Jack Torrance - contributing reporter
Hindsight is 20/20, while it will be a few seasons before we know how well these deals worked out for both teams, let's go ahead and take a look back at a few deals that were made this season, and there were many of them this year - only 22 this season. Nine of which Salt Lake City was involved in.
All grades are just for this season alone, with the understanding that looking back in 4-5 seasons that grades could drastically change.
Dover (50-112) sent nine year pro Roger Stinnett (2B) to Salt Lake City (93-69) for three prospects; Yamid Rodriguez (SP), Xnder Odor (P), and Dickie Haren (C). Only Yamid has seen reasonable time this season but he's bounced back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen. Stinnett comes with an extended contract through S59 and $7.4M per, though the last year is a mutual option. The 2B has been a solid add for SLC's lineup; whose fight for the AL West came down to the last series of the season. This shows Dover's commitment to a rebuild, as many say this trade was about shedding Stinnett's contract and also helped their chances at landing a top pick. We don't rate prospoects in this coverage, feel they could have gotten something better in return for a 35-45 HR, 100+ RBI 2B even if he's just a .255 hitter besides just freeing up budget.
Dover - TBD. Salt Lake City - A
Washington DC (71-91) packages Benny Ward (LF) and Brock Hogan (3B) to Salt Lake City (93-69) for prospects Fred Russell (SP), a former #8 overall pick; and Mac Lee (SP), a $6M IFA signing just last season. SLC later dealt Hogan (3B) to Mexico City (59-103) for $3M, Boone Dowd, no relation to MLB great Jon Dowd, and Ivan Douglas (1B). Douglas was then packaged to Colorado Springs (69-93) along with Ross Coleridge (RP) for $5M + Anibal Castillo (CF). All in, that nets SLC: $8M + Anibal Castillo (CF) + Boone Dowd (RP) + Benny Ward (LF). Washington DC stats some pitching prospects who show promise in the minors. Though their limited splits may keep them from being successful at the major league level. Russell at least has high velocity and better pitch quality. The Hogan return for Mexico City was likely more about shedding the contract of Dowd who struggles with innings and pitch counts; though don't let that power fool you he could end up providing some value at the major league level too. Castillo was an expiring contract for Colorado Springs, so we assume it was more of a move up next year's draft than anything. Douglas didn't do much at the majors this year but at 22, could we see some improvement? As a SuB, Coleridge was as expected - 1.45+ WHIP, 5.00+ ERA.
Washington DC - TBD. Salt Lake City - A+. Mexico City - B+. Colorado Springs - B.
In another off-season deal, Dover (50-112) continued their push for a high draft pick by dealing $1.5M + Andy McLaughlin(CF) to Houston (110-52) for prospects Benji Lopez (2B) and diamond in the rough prospect Mac Howard (SP). McLaughlin has played a bit of 2B for Houston and produced quite well for the defending champs. He also has a mutual option contract S57 that Houston will need to decide on. Howard saw a promotion from A- all the way up to AAA but we assume that's it for him. Unless the world flips upside down, he won't...or shouldn't...see a pitch at the ML level. Lopez's splits might make him more of a role player than a fulltime spot in the lineup.
Dover -TBD. Houston - A.
Huntington Tropics (104-58) in their push for the division and improved playoff standing, traded away McKay Howell (DH), Matthew Monroe (RP), and Brett Crawford (RP) to Washington DC (71-91) for closer Enrique Franco. Franco shifts to a closer by committee setup and having the type of season you'd expect by moving to the AL but has been a big boost to the pen. Howell and Monroe are still just prospects; with Monroe projected to join the major league club's bullpen in a couple of years. Howell would only play the field if he were in Chicago; but he'll hit at some point. Solid power and hits righties well. Crawford replaced Franco as the Nationals closer with similar success as Franco. Solid deal for both teams.
Huntington - A-. Washington DC - B+.
To no surprise, it's Salt Lake City (93-69) in the next deal, sending a pair of S55 picks #16 Deacon Belinda (SP) and #49 Lou Mason (RP) to reshuffling Buffalo (77-85) for S53 #26 pick Ricky Kirk (SS) and Felipe Valdez (3B). For Buffalo Belinda seems the more promising of the two. Valdez has a ton of power but doesn't project to be much. Kirk's glove is a little weak for Short, but some owners won't care. At the plate he has good power as well which hopefully makes up for the awful eye and low contact ability; though he's still managed a respectable batting average this year with 25+ HR power - also added in 15+ SBs.
Salt Lake City - B+. Buffalo - TBD.
In a surprise move, Pittsburgh (62-100) throws in the towel of 2 straight division titles and elects to start a semi-fire sale. First they sent $2M + Michael Craig (RP) to Boston (86-76) for pitching prospect who doesn't make sense to cover. Craig has had a quite season for the Boston Baseball Team but still productive.
Pittsburgh - D+. Boston - A-.
Pittsburgh (62-100) then received Julio Valdes (C) and Raimel Duran (SP) from Huntington (104-58) for $2M + Rip Bromberg (3B). Valdes is a DH playing in the NL and a former #28 pick back in S53, but shows some promise mostly due to his pure power bat. He'll struggle against lefties but as long as he develops and hits righties he'll provide some run support for the Yinzers. Duran transitioned to AAA very well and still has a little growth left in him. He could project into a mid or back of the rotation type arm one day.
Pittsburgh - B-. Huntington -B+.
A third deal to follow that up, Pittsburgh (62-100) then traded $2.9M + Banjo Urlaub (3B) to Salt Lake City (93-69) for $2M S55 IFA Felipe Julio (RF) + former diamond in the rough Elvis McKay (RP). McKay transitioned to the closer role after they dealt Craig earlier, though he's only saved 39 of 50 chances. Not great....unless you are in rebuild mode and looking for a high draft pick. Then he's the perfect closer for your team! Julio has potential for great power and a fantastic eye. Worse case he's a lefty platoon. Urlaub on the other hand saw a career low batting average this season but still 25ish HR with nearly 20 steals. But when you hit close to your weight and strike out more than twice the times you walk, it can't be considered a good season. The potential is still there and he's a FA next season, but we'll see if he resigns with SLC before then.
Pittsburgh - C. Salt Lake City - B.
Augusta (71-91) sent 25 yr old Jimmie Bryant (3B) to Jacksonville (80-82) for long term prospects S50 #56 pick 24 yr old Rich Rendon (2B) who was given a promotion to the big leagues and 22 yr old Doc Hooker, former S53 #29 pick. In nearly 500 ABs, Rendon was average at the plate and Hooker should see some time next season at the majors. Bryant on the flip side had a small dip in average and power but still made some growth at the plate.
Augusta - B. Jacksonville - B.
Salt Lake City (93-69) sends prospect Brady Daniels (DH) who appears to be a high contact hitter with little power and even less speed for Luis Espinosa (DH) + his remaining salary ($4.7M) to Augusta (71-91). SLC got a DH for the big league lineup, though his power numbers dropped off a bit after the move. Perhaps that was partially to being slotted in the 2 hole in the lineup or maybe it was the new stadium.
Salt Lake City - B+. Augusta - TBD.
It's not rare for Atlanta (116-46) to be considered the top team in the league and still be making moves. This time sending a pair of young(ish) in Cesar Tavarez (P) and Quilvio Infante (SP) to Anaheim (80-82) in exchange for $2.2M + Joshua Lough (RP) + Hiram Helms (RP). Infante made 24 starts, going 6-8 over 149 innings with a 1.17 WHIP and 3.26 ERA. Tavarez ended up replacing Lough in the bullpen and saved 28 of 31 games over 46 outings. Helms barely saw time for Atlanta but Lough was the prize of the deal, shifting to a setup role that saw him pitch in 56 games for 104 innings, more than any other full season combined. And with great success, 1.04 WHIP, 2.16 ERA. He'll be a great add to the bullpen in the seasons to come and worth a slight overpayment to get him.
Atlanta - A. Anaheim - A+.
In yet another Salt Lake City (93-69) deal, we see them move S56 #8 pick Brock Hogan (3B) to Mexico City (59-103) for $3M + Boone Dowd (RP) + prospect S53 #42 pick Ivan Douglas (1B). The money covers Dowd's S56 salary but Salt Lake City will still be on the hook for S57-59 (59 is a Team option). Compared to the last few seasons in Chicago and Tacoma, his numbers were down across the board. For signing such a surprise contract with Tacoma, he sure has been on the move, being traded every season of his current deal. Douglas was later moved with Ross Coleridge (P) to Colorado Springs (69-93) for $5M + Anibal Castillo (CF). The money covers 2/3rds of his remaining salary and gives SLC a quality starting CF. His numbers were about on pair with his norm.
Salt Lake City - A. Mexico City - TBD. Colorado Springs - B
Jacksonville (80-82) sent prospect Cesar Blanco (SP) to the rebuilding Colorado Springs (69-93) for Grayson Lowry (3B). Blanco earned a promotion to the big leagues but only made 1 start for 2/3rds of an inning. Lowry found a spot as the #4 hitter with a .604 slugging percentage. He even finished out the season with a near .300 average for the new home team. Blanco is looking like a slightly below league average pitcher but we'll see what his new owner is able to get out of him but his comps are Santo Estrella and Josmil Tovar.
Jacksonville - A+. Colorado Springs - B-
Colorado Springs (69-93) followed up that deal, sending prospect Lou Hartman (2B) over to Tacoma (56-106) for big leaguer Guilder Osoria (RP). GO was given the go for 33 games, going 2-2 with 2/2 saves. Low whip and slightly below average ERA seemed promising.
Colorado Springs - B+. Tacoma - C+
Back at it, Jacksonville (80-82) elected to send prospect Bert Swann (2B) and Anthony Clayton (SP) to New 'the #1 pick is mine' York (47-115) for $1.6M + Del Alvarez (SP). Clayton was exactly what New York needed, 15 starts, 1-13 record, 1.70 WHIP, and a 4.71 ERA. Could have asked for anything better from him. Swann a long time minor leaguer finally got his promotion and will until he hits Arb most likely. Swann started just 16 but hit just .161; so job well done? Alvarez on the other end had a near 1.20 WHIP with a sub 3.00 ERA mixed between 13 starts and 6 relief appearances. Jacksonville will hope he can continue that same stuff the next two seasons, only 31 he should be alright just not sure he matches his Jacksonville performance from this year.
Jacksonville - A-. New York - B
Our next deal saw Philadelphia (85-77) send a trio of prospects in Nigel Leroux (RP), Matt Eiland (CF), and Javier Moya (2B) of to Buffalo (77-85) for Don Hernandez (CF) as they made their unsuccessful push for the division title. Hernandez had a good stretch though struck out a bit too much. This was his Arb3 season, so we'll guess he hits Free Agency as Philly debates a rebuild or push harder to take back the division. Leroux was S55 #21 pick, Eiland S50 #18, and Moya S54 #98 pick.
Philadelphia - B. Buffalo - TBD.
In a surprise deal, Salt Lake City (93-69) trades away Olmedo Nunez (C/DH) to Columbus (85-77) as both teams continue to push at their divisions. In return, SLC gets prospects S55 #1 pick Ewell Little and S54 #19 pick Rubi Pujols. The blog wasn't so kind to Little in our writeup, especially for going #1 overall; but we'll see what happens with his future in Utah. Columbus picked up a solid hitting catcher to hit behind Drew Ducati and his amazing S56 numbers. Nunez was also just off signing a backloaded 3/$23.3M extension.
Salt Lake City - B-. Columbus - A-.
With a busy late season, Jacksonville (80-82) sent a trio of prospects, S55 #24 Dernell Wates (1B), S54 #30 Fred Martin (P), and diamond in the rough S52 #354 pick Randolph Jacobs (2B), bringing back $2.3M + Domonic Malone (2B) from Dover (50-112). Malone put up exactly what you thought he would, but also has 2 more seasons under contract; the last of which is a mutual option.
Jacksonville - B. Dover - TBD.
Colorado Springs (69-93) traded an aging secretly injured Koyie Ward (SP) plus $2.2M that covers half his remaining salary to Tokyo (83-79) for prospects Asdrubal Unamuno (2B) and Heinie Browne (RP). First start for Tokyo and Ward goes down with a 200+ day injury, labrum tear. Brutal! While is $17M S57 mutual option contract was likely to be declined, this injury leaves no doubts. Happy early retirement Koyie Ward, good luck with your Hall of Fame ballot. Tokyo was looking at 4 games out of 2nd wildcard and 10 games out of the Division at the time so this one stings a little.
Colorado Springs - TBD. Tokyo - B (can't fault them for the injury)
In a near miss of a trade, New Orleans (104-58) mistakenly tried sending 30 yr old 2x LF Silver Slugger, 4x All-Star, S53 Co-MVP, back to back LF Gold Glove winner the last two seasons, and S54 World Champion Juancito Martin; who had just signed an extension this past season plus $1.7M to Salt Lake City (93-69) for the expiring contract of lefty specialist Mikey Abbott and former #1 pick Ewell Little who projects as a 1.30 WHIP / 4.50 ERA type of pitcher. On that note, we were taught if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all.....
Would be scores: New Orleans - F. Salt Lake City - A+
In the final deal of the season, Houston (110-52) send S54 #59 pick prospect Frank 'The Tank' Sweeney 'Todd' (2B) and S55 #31 pick Eugene 'I'm not going to pick on him because of his last name' Dickerson (3B) to the Augusta (71-91) team for S54 #39 pick prospect Anderson Toussaint (CF). We'll see how this deal looks in a year or two.
Houston - TBD. Augusta - TBD.
That about does it for S56's trades.