Berkman/Santana Trade?

Question

Was just offered Berkman and Maine for Santana and Doumit. Should I accept this trade or does it hurt my pitching more than it helps my hittin? Not sure if Berkman is gonna keep it up for the rest of the way but also not sure if Santana is gonna step it up. Hasn't been pitching that well even tho his stats don't look too bad.

Heres my team:

5x5, standard scoring, 10 team, H2H

C - Martin

1B - Fielder

2B - Uggla

3B - Aram

SS - Hanram

OF - Markakis

OF - Pence

OF - Abreu

Util - T. Hunter

Util - Franceour

BN - Bourn, Doumit, Bruce

SP - J. Santana, Haren, Shields, Verlander, Cain

RP - Torres, Morrow, Soria, Gonzalez

DL - C. Young, Putz

thanks...

Answer 1

I'd say take it. Berkman has been swinging a hot bat all season and shows little to no signs of slowing down. He has a comfortable spot hitting with Lee, Pence, and Tejada in the line up, meaning there is plenty of protection.

Santana has been unusually shaky this year and is playing for a team that, despite that talent, still isn't recognized as a contender.

Those are really the only two guys you have to focus on in the trade. Not to mention, when Young and Putz come back - it will be like Santana never left.

Answer 2

i would Berkman gives you another very solid batter and right now you have a very solid pitching corps already.  So getting Maine and giving up Santana isn't a huge hit on your part as he's been struggling a bit lately.

very solid team by the way as well.

Answer 3

This trade makes sense for you for a number of reasons:

1. You don't have a consistent use for Doumit.  If you've been starting him over Russ Martin, that's looked like a good move (sans his time on the DL) because he's been crushing the ball.  That being said, you're not extracting max value, or anything close to it, from either player while having both on your team unless you're playing one of them at a position other than C; and even in that scenario, a player is always most valuable when he can be plugged into a position where there is more scarcity.  So trading Doumit as a C is potentially much more valuable than starting him as an OF.

2. Hitters are more valuable than pitchers.  If I have a pitcher and a hitter who have similar on-the-field value, I'm going with the hitter for the long-term.  Pitchers just get hurt too d**n much, and their career peaks are generally shorter.  Granted, the hitter here is Lance Berkman, and the pitcher is Santana.  Berkman has a history of injury problems; Santana does not.  That makes this one a bit tougher.  So lets just focus on the numbers.  Right now Berkman is the number 1 ranked player in fantasy baseball, and he should be.  That ballpark and lineup means that if he stays healthy, his numbers should too.  Santana on the other hand, is regressing and though he's in a pitcher's park, the defense behind him isn't great.  He's a top of the line starter for sure, but he's not necessarily the best starter in the game anymore for fantasy's sake or not.  He's a two-pitch pitcher, and when hitter's guess on the change or fb correctly, he gets hit hard; his home-run rates can attest to that.  

3.  Maine is a serviceable replacement in your staff, because you already have another staff headliner in Haren, and I expect Verlander and Cain to continue improving as the year goes on.  You've also got C. Young coming back, and his numbers should be better than they have been pitching in SD.

4.  You could use another Offensive player, because Franceour looks like he may never hit for power again.  Allowing him to go to the bench helps your team greatly.

Answer 4

I think you should do it. You have a good replacement catcher, Martin, to replace Doumit. You also have some good starting pitchers and losing Santana will be big, but Haren, Shields, Cain, and later, Young, will still be a good bunch of starting pitchers. Maine coming will also bring some good to your pitchers. Also, Berkman is probably the best player in the MLB right now and you can slot him in for an outfielder, preferably the struggling Francouer, to boost your hitting by a whole lot.

Answer 5

i wouldnt take it. johan will come around. thats wat ive heard. and doumits doin pretty ood right now.