Another day, another deal in the Millennium Baseball League. Oakland Osprey skipper Steve Kornmuller remains busy, completing his second deal within the week. Here are the particulars:
CINCINNATI sends OF Matt Stairs and the their 2001 3rd round pick
to OAKLAND in exchange for IF/OF Denny Hocking.
Not a blockbuster by any means, but worth taking a look at nonetheless.
As discussed in the last edition of the TRADE ANALYZER, Oakland is currently in last place in the Expansion League's Pacific Division. And while their record of 20-22 is only a couple of games below .500, they sit a full nine games out of first place. Manager Kornmuller obviously has his eye on the future, making another deal to acquire a draft pick in next year's draft.
Cincinnati, on the other hand, is in the midst of a battle atop the Classic League's Rust Belt Division. With a record of 24-18, manager Corey Robeson has his Red Stockings just a game-and-a-half out of first place. And while they currently sit six games over .500 on the season, they are only 7-8 in their last 15 games. The team they trail, the Pittsburgh Crawfords, are the hottest team in the MBL right now, winners of six in a row and 18 of their last 23 games.
The acquisition of Hocking gives the Red Stockings a guy who can fill in at any position on the field, literally. In the year 2000, Hocking played at least ten games at every single position on the field except pitcher and catcher. And while he'll never be confused with Ozzie Smith or Roberto Clemente in the field, he's actually rated quite good at every position he played. Hocking also enjoyed the finest offensive year of his 13 year major league career in the year 2000. His triple slash line of .298/.373/.416 is quite respectable. The BA, OBP and SLG percentage numbers are all season career highs. A switch-hitter, he's equally adept at getting on base from both sides of the plate, compiling the same .373 OBP against both right-handed and left-handed pitching.Hocking goes to a Cincinnati squad in need of a good utility type player. With the brittle Nomar Garciaparra at SS, Hocking provides a quality option if/when Nomar misses any action due to injury. He can also spell 2B Luis Alicea from time-to-time, especially against RHP. His more likely role will be in one of the outfield spots, in place of either Brian Hunter or Steve Finley. Regardless of where he lands on the field, he will provide good defense and a quality bat for the lineup.
His future though isn't so bright. As noted, 2000 was his best offensive year of his career. He plays three more season where he ranges between 83-112 games. His triple slash of .248/.308/.339 for those years combined is a far cry from his 2000 numbers. Theoretically, he could be the starting shortstop for the Red Stockings in 2001 when Nomar misses all but 20 games due to injury. But it's more likely Corey will be trying to fill those games with somebody a bit better offensively than Hocking.
For the 2000 MBL year, Hocking is currently flashing a .289/.365/.423 triple slash line.
Hocking's career statistics: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hockide01.shtml
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Going to Oakland is 32 year old outfielder Matt Stairs. He entered the year 2000 coming off a season in which he blasted 38 home runs and knocked in 102. As a matter of fact, in the three previous seasons combined, Stairs had a triple slash line of .282/.373/.537 for an OPS of .910. He averaged 30 homers per year and nearly 100 RBI. The year 2000, his final year in Oakland, saw his numbers take a bit of a tumble. He only managed to hit .227 and knock 21 homers in 143 games. His .747 OPS is the worst of any season in which he was a regular contributor.The acquisition of Stairs is one with an eye on the future. While he never again reached the production heights from his 1997-1999 seasons, he is fairly productive over the next few years. From 2001-2007, Stairs .267/.359/.478 triple slash equates out to a respectable .836 OPS. He has a couple of season's in which he eclipses the .900 mark in OPS, with a high mark of .950 in 2003.
Stairs is a platoon player. He's virtually unplayable against LHP, with batting averages below the Mendoza line in each of the next three seasons. As a matter of fact, he rarely played against lefties in real life for the next few seasons. But while some might see this as a mark against him, it actually can make him more valuable. He's very good against RHP. In 2003, he hit them at a .304/.402/.984 clip in 115 games.
Where Stairs fits in for the Osprey remains to be seen. For the current season, he could conceivably platoon with Ron Gant in left field against RHP. He could also spell Lee Stevens at first base from time-to-time. Regardless, he provides a power bat off the bench.
Stairs currently has a .254/.343/.559 triple slash line in the MBL. He's belted five homers in only 59 ABs.
Stair's career statistics: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stairma01.shtml
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This is another deal made by Steve where he gets a draft pick back in return. A very good strategy, especially considering none of us really know what to expect or who will be available off of the current rosters come draft time. With each team being able to protect 20 players, you can somewhat project that a 3rd round pick in the 2001 draft will be the equivalent of a 23rd round selection in the inaugural draft. Looking at who was selected in those rounds, it's likely that the 3rd round selection will equate to a decent middle relief option or a quality bench player. Steve actually drafted his starting first baseman in Lee Stevens in the 23rd round. Other selections of note in the 22nd/23rd rounds include a one-year Mo Vaughn card, starters Brett Tomko and Jeff Fassero, backup catchers Tom Prince, Todd Pratt and Tony Eusebio, and some decent relief pitchers in Antonio Osuna, Felix Heredia and Guillermo Mota.SUMMARY
Oakland manager Steve Kornmuller has made another deal with a draft pick involved, which is something I like. He now owns two picks in the first round and two in the third. While the third round selection may not produce a significant lineup producer, it will allow him to improve his depth more rapidly than the other teams in the league. This is another instance where I like both sides of this deal though. I love what Hocking brings to the lineup this season. Every team can use a guy like Hocking on their roster. He's definitely the best player in the deal for the current season as Stairs had a bit of a down year in 2000. But where Hocking is over and done for the most part after this year, Stairs has some productive seasons left in his tank. I especially like his 2003 season when he's a killer against RHP. Stairs conceivably could be protected by a team for the next seven years. Hocking is likely draft fodder, if not next season then the year after. At best, he plays two more seasons.
So for the purposes of selecting a winner in this deal, I am looking at the staying power of Stairs compared to Hocking. Add in the draft pick and I believe Steve has come out slightly ahead overall in this exchange. But that's not to say I don't like what Corey has done here. I actually love it. He's trying to improve his team this season, and the acquisition of Hocking does just that. And he gave up a guy in Stairs who had only started in 15 of his team's 42 games. So while down the road Oakland comes out on top, this is a definite winning move by Corey and the Red Stockings in MBL 2000.
I understand that people make trades for different reasons, and that no trade will be completely equal in value exchanged. The opinions expressed on this site are my opinions only. Please do not take offense to anything written. I promise I will analyze the deals as fair as possible. It is not my intention to offend anyone involved. This is for purely entertainment purposes only.
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