The Second No Credentials Blockbuster

            Roughly 10 days ago, the second No Credentials Baseball League blockbuster went down. Again, yours truly was involved (to read about the first one, click here). By shipping off a stud rookie and a surprising veteran, I was able to acquire a player who will definitely be on my team for the next five years. Here is the breakdown for both sides.

No Cred at All receives 2B Robinson Cano

Go Team receives 1B-OF Lance Berkman and 2B-OF Dustin Ackley

            We’ll look at how Go Team came out of this deal first. Go Team had a gaping hole at first base created by Ike Davis (I have Davis on my redraft team. He tripped over a mound in May. There were scant updates on him before rumors that he might need season ending micro-fracture popped up in mid-June. Now supposedly he’s finally looking at attempting to run. Keep in mind that he only tripped over a mound). Berkman has been a top-25 player for the entire season, so he fills this hole nicely. I picked Berkman up off of waivers, so if Go Team decides to keep him next year, that will cost him a 30^th round pick in next year’s draft. I hated to trade Berkman, but parting with Ackley was even more difficult. I drafted Ackley, but cut him early in the season (oddly enough, I cut him for Berkman). Fortunately for me, I had the foresight to pick him back up about a week before the Mariners called him up. Ackley projects to be very similar to Dustin Pedroia. He won’t be as good as Robinson Cano at any point during his career, but he’s a serviceable fill-in that Go Team can also keep at a very low price for next season.

            As for my part of the trade…I got Robinson f***ing Cano. This trade reminded me of the Carmelo Anthony trade. It didn’t necessarily make sense for me to trade two dual-eligibility players that can provide top-50 production the rest of the way, but if an opportunity presents itself to add a superstar talent, you have to do it. Going forward, I still need to acquire an outfielder to round out my lineup, but it’s not a huge issue when my starting infield looks like this…

1B = Prince Fielder

2B = Robinson Cano

3B = Evan Longoria

SS = Hanley Ramirez

            I’ve backed myself into a corner where I probably will have to keep all four of those guys for my team next year, but that’s not necessarily something I should be complaining about.