So two days after APBA GO released the 2023 season, I made a deal for the upcoming season. According to one neutral manager in the Illowa APBA League, it “looks to be the biggest trade of the season”.
My trading partner was Nick Tegeler. Yes, he’s the same one who was a co-winner of the 2021 APBA Blog Pitching Grade Challenge. Nick recently re-joined our league and is obviously doing what he can to put his mark his new team now called the Wallbangers.
What was the trade?
It was a four-for-four deal involving a couple of draft picks.
2023 Kyle Schwarber
I’m a fan but this was the time to deal him
Here is who was involved:
| Thunderchickens receive | Wallbangers receive |
|---|---|
| Vladimir Guerrero | Kyle Schwarber |
| Jeremy Pena | Javy Baez |
| Whit Merrifield | 3rd round pick (21st overall) |
| Giancarlo Stanton | 8th round pick (56th overall) |
2023 Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Will Vlad get back to his previous form?
Schwarber will most likely finish second in our league in homeruns and looks to have an even better year in 2024. Unlike some, I like Schwarber a lot and so does Nick. You know what you’re going to get with him. Even since he left the Cubs, I’ve enjoyed the success that he has had.
Why would I trade him? My counter to that is, ‘why would not?’ His value is at a high now. I will get a fair price for him and most likely he will reward that price.
Plus, I’ve given up on my Baez experiment. I think he’s an exciting MLB player to watch but he’s yet another infielder I received in a trade who went downhill offensively (see Chuck Knoblauch). I just can’t afford to carry him, Rougned Odor and Joey Wendle on my roster.
Did this trade help my team?
First, this deal helped cover two of my positions on the Thunderchickens. I literally had no first basemen on the team. Both Eric Hosmer and Luke Voit are retiring from the Thunderchickens after this year. Guerrero’s 156 games at first base relieves that pressure a lot.
Second, Jeremy Pena gives me a viable option at shortstop. Neither Baez’ and Wendle’s cards are playable for 2023. Pena is also full time at 150 games.
Looking to the future
I’m aware Guerrero Jr. had a bit of a down year. That’s okay. In fact, that’s exactly when you should be trading for high end players. Looking at Guerrero’s prospects, he looks to pick things back up in 2024. In the meantime, he’ll still be solid offensive #6 hitter.
Pena is obviously not Babe Ruth at the plate but he’s a fast SS-9 and still a solid hitter for a middle infielder. On those days when I’m resting a few players, he may even bat second.
Weren’t there a couple other guys?
I wasn’t looking to obtain Whit Merrifield but he is a versatile player who can play second base and has OF-2 as his secondary position.
To me, it’s kind of funny that the player who was probably considered a ‘throw-in’ for the trade has double ones. In 101 games, Giancarlo Stanton hit 24 homeruns and that’s about all he did. He’s a slow OF-1 who hit .191. He’s older but the guy who once hit 59 dingers in a season may have a year or two left in him.
Trade approach
I probably need to revamp my article written thirteen years ago entitled ’10 tips for trading in an APBA league’ but it is still very relevant.
While we both advocated for our team’s interests, Nick and I didn’t go into this trying to pull one over each other. There was certainly some negotiating over the phone mostly about ‘this pick instead of that pick’ but the discussions were all in good faith.
Remember, the best trade is the one that helps both teams. You never know when you will need to trade with that person again.
The Illowa APBA League will begin the season at the Draft weekend on February 18, 2024. The Twin City Thunderchickens look forward to working with Vladimir, Jeremy, Whit and Giancarlo! Good luck in the future with the Wallbangers, Kyle and Javy!
