Interesting Read: Jimenez Trade Revisited

[MikeS21]

Jimenez Deal Forces Closer Look at Prospect Value

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...ospects_073111

Here's the part I found interesting:

“Here’s the thing,” the scout said Friday. “If you have a chance to get a known quantity, someone who has been there and done that, you do it. Do you understand?”

Ubaldo Jimenez is 27 years old. He arrived in 2007 with an odd delivery in which his arms seem to cantilever in the wrong direction. Somehow he coaxed 100-mph fastballs from that funk. Last year, his fastball, splitter, slider and curveball played together with harmonic beauty. Jimenez started 13-1 with a 1.15 ERA – one of the best starts in history and the blossoming of a toolset that reminded scouts why they value projection over production.

I really want to agree with this scout. He is 100% correct. Go with the sure thing ... until you remember that Jimenez was a prospect too, and It seems to me that it would be 10x better to have Jimenez at 20 or 21 years old, than to wait and acquire him at age 27?

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by MikeS21

Jimenez Deal Forces Closer Look at Prospect Value

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...ospects_073111

Here's the part I found interesting:



I really want to agree with this scout. He is 100% correct. Go with the sure thing ... until you remember that Jimenez was a prospect too, and It seems to me that it would be 10x better to have Jimenez at 20 or 21 years old, than to wait and acquire him at age 27?

There is always the "what if" aspect of trades. There is a reason that you pay your scouts.

Clearly, you are going to get something when you acquire the proven commodity. But it comes at a price. You are both paying him a lot of money (usually) as well as taking a chance that you traded away a guy or guys who could have been contributors for your team for 6 years too.