Quote:
Originally Posted by LegallyMinded
I would consider all three of those pretty big losses.
The Mulder for Haren deal obviously didn't work out for St. Louis. Since the trade, Haren has put up 36 WAR, while Mulder pitched to an ERA over 5 and accumulated 1.3 WAR before retiring.
Wainwright for Drew is closer, but still a poor deal for the Cards: Since the trade, Wainwright has collected 18.5 WAR, while Drew put up 29.1. Now, it seems Drew's career is winding down, and so perhaps Wainwright begins to close the gap next year, but that depends on Wainwright bouncing back from serious surgery, which is hardly a guarantee.
As for the McGwire trade, perhaps that was a win on the field, but McGwire turned out to be a reprehensible cheater who sullied the reputation of the game. I'd want no part of him on my team.
Overall, then, if those are the kinds of trades Jocketty makes when he's dealing, perhaps he should just sleep through the rest of this winter.
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The problem with your Drew-Wainwright comparison is you're assuming that Drew would have put up the same WAR for the Cardinals.
Looking at it objectively, they traded a guy who was a year away from free agency and was not going to sign with the team. They gave up one year of JD Drew (admittedly his best season), and in return they got a cost controlled starter who turned into an ace pitcher who has finished top 3 in the Cy twice, top 20 of MVP twice, an all star, a gold glove, was on the mound to close out all three series in 2006, etc.
When you compare what Wainwright has given the Cardinals, vs. what Drew would have given the Cardinals, the trade is a landslide for St. Louis (and if you want to compare them long term, you have to factor in the fact that Wainwright has been much more cost-effective, earning $15 million from 2004-2011, vs. JD Drew's $95 million over the same period).