The Deal in Reverse (If we had traded Sheets)

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

After reading the Cleveland boards a bit, it seems like they feel they got ripped off. Granted, they were a game from the World Series last year and they thought they were going back before struggling this season. If we were in 4th place, 5-10 games under, and had just traded Sheets for a (LaPorta+ 2 A players) would you be satisfied. I realize alot of that rides on who they 2 A players are, but for the sake of discussion lets assume they are Green and LuCroy

[sbrylski]

If you can accept the fact that your team isn't going to make the postseason this year, its extremely hard to argue against LaPorta+2 more to be worse than 2 comp picks. If I were a Cleveland fan first, I would be as happy as you could be on the day your team gives up on the season.

[thablingster]

It would be a typical disappointment, obviously. I think the reason so many people are ecstatic about us getting Sabathia is not even 2 years ago we were on the side of a deal where we were giving the big name guy away. People would have said the typical catch-phrases: "same ol' cheap Brewers," "throwing the season away," etcetera.

 

Even when you get a very good player in return if it doesn't help the team right away it is hard for some fans to put that in perspective. I think there would have been a lot of angry posters had we been on the opposite side of this trade, with a few who see the potential in the guys we're sending off.

[logan82]

I wouldn't have been happy with the trade, but our weakness isn't hitters. If we had traded for pitching I would have been ok with it. If your season is lost, trade players you aren't going to be able to keep and stock up for the future.

[JoeHova]

If the Brewers were 10+ games back and traded Sheets for LaPorta, Green, and Lucroy, I would have been quite pleased. Of course, Doug would never do that, as he hasn't made a trade of an established player for prospects while he's been in Milwaukee. It'd be more likely that he'd get a bunch of average guys with a couple years of service left and maybe a low-level prospect thrown in.

[endaround]

Did you miss the Wayne Franklin trade? The Dan Kolb trade?

[bullox]

Did you miss the Wayne Franklin trade? The Dan Kolb trade?

Let's not pretend that those players are on the same level as Sheets.

 

[JoeHova]

Did you miss the Wayne Franklin trade? The Dan Kolb trade?

 

 

No, I didn't miss the Franklin trade, Villanueva is one of my favorite players. However, Franklin was a scrub they just wanted to get rid of. And Capellan had played in the majors, albeit briefly. I stand by my assertion that Doug doesn't like to trade established guys for lower level minor leaguers.

[rotoherb]

Does that Gabe Gross guy ring a bell? I agree that Melvin definitely prefers to get major league ready talent in return, as do most GMs. He really hasn't had a whole lot of top talent to trade, outside of Carlos Lee.

[igor67]

I agree in a universe where the Brewers were way out of it this year getting a prospect package like what they gave up for Sheets would make me quite happy ideally it would include an arm as highly rated as Laporta is as a hitter.

[clancyphile]

Did you miss the Wayne Franklin trade? The Dan Kolb trade?

Let's not pretend that those players are on the same level as Sheets.

 

The Wayne Franklin trade did net the Brewers Villanueva - I would argue that the Crew won that trade.

 

[Postseason2006]

And where o where is Jose Capellan again?

[JoeHova]

And where o where is Jose Capellan again?

 

 

what does that have to do with anything?

[Postseason2006]

And where o where is Jose Capellan again?

 

what does that have to do with anything?

 

The Kolb trade with Atlanta, remember? Endaround made the comment, no?

[pmg4]

This thread is odd. The question was: would anyone be EXCITED by trading a star for top-notch prospects? The answers have trended toward: Melvin doesn't make those trades.

 

First, to answer: no, I would not be excited. I have seen those trades dozens of times. They are demoralizing to the team giving up the star. At best, they mean two or three months of totally meaningless baseball.

 

Second, the reason Melvin doesn't make those trades is that in the past few years, the Brewers have been buyers and not sellers. That's good, isn't it?

[ILuvDaBush]

What's curious is that Melvin has always adhered to the idea that they were building towards the following year so he needed ML-ready players. And while LaPorta could be ready for the majors (Miggy Cabrera made the jump), I would argue that this trade is really geared towards the 3-4 years down the road when LaPorta is hitting arbitration and Rob Bryson is just making a name for himself as a set-up man in the Scot Shields-mold. But would I be excited? No. Especially with my team being a win away from the Series last year, I would have preferred a "Carlos Lee"-type package, especially if it would have procured a closer for my team. But as I am on the other end of the trade, I can only say...I have pocket aces.

[dlk9s]

I think multiple people in this thread have completely missed a boat load of sarcasm (I'm not talking about the original question).

[Bucky Rules]

At best, they mean two or three months of totally meaningless baseball.

If that's the best case scenario, why would anyone do it?

 

If we were out of it, and Sheets was a sure thing to test FA (which he apparently is), I would definitely feel good about LaPorta + in return -- assuming that I knew what kind of prospect he was. I was happy when we got JDLR from Arizona and Capellan from Atlanta. If we're out of it, and the player you own the rights to is unlikely to come back without a bidding war, then what's the down side? If you want to get in on the bidding war, you can still do so after the season is over. You just have to make sure that you're getting better value than what the compensatory picks would likely get you. I think it's hard to argue that LaPorta doesn't give you a better chance than those picks. Anything else is the cherry on the icing on the gravy.

[GoudaBrew]

After reading the Cleveland boards a bit, it seems like they feel they got ripped off. Granted, they were a game from the World Series last year and they thought they were going back before struggling this season. If we were in 4th place, 5-10 games under, and had just traded Sheets for a (LaPorta+ 2 A players) would you be satisfied. I realize alot of that rides on who they 2 A players are, but for the sake of discussion lets assume they are Green and LuCroy

Wait....I'm confused. Why are we losing both Green and LuCroy?? I thought the trade was for LaPorta, Jackson, Bryson, and a PTBNL. Am I missing something here?

 

[brewerguy71]

Think of it in a different way. We already know about LaPorta an Jackson, Green, etc. What if the Brewers traded Sheets to a team that needed him like the Rays, or Phillies or Red Sox.

 

If it were a trade like what the Brewers Indians did, we could surely get a guy like Jed Lowrie or Ried Brignac and lower level prospects. Heck yeah, I would do that deal. Throw in a Daniel Bard from the Sox or Jeff Nieman from the Rays (if they bit on it) and its definitely worth it.

 

There is still an outside shot that the Brewers could fall in the standings before the end of the month, and they would still consider trading Sheets away. A lot of baseball left to play between now and July 31st.