Dealing Aces

There were were only 29 trades made in 2012, which doesn't seem like a lot -- compare that to last season, when there were 29 trades made before the end of spring training!

However, the last year -- and 2010 and 2009 -- really were anomalies when it came to trades. As you can see, over the last 15 years, the number of trades in 2012 is actually much closer to the historical average (27 trades per year) than the previous three seasons.

But while 2012 wasn't notable for quantity, it was a big year for quality. Of the 29 trades made in 2012, 12 involved an eligible starting pitcher -- almost all of them current or former aces, including three former Ben McDonald Award winners and the reigning Bud Black Award winner!

Let's take a look at the "dynamic dozen" who were dealt this season.

Vancouver got the ball rolling on December 9 when they dealt 2010 Ben McDonald Award winner Zack Greinke to Bridgewater along with a 4th Round pick in 2012 in exchange for Todd Helton, Ryan Zimmerman, and two picks in the 8th Round in 2012. Greinke, after his phenomenal 2010 season (21-3, 2.80 ERA, 1.03 WHIP) was solid last year (17-6, 3.34 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) but the Iron Fist needed offense and, with young guns Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos, Jamie Garcia, and Derek Holland, had starters to spare. Unfortunately for the Mallers, the 28-year-old Greinke took another step backward this season (5-4, 4.84 ERA, 1.43 WHIP), and at the moment looks no better than a middle-of-the-rotation guy for next season (3.57 ERA, 1.25 WHIP).

Philadelphia dealt a pair of aces on January 28. The Endzone Animals won the Morris Division last year but felt they wouldn't be able to compete this season. Perhaps it was a self-fulfilling prophecy as they immediately set about dismantling their team! The Endzone Animals sent C.C. Sabathia to the Rowdy Roddy Pipers (formerly known as the Carolina Mudcats) in exchange for 2nd and 3rd Round picks in 2013. Sabathia has been a workhorse throughout his career, topping 200 innings four times in 10 years, but has never had the kind of lights-out season that his owners have expected (106-91, 4.99 ERA, 1.46 WHIP entering 2012). It's been more of the same this year -- C.C. is on pace to pitch more than 200 innings again, but he's 8-8 with a 5.04 ERA, 1.55 WHIP. Aside from name recognition, the 31-year-old lefthander wouldn't be anybody special on next year's protected list (3.45 ERA, 1.27 WHIP).

That same day, Philly sent another big-name starting pitcher to his other brother, the owner of the Amityville Ant-Slayers. (Who says brothers can't play fair?) Philly dealt the well-traveled Jered Weaver -- who has played for four organizations in five seasons -- to Amityville along with Howie Kendrick and a 9th Round pick next year in exchange for Mike Trout, Ike Davis, a 7th in 2012, and a 1st and 4th in 2013. That's quite a haul for a 29-year-old pitcher who to this point has had just one good season (12-15, 3.15 ERA, 1.04 in 2011). Weaver has been so-so with Amityville this year (9-7, 4.82 ERA, 1.35 WHIP), but looks like an outstanding keeper for next year (11-1, 2.26 ERA, 0.95 WHIP).

On Draft Day (March 3), there were two deals that stretch the limit of the word "ace", but we'll include those deals as well. Bridgewater sent 29-year-old righty Jeff Karstens to St. Louis in exchange for a 7th Round pick (used to take reliever Josh Spence). Karstens has been mediocre for St. Louis -- 8-9, 4.55 ERA, 1.43 WHIP -- although, come to think of it, his numbers are comparable with Greinke, Sabathia and Weaver, so maybe he's an ace after all! It remains to be seen if Karstens will be a keeper for next year -- he has a 4.15 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in seven MLB starts this season after missing two months with a shoulder injury.

That same day, Hoboken landed Jair Jurrjens and a 9th Round pick in 2013 from Blue Ridge in exchange for slugging third baseman Wilson Betemit. The Cutters already a third baseman in Jose Bautista and a designated hitter in David Ortiz, so dealing Betemit for a pitcher was a no-brainer -- especially Jurrjens, a 25-year-old righthander coming off his best MLB season (13-6, 2.96 ERA, 1.22 WHIP). Jurrjens has been solid this year (12-8, 4.29 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) but doesn't look like a keeper for next year (4.97 ERA, 1.66 WHIP).

The first starter to be moved during the regular season was Bridgewater's Wandy Rodriguez, sent to St. Louis on June 18 in exchange for Jeff Francouer. Rodriguez has had a pretty awful DMBL career (20-29, 5.94 ERA, 1.71 WHIP), and St. Louis is his fifth organization in five seasons. Wandy was bombed in his only two starts with Bridgewater (9 ER, 18 H, 7 BB in 10.0 IP) and, remarkably, has been even worse with St. Louis (11 ER, 18 H, 9 BB in 10.1 IP). The 33-year-old lefty has mediocre numbers for next season (3.51 ERA, 1.24 WHIP). Nothing to see here, move along.

Last year's Bud Black Award winner as the World Series MVP, 28-year-old Tim Lincecum was thought by many to be the face of the Rat Pack organization for years to come. But Las Vegas was in the midst of another rebuilding campaign, and the righthander didn't look like he was going to be a part of it next season (5.93 ERA, 1.52 WHIP). And while Lincecum wasn't having a great season for the Rats (9-5, 3.51 ERA, 1.36 WHIP), he's had three huge seasons in a row, including a truly remarkable 2009 campaign (19-3, 3.15 ERA, 1.25 WHIP). Lincecum was paired with Francisco J. Rodriguez -- a former two-time Eck Award winner -- and dealt to Bridgewater on June 23 in exchange for a 10th Round pick and 23-year-old lefthander Chris Sale (11-2, 2.11 ERA, 0.98 WHIP). Lincecum has been solid for the Mallers so far, with a 3.48 ERA and .600 QS% in five starts, though he has just one win to show for it.

Just six days later, another former award winner was dealt when Philly shipped 2009 Ben McDonald Award winner Roy Halladay plus a 6th Round pick in 2013 to Hoboken for Giancarlo Stanton. Halladay has been steadily moving up the career leaders list for several years now, beginning the 2012 campaign ranked 10th in wins (153), 5th in ERA (4.06), 6th in WHIP (1.32) and 10th in Ks (1,732). Doc was having an outstanding season for the Endzone Animals (9-4, 2.45 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) and the 35-year-old righthander looks like a probable keeper for next year (3.98 ERA, 1.15 WHIP), so in order to land him the Cutters had to give up a big chip -- Stanton, a 22-year-old outfielder who could be one of the league's top sluggers for the next 10 years. The results haven't been pleasant for Hoboken so far, as Halladay has gone 1-2 with a 5.02 ERA and 1.36 ERA in his first four starts.

Not satisfied with Greinke and Lincecum, the Mallers picked up yet another ace in Javier Vazquez, coming off a four-year run with the Sugar Bears in which he went 52-19 with a 3.99 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. But the soon-to-be 35-year-old missed all of last season and appeared to be at the end of his career. Sardine City surprised many when they took him with the 12th overall pick in this year's draft, but he proved the doubters wrong by going 8-5 with a 2.90 ERA and 1.09 WHIP and making the All-Star team. But Vazquez appears to be retired from MLB, and though the Straphangers are in the battle for a wildcard spot, they decided to deal him to Bridgewater for a 3rd Round pick next year, a 4th Round pick the year after that, and 29-year-old Doug Fister, who was 3-9 with a 4.83 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. Interestingly, Fister has gone 2-0 with a 3.48 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in his first three starts for the Straphangers, while Vazquez has gone 0-2 with a 7.53 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in his first three starts for the Mallers.

When you think "ace", you don't think Bartolo Colon. But the beefy right-hander has had some very good seasons in the DMBL. Granted, he hasn't pitched in the league since 2006. But Colon, who was drafted by Blue Ridge in the 5th round of the Supplemental Draft (#288 overall), was having a flat-out amazing season for the Bombers -- 2.95 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 61 K against just 16 BB in 73.1 IP. Alas, Blue Ridge never got going this year, and the 39-year-old's numbers are on the fence when it comes to being a keeper (3.80 ERA, 1.25 WHIP), so on July 12 they shipped him off to Rowdy for a 3rd Round pick. Bartolo was solid in his first start for the Pipers, picking up the win after allowing just one earned run despite giving up 10 walks and 2 walks in 7 innings.
Cliff Lee put up terrific numbers for a lousy Arkansas team last year, going 12-10 despite a 3.15 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. The 34-year-old left-hander was 6-5 with a 4.05 ERA and 1.38 WHIP this season for a Golden Falcon team that again appears headed for a high lottery pick, and is on the bubble as a keeper for next year (3.92 ERA, 1.22 WHIP). So on July 13, he was dealt to Rowdy -- the third starting pitcher they've acquired this season, joining Colon and Sabathia -- in exchange for young hurler Jonathan Niese, prospect Matt Harvey, a 4th Round pick next year and a 5th Round pick in 2014. He was pounded in his first start with the Pipers, giving up 6 ER on 10 hits in just 4.2 innings.

The final deal of the year, made minutes before the July 15 deadline, sent 37-year-old Tim Hudson from Rowdy to Amityville for a 5th Round pick in the 2013 draft. Hudson, a member of the Carolina/Rowdy franchise for his entire 12-year career, came into 2012 with a 128-112 career record, a 4.28 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP, numbers that put the 2004 Ben McDonald Award winner on the bubble for the DMBL Hall of Fame (13th in wins, 13th in ERA, 11th in WHIP). Although he wasn't having a great year by his standards (5.26 ERA, 1.54 WHIP), he was 9-6 for Rowdy this season, and is a borderline keeper (3.80 ERA, 1.23 WHIP).