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Now that all players have moved on - I wanted to take a look back at a trade I made in 2045 - OF Reid Cole to Dallas for four players and a 1st round pick.
The year is 2045 - the Windy City Blues are in the midst of a terrible season and combined with a large payroll and dwindling fan support are in desperate need to unload payroll - their solution? Trade Reid Cole. Cole, who was in his second to last year of his rookie contract was a stud just coming into his own at the time of the trade. In 4 1/2 years with the Blues, Cole hit .285/.362/.538 with 21.4 WAR. A hot commodity on the trade market, Cole was moved to Dallas for four players and a 1st round pick in the 2046 draft. Lets take a look back to see how the trade faired for both teams
To Dallas - OF Reid Cole (2045-2048) - 473 G, .278 AVG, .880 OPS, 108 HR, 12.9 WAR
In the nearly three years with Dallas before being traded to Seattle in 2048, Cole hit .278 with an .880 OPS and put up a WAR of 12.9. Cole was exactly as advertised for a Dallas team looking to push their way to a Brewmaster Cup. Every year Cole was a member of Dallas, the Drillers made the playoffs. Cole would be traded to Seattle in 2048 along with C - Killian Suarez for SP - Bradley Beehn and three 1st round picks. Funnily enough, Cole would be traded back to Dallas by the end of the 2048 season. Cole, 37, is currently playing for California and is playing some of the best ball of his hall of fame worthy career.
To Windy City - SP Carlos Smith (2046-2051) - 168 GS, 50-63, 4.27 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 12.4 WAR - #55 top prospect at time of trade
The #1 pick in the 2041 draft, and the #55 prospect at time of trade, Smith was a scouts dream featuring 55/55/70 rating potential and a fastball that topped out at 101 MPH. Realty is often disappointing however, and Smith put up middling numbers for six seasons with the Blues - averaging 2 WAR a season until he was traded to Seattle in 2051. Currently Smith, 33, is pitching for Carolina as a reliever after starting the year with Wilmington.
To Windy City - OF Henry Keane (2050-2053) - 530 G, .239 AVG, .786 OPS, 112 HR, 4.8 WAR - #56 top prospect at time of trade
Keane, like Smith, looked like a no doubt stud at the time of the trade - also like Smith, Keane was a disappointment. Blessed with true 80 grade power, Keane's biggest downfall was his complete inability to play a defensive position. Locked into a DH only role, Keane flaws quickly outweighed his All-pro power. Lacking the ability to hit for average, Keane was non-tendered after the 2053 season. Currently Keane, 29, is in AA for the Montreal organization.
To Windy City - SP Efren Deas (2050-2052) 63 GS, 15-26, 4.44 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 0.2 WAR - #86 top prospect at time of trade
Deas was the hidden gem of the trade, or so it seemed. Coming over as the 86th ranked prospect, Deas quickly jumped to the 31st ranked prospect by the time the 2050 season rolled around. Blessed with solid all-around ratings 60/50/70 Deas looked like a can't miss front of the rotation starter - however as it was the case with nearly every other prospect that came over to Windy City, Deas had a major flaw, injuries. With long term IL stints for a herniated disc in his back, torn meniscus in his knee and torn flexor tendon in his elbow, Deas quickly became a shell of the player that once was seen as a top prospect. Released after the 2052 season, Deas, 27, is currently pitching in AAA for Denver and still holds hopes that he may revive his once promising career.
To Windy City - 2B Michael Aiken (2050-2053) 369 G, .221 AVG, .685 OPS, 50 HR, -1.6 WAR - unraked prospect at time of trade
Aiken, a slick fielding 2B quickly hit the top prospect list after joining Windy City, climbing as high at the #29 in 2050. Like Keane, Aiken lacked the ability to hit for average - unlike Keane, Aiken is a locker room cancer and played his way out of a platoon role in Chicago because of his bad attitude. After being sent to AAA in 2054, Aiken, 30, was traded to Pawtucket where he currently is on their BLB squad.
To Windy City - 2046 1.16
The last player in the Cole to Dallas trade ended up being 1B Lucas Dobbs - Dobbs, 25, is currently in AA hitting .280 with a OPS of .824 - Dobbs is unlikely to ever make any noticeable impact at the major league level.
Epilogue
While it would be easy to call this trade a wash based strictly off WAR, Dallas - 12.9, Windy City 15.8 from four players, when you factor in that Cole was traded to Seattle for three 1st round picks not three years later, its clear that Dallas is the big winner of this trade... however its easy to see what Windy City was going for with four prospects that either were or quickly became a top 100 prospect... sometimes (often?) prospects don't work out and this is just another cautionary tale of why its often better to stick with the established player over the potential of the future.
The year is 2045 - the Windy City Blues are in the midst of a terrible season and combined with a large payroll and dwindling fan support are in desperate need to unload payroll - their solution? Trade Reid Cole. Cole, who was in his second to last year of his rookie contract was a stud just coming into his own at the time of the trade. In 4 1/2 years with the Blues, Cole hit .285/.362/.538 with 21.4 WAR. A hot commodity on the trade market, Cole was moved to Dallas for four players and a 1st round pick in the 2046 draft. Lets take a look back to see how the trade faired for both teams
To Dallas - OF Reid Cole (2045-2048) - 473 G, .278 AVG, .880 OPS, 108 HR, 12.9 WAR
In the nearly three years with Dallas before being traded to Seattle in 2048, Cole hit .278 with an .880 OPS and put up a WAR of 12.9. Cole was exactly as advertised for a Dallas team looking to push their way to a Brewmaster Cup. Every year Cole was a member of Dallas, the Drillers made the playoffs. Cole would be traded to Seattle in 2048 along with C - Killian Suarez for SP - Bradley Beehn and three 1st round picks. Funnily enough, Cole would be traded back to Dallas by the end of the 2048 season. Cole, 37, is currently playing for California and is playing some of the best ball of his hall of fame worthy career.
To Windy City - SP Carlos Smith (2046-2051) - 168 GS, 50-63, 4.27 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 12.4 WAR - #55 top prospect at time of trade
The #1 pick in the 2041 draft, and the #55 prospect at time of trade, Smith was a scouts dream featuring 55/55/70 rating potential and a fastball that topped out at 101 MPH. Realty is often disappointing however, and Smith put up middling numbers for six seasons with the Blues - averaging 2 WAR a season until he was traded to Seattle in 2051. Currently Smith, 33, is pitching for Carolina as a reliever after starting the year with Wilmington.
To Windy City - OF Henry Keane (2050-2053) - 530 G, .239 AVG, .786 OPS, 112 HR, 4.8 WAR - #56 top prospect at time of trade
Keane, like Smith, looked like a no doubt stud at the time of the trade - also like Smith, Keane was a disappointment. Blessed with true 80 grade power, Keane's biggest downfall was his complete inability to play a defensive position. Locked into a DH only role, Keane flaws quickly outweighed his All-pro power. Lacking the ability to hit for average, Keane was non-tendered after the 2053 season. Currently Keane, 29, is in AA for the Montreal organization.
To Windy City - SP Efren Deas (2050-2052) 63 GS, 15-26, 4.44 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 0.2 WAR - #86 top prospect at time of trade
Deas was the hidden gem of the trade, or so it seemed. Coming over as the 86th ranked prospect, Deas quickly jumped to the 31st ranked prospect by the time the 2050 season rolled around. Blessed with solid all-around ratings 60/50/70 Deas looked like a can't miss front of the rotation starter - however as it was the case with nearly every other prospect that came over to Windy City, Deas had a major flaw, injuries. With long term IL stints for a herniated disc in his back, torn meniscus in his knee and torn flexor tendon in his elbow, Deas quickly became a shell of the player that once was seen as a top prospect. Released after the 2052 season, Deas, 27, is currently pitching in AAA for Denver and still holds hopes that he may revive his once promising career.
To Windy City - 2B Michael Aiken (2050-2053) 369 G, .221 AVG, .685 OPS, 50 HR, -1.6 WAR - unraked prospect at time of trade
Aiken, a slick fielding 2B quickly hit the top prospect list after joining Windy City, climbing as high at the #29 in 2050. Like Keane, Aiken lacked the ability to hit for average - unlike Keane, Aiken is a locker room cancer and played his way out of a platoon role in Chicago because of his bad attitude. After being sent to AAA in 2054, Aiken, 30, was traded to Pawtucket where he currently is on their BLB squad.
To Windy City - 2046 1.16
The last player in the Cole to Dallas trade ended up being 1B Lucas Dobbs - Dobbs, 25, is currently in AA hitting .280 with a OPS of .824 - Dobbs is unlikely to ever make any noticeable impact at the major league level.
Epilogue
While it would be easy to call this trade a wash based strictly off WAR, Dallas - 12.9, Windy City 15.8 from four players, when you factor in that Cole was traded to Seattle for three 1st round picks not three years later, its clear that Dallas is the big winner of this trade... however its easy to see what Windy City was going for with four prospects that either were or quickly became a top 100 prospect... sometimes (often?) prospects don't work out and this is just another cautionary tale of why its often better to stick with the established player over the potential of the future.
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