Trade Advice: Hart for Eaton/Morales

[dave_dewit]

I'm in the first year of a standard 5x5 roto keeper league with these keeper rules:

All players can be kept at the price of their initial auction cost for one additional option year following the year they were drafted (or they can be released freely). After that option year, the owner must decide to either release the player into the auction pool or sign him to a 1-3 year contract. Each additional year of the deal adds $5 to the annual cost of the player. For example, a $12 player drafted this year can be kept for $12 in 2014, then $17 in '15, $22 for '15-'16, or $27 for '15-'17.

I got offered this trade:

GIVE
Corey Hart ($6)

GET
Adam Eaton ($4)
Kendrys Morales ($2)

Currently, my 5th outfielder is Ichiro, my CI is Youkilis or Ackley (until Hart comes back), and my UTIL (we have 1 Util) is Marte, Quentin, or Youk/Ackley. My team's is pretty balanced--Eaton's speed would be nice, but isn't essential.

I like the deal, especially if Eaton lives up to the hype, but Corey Hart would only cost me $6 in 2014 and would still be cheap for the next years after that!

Please help!
Thanks in advance.

[Stephen]

I'd do this deal without hesitation. When you can make a trade that makes you better in the current year and improves your keeper list for the future it's almost always good.

I acknowledge that I have a gigantic man crush on Eaton and in a scratch draft this year I take him ahead of Hart. I'm a believer. He's never had an OBP in the minors under .400 and even in his cup of coffee with the DBacks last year he had a .382 OBP. That says to me that he wasn't getting over matched which is always my concern with speedy leadoff hitters making their debut.

I think he also has a little bit of power as well that will continue to develop - maybe sooner rather than later in that home park.

Eaton isn't going to be as good as Mike Trout was last year obviously as that was a historic season, but Eaton could be a poor man's Mike Trout and I think this is a great (last) opportunity to get him on the cheap.

Anything that Kendrys gives you is bonus and I actually like him this year as well.

[dave_dewit]

I've gone from almost hitting the ACCEPT button, to almost hitting the REJECT button, to now wanting to ACCEPT again.
In the words of the great Natalie Imbruglia, "I'm torn."

[Stephen]

But are you cold and shamed lying naked on the floor?

[dave_dewit]

But are you cold and shamed lying naked on the floor?

I'm two out of the three...not saying which two.

[Stephen]

Ha! Excellent!

If Hart were completely healthy I might be a little more divided on it. I do like Corey Hart a lot. I've followed him since watching him play in the California league. However, if I take my blinders off (especially at night) I see that his contact rate has been declining slowly, but steadily over the past few years, he had a career high 151 Ks last year and he's also dealing with coming back from a torn meniscus. The last report I saw on that was on March 8th where it reported that while there was significant healing in the joint itself he had just shed his crutches and was weeks away from resuming baseball activities.

I'm not writing Hart off and in fact I've actually picked him up late in a couple of leagues to see what happens but I wouldn't hesitate to trade that risk for a younger risk with a strong minor league track record, in a hitters park. Hart's power should be there when he returns, but since that's a question mark I'd personally bet on Eaton being the better fantasy player in 2013 and certainly beyond.

[dave_dewit]

I really appreciate the advice, Stephen. I think I have been re-swayed to go with Eaton/Morales in this deal.
Eaton's probably the better pick in 2013 because of Hart's health question marks and Eaton's probably better for 2014 and beyond because of youth.

I'm doing it.

[Stephen]

Not a problem Dave. I hope it works out for you!

[cavebird]

I really appreciate the advice, Stephen. I think I have been re-swayed to go with Eaton/Morales in this deal.
Eaton's probably the better pick in 2013 because of Hart's health question marks and Eaton's probably better for 2014 and beyond because of youth.

I'm doing it.

That's the correct call. Take the deal before he withdraws it; you don't want to end up a little late and wind up bound and broken.

[dave_dewit]

Take the deal before he withdraws it; you don't want to end up a little late and wind up bound and broken.

That was my biggest fear.
Now my biggest fear is that everyone will reply to this saying that I should have kept Hart, so thanks for the reassurance, cavebird!

[fuhrdog]

I'd take the deal also fwiw

[Sour Masher]

Look, when Sho'nuff tells you to do a deal, you do the deal. Good move.

[JudeBaldo]

Natalie Imbruglia reference on RJ! Man she was hot.

[Gregg]

I'd take the deal also fwiw

Me too.

[cavebird]

That was my biggest fear.
Now my biggest fear is that everyone will reply to this saying that I should have kept Hart, so thanks for the reassurance, cavebird!

If that happens, ignore them unless they incorporate Natalie Imbruglia lines in the comment. If they actually have bought and listened to the whole album and reference a different song, be afraid. (Lord, I have to find that thing, I haven't listened to it in years.)