Demigods outfielder Carlos Beltran
Here is my review of the trades involving one or more DTBL players which were made in the weeks/days leading up to today’s MLB trade deadline. Since I’m not too knowledgeable about prospects, my take will focus mostly on the DTBL players and the impact these guys will have on their new teams as well as the DTBL implications.
July 12 – Brewers/Mets
- Brewers get: RP Francisco Rodriguez (Moonshiners)
- Mets get: 2 PTBNL
- MLB impact: The Brewers made a significant improvement to their bullpen without giving up any players of note. When this deal was initially completed, it wasn’t clear what this would mean to their closer situation. However, John Axford has continued to save games for the Brewers, so Rodriguez appears to have been acquired strictly for set-up duties. Meanwhile, the Mets were able to unload a potentially enormous payroll drag had K-Rod finished enough games to kick in his guaranteed player option for 2012. This appears to have been a win-win deal for everyone but Rodriguez.
- DTBL impact: This was a costly trade for the Moonshiners, leaving them with just two closers. Fortunately, another rumored trade of Drew Storen to the Twins never happened, or they could have been left with a single closer. They still rank third in saves, but that position could be in jeopardy.
July 26 – Nationals/Reds
- Nationals get: OF Johnny Gomes (Cougars)
- Reds get: LHP Chris Manno, OF Bill Rhinehart
- MLB impact: Not much point in discussing this one too much. This was simply a dump trade by the Reds to make room for a rookie. I don’t really know why the Nats were interested in Gomes though, as they clearly aren’t going anywhere this season.
- DTBL impact: Gomes has been on the Cougars bench since May. Since he figures to remain a platoon player in DC, it is unlikely he’ll give the Cougars much of a boost from here on out.
July 27 – Cardinals/Blue Jays/White Sox
- Cardinals get: SP Edwin Jackson (free agent), RP Octavio Dotel (free agent), RP Marc Rzepczynski, OF Corey Patterson, 3 PTBNL
- Blue Jays get: OF Colby Rasmus (Naturals), 3B Mark Teahen, RP Brian Tallet, RP Trevor Miller, RHP P.J. Walters
- White Sox get: RP Jason Frasor, RHP Zach Stewart
- MLB impact: This was one of the strangest trades of the week in that it featured two teams in tight division races selling off pieces while a non-contender acquired the biggest impact player. Rasmus had lost favor in St. Louis and had been relegated to the bench. So the Cardinals getting rid of him wasn’t terribly surprising, but they certainly sold low on a talented player. They did acquire some much needed help for their rotation with Jackson though. The 27 year old Jackson has already been traded 7 times in his career! He’s a free agent after this season too, so it is likely he’ll be in yet another uniform next year. The White Sox got a nice reliever in Frasor, but this trade was mostly done to shed some payroll. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are probably the big winners in this trade, getting Rasmus for hardly anything.
- DTBL impact: Jackson and Dotel are free agents. The Kings dumped Jackson about a month ago. It is possible some other team will give him a shot now that he is pitching for a NL team that can score some runs. This was a great trade for the Naturals since Rasmus will return to being an everyday player. Also, he could see a big spike in his numbers playing in a good hitters park and as part of a strong lineup.
July 28 – Giants/Mets
- Giants get: OF Carlos Beltran (Demigods)
- Mets get: RHP Zach Wheeler
- MLB impact: Beltran was considered the premier offensive player on the market, and the Giants definitely needed some offensive help. Beltran should give the Giants a significant boost as they attempt to defend their World Series title. He will be a free agent following this season, so it made sense for the Mets to trade him. Apparently, Wheeler is a very highly regarded pitching prospect, so this should be a good trade for both teams.
- DTBL impact: Even though this was one of the biggest trades of the week, it will probably have a minimal effect on the Demigods. Beltran is moving from one pitchers park to another and probably a weaker supporting cast. Beltran is also not the fantasy player he used to be since his power numbers are down and he doesn’t steal a lot of bases any more.
July 29 – Phillies/Astros
- Phillies get: OF Hunter Pence (Jackalope)
- Astros get: RHP Jarred Cosart, 1B/OF Jonathan Singleton, RHP Josh Zeid, PTBNL
- MLB impact: This is a huge trade for the Phillies who have had a bit of a black hole in right field this season. It makes their already impressive lineup just a bit stronger, further strengthening their resume as the best team in the National League. The Giants are still a threat due to their pitching, but the Phillies are the team to beat in October. Meanwhile, this was phase one in the Astros fire sale. They acquired some very good prospects, but the near term future is not bright.
- DTBL impact: I would call this deal a big win for the Jackalope, who have had almost nothing but positive developments all season. Pence figures to get a lot more RBI opportunities in Philly and is going to a great hitters park. The Jacaklope lead has shrunk a bit in recent days, but this trade should give their offense a boost.
July 30 – Red Sox/Royals
- Red Sox get: 2B Mike Aviles (free agent)
- Royals get: INF Yamaico Navarro, RHP Kendal Volz
- MLB impact: Not much to this deal. Aviles was simply a utility player in Kansas City and that will continue to be the case in Boston.
- DTBL impact: It is unlikely the DTBL free agent Aviles will attract much attention following this deal. His playing time will be severely limited.
July 30 – Rangers/Orioles
- Rangers get: RP Koji Uehera (Gators)
- Orioles get: P Tommy Hunter, 1B/3B Chris Davis
- MLB impact: The Rangers picked up a setup man who has some of the best numbers in the league this season. Uehera has incredible 64/8 strike out/walk numbers in 48 IP. They gave up a pair of players who they didn’t have much use for either, so this has to be viewed as a good deal for them. On the Orioles side, not receiving any legitimate prospects was surprising, but they did get two MLB ready players. They didn’t appear to have anywhere to put Davis when the trade was made, but the Lee trade a few hours later opened up 1B for him.
- DTBL impact: Minimal. The Gators have used Uehera almost all year, but unless he’s going to start getting save opportunities (very unlikely), this trade doesn’t change his value at all.
July 30 – Indians/Rockies
- Indians get: SP Ubaldo Jimenez (Gators)
- Rockies get: RHP Alex White, RHP Joseph Gardner, IF/OF Matt McBride, LHP Drew Pomeranz
- MLB impact: I don’t like to criticize teams for trying to go for it all when the opportunity presents itself, but I think this may be a bit of a short-sighted trade by the Indians. Yes, they are only a couple games out of first right now, but I believe they have overachieved to this point and are unlikely to win the division even with Jimenez. Meanwhile, they traded away two of their best pitching prospects. Jimenez should benefit by no longer pitching in Coors Field. Also, the NL to AL switch is less significant in this case since he is going to pitch in a very mediocre AL Central. He is not a free agent to-be, so this trade could be an important building block for the Indians, but call me skeptical. Great deal for the Rockies, IMO.
- DTBL impact: It will be very interesting to see how Jimenez pitches in Cleveland. He hasn’t been a truly elite pitcher in well over a year now. The Gators need him to return to his early 2010 form in order to help revive their middle-of-the-road pitching staff. It’s all about how well he pitches. This trade probably won’t affect his numbers that much one way or the other.
July 30 – Giants/Indians
- Giants get: SS Orlando Cabrera (Moonshiners)
- Indians get: OF Thomas Neal
- MLB impact: I was a little surprised by this trade on the Indians side. On the heals of their Jimenez deal, they sold off a valuable veteran in Cabrera. Apparently, they are very comfortable with Jason Kipnis as their everyday 2B, even though he just made his MLB debut earlier this week. I think it came down to Cabrera requesting to go somewhere he was wanted. The Giants are a perfect fit. He has a wealth of playoff experience and can help fill a number of roles for the Giants.
- DTBL impact: The Moonshiners have been shuffling Cabrera in and out of their lineup. That doesn’t figure to change much, but this is still a good trade for them because Cabrera was seeing his role diminish in Cleveland. He could still provide some value for the Moonshiners before this season ends.
July 30 – Pirates/Orioles
- Pirates get: 1B Derrek Lee (Choppers)
- Orioles get: 1B Aaron Baker
- MLB impact: The Lyle Overbay era as the Pirates starting 1B is mercifully over. The Pirates got so little production from that position, it is a miracle they are still in contention. Lee provides a significant upgrade at that position. I doubt it will be enough for them to hang with the Cardinals and Brewers, but it was the right move to make. Obviously, getting rid of the veteran Lee made sense for the Orioles who are going nowhere fast.
- DTBL impact: The Choppers haven’t used Lee since May. I don’t see this trade changing his role too much since he is probably in a worse hitting situation in Pittsburgh. He is a capable replacement though, should they need to call on him.
July 31 – Cardinals/Dodgers
- Cardinals get: SS Rafael Furcal (Moonshiners)
- Dodgers get: OF Alex Castellanos
- MLB impact: Furcal is clearly a big upgrade over Ryan Theriot at shortstop for the Cardinals. This all comes down to him staying healthy. If he is able to stick in the lineup, he will be a nice addition to the highest scoring team in the NL. This is pretty much just a dump for the Dodgers.
- DTBL impact: Pretty much the same as the impact for the Cardinals. If Furcal can actually stay healthy, he will be a valuable contributor for the Moonshiners. This trade doesn’t change his value too much, though he will probably have a chance to score more runs with the likes of Pujols, Holliday and Berkman hitting behind him.
July 31 – Braves/Astros
- Braves get: OF Michael Bourn (Jackalope)
- Astros get: OF Jordan Schafer, RHP Juan Abreu, RHP Paul Clemens, LHP Brett Oberholtzer
- MLB impact: Big addition for the Braves. They are trying to piece things together with all their recent injuries. Two obvious needs were center field and leadoff hitter. Bourn fills both holes. I think the Braves could have used another power hitter too, but Bourn will certainly improve the offense. This was part two of the Astros fire sale. Of course it makes sense for them to get as many decent prospects as they can, but boy are they going to struggle to win games the rest of this year and probably next season too.
- DTBL impact: Once again, the Jackalope benefit from the Astros upheaval. Bourn was putting up great numbers for a pathetic team. I doubt he will be able to improve upon his current stats too much, but getting out of Houston is definitely a net positive for him and the Jackalope.
July 31 – Rangers/Padres
- Rangers get: Mike Adams (Cougars)
- Padres get: LHP Robbie Erlin, RHP Joe Wieland
- MLB impact: You can pretty much read everything I wrote about the Uehera trade and repeat it here. In fact, Adams’ stats are almost identical to Uehera’s too. They have been two of the best setup men in baseball this year. So Adams is a very nice addition to the Rangers bullpen. Unlike the Uehera deal though, the Rangers actually gave up prospects to get Adams. Therefore, I would say this is a good trade for the Padres too. The Rangers are going to have an awfully strong bullpen.
- DTBL impact: Again, a non-closing reliever changing teams doesn’t really change his value much. Neftali Feliz has struggled at times this season, so Adams could be next in line to get saves if that continues. But for now, Adams fantasy value is unchanged by this deal. Perhaps a slight downgrade based on going from a great pitchers park to a hitters paradise. The Cougars will no doubt continue to use him though.
July 31 – Pirates/Padres
- Pirates get: OF Ryan Ludwick (Moonshiners)
- Padres get: PTBNL
- MLB impact: The Pirates need all the help they can get to improve their offense. Although I doubt he will make a major splash, Ludwick should help. Remember, he is only a couple years removed from being a big time power hitter for the Cardinals. Getting out of PETCO could be just what the doctor ordered. On the flip side, the dreadful Padres offense will only get worse without Ludwick. Hard to judge this trade for the Padres though since all they got was a player to be named later.
- DTBL impact: This wasn’t one of the big deadline trades, but it has the potential to be one of the biggest in terms of fantasy implications. The Moonshiners haven’t gotten much out of Ludwick since signing him in early June, but he could be a major contributor the rest of the way. This deal is a big win for them.
Just a reminder that the DTBL trade deadline is still a couple weeks away. Trades must be completed by August 15. We haven’t had a trade since the draft, but this could certainly change in the upcoming weeks. I think the reason for the lack of trades is two-fold: a lot of teams have had their hands tied due to a rash of injuries, leaving few healthy bodies to deal. Also, it seems a lot of teams have needs at the same positions (3B and OF in particular). But now that the race is starting to heat up, perhaps some teams will get creative to make a deal.