While top minor league prospects are the Coin of the Realm in AL-only or NL-only keeper leagues, it is still hard to trade away a player you were looking forward to seeing perform well in the show and for your team.
But there are many times when players in keeper leagues have to do just that. Obviously, getting a very productive major league player, often one whose contract ends that season, for a pennant drive is the main reason you would trade away one of the top prospects in the game.
But my Hook, Line, & Sinker NL team found another one last week. I entered this year’s auction with some good pitching (Hyun-jin Ryu, Jeff Samardzija, Wade Miley, Jason Grilli and Rafael Soriano) and a few well-priced hitters (Starling Marte, Matt Carpenter, Jean Segura, Chris Denorfia and Gerardo Parra). Not a great keeper list but one that I thought would be okay if I could add enough good hitters.
My most expensive player at the auction was 1B/OF Mark Trumbo at $39, who I thought could approach 40 home runs playing his home games at Chase Field in Phoenix. I also added Martin Prado, Scooter Gennett, Seth Smith and Justin Ruggiano on offense and was very happy to get three potentially very useful pitchers at great prices – Josh Beckett for $3, Jose Valverde also for $3 and Braves starting pitcher David Hale for $2.
And the collection got off to a reasonable start, giving me hope that if Pirates prospect Gregory Polanco, who I have had on my “Farm” team for several years, was promoted sometime in May, this team would cash. That hope ended when I lost Trumbo, Ruggiano and Grilli all in the same week. Ruggiano hadn’t been producing, often sitting on my bench, and I could get along without Grilli for a short time. But losing Trumbo for at least six weeks would really cripple my offense.
If he was back that early and if Polanco arrived early, would I be able to catch up? It looked like it would be my only option until a trade developed that made me stop and re-evaluate. I could trade Polanco and some other parts to the league’s rebuilding team but could I get enough to contend? And did I want to give up on Polanco, currently the best hitting prospect in the minor leagues and a projected five-category performer?
The other team made a very good offer and with the AL counterpart to Polanco, Houston’s George Springer, struggling mightily, I decided to say good bye to my best NL farm player and hope Trumbo would get back to help my team to a finish in the money.
The other factor in this trade would be getting Giants’ catcher Buster Posey on a very reasonable 20C16 contract – so I wouldn’t have Polanco for many years but I would have Posey for several years.
The full trade was Mike Olt 14D14, Zach Walters 10F14, Brayan Pena 2D14 and Polanco for Posey 20C16, Jay Bruce 31D14 and Chase Utley 19D14. It certainly added some needed offense. Whether it will be enough will likely depend on Trumbo. I felt it was worth the shot.
Good Bye Gregory. You can keep the HLS Jersey I had set aside for you. {jcomments on}