Traded Giancarlo--Did I Screw up?

[Sour Masher]

Some background--I just signed Giancarlo to a $25 6 year extension (max deal in my league) in a 16 team points league with a $400 cap and 15 keepers, so massive inflation. For perspective, Albert Pujols went for $96 this year--the first time since he hit free agency in our league when he didn't go for over $100.

I just traded Stanton, along with lesser filler pieces Ike Davis, Aarong Harang, Mark Ellis, Michael Brantley, and Pedro Strop for the following:

Teixeria--$70 (not a keeper price)
Nelson Cruz (can't be kept)
Carlos Pena (can't be kept)
John Axford--$5 (can keep 1 more year at this price or extend $4 per year in offseason)
Cory Luebke--$7 (can keep 1 more year at this price or extend $4 per year in offseason)
Jonathan Niese--$4 (can keep 1 more year at this price or extend at $4 per year in offseason)

I know it seems like a lot, but again, because of the league set up in terms of extensions, the value of cheap, young locked up elite talent is way inflated, and because it is a mixed league, pitchers at the level of Luebke and Niese don't go for a lot of money. Deals like this just don't get done in this league, because no one trades elite young talent that is already proven. But I figured, I trade guys like Stanton all the time in the upper minors for less. Not all of them pan out, of course, but some do for less return.

[joncarlos]

Only you really know what kind of haul you could have gotten for a guy like Stanton if he was 100% healthy. You obviously added a lot of talent - either Cruz or Teix can replace Stanton's production, and hopefully your points don't count strikeouts so Pena is a useful starter. I don't like Niese all that much but I do like Luebke and Axford. You really need to win this year for this deal to pay off.

[Sour Masher]

Only you really know what kind of haul you could have gotten for a guy like Stanton if he was 100% healthy. You obviously added a lot of talent - either Cruz or Teix can replace Stanton's production, and hopefully your points don't count strikeouts so Pena is a useful starter. I don't like Niese all that much but I do like Luebke and Axford. You really need to win this year for this deal to pay off.

Yeah, I won last year, and I'm in good shape to do it again this year, but in a H2H points league, anything can happen. The real trick is getting past the wild car round, which is only one week, so anything can happen. The finals are two weeks, and the best team generally wins that.

[Lucky]

Well, it's done, so the only thing you can do is look forward to whatever benefit your end of the trade brought to your roster.

Tex, Cruz and Pena could turn out to be a massive haul for this year. I'm bullish on Tex, and if Cruz stays healthy the sky is the limit.

Looks to me like the play should be letting Luebke and Axford play out their contracts, but having another year of them at an $11 total is a good thing.

Niese is a non-keeper, IMO, but could help you depending upon the matchups. The other stuff you traded away weren't issues.

Stanton is a fine young player, but winning this year is what counts, so long as you have a reasonable chance. Right now I'm in 1st place by 22 points in a tough 15-team roto league, but as a very smart owner just reminded me, having a lead like that in April just means you can be aggressive. Not reckless, but aggressive. I'm looking at trading Stanton this week ($10) as a way to shore up my corners, where I presently have my weakest position player (Duda). I hate to see him go, but I think I have a chance to win. So, like you, I'll do what it takes.

In short, it takes balls to trade a kid like Stanton, but it seems as though you got a good return. If it helps you win your second title in two years, it will definitely be worth it. Actually, if it puts you in a position to challenge for the crown, it was worth it.

Good luck. I hope your risk taking brings an ample reward.

[chancellor]

Looks like a great win-now deal for you that still leaves you with two reasonably priced pieces - Axford and Luebke - that make sense to extend.

As Lucky noted, it takes a lot of testicular fortitude to deal a young stud like Stanton, but I think you did very well for the now and not too bad for the future.

[TS Garp]

Seems like a slam dunk to me. Great trade. Besides the obvious appeal of Tex/Cruz/Pena/Axford, I really like both Luebke and Niese a lot.

[Sour Masher]

Seems like a slam dunk to me. Great trade. Besides the obvious appeal of Tex/Cruz/Pena/Axford, I really like both Luebke and Niese a lot.

Thanks for the vote of confidence on Niese. I like him too, but reading people I respect here be down on him has made me worried. I'm not expecting a star or anything, but he looks to me like he can continue to be a solid spot starter.

[gcstomp]

Monster haul. If this is the going rate, then I definitely shorted myself when I traded Stanton. For sure, a $25 Stanton for next 6 years, in a 16 tm mixed is big. But of course you made out like a bandit. El Banditooooooo.

[Sour Masher]

Monster haul. If this is the going rate, then I definitely shorted myself when I traded Stanton. For sure, a $25 Stanton for next 6 years, in a 16 tm mixed is big. But of course you made out like a bandit. El Banditooooooo.

Yeah, it is a big haul, but remember, this isn't $25 in a regular cap league. This is $25 in a $400 league with 15 keepers per team and massive inflation. On the open market, Stanton would go for 60+. But still, it is hard to complain in the short term.

[Sour Masher]

Stanton sure is punishing me for trading him. I had the misfortune of playing against the fellow I traded him too. His break out coupled with Luebke's impending TJ surgery makes me think I pulled the trigger on this deal too early. If I'd waited a week, I could have saved myself Luebke's injury at the very least.

[gcstomp]

If I may whine in your thread like a lil baby about my Stanton trade. 12 TM NL, standard $260, 5x5. Traded my $5 (well, he needs to be extended after this year, probably be G2015 $15) Stanton away for 5 useful but not uber star players, 3 of them may be keeps for me as well so there is that. I had holes all over, and Stanton at the time had zero homers and word was he may have painful knees all year. In past 7 games he has 5 homers. Stanton will be making me cry for years I fear.

[Sour Masher]

If I may whine in your thread like a lil baby about my Stanton trade. 12 TM NL, standard $260, 5x5. Traded my $5 (well, he needs to be extended after this year, probably be G2015 $15) Stanton away for 5 useful but not uber star players, 3 of them may be keeps for me as well so there is that. I had holes all over, and Stanton at the time had zero homers and word was he may have painful knees all year. In past 7 games he has 5 homers. Stanton will be making me cry for years I fear.

Yeah, I fear the same thing, and he has started by hitting 5 homers against me in one week!