Pre-season Double Stuffs sends: SP Chris Archer ($77), 2017 3rd Round Pick
Longball to LF sends: SP Kenta Maeda ($23)
Jordan’s thoughts: Chris Archer was awesome in 2015. He was decent in 2016. Kenta Maeda was in Japan in 2015. He was decently good in 2016. Early projections from Steamer has Archer as the better pitcher per start, and for an extra couple starts.
I think its pretty safe to say that you’d rather have Archer in all walks of life. However, in Dynasty Grinders, what can you do with $52? Well lots of things. I’d rather have a really good player and Maeda over Chris Archer so for this deal I like the Double Stuffs.
I also like what Longball did here, they upgraded. Archer’s ceiling is higher and leaning towards elite, and that’s worth the gamble.
Andrew’s thoughts: Echoing what Jordan said, most signs point to Archer being better than Maeda, but a $50+ gap is big. Both guys strike out a lot of hitters, so there’s no big swing there. I suppose you could contend Maeda has some injury worries (what else explains his weird Dodgers contract?) or you could worry that with a year’s worth of data and tape, hitters might figure Maeda out. On the flip side, what if that’s why Archer had a down 2015? That can cut both ways.
Sans salaries, you want Archer here. But given the salaries, Maeda plus a $52 player or Maeda plus a $30 player and a $22 player, whatever, makes plenty of sense too.