Fangraphs: A Tale of A Trade

[weams]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-second-arrival-of-robbie-ray/

So it's worth reflecting on the trade that sent Doug Fister from the Tigers to the Nationals. That one didn't make any sense. That was a pretty clear steal, on the Nationals' part. Everybody agreed the Tigers didn't get enough. I know, because I was one of them. The deal looked terribly lopsided at the time, which is something we don't get to experience so much anymore.

And you know what? It probably was lopsided. The Tigers probably didn't get enough. The trade legitimately sent waves through the industry. But you have to look at where we are now. Regardless of whether this could've been predicted: Robbie Ray looks like he might be emerging. Ray's talent is coming to the surface.

Of course, Ray isn't with the Tigers anymore. They moved on after a year, essentially swapping Ray for Shane Greene. However much the Tigers might've loved Ray when they first got him, they must've been underwhelmed by what came next. As a starter in the majors, Ray fell short of six strikeouts per nine innings. As a starter in Triple-A, Ray fell short of seven strikeouts per nine innings. Those rates can sometimes be acceptable, but Ray issued too many walks. The bottom line: It looked like Ray might've topped out as a Triple-A pitcher. He featured neither the stuff nor the results to hold interest.

So Detroit flipped Ray to Arizona. It seemed like a good trade at the time - Greene had been good the year before. Ray was somewhat forgotten about; the Fister trade was further in the past. With the Diamondbacks, Ray didn't have to live up to being the guy exchanged for Doug Fister. With the Diamondbacks, Ray is unlocking a new level.