In Neagle and Munro we are looking at two starting pitchers that can help a team that is in first place, but is short on innings.

In the spring free agent draft for the four leagues I am in Munro was taken in the 2nd round twice, the 3rd round once, and the 4th round once. That is a small sample size.... but when you also consider that he has 65 IP remaining for the last 55 games of the season.... it doesn't seem unreasonable to ask for a FA #3 for Munro all by himself.

Neagle isn't a top of the rotation starter... but he is a grade 5.8 / clutch 4 and he is good against righty batters so the platoons that hurt many lefty starters won't hurt Neagle. So he's surely worth some kind of FA upgrade based on his 2002 stats.

... Now lets talk Guillen... yes he's a starting SS.... (so is Jack Wilson... and at times Chris Gomez)... Guillen was highly touted several years ago... but he has been hurt a lot and never has done much to stand out from the crowd. I'm guessing he's close to replacement level as SS go in Purebaseball.

So I have a lot of depth in the outfield and some extra pitchers... I advertise.

Jon comes to me for pitchers.. I asked for a FA #2 for the combo of Neagle/Munro and my trading partner says.... I don't really want to give a FA #2 for these guys.... but I will sacrifice Carlos Guillen to the cause.


I think... hmmm..... I'm not terribly high on Guillen..... And with Jeter and Renteria I don't need another SS..... but a trade for Guillen does solve my problem.... which is that I get to move some pitching depth this year for something (player or pick) that has upside next year.

My trading partner used his last inning from Andy Benes last week and really wants some pitching for this week.

This trade does not involve impact players... and it helps both teams involved satisfy their needs in some sense.

If I can't draft a player in the 3rd round of the contraction draft and another player in the 3rd round of the FA draft and then sit them on my bench for half a year and then get the equivalent of a FA #2 (or so) back in a trade (to a team that NEEDS INNINGS)... then I have to ask what is the point of the free agent draft.

Or a better question is.... what is the point of wasting time trying to make trades if a trade like this is going to get vetoed.

The empirical evidence says that many of my league colleagues have reached the same conclusion about trying to make trased... because I see far less trades this year than in past years.