Royals Acquire Jonathan Sanchez For Melky Cabrera

[sbauer]

Royals Acquire Jonathan Sanchez For Melky Cabrera

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/11/royals-acquire-jonathan-sanchez-for-melky-cabrera.html

[andrewrickli]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/11/royals-acquire-jonathan-sanchez-for-melky-cabrera.html

SF traded Johnathan Sanchez to KC for Melkey Cabrera.

For those who wanted Matt Cain, you can cross him off your list. It is safe to assume that SF wants him to stay, so they traded Sanchez instead.

[El Gordo]

This tells me the Giants will be big players for Reyes.

[OrangeJerseys]

Royals Acquire Jonathan Sanchez For Melky Cabrera

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/11/royals-acquire-jonathan-sanchez-for-melky-cabrera.html

Well there goes our chances to deal AJ to the Giants.

[SrMeowMeow]

Damn is that a stupid return for Melky.

[Frobby]

I haven't read the details, but this sounds like a steal for the Royals.

[clapdiddy]

I haven't read the details, but this sounds like a steal for the Royals.

I was thinking the same thing. Cabrera had a pretty good season last year, but his overall record is not really great.

[The Rick]

Thus why you don't wait this long to hire a freakin' GM. Unbelievable.

[crowmst3k!]

I would have loved to get Jonathan Sanchez (not for Adam Jones, though)

[TiredofLosing20]

Whats more valuable... A pitcher with a career 97 ERA+ or a OF with a career 93 OPS+. To me its the pitcher but maybe the Giants are thinking the 2011 Cabrera is what he is going to be going forward.

[Frobby]

Whats more valuable... A pitcher with a career 97 ERA+ or a OF with a career 93 OPS+. To me its the pitcher but maybe the Giants are thinking the 2011 Cabrera is what he is going to be going forward.

I didn't realize Sanchez had been hurt the last 6 weeks of last year. It's a closer call than I had realized. Both players are free agents in 2013.

[RVAbird]

I haven't read the details, but this sounds like a steal for the Royals.

I don't think this is a steal for either side. Melky is not likely to replicate 2011, but he is in better shape and should be a solid contributor. Jonathan Sanchez has swing-and-miss stuff, but has always been held back by command problems. Those who watched him regularly know that he rarely made it deep into games and each start was a struggle. Bring that lack of command over to the AL and replace pitchers with DHs and Sanchez is probably a below-average starter making 5-6 MM for a year before hitting free agency.

I think it's a pretty fair value trade; it's one that can be easily justified from both sides. I think both Melky and Sanchez are good players with flaws. I don't think either is a long-term building block, so I don't think this trade can end up a steal for either side. It's a risk-assessment exercise. Either player could end up being worth 4 wins or being sub-replacement level, but neither will provide long term value.

The fact that the Royals squeezed Verdugo (another lefty with command problems) into the deal probably makes this a nice little swap for the KC, but I don't think it classifies as robbery in any way.

[SrMeowMeow]

Melky is about as bad as you can be and still put up an outlier 4 WAR season. But I'm not a huge Sanchez fan either, and with the injury concerns...meh.

[RVAbird]

Melky is about as bad as you can be and still put up an outlier 4 WAR season. But I'm not a huge Sanchez fan either, and with the injury concerns...meh.

Regress Melky's 2011 BABIP and he sees a line of .275/.309/.440 (with no adjustment to SLG beyond BABIP correction), so you're right that it's not very prudent to expect him to replicate 2011. However, he was in better physical shape last year and clearly sacrificed some patience for power. Crystal ball: I think he'll probably end up being the ~1-1.5 WAR player he's been on average in his career. I'd put Sanchez' 50% at about the same level.

Interesting trade for sure, considering the names involved and the early calendar mark on the off-season, but ultimately I think it ends up being a yawner of a deal.

[Larry18]

Biceps tendonitis leads to UCL replacement surgery often enough to make the deal really risky.