Keeper Trade: Pujols & Kershaw for Fielder & Strasburg

[Big Game JLo]

I give: Albert Pujols & Clayton Kershaw
I get: Prince Fielder & Stephen Strasburg

Here's the catch:
Our rules allow us to sign rookies to a contract. I signed Kershaw a couple of years ago. Here's where his value becomes even more.

Per our rules:
- 1st year of contract: Player is picked with your final pick in the draft.
- 2nd year of contract: Player is picked with your 20th pick in the draft.
- 3rd year of contract: Player is picked with your 15th pick in the draft.
- 4th year of contract: Player is picked with your 10th pick in the draft.
In the 5th year the player is kept as a keeper, traded or cut.

Kershaw is currently in his second year under contract. This means next year I can use my 15th pick to keep him.

As for Strasburg, he will be signed to a contract at the end of the season. This means next season (if I do this trade), I will be able to get him with my final pick (and so on).

With that said, what do you think of the above trade?

[freeling_prideful]

I would not do the deal.

In the next three years, Pujols will almost certainly be better than Fielder, and I'd say it's 75:25 that Kershaw would be better than Strasburg. This isn't even factoring in Strasburg's current injury, which admittedly seems fairly minor.

People get excited about the Washington phenom, but they forget that Kershaw is literally three months older and has proven himself at the major-league level over 400 innings (cumulative 3.23 ERA, but under 3.00 the last two years). Kershaw is more of a sure thing, Strasburg's a risk. Moreover, you can't even make the argument based on potential or ceiling: keep in mind, Kershaw is still projectable and still improving. He has an electric strikeout rate of 9.5 K/9 IP in his career and his command is noticeably better this year.

No trade.