Earlier this offseason, New York Mets GM, Sandy Alderson, expressed that he would put a contending team on the field for the 2014 season. However, he is yet to do that. So, it is time to keep true to his promise, and conduct the “Shock Heard ‘Round the World”, with help from Los Angeles Dodgers GM, Ned Colletti, and Cubs GM, Theo Epstein. In total, the three-way trade will involve fifteen players, and two players being traded twice.
Mets to Cubs: In this blockbuster, three-way trade, the Mets would give up five players to the Cubs. These players would consist of Daniel Murphy (OF/IF), Ike Davis (1B), Lucas Duda (LF/RF/1B), Ruben Tejada (2B/SS), and Jonathan Niese (SP). This would give the Cubs an above average starting pitcher, a utility player, a contact hitter, and two power bats. This would not only fill some of the holes in the Cubs’ roster, but also provide quality players for each position. Therefore, their starting lineup, including Jonathan Niese, would look like this:
- Ruben Tejada (SS)
- Darwin Barney (2B)
- Lucas Duda (LF)
- Ike Davis (1B)
- Nate Schierholtz (RF)
- Wellington Castillo (C)
- Ian Stewart (3B)
- Ryan Sweeney (CF)
- Jonathan Niese (SP)
Cubs to Dodgers: Also in this trade, the Dodgers would receive six Cubs: Starlin Castro (SS/2B), Edwin Jackson (SP), Kyuji Fujikawa (RP), Anthony Rizzo (1B), and Junior Lake (OF), and George Kottaras (C). Just as the trade from the Mets to the Cubs did, this portion of the trade would fill the Dodgers’ roster holes at second base, catcher, the bullpen, and the bench. The Dodgers would only be keeping three of the players, however, as they do not need a first baseman and another starting pitcher, so they would end up trading them to the Mets. So, using this trade to their advantage, their starting lineup would be:
- Yasiel Puig (RF)
- Starlin Castro (2B)
- Hanley Ramirez (SS)
- Adrian Gonzalez (1B)
- Matt Kemp (CF)
- Andre Ethier (LF)
- Jerry Hairston Jr. (3B)
- George Kottaras (C)
- Clayton Kershaw (SP)
Dodgers to Mets: The final portion of this trade would consist of the Dodgers trading seven players to the Mets. These seven players would be Carl Crawford (OF), Dee Gordon (SS/2B), Chad Billingsley (SP), Jose Dominguez (RP), Edwin Jackson (SP from Cubs), and Anthony Rizzo (1B from Cubs). This portion of the trade would once again fill the holes in the Mets’ roster at shortstop, first base, the outfield, and the starting rotation. This would also give the Mets two speed/contact hitters, a power hitter, two starting pitchers, and a relief pitcher. When all is said and done, the Mets lineup, with Chad Billingsley, would look like this:
- Eric Young Jr. (LF)
- Carl Crawford (RF)
- David Wright (3B)
- Anthony Rizzo (1B)
- Wilmer Flores (2B)
- Juan Lagares (CF)
- Travis d’Arnaud (C)
- Dee Gordon (SS)
- Chad Billingsley (SP)
It would also allow their starting rotation to be:
- Zack Wheeler (RHP)
- Chad Billingsley (RHP)
- Dillon Gee (RHP)
- Edwin Jackson (RHP)
- Placeholder #5 Starter
Not only would this trade help the Mets, Dodgers, and Cubs in the long run, but it would also go down as the “Trade of the Century.” All three teams would be able to fill the holes in their roster, and would also be able to dump large salaries and players who are just taking up roster space. Needless to say, the trade would easily earn the title of “The Shock Heard ‘Round the World”.
Where in your book do you define Ike Davis as a power hitter? He crapped out last year. Duda and Tejada are spare parts on any other team yet you envision one as a suitable starter the other a power hitter. We as Met fans tend to over value our players. Carl Crawford has how much remaining on his contract? And you want the Mets to carry the dead weight of his final years?
I don’t see the point in acquiring Dee Gordon. He’s really not that good, plus I don’t know how willing the Cubs will be to part with Rizzo, especially if they’re not getting any elite prospects back in return.
I’m all for having him as part of a package we get back if we make a trade but he’s basically filler.
Questions:
In this three way deal you have the Cubs getting players from the Mets, the Dodgers getting players from the Cubs and the Mets getting players from the Dodgers. Beyond the obvious, trades not working this way, do you honestly think the Cubs got any better?
The Mets are basically getting Crawford and Rizzo. Why is Juan Lagares starting over Chris Young?
Why is Juan Lagares hitting 6th?
In the end, the Mets get better, but take on big contracts of Crawford and Rizzo, the Cubs get markedly worse and the Dodgers basically pick up Starlin Castro in exchange for Crawford (which I’d call a win for them). Why do the Mets and Cubs do this?
Mets get a first baseman to replace Davis, a potential elite shortstop to replace Tejada, a three tool player in Crawford, two starting pitchers to replace Harvey, and a relief pitcher to replace Hawkins. The Cubs get power and average as well as an elite pitcher. Also, Lagares is much better than Chris Young. He proved himself to be an elite OF, and all he needs is a little help in the mechanics of his swing. Also, this trade was verified on on http://www.fantasysp.com/mlb_trade_analyzer/, and it was a perfect deal for all three teams.
Sorry Dan,
Don’t think your scouting matches what most people’s are.
Lagares is a borderline starter and 4th OF. He’s going to be hoping to sniff a .700 OPS.
Gordon is a former potential elite player who now looks like reserve IF.
Niese is a mid-rotation starter, not elite.
Davis and Duda are not power and average… if we don’t want them, they don’t want them.
Seems like a cool video-game element to use, but I don’t think it’s remotely beneficial to the Cubs and I think the salaries are bad news for the Mets.
I can appreciate the time that might have gone into this analysis, but … you have what I think is a fairly flawed “analyzer”.
According to the website, Yunel Escobar – a full time SS that has produced WARs above 2 for several years, cost controlled for several more at $5MM per – is slightly *less* valuable than Andrew Brown.
There’s something *really* wrong with that basis.
I tested the tool with:
Ryan Braun for Ike Davis, Jonathon Niese and Juan Lagares and it told me that the deal was severely over balanced for Milwaukee.
It also lacks prospects which makes it a severely flawed tool.
I appreciate your hard work in coming up with this deal, but the trade analyzer is somewhat faulty. According to it, if we gave up Daniel Murphy and Lucas Duda for Mike Trout, we’d be getting ripped off. In reality, I’d make that trade, tossing in the Angels’ choice of three of my four children.
Make it all 4 and its a deal!
That was a good one Les. I needed the laugh.
Thanks. If left with no choice, I would certainly ship all of my offspring to the Angels if it meant getting Trout!!
Side note: Didn’t Chad Billingsley and Jonathan Niese pitch on the same high school baseball team? Not making a point; just noting a random coincidence.
They both went to Defiance HS in Ohio. They were born two years apart and it’s very likely they were on the HS baseball team together.
I heard an opinion on WFAN that the Mets are scared to make a major deal because they are afraid of getting burned in the free agent market. Loyalty to the fans that have backed the team for years(including yours truely), would go bonkers if this trade went through.Without this, the Mets are destined for mediocrity for years to come. All the Cubs can do is get better. I’m not quite sure the Dodgers, with Magic Johnson as a minority owner, would want to help a New York team; but you never know.
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Anyone notice the Rockies just gave away Dexter Fowler. Would not have been the greatest pickup but upgrade for sure.
Which do you prefer … Fowler, or Chris Young? There is no doubt in my mind that Young has greater upside. He cost them nothing to pick up – no “talent dilution”. And the deal was there, and Sandy forced Young’s hand rather than wait for Colorado to wake up and decide to finally give away Fowler. The salary, by the way, looks to be an almost exact match and I believe they are both 1 year deals.
I’m taking Young on this move.
So here’s my take on Chris Young: everyone seems to believe that the Astros literally stole Fowler from the Rockies. If Chris Young is a better signing than a trade for Fowler, what does that say for Sandy Alderson?
Good point. I just looked it up and didn’t realize Young had better years then I thought. Though lets be honest they literally could have had both for the corner outfield spots.
Where did Daniel Murphy end up? He’s not in any of the line ups.
That’s alot to take in! Kudos for thinking outside the box.
I think this would be a big leap of faith from the Cubs though, but if they can rid themselves of Castro’s contract, maybe. That being said, I can’t picture Sandy Alderson getting involved in such a trade. Crawford is a gamble with that contract, not to mention Billingsley who never pitches. I have faith they’ll be better this year without any huge blockbuster trades, but they’ll have to do something.
Crawford actually is not that much of a gamble… as long as he stays healthy. He has hitting has been pretty good, as has his fielding. The only thing people think is a big concern is how he does not steal many bases anymore. But if you look at it, he was on the Red Sox and now on the Dodgers, two teams who do not use speed as part of their game (except now the Red Sox do, but regardless). The Mets on the other hand do use speed as part of their game, so they could use a guy like Crawford to steal around 45-55 bases. Now just imagine that plus Eric Young Jr., once they get on the base path, it will be almost impossible for the Mets not to score runs.
Good idea, but this trade doesn’t work. No way do the cubs take Ike or Duda. Neither are better than Rizzo.
The Dodgers have no need for Castro.
The Mets would be crazy to take on Crawford. Without Rizzo, Castro and Crawford, neither of which will be traded this deal has no legs.
Very creative though.
Ah yes! Crawford and Young on the bases(sounds like a law firm) with Duda and Davis to drive them home. Priceless!