S
3 little trades happened over the weekend and I am going to use those trades as an opportunity to plan for a happier life where I have less to say about your dumb trades. Let’s see if we can’t get there, although I am sure something about the execution here won’t work out and will be further tweaked. FOR NOW OFF WE GO…..
(UPDATED: And now a 4th X-Rayz trade has emerged…..)
s
s
s
s
THE FIRST TRADE (7/8):
s
RRF traded Chris Devenski, Hou RP to XYZ
XYZ traded Victor Robles, Wsh CF to RRF
S
s
NOTES/MAJOR LEAGUE COMPS WHEN APPLICABLE CUZ I STILL ENJOY THOSE:
s
74 Ks in 52.2 IP thus far for the 26.66 year old Devenski, a good for a 12.65 K/9…..also 6 Ws, 11 Holds, 3 Saves to boot…..also SP eligibility for the remainder of this season, which would be the largest driving force in this trade……….
23 2Bs, 6 3Bs, 7 HRs, 14 SBs, .388 OBP for Robles in A+ ball currently, all in about 250 ABs…..speed drives the whole package but the hit tool is also considered rather advanced, and he’s only 20 year olds…..Nats top prospect, finds himself in the top 5 or top 10 in all of baseball on most lists…..Should stay in CF long-term on defense alone, should be a fantasy difference maker on the SBs side even if the hit tool and/or power don’t develop as expected…..Major League Comparison: Starling Marte, for I feel he will be better than Manny Margot and Starling Marte is probably still better than Manny Margot.
s
ANALYSIS/THE PICKING OF THE SIDES:
s
The Point Loma X-Rayz respond to bullpen frustrations by going out and BOLSTERING the pen for the stretch run, all at the expense of the whole “possibly future stud prospect” thing. I like this move for both sides, however I pick the side of Rojo’s Renegade Force for the picking of the sides here because a consensus top 10 prospect is a HELLUVA return for an SP holds guy that will end up an RP-only long man type in 2018 (he is also a multi-inning type and like 3rd in line for Holds on a team that tends to blow opponents out, so the number of remaining Holds opportunities is fair to question barring injuries). But THE MOVE SHOWS MOXIE for the X-Rayz, as they settled on the SP reliever they want to help the pen in 2017 and had no qualms about parting with Robles to get their man (I parted with Robles for Keon Broxton which is probably worthy of its own debate but also KEON IS GONNA GO 20-20 THIS YEAR SHUT UP). Bottom line is I have no problem with moxie showing around here. Good move for the RRF to move on from a player that was kinda overkill with their current strategy, and good on the X-Rayz for getting their man. The picking of the sides comes down to what I think Robles could have been potentially worth in other deals and a bit of hesitation over Devenski’s usage and that is all.
s
s
s
THE SECOND TRADE (7/9):
s
XYZ traded Jason Vargas, KC SP to T
T traded Mike Clevinger, Cle RP to XYZ
S
s
NOTES/COMPS:
s
This was actually just a trade for the 4th pick in the All Star Break Player Draft or whatever the fuck we are calling it, but the last 2 commissioners couldn’t do better at 3am than this ugly shit…..so just discussing Vargas here, and MUCH TO DISCUSS…..12 QS 1 CG 12 Ws, at least slighttttly supported by deeper metrics earlier in the year but eroding away a bit now (3.79 FIP overall)…..Low Ks (6.60 K/9) and a bad SIERA (4.63) at least hint the good times may not last forever, but there’s other guys that get it done with this profile so MAYBE NOT…..Manages to avoid hard contact and avoid HRs despite being a fly ball type pitcher…..34.5 years old and has never been very good, which makes the existence of a Jason Vargas shirsey kinda baffling…..even more baffling that T owns one…..
s
ANALYSIS/THE PICKING OF THE SIDES:
s
WHAT TO EVEN MAKE OF THIS ONE? On the one hand Jason Vargas is the guy being parted with here and I wouldn’t touch a sub-7 K/9 pitcher anyways and who cares. And then on the other hand what the fuck is even the value of these dumb draft picks? Realistically the X-Rayz were likely looking for some pitching staff flexibility and didn’t want to just drop Vargas, he being an All Star and all. And Isotopes ownership actually owns a Jason Vargas shirsey and there you have it. The move just makes sense. In the picking of the sides I will have to go with the Astoria Isotopes as I don’t have enough knowledge about whom is worth a damn in that draft anyways, and I can’t fault a struggling pitching staff for adding the AL ERA leader for a whole lotta nothing. They would have just used that pick on Mike Napoli.
s
s
s
THE THIRD TRADE (7/9):
s
RCBD traded Roberto Osuna, Tor RP to XYZ
XYZ traded Kelvin Herrera, KC RP to RCBD
XYZ traded Chris Davis*, Bal 1B to RCBD
S
s
NOTES/COMPS:
s
12.09 K/9 for the 22.5 year old Osuna, complimented by 22 Saves and a 2.06 ERA (1.46 FIP)…..contrast that with the 27.5 year old Herrera, who has flashed dominance in the past but has now struggled in his first full year as closer (4.50 ERA [4.59 FIP], 19 Saves but only 8.74 K/9)…..both teams have struggled a bit early this season, the Royals are now above .500 while the Jays are below but tough to say which closer will see more Save ops in the 2nd half…..Osuna second only to Craig Kimbrel in swinging strike percentage (min. 30 IP) which is a thing I like to look at from time to time…..
14 HRs for the 31.25 year old Chris Davis, has been limited to 61 games due to an oblique but should return after the All Star break…..basically business as usual with all other numbers, could be poised for a big second half in order to level out the numbers (if healthy that is)…..still strikes out a whole fuck of a lot (but I roster Keon Broxton soooo…… but also KEON IS GONNA GO 20-20 THIS YEAR SHUT UP)…..
s
ANALYSIS/THE PICKING OF THE SIDES:
s
Gonna give the Point Loma X-Rayz the rare HAT TRICK OF DISAPPROVAL here and once again side with their trade partners, in this instance that is the River City Bad Dudes. And I really don’t dislike any of the X-Rayz moves here, they made their own decision on what they were comfortable giving up to acquire each of the players they acquired and that is their right as citizens of the Backyard. However I have to side with someone here and it would appear that each trade partner acquired better value relative to what they gave up, in this case due to Chris Davis being better than whatever gap in reliever talent there is currently in existence between Roberto Osuna and Kelvin Herrera. And Osuna is certainly the better and younger player here but RELIEVERS ARE FICKLE once you get beyond the top talents, if the stat lines for these two reverse the rest of this season or in 2018 I don’t think anybody REASONABLE would be able to declare that toooooo surprising. Basically the X-Rayz acquired Mark Trumbo and chose his OF eligibility over Crush and that is just fine. We will see if the Bad Dudes get to benefit from that numbers crunch but we will also hope Herrera’s volatile and blows up his own ERA a bunch of times and annoys the Bad Dudes with said blowups. Because fuck them.
s
s
s
THE FOURTH TRADE (7/10):
s
XYZ traded Zack Godley, Ari RP to MOON
MOON traded Trey Mancini, Bal DH to XYZ
S
s
NOTES/COMPS:
s
THIS WAS COLLUSION
s
ANALYSIS/THE PICKING OF THE SIDES:
s
IN COLLUSION WE ALL LOSE
s
s
s
s
s
SO THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT AT A THING. Still felt like a lot of words but I at least feel I can reallllllly trim those notes and analysis sections down if need be, like for example if there’s 80 deals in a 2 day span or something, so we will see how things go from here. I hope I don’t get fired for workshopping on the fly BUT OH WAIT this shit is pro bono publico, even my actual job doesn’t seem keen on firing me over it…. ENJOY THE TIME AWAY FROM FANTASY FOR A FEW DAYS PEOPLE, re-connect with loved ones…..
Backyard Views 