Best offseason trade/signing?

by Dros on Dec 8, 2005 12:48 PM CST

The winter meetings have a couple days left, but anyone care to share their favorite offseason trade so far? There have been a ton of them this year ... this must have been what the hot stove league was like in the bad ol' days before free agency.

So far, I like:

Braves getting Oscar Villareal and Lance Cormier for Johnny Estrada. I like Estrada, but if I remember correctly, Villareal made the Crew look ridiculous for a couple innings last year ... They might have just found their closer.

Cubs (spit!) getting Juan Pierre for a raft of young pitchers. Watch what the new Marlins prospects do (Cubs traded Dontrelle Willis to the Marlins once), but Pierre is already everything the Cubs repeatedly repeatedly repeatedly repeatedly HOPED KKKKorey Patterson would be.

Cardinals getting Larry Bigbie and Aaron Miles from Rockies for Ray King. King is an excellent situational setup guy, but they get two young guys with a lot of upside. Rockies also get worse and stupider by giving any money to Jose Mesa (who doesn't think that'll end terribly?).

And the worst...

Why would anyone give Tom Gordon a 3-year contract? Specifically, one worth $18 million. They make the Yanks look like smart spenders with their 3-year, $17 million deal for Farnsworth.

Look forward to reading your opinions!

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good thread dude

i like the braves pick up too, that cormier is always on my radar at fantasy draft time cause he's a closer waiting to happen. I think you are right abot the braves replacing Kolb, but i bet it will be Cormier and not Villareal. Estrada is alot to give up, but i think the Braves are comfortable with the rookie, McCann i think his name was.

So B+ for the Braves.

Pierre will be huge for the Cubs, Baker loves speed, loves it. Too much. Pierre has always caused troubles for the Brewers, too. This is a huge improvement for the Cubs, maybe they'll play 100 million dollar .500 ball next year...
I think sergio mitre could be a stud though.

B- for Cubs (mitre, nolasco, pinto represent a lot of potential talent lost)

Can you imagine an aaron miles, david eckstein infield. playing the cardinals this year will be like trying to kill roaches with a flyswatter.

B- for Cardinals, i actually dont think miles and bigbie will contribute much, but they are an upgrade for the redbirds.

I think the best trade was the Nationals getting Alfonso Soriano for Brad Wilkerson, Termell Sledge and a minor league pitcher. Big move, total steal, even with the salary hike!

A for Nationals

Gordon and Farnsworth got ridiculous deals, i'll say that of just about any relief pitcher that makes more than 2 or 3 million a year. Equally as bad i think are Howry and Eyre who are very, very capable of putting up mediocre seasons. I think BJ Ryan will prove he is overpaid.

Eh, like i said, relievers... pitchers not good enough to be starters...

Bring Back The Old Logo!

by jacob on Dec 8, 2005 1:29 PM CST reply actions

I strongly disagree

about Soriano. His road stats last year were atrocious, and he's a bad defensive 2b-man. And he's not willing to move. (So he says.) Wilkerson was a very valuable chip--if Bowden had waited out some more signings, Wilkerson probably could've gotten some pitching--maybe even something like a Marquis package (heh-a marqee package) from the Cardinals, who desperately need some offense in the OF. Even Sledge, I've read, drew some interest.

Now, all of this could change in the Nats favor if they flip Sori somewhere else for the pitching they need. That's what ~I~ would do, but Jimbo and I are rarely on the same page.

by Jeff Sackmann on Dec 9, 2005 5:14 PM CST up reply actions

favorite offseason trade

i'm shocked neither of you mentioned my favorite trade, Mark Loretta for Doug Mirabelli. The Red Sox gave up their back-up cather for Loretta, who could end up being one of the top 2nd baseman in 2006 as he was in 03-04. This also gives the Red Sox time to groom one of their top prospects, i think his name is Peidoria? Either way, to me its a steal for the Sox

At least the Brewers hats are always on clearance

by ufoboy90 on Dec 8, 2005 5:00 PM CST reply actions

Loretta

Definitely, ufoboy. That trade hadn't gone down when i posted this thread, but that deserves to be up there among the best. Loretta does carry some risk, I think, as injury-prone as he is. Also, Mirabelli was an underrated asset to the Sox - serving as Tim Wakefield's regular personal catcher. If Varitek is the captain he's supposed to be, I bet he's working on catching whiffleballs right now. But yeah, great upside for the Sox on that trade.

by Dros on Dec 8, 2005 8:09 PM CST reply actions

It's probably Shoppach

catching wiffle balls. I'd imagine he'll become the backup catcher and Wakefield caddy--I believe he was kind of the Wake-caddy in training in AAA catching knuckleballer Charlie Zink.

by Jeff Sackmann on Dec 9, 2005 5:13 PM CST up reply actions

renteria for marte?

Red Sox made a nice move dumping that bloated Renteria contract. (though they threw $11 million dollars in with the deal.)

Marte allows the Red Sox to move Youkillis to first base. That infield is going to be pretty raw and shaky in '06, and if they don't find a Johnny Damon...

Go Blue Jays!

Bring Back The Old Logo!

by jacob on Dec 9, 2005 9:05 AM CST reply actions

raw and shaky...

hmmm...young infields are nice, I thought :).

by Jeff Sackmann on Dec 9, 2005 5:15 PM CST up reply actions

worst moves

Padres trade away Mark Loretta for Doug Mirabelli. What!?
Rockies sign Jose Mesa. Kaboom!
Nats trade for Sorry-ano. Vidro who?
Rangers acquire flyball pitcher Adam Eaton. Oops.
Padres acquire Vinny Castilla. Adios Burroughs!

This doesn't mention the out-of-line contracts given to bit players: Mabry, Howry, Eyre on the Cubs, Nunez on the Phils to name a few.

by BobbyMac on Dec 23, 2005 11:50 AM CST reply actions

You know it's a bad move

when you can make a legitimate criticism in one word or less. I'm still amazed that the Rangers made the Eaton trade. They must really really like Otsuka.

by Jeff Sackmann on Dec 23, 2005 3:45 PM CST up reply actions

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