Spalding trades:
SP - Gary Heins - AA
SP - Jaime Morel - A

Bowie trades:
SP - Michael Thornton - AAA

Interesting trade, I think, involving 3 5-Star prospects (using in-game scouting).  Bowie had a glut of MLB-ready pitching and wanted to re-fill a bit.  Spalding needs to compete this year. Heins and Morel wouldn't be ready for a bit, package them for a guy that (I hope and pray) can help this year.

Jeez I'll never catch Bowie.  Toriq we gotta stop hating each other and start hating Bowie.

 

Zayx

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Chessie Ironhorse

Come on--my team sucked for so many years--the law of averages had to work in my favor after a while.

Didn't get this in to tonight's file, but will in the next one.

Heck of a deal for both teams IMO...

If the scouts are accurate I think Spalding got taken on this one...not crazy but still gave up a lot.

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GM of Chattooga Eagles
The Eagle's Nest

In terms of talent, I definitely think Bowie got more.  Thornton's clearly the best of the 3, but Morel and Heins combined probably have more value when it's considered that prospects can decline.

But this trade isn't just about talent for talent.  The reason I prefer Thornton to those two is because Thornton can help me now (I think).  My team is old, the window is closing rapidly.  I told Chickenbone that I had previously thought about just keeping Heins and Morel and hoping they were the core of the next good Spalding team (5+ years from now).  But the hope is that Thornton can maybe help push this team into the playoffs one more time, and still be a part of the next good team.  I needed another starting pitcher - no one would talk to me last offseason, and this offseason the only good guys either wouldn't talk to me or got offered way more than I thought they were worth.  I think this trade is a good balance for me between helping me win now, and win in the future.

Of course, Thornton could decline and be a medicore guy.  Who the hell knows.  But I think it's worth the risk.  I'm happy with it, I definitely don't think I got "taken" =p

for what it's worth, my scout shows Thornton as having talent ratings of 10/10/9.  The only other pitcher I've had with that sort of quality is Liberty, who's become a top 5 pitcher in the league.  Neither Heins nor Morel have talent ratings as high as Thornton, acc. to my scout, and in fact neither rate as 5 star prospects (4.5 for each).  However, both look like they could be really good, and if not necessarily league ace, then possibly staff ace, akin to Rothermel or Routt.  Plus, being able to push the pitching talent back a couple of years for me really was very valuable because other than Torrealba and Meadows (1B), most of my talent had already hit the majors.  I find the rest of my prospects very speculative.  So I think it was a win for both sides.  Hopefully Grypht makes the playoffs one more year, and hopefully I don't see him there for the following six or so years :-) -- plus, I didn't have to trade in my league, so hopefully Thornton is only wreaking havoc on Williams league teams.

Well, that's certainly not going to help me out this year.  Phooey, don't you know I'm supposed to have better pitchers than you, Grypht?

Ah, your pitching is still better (starting, anyway).  And with Munoz being so close to his full ratings immediately after being drafted, your offense may be better, too.  I've got to give you a run, though!

Oh, I don't know about that, particularly the offense part.  Munoz ought to help, but I figure there's NO way I can count on another season like I got out of Solis.  :)  Note also that Cribb's ratings may have dipped at some point, despite the lack of message about it.  I'm resonably confident that he didn't use to be an 8/8/7 talent guy.

Well, I hope you're right about Solis and Cribb, but my team may atrophy more than your team =)

McAlpin has had a lot of talent declines the last two seasons.  I *hope* that 2007 will stop that a bit, and actually let a guy play at a decent clip into his late 30s but who the hell knows.  Most of my other starters are on the wrong side of 30.  The only guy under 30 is Trevor Goodson, and there's no way in hell he has as good a year as he had last season.   .287/.342/.425?  Never expected that, can't expect it this year.  I also may not have a shortstop capable of anything decent. I like Donald Basset, and his ratings are still OK, but he was horrendous last season.

The other thing that worries me is the loss of John Tepper.  He was always good for a very high OBP at the top of the order.  I like Raphael Velasco, but he's a different type of player.  Maybe I should have gone after Tepper for another year.  Ah well.  If Anthony Crigger can live up to his ratings, the loss of Tepper may be moot.  Anyway, I've got a hole at the top of the order.  I think I'm going to have Patenaude lead off against righties.

The offense should still be OK.  If Carroll could rebound and have a .900+ OPS year again, and Preece at all lives up to his ratings, and Velasco hits for a little power, that's a good team, I guess.
I think the lineup v. righties will be something like this:

LF Patenaude
3B Carroll
CF McAlpin
RF Sierra
C  Velasco
2B Goodson
1B Preece/Medina (Medina hit under .200, but drew walks and had a lot of power - he may be a better option than Preece v. RHP)
SS Bassett

Maybe flip Preece/Goodson, but I'd like to have a good hitter versus lefties to follow Goodson.  My depth is also quite a bit worse compared to last season.  I had R. Brown to backup the infield and Neil Verdugo at 1B/OF.  The guys I have now are a pretty big downgrade.