PICKS, PITCHERS DRIVE PLETHORA OF EARLY SWAPS

BARB 2016 trading opened with players and draft picks flying every which way.

Scherzer. Hernandez. Kershaw.  Hamels. Greinke. Cueto. All of these aces (and more) changed cities among the 33 deals completed in the first two weeks of trading. The opening three days were the busiest, with 21 trades going through. And, so far, 27 different picks have changed hands (some more than once). Three first-rounders are also now in possession of a team other than their original.

Of course, certain teams made the bulk of the swaps. Ronald Melkonian (14 trades) and Anthony Guerra (15) spurred much of the player movement – with a few deals completed between themselves. A total of seven did not include either of them.

The first trade completed was between Melkonian and newcomer Jay Parks’ Oakland squad. Parks unloaded Pablo Sandoval (probably with a forklift) and prospects Byron Buxton, Jorge Soler and Eduardo Rodriguez in exchange for Nolan Arenado, Jaime Garcia and Miami’s 2^nd round pick. Soler was soon shipped to New England with Starlin Castro for Aaron Nola. One of the most recent trades saw Rodriguez also sent up the East Coast to Fenway Park, this for veterans Jason Castro and Garrett Richards.

Miami and Carolina drew the ire of league officials (pinned on Melkonian by Anthony King) with one trade broken into three separate deals. In all, Miami received Jose Altuve, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford and Eddie Rosario in exchange for Addison Russell, Kris Medlen and Miami’s 1^st-, 4^th- and 6^th-round picks (the first rounder, of course, is first overall—and apparently King is all but decided on his selection).

The second overall pick was also swapped, and this as part of a package for a front-line ace. Longtime Frostbite Falls #1 “King” Felix Hernandez will don the uniform of the Squirrels’ main rival, the Pottsylvania Creepers, in 2016—one of many deals made by Jeff Moore to beef up talented young squad that he feels is ready to contend. Hernandez came at a price, however: that #2 overall pick went to Andrew Haynes, as well as Moore’s 3^rd- and 4^th-round selections. In addition, the Frostbite farm system added Yoan Moncada and Jack Flaherty.

Parks and Guerra made a few deals – Dee Gordon and Trevor Bauer to the Larks and Nomar Mazara, Chi-Chi Gonzalez, Tyler Skaggs and Oakland’s 2^nd-round pick to the Angels.

The multiple trades between Miami and Santa Barbara resulted in Carlos Santana, Ryan Raburn, Jacob DeGrom and Kyle Seager leaving the Angels and Anthony Rizzo, Jackie Bradley, Jr., Martin Perez, Miami’s 3^rd-, 5^th-, 7^th- and 8^th- and Brownsville’s 7^th-round pick going the other way.

Melkonian picked up Brownsville’s 7^th-rounder, as well as George Springer, Marcell Ozuna and Jose Berrios, in exchange for DeGrom.

The acquisition of Rizzo made Paul Goldschmidt available, and Guerra picked up Carlos Martinez, Alex Cobb, Sean Manaea and Frostbite Falls’ original 1^st-round selection (9^th overall) for the slugging first baseman.

Other blockbusters included Cole Hamels from New England to Santa Barbara for Bradley, Kyle Crick, Yadier Alvarez and two picks (Santa Barbara’s 5^th and 6^th); Max Scherzer from Worcester to St. Francis for Carlos Gonzalez, Jameson Taillon and Steven Matz; Clayton Kershaw and Riverside’s 8^th-round pick to Miami for Wilmer Flores, Buxton, Daniel Hudson, Nola, Berrios and Brett Anderson; and finally Zack Greinke to Carolina as Dalton Pompey, Nelson Cruz, Zach Wheeler, Lance McCullers, Jr. and Carolina’s 5^th- and 8^th-round picks were sent to Santa Barbara.

In addition:

-Michael Pineda to Brooklyn, Nick Castellanos to Santa Barbara

-Jesse Winker from Oakland to reigning champion Yuma for Jeff Samardzija

-Mark Melancon from Yuma to Santa Barbara for Jorge Mateo and Santa Barbara’s 4^th- and 8^th-round picks

-Chris Owings and Jeremy Hellickson swapped, one-for-one, between Miami and Frostbite

-Michael Wacha to Santa Barbara, Carlos Gonzalez (promptly included in the deal for Scherzer) to St. Francis

-An Oakland-St. Francis swap of Gerardo Parra and Brad Miller

-Brothers Melkonian agreeing to Adam Eaton for Rosario, Raburn and Riverside’s 8^th-round pick

-Johnny Cueto from Worcester to Miami for George Springer

-Doug Fister bolstering Oakland’s staff in exchange for their 7^th-round pick

-Danny Salazar to Yuma, Anthony Rendon and Winker to Worcester

-The Eliminators picked up Yunel Escobar and Carlos Gomez as their 5^th- and 6^th-rounders went to Santa Barbara

-Kole Calhoun to Worcester, Aaron Hicks and Matt Caskey’s 7^th-rounder to Brownsville

-Pottsylvania acquired sturdy backstop Salvador Perez from Santa Barbara for the Creepers’ 5^th-round pick and Robert Stephenson

-Pottsylvania’s 8^th and Matt Holliday to Brownsville for the Brown brothers’ 6^th and 8^th

-And, FINALLY, with the infield depth they picked up, Oakland sent Matt Carpenter and Manuel Margot to Santa Barbara for Hector Olivera, Steven Souza, Jr., Manny Banuelos and Santa Barbara’s 7^th-round pick