As I promised in my last article – it’s time to look at some of those 50+ trades made in the D1S leagues going up (and all the way up to) the deadline. While there were a ton of trades made, some of them tiny, some of the massive, and many in the middle – we’ll focus primarily on some of the larger trades that went down and why they made sense for those teams (or didn’t) – including some commentary from the managers who made those trades! (Sorry for the delayed publication – had a death in the family, random travel, and it mainly just took longer to pull together than expected.)
Each player will have their rankings by Eric and Chris in parenthesis next to them for the most recent updates (Eric/Chris) and then where the player went in the Memorial Day Mock Draft (like article) and the team number is their standing as of me writing this to give some context (so (Eric/Chris/Mock)). Of note – Chris has a new update coming out any day now so his are a little older. Eric’s are more recent. Also good to remember that Eric’s are AVG, Chris’ are OBP, and the mock was OBP and SVH.
30 Rock – 30 team roto OBP/SLG/HR/RBI/H/SB QS/SV+H/K/ERA/WHIP/W
Team 19 gives Javier Baez (107/114/93) Max Fried(110/63/88), and Diego Castillo (438/NR/541) to team 7 for Jose Altuve (79/115/126), John Means (155/119/117), and Josh Smith (485/NR/800)
I like this trade in general. Javier Baez – as @Mags_S20 and I discussed a while back with the Memorial Day Mock, takes a hit in OBP leagues, BUT come on – he’s got 31 homers this year, 17 steals, 74 Rs, and 83 RBIs in 124 games. Fried is a young solid SP and relievers, even in a svh league, are valuable in a league this deep. Altuve is a pretty known entity at this point, though maybe not a player you’d expect a team in the bottom half of the league to target, but at 31 Altuve still has years left, and depending on how this manager views his team, you could make a case with his roster he could be in it in the very near future. Means has struggled more in the second half/sticky stuff crackdown, but there’s certainly an argument to be made for his value.
Team 7 gets Ke’Bryan Hayes (146/87) , 2022 4th, Jorge Barrosa, Jesse Winker(38/97/90), Rayne Doncon with Kris Bryant (63/56/52), Victor Acosta, Taj Bradley (//657), Whit Merrifield (54/52/102), and Emilio Pagan (//620) going to team 3
This trade came together nicely across the board. Team 3 is bouncing around in the top 3 and very much still in contention to bring home the 30 Rock bat mug (and money) prize. While I know he’s a big Jesse Winker fan, and does like Hayes, Winker’s injury left him without stats that he needs right now. KB gives him valuable production and Whit’s steals are huge in a category that has some room to gain points right now even with some questions about how his speed will age. Also – a point of reference – Chris has Winker 37 on his upcoming list so that 38/37 range is certainly a more accurate current value on Winker than the 97 on last list.
Team 3 trades Pablo Lopez (108/117) for Luis Garcia (173) and Chad Green going to team 9
Team 3 likes Pablo… but he also really likes Luis Garcia and with some help in the RP arena as well this is again a trade of someone not contributing right now to get someone who is helping. Team 9 gets a great pitcher for his team going forward. It’s clever to use an IR player effectively as a prospect with future value, and for the team who now rosters them they can take the IR time for players who should be good to go next year.
30 for 30 – 30 team roto OBP/SLG/HR/RBI/H/SB QS/SV+H/K/ERA/WHIP/W
Team 8 got Mike Trout (8/4/6), 2022 3rd, and Shervyen Newton for Bo Bichette (6/9/11), Chris Paddack (252/171/175), and Tommy Pham (249/255/280) to team 11
WHOOOO MIKE TROUT ON THE MOVE. Trout and Bichette. Dang. Two clear top players. One 29-year-old GOAT. One 22-year-old young stud. Of course, the Bichette side adds on Paddack which. . . who the heck knows what he offers at this point. Pham on the other hand has been a pretty consistent 32-year-old. Both teams are around the same point in terms of standing so largely a preference and future move. This one is fascinating to me.
I got to hear from both managers on this one and this is what they said:
Team 11: “Feel like depth is key in the 30 teamers. Oddly enough I initially drafted Trout with the notion that I would move him at some point during the season. I never thought it was going to be so hard to find a trade partner. As far as the return, I wanted a relatively elite player in return that had an all-around game. I needed to get back an OF as well. I snagged Pham who also filled a need for me with some speed and he has solid OPS numbers, which in this OBP league I always have been looking for. Lastly, I wanted an SP. Paddack has had his ups and downs, but I like him. In a 30-team league, he’s an excellent addition to my staff that needed another above-average arm.”
Team 8: “Honestly my team is not that far away from being a contender, so even though I kind of sold off some older pieces, Trout is a generational player they could really make a difference when I start fresh next year. And plus he’s not that old so I have several years left of him now.”
Fair enough.
Dylan Cease (134/217/152) to team 27 for 2023, 2025, and 2024 first round picks to team 16
So there will be more on this week’s episode on the Commissioner’s Office pod as team 27’s manager joins to discuss his mind-bending use of first-round picks all season long. Obviously, this is an odd trade to evaluate in many ways since first-round picks are one of, if not the, most variably valued components of fantasy. I’ll leave it to you to think if it’s fair and would encourage you to listen to his thinking around the trade and 1st round picks on the next podcast.
Team 27 sends 2022 and 2024 1st, Diego Cartaga, Mason Martin, Nolan Gorman (217/301/195), and Kody Hoese (NR/318/399) for 2023 Round 1, 2022 round 5, and Gerrit Cole (22/27/23) to team 14
Team 27 again uses some 1st round picks, and gets one back, with a bunch of first-round picks, prospects, most notably Nolan Gorman for Gerrit Cole. I really like this Cole get, though the return is nothing to be scoffed at. But ya know. Cole is pretty good.
Zero Dark 30 – 30 team roto OBP/SLG/HR/RBI/H/SB QS/SV+H/K/ERA/WHIP/W
Team 3 sends Trevor Rogers (57/108/71), Miguel Yajure, Ryne Nelson (//692) for gets Jonathan Loaisiga (636), Hyun Jin Ryu (158/150/176), Roansy Contreras (434//464), and Sam Long (//610) to team 19
I like Trevor Rogers. I also Like Ryu. I certainly get getting Ryu when you’re in 3rd place (thought barring a miracle likely playing for 2nd), but Rogers is still a very solid player. Obviously, it wasn’t a 1-1 and Loaisiga is playing well lately. Interesting trade for me! Curious your thoughts on it in the comments.
B&B Baseball – 15 team roto R/HR/RBI/SB/OBP W+QS/K/SVH3/ERA/WHIP
Team 5 gets Kyle Hendricks (231/136/131) for Drew Waters (341/241/163) to team 8
I’m not the biggest Waters fan so I’d take the Hendricks side, but also can’t knock getting a prospect, especially if you like him, who is 22 instead of the 31-year-old Hendricks.
Caught Stealing – 14 team h2h R/HR/RBI/SB/AVG/ K/W/SV/ERA/WHIP
Reginald Preciado (459//607), Jhoan Duran (455/471/538) to team 12 for Jonathan Schoop (346/396/490) to team 3
This is a pretty classic veteran who helps now for prospects you don’t right now…. That said Preciado is climbing (78th in Chris Clegg’s most recent OBP prospect update) so it’s a solid trade all around.
Designated Twitter – 15 team roto – R/HR/RBI/SB/OBP W+QS/K/SVH3/ERA/WHIP
2022 rd 1 to team 7 for 2022 round 1 Cade Cavalli (183/360/273), Vidal Brujan (109/144/76), and JJ Bleday (314/161/275) to team 15
It’s important to note when looking at the trade, that the 2022 pick flip gives team 7 the top overall pick in the league (as it stands and likely will remain)… That said, Cavalli, Brujan, and Bleday is not worth that pick to me, not even really close. Love the return that team 15 got in building his team to the future.
Grab Some Pine – 14 team h2h – R/HR/RBI/SB/AVG/OPS K/ERA/WHIP/QS/KperBB/SVH
Team 2 gets Max Scherzer (75/147/77) and Lance Lynn (91/168/127) for Kolby Allard, Gunnar Henderson (248//253), Jacob deGrom (19/28/13), and Eric Lauer to team 12
Well then. Team 2 is, as I write this, competing to get in the finals of this league. He certainly has been happy to have Scherzer and Lynn with the injuries to deGrom. Especially in this playoff run he would be getting nothing from deGrom, and is getting production from Lynn and Max. Gunnar is a good prospect, but obviously, the key return is deGrom. When deGrom is on (really just if he’s healthy) he is the best pitcher in baseball. We will see how this all ends up and how his arm really is, and for team 2 see how long Max keeps fighting father time and Lynn continues at this level. This is a fun trade in a h2h league heading to playoffs. And – after all – flags fly forever so if Lynn and Max help Team 2 bring home the ‘ship I don’t think he’ll be complaining.
Comes in Points – 16 team points league
Reginald Preciado (459//607), Hudson Haskin, Nestor Cortes Jr., and Andy Pages (406//420) to team 10 for Nelson Cruz (303/325/228) and Yuli Gurriel (409/491/436) to team 1
Prospects for old dudes classic. The first-place team got Nelly the ageless wonder and the productive Yuli (36). I’m a big fan of Pages (pronounced Pah-hase) for things like this. We’ve discussed Preciado already, but when you throw in some other good players and nice all-around win now/win later deal.
Men Of Steal – 14 team h2h – R/HR/RBI/SB/AVG/OPS/ K/ERA/WHIP/QS/Kper9/SVH
Team 6 sends Masyn Winn(//561)/Cole Winn(411//518)/Aaron Civale (185/120/151) to team 11 for DJ LeMahieu(93/75/79) and Kenley Jansen(255/338/367)
Team 6 carried this trade into the playoffs (though sadly to an early exit). While team 11 got two Winns out of this trade, I wouldn’t necessarily call it a win for the trade. I’m a Civale fan, but DJ is a great player and Jansen just keeps on getting saves… We’ll see how the Winns turn out to determine this deal.
Old School Shift – 12 team H2H – R/H/HR/RBI/SB/AVG/OPS/RC/ K/W/SV/HLD/ERA/WHIP/QS/K per BB rate
Team 6 gets Pete Alonso (51/43/70), 2022 round 5 from team 8 for Alec Bohm (189/85/86), 2022 round 1, and CJ Abrams (97/66/33)
I love this trade. Bohm’s value is low – but I’m not out on him (this is the perfect time to try to trade for these sorts of players). Abrams though – the variance in value in the rankings v. the mock show his value. He’s an elite prospect, so Bohm, Abrams, and a round 1 are great returns for Alonso. That said, the two-time HR derby champion is pretty dang good. Fun trade. Team 6 won their first round playoff matchup is trying to make a run with Polar Bear into the finals this week.
Snow in Texas – 15 team h2h – R/HR/RBI/SB/OBP K/W/ERA/WHIP/SVH
Team 11 gets Daniel Espino (234/367/279), Quinn Priester (412/421/330), Alexander Canario (425/430/519), Luis Campusano (465/463/310), and Pete Crow-Armstrong (340/292/3113) for team 2 Buster Posey (366//426) and Ian Anderson (106/83/53)
I love dynasty trades. Look at the future versus current value. Team 2 gets Anderson who is still young and a very pitcher so he’s not mortgaging the future. That said, I don’t imagine he thinks he’ll get too much more from Posey going forward. Team 11 wrote in on the trade and noted he was mainly traying to leverage Posey (and Joey Votto whom he traded in another deal) for win later guys. He noted he had Joey Bart and Gabriel Moreno coming, and also added in Campusano in another trade. He noted (understandably) that Anderson was hard to move, but to let him put it in his words, he was able to add” other young starters like Pablo Lopez and Luzardo in separate deals recently. Adding them to Gilbert, Houck, deGrom and a strong group of close top arm prospects made it easy. Especially when I was getting the prospect haul in return.”
So there it is. Team 2 is currently fighting for the championship – so we’ll see what Anderson and Posey give him this week.
Wildfire – 20 team roto – R/HR/RBI/SB/OBP IP/K/SVH/ERA/WHIP
Macro Luciano (67/58/60) to Team 1 for Nolan Arenado (47/47/42) and Giovanny Gallegos (390//462) to team 19
This trade is a great example of why rankings are not some clear cut, ironclad thing to use when making trades. Yes, in each rank and mock Arenado went ahead of Luciano. But as a young team getting someone like Luciano for primarily Arenado is 100% worth it – and a great pairing between teams.
But wait. The team in first got Luciano and the team in second to last got Arenado and Gallegos… Well that’s interesting. I’d love to hear the strategies from both. Obviously losing Arenado hasn’t been a huge problem to team 1. Team 19 I could see an argument that they can make a push as soon as next year and Arenado is still only 29. I like Luciano a lot and that’s a nice get for a team already in first to have down the road… kind of like the Giants.
Team 1 send Jesse Winker (38/97/90), Jeff McNeil(251/124/169) and Sandy Alcantara(99/84/89) to team 11 for Tommy Pham (249/255/280), Carlos Carrasco(241/197/309), Carlos Correa(65/118/108), and Marcus Stroman (212/156/261)
Team 1 at it again. Winker is a stud (I know he would go higher in a new mock and Chris’ next update will have him higher as noted), McNeil is great, and Alcantra may be a bonified ace.
But – winker was (is) injured, so for first place to pull in Pham, Carrasco, Correa, and Stroman is huge. Stroman is amazingly underappreciated (and knowing one of the managers of team 11 I’m sure they were loath to give him up), Correa is still a good player, and Cookie and Pham, while older, are great for a first-place team. This is a great trade all around
Relegation – 15 team roto (with overall component) – R/HR/RBI/SB/OBP/ W/K/SV/ERA/WHIP
AAA
Team 2 gets Yordan Alvarez, Elieser Herandez, and Edward Cabrera from team 7 for Lance Lynn
Well then (no ranks since redraft). The team 2 manager wrote me about this trade – he noted:
“At the time my OF was iffy. I originally received the offer and immediately thought no & I would think that on the surface, without context, most would say I lost based on names alone. I’m a huge Lance Lynn fan and he was a priority for me in drafts this year so it wasn’t easy to swallow. But, once i looked at it objectively I knew I needed to do something to make a run for first and this was a chance I was willing to make. I figured I could take the hit on K’s and W and I really needed an infusion at HR and RBI. I decided I could afford to take that shot on Yordan having a nice end to the season, and figured with the upside of Cabrera he could help give me some of those K’s I was losing. Really to me him and Elieser were a wash. The main pieces of the deal were Lynn and Yordan. Looking back I’d do it again. I had to take a chance and make a move I wasn’t necessarily comfortable with to make a run. As it stands now, it could work out, but hasn’t really moved the needle quite yet.”
All fair. That said, given the stats/categories – I also get the trade. This year with the overall rank determining the placing in next year’s leagues, I think it adds to teams staying active to get a good spot (which I love). Redraft always adds an odd component to any trade as the contention window has to be the same – but later in the year in a roto – needs are king so fun trade here.
MLB
Jake McGee, Starling Marte, and Tyler Rogers to team 14 for Carlos Rodon, Joey Gallo, and Garrett Hampson from team 5
Don’t. Get. Relegated. Team 14 is trying to stay in the majors (bottom 3 drop). Team 5 is trying to climb the ranks. Marte has been electric this year and a complete speed machine and team 14 has room to climb there. Gallo helps team 5 with power (if he finds it again) and he has room to climb there. Rodon has been a good starter but again team 14 can climb in saves and try to claw his way out of being sent down.
There it is – just some of the 55 trades made across D1S leagues. What trades do you like for managers or find particularly interesting – drop your thoughts below!
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