drewski6

Just when I had bs'd myself into thinking he works off the bench.... :/

From your mouth to Breslows ears.

And other options too. But I agree with you. Getting Isaac P while keeping Duran AND Abreu is a good thing, not a bad thing. Yoshida will have value as a pinch hitter, plus there will be injuries and rest days.

Rafaela will step forward, back or sideways at the plate this year. Few are predicting a step forward, which would surely make him top 10....Some are predicting a step sideways which would make him a cusp top 10 (squeaks in , IMO)....Most (myself included) are predicting a step back at the plate and unfortunately a fourth outfielder/defensive sub on a great team (starter on a so/so team). He doesnt have a lot of trade value (he has some) despite having like 6 yrs of control and theres a reason for that. But hope is not lost, even a step sideways at the plate, lets say .720-.740 OPS, cements him as a close to average bat and with his D thats in my opinion a starting MLB CF'er no question. But if the OPS falls to close to .700 or even dips below the danger line, hes going to lose his starter status and we wont have a logjam because he'll be a fourth outfielder.

Its nice to be able to pull someone off your bench who you know will give you an at-bat and Yoshida will always give you an at-bat. Hes not going to pop out on the first pitch or take 3 straight strikes looking. Hes not going to swing at a slider 6 feet outta the zone. Problem is it would be better if he could play a serviceable/cusp corner OF/1b (so he gives at least a little positional coverage) and it would also be better if he made less ($18m is steep for a bat off the bench role)

Its not really a headache to have an athletically limited, weak overall player (dragged down by lack of defense) who has utility (Yoshida isnt useless he works counts, controls the zone, makes contact) on your bench. The headache is a) bench players usually provide acceptable coverage at a position/usually mutliple positions which Yoshida probably doesnt at present (I still think he should learn how to play an adequate first base to increase his utility as a bench player) and b) Yoshida is overpaid for htis role BUT....depite not being an ideal bench player for those 2 reasons (not a lot of positional backup cuz Yoshida is almost a backup DH AND makes more than youd want from a bench player)....Despite not being an ideal bench player for those 2 reasons, Yoshida does provide hitting depth. Any injury to an OF, he becomes a DH and probably a close to average one vs one that cant hit at all....AND hes solid as a pinch hitter. Imagine DHAM is up with the bases loaded in the 7th? Yoshida coming in , knowing hes going to give you a legit at-bat. DHAM is an automatic out and he may get some starts. Ditto Mayer vs lefties. If in the 8th , they bring in a lefty against Mayer in a close game, you have a second counter move with Yoshida (if Romy already in the game)

Theres often a financial component to buyer-buyer trades and future planning like SD knowing that they couldnt afford to keep Soto after his arb3 season and also knowing that even his arb3 salary didnt fit into their budget. Im sure need/roster balance was a component, but a lot of times these buyer buyer trades are like a mid-market (not top 6 or 7 spender) trying to stay competitive despite knowing they are losing a star. I think finances was a bigger factor in the soto trade than the semien/nimmo so i guess it depends on the specific buyer/buyer trade , as no 2 trades are ever exactly the same

This joke landed, fyi

Good point, you moved my opinion on this. I think there comes a point when you accept that you cant get one of these buyer-buyer trades over the finish line and you make a more common prospects/youngsters outgoing trades to a small market team bringing in someone making money or is about to make a little money... But I will fall back to buyer-buyer trades are almost never in-season, but merely infrequent (not extremely infrequent) in offseason. Dont get me wrong I would celebrate if we got Paredes or Marte without giving up Duran or Abreu

I do like the A's position players lol

I agree with you, that the phillies pitching was 4x better than the dodgers pitching last year and yet the phillies (at least in my mind) never really had a chance to win that series. I think LAD wins 8/10.

Problem is buyer-buyer trades are very very very very infrequent and very very very very hard to execute. Find a team with a good 2b who is 28-31 on a team that is not gonna go anywhere. Its a challenge to find that guy, but if you do, it wont be hard to find a deal that works for both sides.

If you want a deal to happen go after win now player on win later teams. Trade a younger player to a team that isnt ready to compete for a better player. This is the tried and true way of trading that has been in existence since I started following baseball in 1990. Getting win now players (prime or post prime) off win now teams (competitive) or win later players (young) off win later teams (not competitive) - for every 10,000 trades of this ilk that get kicked around, maybe 4 have happened. We arent going anywhere because we are a win now team trying to get better, so we shouldnt be trading with other win now teams (if we want one of these trades to come to fruition). We keep trading with St Louis not because Bloom knows our players but because Bloom is trying to trade for the future and we are trying to fortify the present. Trading with the cubs or astros directly, is a long shot. Just like at the deadline last year, when they were like "baseball trade, 2 teams trying to get better. Old school" and it never happened because they dont happen 99%. Either trade young for prime or trade prime for young, but if the latter Crochet has to go cuz it would be a reset. Stop trying to trade for 23 yr olds or 29 olds off competitive teams if you want to make a trade. Someone like Brent Rooker is perfect. Cuz hes like 28 and the As are probs not gonna be competitive in his prime window but I could be wrong, I can see them passing us soon.

Makes sense for you , not to you, hes a win now player on a win now team

Its just so hard to line up these types of trades. Weve been trying to trade an OF'er to a team in a win now for a long time. Since last year. I wouldnt assume it cant happen or wont happen, but I think the fact that it hasnt happened does show that its difficult and/or unlikely

He was hilariously bad against lefties though. I was too and I never figured it out.

We know that weve been struggling for over a year to line up a buy-buy trade. If a team is looking to acquire Duran or Abreu then they are trying to win and the 2b/3b they give you in return will likely not be very good.

Forgot Schwarber but hes not getting traded.

Rats

Me? Yes I think we are overpaying at that point, but the fit is too good to pass. Maybe we keep one of the prospects from astros for in season trade chip

Fine, Alvarez it is then

I remain extremely intrigued at adding either Alvarez or Rooker to this team if possible...who were always the 2 I had in mind. This isnt the first time Ive day dreamed about adding Rooker to this team.

I thought I heard some rumblings. Could have been forum speculation.

Or masa + money if either want that can be gone in the deal too.

Astros receive: W abreu Red Sox receive: Paredes, Rooker As receive: prospects (from Astros) and one of Bello/Harrison/Early (obvs I try Harrison first but not sure it gets it done)