I recently entered into a trade agreement. I sent (In a real time league) a 31 year old regular SS (PB designates him as regular; that and 400 AB's), batting .260 with a .750 ops VR, 26 sb's and 5 cs. Very middle of the road -perhaps south of middle, but servicable, to another team for a 38 year old pitcher with a 4.57 ERA and a OBA in the .270's. Again south of middle
The manager of the other team has 10 pitchers that qualify as starters - all of them younger than 38. This pitcher, for the most part, rode the pine on this team. His SS was batting in the .220's and was basically an out. I was short innings and although I thought what I was offering was a little light, I made the offer and it was accepted.
Subsequently, but in the same week, I traded another pitcher and 2 other players for a 3b. Our commisioner okays the deal where I lose a pitcher and voids the deal where I get one, leaving me with only 3 starters for an away series.
I am forced to scramble and make a second offer of a starting CF and the SS for the same marginal pitcher. This one was okayed.
The players invloved are Fox SS, Burkett P, and Rowand CF. Now I don't want to start defending one trade or impeaching another, but I lack a crystal ball. Isn't it possible that Rowand becomes the next Tori Hunter? Where is this trade then? Isn't it possible that Burkett decides that next year, at 39, he's had enough and Fox continues to play a marginal SS for 4 or 5 more years? Isn't it possible that at the beginning of next year the manager with 10 pitchers would have assessed his talent and decided he needed to cut Burkett anyway? I lack the foresight to tell you the answer to these questions. Apparently Mike doesn't. While I admit the first trade was a little short on my end, I think the second one which he approved may have been more unbalanced. But, more to the point, Mike made his judgement, not taking into account that we were in a RT league. He mentioned Burketts value in the 2001 season in his letter of explanation. He was unaware of the situation of our mutual rosters. I have no problem with someone taking their job seriously. I manage some Fantasy football leagues with cash involved and take my job of keeping things fair seriously. I think however, that a bit more research would have helped (I was never contacted).I also think acting as a watchdog in an effort to keep things on the up and up, and editorializing are not the same.

I like Vanilla, that's not Okay?