Interesting blog piece on rent a player deals

[klw]

Originally posted by jojo on the ORG.
http://ussmariner.com/2007/06/20/letting-ichiro-leave-for-nothing/

It is an interesting evaluation of deadline deals for rental players. Its something to keep in mind in evaluating what a trade market may return.

[terminator]

Now, this isn’t a completely thorough cost/benefit analysis. By trading for prospects, you’re not incurring the costs of signing the players, as you are with compensation picks, so the financial outlay is several million dollars higher by going with the draft picks. The payoffs are going to happen a year or two later by taking the draft picks versus taking the prospects in most cases.
Interesting article. Not that it changes his main point, but I didn't see where the author mentioned that trading also likely saves the team a half season of the all-stars pay which can be used in the off-season on FAs.