BLB "What If..." #9

[Guest]

1. The Akira Abe trade. I didn't have much of a choice because of the financial hell my team was in at the time, but none of the guys I got back amounted to much:

-Joaquin Gonzalez (bust)
-Curt Goodwin (decent at first, but a back end starter at best)
-Len John (had a few decent years, but none in Pittsburgh)
-Gene Sykes (started out pretty good but fell off a cliff after he turned 25)

2. Trading Martin Carlton. His salary was a steal and I really should've hung on to him. Plus the two guys I got didn't come close to equaling Carlton's value:

-Shawn Paxton (average 2B)
-Don Jones (decent reliever for a few years)

[Spear]

I wouldn't have done the Russ McEvoy trade:

Russ McEvoy traded by the Washington Bats to the Davenport Brawlers in exchange for SP D. Tucker, C T. Abbott, CL I. Garca, a 2nd draft pick.

Heading into the '88 offseason I thought there were enough core pieces to make a serious run at a Brewmaster's in '89. It didn't go quite as planned with the injury bug hitting us hard, we did end up making the playoffs with a 82-80 record but got booted first round.

Tucker, Abbott, and Garcia went on to have been BLB regulars while McEvoy only gave us one good year. I lost patience with him during the 1990 season and didn't bother extending his contract. He's since found a nice home down the river in Mississippi.

[Lintyfresh85]

Biggest mistake I've made has been wasting three first round picks on International guys.

Obviously, at the time I picked them, I wasn't aware that all the international guys seem to flop (outside a select few).

1990 - 1.19 - OF - Zuo-qian Zhang
1991 - 1.17 - SP - Manny Aguilar
1993 - 1.5 - SP - Kang-xi Han

The only one of the three that may even make the BLB is Zhang. Which is a shame... because most 1st round picks make an impact at some point.

[Pat]

Biggest mistake I've made has been wasting three first round picks on International guys.

Obviously, at the time I picked them, I wasn't aware that all the international guys seem to flop (outside a select few).

1990 - 1.19 - OF - Zuo-qian Zhang
1991 - 1.17 - SP - Manny Aguilar
1993 - 1.5 - SP - Kang-xi Han

The only one of the three that may even make the BLB is Zhang. Which is a shame... because most 1st round picks make an impact at some point.

Uhh.... Jud Graham ?

[Lintyfresh85]

Uhh.... Jud Graham ?

Netted me Mark Steward who had a monster season.

Plus, Graham was a Top 10 prospect before his career fell apart due to injuries.