Dumping

This is purely about fantasy baseball. If you're not interested, be forewarned.

This entry began as an email, but since Noel and Hank hate lots of chatty emails, I'm going to post my thoughts here.

The Old Bat sent Derrick Lee (dead contract), Mike Lamb (3-08), Jamey Carroll (dead contract) and Aaron Rowand (29-08) to Kenny 9 for Rickie Weeks (5-07F). This is an acknowledged dump deal of the first order.

There is no doubt that Kenny 9 received an absurd amount of value for Rickie Weeks. Weeks is a nice enough player, but as a value for next year at either $5 for one year of $15 for two years, he’s a decent keeper but certainly not special, even if he matures into the 20-30 player Barry expects (hopes is more like it). Having suggested we’re ready to dump, we never considered Weeks as a target.

The question is: Is this deal bad for BABI?

My opinion: on balance, no. But it’s not good for BABI.

Barry made a deal with a team that today is in 7th place with only 47 points. If he had made this deal with the Cappers or the Rips, I would be furious, because it would have irreparably affected the race to the detriment of this league. But in dealing with a team in the middle, far from the top, this deal will not significantly change the race for first. This is why we have initially focused on teams in the middle in looking to make a deal.

There is talk that the "prices" have been set in dump deals for this year, although I admit that it has been primarily Ken who has been saying that. Bull. The Pecklers are not going to deal 4 of our guys for Felipe Lopez or Ryan Howard unless two of them are Reggie Abercrombie and Eliezer Alfonzo. We'd rather play for this year, even if we're only playing for 7th place. Each team that is dumping can make its own decision on this, but we would hope that they do not feel the pressure Barry and Kevin felt in what is clearly a buyers’ market.

So I don't care what Barry decided to do. His deal will not have a permanent affect on this league. Neither will Kevin's deal. As long as each dumper makes a deal that does not affect the integrity of the league and the race, each team is a free agent to do whatever they feel is in their best interest, even if they get fleeced.

What bothers me most about this deal, though, is that Ken should have known this deal was going to make everyone mad. Ken made a deal that he would never have made if he was dumping. Ken once quoted me a max of 3-2. Buddy, it works both ways.

I was offered a deal last year that would have helped us enormously. I turned it down because it was too rich, and that decision cost us money. I love Ken like a brother (don’t flatter yourself, I don’t care much for brothers), but he should have policed himself in this deal. I’m not envious. I’m disappointed. There is probably a good reason we’ve never done a deal with him.

As I have written before, I would just ask each dumper to be responsible in thoroughly marketing their players and to consider how their deal will affect the entire league. And I would add that dumpees have a responsibility to the sensitivities of the league as well. If you don’t, then Boof’s prediction of more trading rules will come true. I’ve already heard about 28 rules proposals on trading from Larry Dot Net today.

Furthermore, all inefficiencies of the market will ultimately lead to continued domination by the Busch Leaguers.

Finally, if you guys really want to make deals like this, we're tied for 10th. Dumping to us cannot possibly affect the league. Feel free to offer us 4 players for Brandon Webb. Make us that offer, and we’ll be happy to admit that we’re full of shit.