakness so it was good.

But I feel like you over payed for Verlander. I just got Peavy heads up for A Gonz. Berkman is finally getting hot, but I think you could have traded A Gonz or Fielder heads up for Verlander or even a Peavy, Penny, CC, Hamels just to name a few.

[Fat Strat]

You dealt from a position of strength to improve your weakness so it was good.

But I feel like you over payed for Verlander. I just got Peavy heads up for A Gonz. Berkman is finally getting hot, but I think you could have traded A Gonz or Fielder heads up for Verlander or even a Peavy, Penny, CC, Hamels just to name a few.

I might have overpaid for Verlander, but I was having trouble finding the right deal. You got Peavy for Adrian Gonzalez? Wow. I have a reputation in our league as being a ruthless trader, and I've finished 1-2 each year in the league, and carried a lead every year for several months. Last year no one would trade with me, and this year, I had 5 other offers rejected before I settled for the one above.

Santana was unavailable to me. Peavy is owned by the guy ahead of me and he would have benefited a great deal by getting Prince Fielder from me. I won't be able to catch him if he gets more reliable power.

Of the guys you mentioned, Verlander provides the right combination of high-end ability, low whip, and wins, which is what I need more than anything.

[vinsanity]

Of the guys you mentioned, Verlander provides the right combination of high-end ability, low whip, and wins, which is what I need more than anything.

I completely understand that...I guess my question is why trade Fielder and A Gonz for Verlander and Berkman? You've two guys vying for the NL MVP Award and you trade them for a legit AL Ace and an OFer with an extremely slow start. Why not have just done Fielder or A Gonz for Verlander? I think those two are each going to end up a little betterr than Berkman this year.

[Fat Strat]

Why not have just done Fielder or A Gonz for Verlander? I think those two are each going to end up a little betterr than Berkman this year.

A couple reasons. One, Berkman's just getting hot, and I think that he'll end up with a great second half. I traded for him last year at about this time and got a lot of results out of him. Two, I need some more batting average. I can make up 2-3 points in ba with just a slight improvement, and Gonzalez and Fielder weren't going to help me much with that. Berkman could hit .330 in the second half with 20 hr's. Three, I already have Howard who had a terrible first half and now Berkman, who had a terrible first half. If you had your choice at the beginning of the season between Howard and Berkman or Fielder and Gonzalez, who would you have chosen? Obviously Howard and Berkman. I'm banking that two elite players will get back to their elite playing ways.

So, I look at it this way. Fielder for Verlander. A Gonz for Berkman.

I definitley understand where you're coming from, and it's a definite risk, but I also haven't been gaining much ground on 1st place in the last month. I've got to do something to improve in the categories that I'm behind.

And, I still think that I can turn Lackey, Kazmir, or Snell around for more offense if I find I need it before the trading deadline.