A Game of Inches

OK folks, I have been silent to this point, but now that the dust has cleared regarding my vetoed trade in the UPL, I want to go ahead and vent.

I was *this close* to having the most promising -- and probably the very best -- three-OF combination for the next 10 years in a league where you keep 2/3 of your roster and there is no limit on the length of service time. That's right, my OF would have been: Jason Heyward, Desmond Jennings and Mike Stanton. Set for the next 10+ years, period.

And that's not all -- I also would have gotten a 27-year-old front-line SP for my trouble....and I get all that by simply answering an e-mail about Justin Smoak.

When I was drafting, my clear strategy was to load up on promising young guys who were either: 1) about to be a superstar (why I traded up to get Heyward); or 2) someone who is 2-12 months away from becoming a major contributor.

This is why I drafted Smoak. Not only was the guy highly touted, but I also had a feeling that Chris Davis was going to flounder. Not one month into the season, I was rewarded when Smoak was called up to start in the potent Texas offense. I drafted Jennings a few picks before Smoak because he is more highly touted and due to be called up late this year.

This is also why I did not draft Mike Stanton, and chose to take Smoak instead -- because I knew that Smoak would be in the bigs many months before Stanton, who was not projected to be called up (at draft time) until 2011.

Anyway, I get this email asking about Smoak's availability, and I respond simply: "if you offer me some pitching, I will listen." Eventually, I settled on Smoak for Jered Weaver straight-up; but I was countered with something I didnt like, so I re-proposed Smoak and Marco Scutaro for Weaver and Stanton.

He accepted.

Auto Veto.

Uproar.

Bedlam.

Rule change.

Auto Veto is now effectively dead.

I ended up taking Erick Aybar instead of Stanton to make the trade happen (because Weaver was definitely the true target). And I realize that Stanton will be called up this season (after a torrid minor league go); but the bottom line is that he was picked off waivers just 2 weeks before the trade went down. I offered him a starter-quality SS for a guy in the minors and was shot down by someone not involved in the deal.

I'm not petty or upset -- I still got my guy, who has been great in a few starts for me already. But truth be told, if someone is in love with the potential that Smoak brings, who is anyone else to say that he isn't worth Weaver and Stanton?

*this close* doesnt count in a lot of things...and fantasy baseball is certainly one of them. I can live with that.

SIDE NOTE: Maybe it's karma or whatever, but the bats are warm, the arms are hot, and the Hats for Bats -- the same team that couldnt find its way out of last place for more than 3/4 of last season -- are challenging for a spot on the podium these days. I can definitely live with that!