Lester for a corner

[viper]

My team is better in pitching than hitting. 5x5 scoring. AL only. My top pitcher is Lester. HR & RBI are my major weaknesses with BA next in line. Two teams are interested and would deal value. To move up, I need hitting so I feel Lester can be dealt but he is my best. They have Tex, Arod, Morneau & Cabrera and a power corner fits the rest of my team the best. The corresponding swaps would be two players who would likely be dropped so this is truly a pitcher for hitter deal. Thoughts? FAAB is today and this trade if completed would be prior to FAAB.

[Todd Zola]

Not exactly sure what you are looking for here - he has 3 first rounders and a 4th guy that if healthy, is a second or third rounder in mixed, a late first or second rounder in AL only.

We were concerned about Morneau returning from a couple of injuries, but thus far, other than a couple of days off, he has been fine. He is playing over his head as he is stroking line drives at a higher than normal rate, leading to a high BABIP and overall BA - that should regress. His power is normal, his FB% is a tad low, but within range. He is fanning a little more than normal, but again, within range. His walk rate is way up, we'll see if that comes down as he cools off.

If my team needed some power production, I would take any of those corners for Lester and would even sweeten the deal to get it done.

But first I would aim for Morneau and hope to get the other guy selling high and suggest there is still some residual injury risk.

[Tampa Bob]

I wouldn't trade him for many hitters but it'd be hard to not go for Cabrerea, Sterod or Teixeira. If you're confident in your self-appraisal I say go.

[viper]

todd, I don't plan on adding. he knows it will be a bit costly. If you had the opportunity, would you take the other three before Morneau?

[Todd Zola]

The other 3 are 3 of the top-5 fantasy players in the AL -- we're talking Lester, not a healthy Felix or CC or Greinke. Lester is very, very good. Morneau is very, very good. ARod, Miggy and Teix are studs.

To answer the question, of course I would -- I'll take a dollar bill for 80 cents any day.

[Todd Zola]

To put it further in perspective, our latest rest-of-year projections have

ARod $31
Cabrera $33
Teixeira $28
Morneau $22

Lester $19

[viper]

lester/MMaier for Texieria/Cahill
done

[Todd Zola]

nice job

check mark for viper

[Guest]

Theft. Nice job.

This is how you read a market and capitalize.

[Tampa Bob]

That trading partner had better not have been your kid or once he hears the league reaction you're getting jack on Fathers Day.

[viper]

my trading partner is the co-commissioner

he called me this morning and proposed a deal for lester. There is something nice about discussing trades over the phone rather than with e-mails to people you do not know. I'm not a big trade person but when I do make them they are not just tweaks.