Crawford for Hanson, Buchholz, and L. Cain

[The Natural]

6x6 Roto league with R, RBI, HR, SB, TB, and BA for hitters and ERA, K, WHIP, S, W, and WPCT for pitchers.

1c, 11b, 1 2b, 1 ss, 1 3b, 1 MI, 1 CI, 4 OF, 1 DH, 9 P, 2 bench.

16 team league, $275 roster with option to have up to 10 minor league players within that roster salary cap. Unlimited keepers as long as you stay under the salary cap.

I would be trading Carl Crawford $30 for Tommy Hanson $18, Clay Buchholz $13, and Lorenzo Cain $3.

My team currently looks like this:

C - empty
1b - Hosmer $6
2b - Utley $22
SS - Tulowitzki $18
3b - Beltre $26
MI - Bonifacio $6
CI - Berkman $16
OF- Crawford $30
OF- Granderson $22
OF- Holliday $25
OF- Crisp $6
DH- Lawrie $6

P - Chen $6
P- Shields $10
P- Gio Gonzalez $6
P- Marcum $7
P- Saunders $6
P- Vogelsong $6
P- Soria $17
P- Guerra $3

Bench
Allen Craig $6

I have $27 spent in minor league players that I can offload if needed. All are $3:
Nolan Arenado, Derrick Norris, Jedd Gyorko, Zack Cox, Hak-ju Lee, Carlos Martinez, Kyle Gibson, Zach Lee, and Anthony Ranaudo.

The Rockies are going to give Arenado a look at starting in spring training.

I am struggling with this trade. If both pitchers were healthy I would jump at it. Buchholz is coming off the fracture in his lower back but has been throwing. Hanson is the one that scares me more. Huge upside but also a huge injury risk.

I finished 4th last year. It was a 14 team league at that time and expanded to 16 in December. With two extra teams there will be more money to spend so it will drive up the cost to acquire Ps in the auction.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[Element]

I like a Crawford bounce back this season. Decline this.

[lane_anasazi2]

Selling this low on Crawford is probably a bad idea. If he starts off the season hot and you still wanted to trade him you could get 3x this offer easily. Plus, I'm not a huge fan of trading one really valuable chips for 3 less valuable ones.

[bigh0rt]

Straight up value I don't love it. However, considering that you've potentially got a lot of speed on your roster in Bonifacio, Crisp and Granderson alongside a bunch of guys who all chip in for their positions like Hosmer, Utley, Lawrie... the immense value tied up in Crawford's legs isn't something your team desperately needs.

I think you could get more for him even after the abomination that was the 2011 season.

[bigguy1551]

I don't like to trade a single player for multiple players unless i'm trying to make a move late season. Crawford had a lousy year but i wouldn't sell low on him. You not only would be losing Crawfords stats but that of 2 other players. I'd stay away from this deal.

[The Natural]

Thanks for your input guys. That is the way I was leaning but the thought of a healthy Hanson was enticing (I know his health is in question). I feel like this is one of those deals that I will look back on and say what if... whether I made the trade or not. I am going to decline it and hope Hanson misses time this year and Crawford bounces back. I hope it is a good what if.

[ensanimal]

I can see what you are trying to do as your rotation seems to be you weaker area and you mentioned the price of trying to acquire pitching in the auction. I personally wouldn't do the deal. I think you can aim a little higher on the talent of SP you are targeting. I would rather you go after 1 stud instead of 2 injury risks. Or a safer stud and a high upside cheap SP.

[ayebatter]

I like Hanson, but he's not enough return for Crawford, Buchholz/Cain nothing but fodder to muddy the waters, ask for something of value in addition to Hanson.

[Merlin401]

16 teams or not, there's some people you're keeping that I don't think i would (Saunders and Chen at $6... why? they are worse than replacement level). I'd rather have the money in the draft. Also i wouldn't waste $3 a year of my budget on some of those minor leaguers. If a player is on track to be merely 'serviceable' it might take 4 years to get there, in which case you waste $12 and maybe two years of them being on your mlb roster. Just me...

[The Natural]

I agree Merlin. I am not keeping all of these players. While I don't think Saunders or Chen will be useful in trade talks, you never know so they are still on my roster for now. In the past, I have used minor league players to trade for players more useful to me now. In a push to finish in the money last year, I traded Matt Moore and some lesser talents for Berkman and traded for Beltre while he was hurt. I needed the power. I finished one place out of the money in a tight race. Really wish I would have kept Moore now. Had I won some money I would have had no regrets.

Anyway, I am hoping to trade some minor league players for pitching. Teams towards the bottom will trade for minor leaguers.