I've been mulling over the merits of this trade since it was posted--but I am struggling to find a reason to justify it based on the rationales provided.
I totally get the
rationale. The free agent pool of MIs is very thin, and although Jose Reyes is not an elite player anymore, he is still a serviceable MI. With cap space available, taking on his $10.5m (2017) contract is not really a mitigating factor; that, along with the fact that
is only giving up two part-time MIs with limited fantasy value, and a P in Finnegan, that is trying to make the transition from RP to SP, the deal is a "no-brainer".
The
on the other hand, offer a rationale that is hard to legitimately accept. I understand the need to get cap space, but when you send away a still-productive MI to get enough cap to get another MI from a sketchy pool of players--that I don't understand. The
are creating a hole in their regular lineup with the stated intent of finding a replacement in the free agent pool, yet his trading partner has already established the that is going to be a hard task considering what's available.
I understand we all should be left to run our own teams, but can anyone in this league really justify trading Jose Reyes for Brandon Finnegan in a league where success is tied to the strength of our everyday lineups (namely hitters)?
This trade has one approval, but I cannot, in good faith, cast a second approval.