Of course I'm biased being that I was involved in the MEGA TRADE, but as stated in earlier correspondence, I had to refer to the A-Rod, Braun, Lee deal in capital letters. The phrase MEGA TRADE also reminds me of the old Nintendo game Mega Man, which spawned about 20 different sequels. I think I owned the fifth or sixth one, defeating seven or eight of the ten bosses needed to beat the game. I then got bored and ended up going back to Bases Loaded II with its generic players and teams. The stats did not accumulate on the tiny 8 bit processor so I ended up compiling HRs, RBIs, runs, and thanks to Sports Illustrated for Kids' formula, Earned Run Average. Hell, when you run your own statistics for a crummily graphic-ed game, who needs Mega Man. But, we do need the MEGA TRADE!1. Alex Rodriguez, Dice-K, and a 5th round 2009 draft pick for Ryan Braun and Carlos Lee
This deal was the only meaningful transaction of the week and the rest of the entries in this blog post are filler. So, I shall devote additional space for this, the MEGA TRADE!
Why this trade works for Edwin:
Ed received a huge offensive surge by virtue of rebuilding his outfield with two players who have combined to hit 28 home runs and drive in 93 runs. Ryan Braun has huge upside and is already showing that he is not a fluke. In fact, he may be the premiere power hitter in the sport for years to come. The third base eligibility is of nice value should David Wright go down or be traded later on.
Carlos Lee quietly puts up great offensive numbers in Houston and will continue to provide a nice balance of power and a touch of speed (a touch may be generous). Since 2003, Lee has consistently provided 30 homers and 100 RBIs, having never failed to reach either total during this stretch. He's not injury prone and he's a regular provider, which should benefit Edwin into the fall months.
Furthermore, Dice-K can only help Edwin so much down the stretch as Fukkake is 86 innings over budget, by far the most in the league. The injury is troubling and as such Dice K's value to Edwin was minimal who sill carries five pitchers on his bench. The Red Sox hurler was worth much more to the rest of the VUFSA than the pitching heavy Fukkake.
Why this trade works for Drew:
Alex Rodriguez has been the top off season player in fantasy baseball for about the last decade, and the opportunity to acquire #1 and draft picks for next year while not overly compromising this season proved too great an opportunity to pass up. A-Rod, back healthy is a powerhouse. If the Yankees do their normal late season surge, it'll be because the Yankees' third baseman is generating the runs.
Dice-K plays for Boston which means the win total will continue to accumulate. The ERA is below three and the gyroball is striking out batters at just under one per inning. The injury time off is more of the Ken Griffey Junior "general soreness" variety than the John Smoltz "sucks to be you" type. Thus, Dice-K should be back sooner rather than later with a rested arm.
The fifth round pick proved to be the final straw in the deal getting down. Originally a seventh round pick, the conversation went back and forth until the injury increased Edwin's offer and eventually led to the deal as was completed. The thought of going into 2009 with Alex Rodriguez the overall #1 and an extra draft pick was mighty appetizing.
Lastly, losing Braun and Lee was indeed a detriment to The M.B.A.'s offense who now fill that gap with Xavier Nady and Aaron Rowand. However, Nady and Rowand have been surprisingly good and should they continue to quietly drive in the runs for their respective terrible teams, they can suitably take over Drew's outfield (I hope). But perhaps the under-the-radar reason for the deal concerns Lee and Braun's OBP which are .305 and .331. With The M.B.A.'s worst category being on base percentage, ridding the team of two of the worst transgressors will likely lead to improvement of this "2" category (team OBP of just .340).
2. Jason Giambi
Readers of this column no doubt have noticed I have a thing for Giambi as I just cannot get past those big power and great OBP numbers from seasons' prior. The aforementioned OBP problem for The M.B.A.s seemed a natural fit for Giambi's heating up bat.
3. Welcome back
Ryan Church and Frank Liriano returned to VUFSA rosters this week. Church, a big time outfield surprise, returns to Champ's squad. Liriano is given one more chance, this time by Stem.
4. Mark Buehrle
The Chicago White Sox ace is no longer a part of Horry Kow's future. With a 5.20 ERA, a 1.50 WHIP and a mere 2 wins for a first place team, Buehrle and his $14 million dollar salary have been a disappointment for everyone from Ozzie Guillen to JR Radcliffe.
5. John Smoltz
I happen to find the Smoltz story incredibly disappointing. I can't say I've ever been a huge fan of the guy though neither did I dislike him. He was always "there" and he's been good for like 20 years, which is a remarkable achievement. Clearly he's a tenacious competitor in trying to modify his pitching style just to extend his career and contribute to an up and coming team. I suppose I find it disappointing only to see a tremendous career end on injury and not on a more worthy note. Eli probably finds it disappointing for additional reasons.
6. Rich Hill
Andy had enough of Rich Hill and really why not. He hasn't pitched in the majors since May 2nd so the roster move on May 29th to boot the Cubbie pitcher makes since. The 27 days to make that move seems a little long, but then again Uncle Phil hasn't had its manager since then providing a daily line-up, leading to a "A League of Their Own" situation where players run the clubhouse. Great movie.
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