At the moment...and I'm still evaluating...there are only three OFs that I'd be willing to trade Plesac for, if there was no other asset involved that would be ready to help the team in 2022.
Anything less than one of those three, I'd need a second young MLB player, or a short term veteran upgrade.
I'm looking at past trades in which we traded for multiple young MLB pieces, or one in which we received a short term veteran to fill an immediate hole.
There are no perfect matches, but there are parameters that fit.
In the Lenny Barker trade, we got to young MLBers in Butler and Jacoby. Barker was 27 with an ERA+ of 95 with us. We all love Big Lenny and his perfect game, but he was only an average SP at the time.
In the Sutcliffe trade, we got two young MLBers in Joe Carter and Mel Hall. Sutcliffe was 28 at the time, and also an average SP with an ERA+ of around 100, but 107 with us.
In the Joe Carter trade, we got Sandy, Baerga, and Chris James. The player I'm focused on in this trade is James, a serviceable player that acted as a bridge until kids like Thome, Belle, and Manny were ready.
The Colon trade was completely different, but we received another serviceable short term piece in Lee Steven's, but was at the end of his career at age 34.
In the Bauer trade, we received a short term piece in Puig, who put up decent numbers for us.
Plesac is 26 with an ERA+ of 117. He is not far off...in fact slightly better...than Barker and Sutcliffe were in terms of effectiveness. He is also under control and dirt cheap for four more years.
What I'm shopping for is a major upgrade long term and a short term upgrade to act as a bridge to Valera, Jones, et al. It doesn't matter to me how I get them.
I could get both in one trade. Or I could get the long term piece in a trade, and the short term piece thru free agency.
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