Previous posts in this series:
1: 1984-1987
2: 2001
Now, we continue one, with 2002.
2002
Trade Deadline: July 31
Number of Teams / Number of Trades: 7 teams, 5 trades
Number of Players Changing Hands: 20
Busiest Teams: Dem Rebels (3 trades)
Contenders: Dem Rebels, Tenacious B, Eric’s Lambchops
Rebuilders: Nick’s Picts, Reservoir Dogs, Six Packs, Da Paul Meisters
2002 was the year of Trading the Gator. With the season being played out in front of a documentary film crew, you’d have thought the CFCL owners would have put on a great wheelin’ and dealin’ show. Instead, 2002 was one of the quieter trade deadlines of the early 2000s.
What’s really surprising is that, of the top 4 teams in the standings on July 1, only one – the league leading Lambchops, made any deals in the month before the deadline. Even David’s Copperfields, typically one of July’s busiest teams and in second place, 8.5 points behind the Chops at the beginning of July, did not make a single deal.
There were big changes in store for the CFCL in 2003. After 19 years of playing under standard Rotisserie scoring rules, the league was moving to non-standard 5x5 scoring in 2003. This is just speculation, but perhaps the radical category changes in the offing left rebuilding teams a bit uncertain about making big moves going into the following season. Whatever the reason, there weren’t a whole lot of deals being consummated in July 2002.
Happily for the producers of Trading the Gator, at least one trade was captured on tape for inclusion in the documentary: a deal between Dem Rebels and Tenacious B.
NICK’S PICTS
Acquired
|
Traded
|
Results
|
Luis Pineda
Nick Neugebauer |
Woody Williams
13th round pick 15th round pick |
All it cost the Picts to acquire Pineda and Neugebauer was the few
remaining months on Woody Willams’ contract as he played out his option year
and a couple late draft picks. Still,
it was a fairly empty return for the Picts, as neither player made it to
Opening Day 2003.
Pineda was cut loose in October during Winter Waivers, and Neugebauer
was released prior to Draft Day.
Not much was given up, so no real harm done, but as a rebuilding team
the Picts didn’t help themselves much either.
|
Acquired
|
Traded
|
Results
|
Danny Bautista
Ricky Ledee Alex Cora John Patterson Kip Wells |
Sammy Sosa
Roberto Alomar Glendon Rusch Scott Sullivan |
Fantasy baseball guru Jason Grey made a big splash in his first CFCL
draft, spending big on Sammy Sosa (.48), Roberto Alomar (.39), and Phil Nevin
(.34). Despite that fire power,
though, they struggled right out of the gate, and after April failed to rise
any higher than 10th in the standings.
July 31 found them in selling mode, as they prepared for hopefully a
better year in 2003.
Cora and Ledee were both cut before the next season - Ledee in Winter Waivers and Cora prior to the Draft. At a penny, Kip Wells proved to be a great pickup, posting a 3.28 ERA and 22 QS in 2003. Bautista provided middling returns (.330 OBP, just over 100 TB), while Patterson bombed (6.05 ERA, splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen. |
Acquired
|
Traded
|
Results
|
Tyler Houston
4th round pick 8th round pick 10th round pick |
Adrian Brown
Edgardo Alfonzo Hideo Nomo |
The Six Packs had high hopes for the 2002 season, but a series of
injuries left them in the second division by the time the trade deadline
rolled around.
In their lone deadline deal (actually completed in early July), the
Six Packs picked up catcher Tyler Houston, whom they released before Draft
Day 2003, and a trio of Rotation Draft picks.
Since all three draft picks came from eventual 2002 Champions, Eric’s
Lambchops, they were the last pick in each round. Here’s how the Six Packs used them:
4th round – Russ Springer (8.31 ERA in 2003)8th round – Oscar
Villareal (7.00 ERA in 2003)10th - pass
I’m noticing a trend here … not much of value was obtained by
rebuilders in 2002.
|
DA PAUL MEISTERS
Acquired
|
Traded
|
Results
|
Tim Worrell
|
Shawn Estes
13th round pick |
Estes was playing out his final contract year, so was no use to the
Meisters.
They picked up Worrell, who carried a .05 salary, and kept him going
into the 2003 season where he paid healthy dividends. Worrell posted 39 HoSv and 2.87
ERA in 2003, the best season of his career.
|
DEM REBELS
Acquired
|
Traded
|
Results
|
Woody Williams
Shawn Estes Jose Jimenez 13th round pick 13th round pick 13th round pick 15th round pick |
Luis Pineda
Andy Fox
Tim Worrell
Nick Neugebauer |
Pitching and 13th round draft picks, that’s what the
Rebels were after in 2003.
Interestingly, despite all the draft picks they acquired, the Rebels
were actually playing for 2002 with these deals. All three pitchers they acquired were on
expiring contracts.
In 6th place at the beginning of July, the Rebels were 23
points behind the leading Lambchops. However
they trailed the second place Copperfields by just 14 points, and were only 7
points from finishing in the money.
They decided to make a move, and completed three trades during the
course of the month, acquiring a pitcher and a 13th round Rotation
Draft pick in 2003 in each deal (with an extra 15ht rounder thrown in for
good measure).
The players they received were a mixed bag. Williams ended up hurt for a good portion
of the season’s second half, but performed well (3 Wins, 2.84 ERA) when he
pitched. Jimenez put up an ERA over 4,
but did save 23 games. Estes was
terrible, though, posting a 6.00 ERA with just two Wins.
Despite the spotty performance from their trade acquisitions, the
Rebels had a stellar final few months, and rose to finish the season in
second place.
While all three pitchers completed their final roster year and were
released at the end of the 2002 season, the Rebels did have something to show
for their trades in 2003 as well – those draft picks.
Apparently targeting 13th rounders because they are the 13th
is the first round in which players acquired receive a .02 salary, here’s how
they worked out for the Rebels:
Meisters’ 13th–Scott EyreTenacious B 13th - Scott ThormanPicts’ 13th – Carlos Hernandez15th – Did not use
Eyre was the best of the bunch (3.32 ERA, 21 HoSv), while Thorman
languished in the minors until the Rebels cut him and Hernandez put up a 6.43
ERA in limited duty.
|
TENACIOUS B
Acquired
|
Traded
|
Results
|
Sammy Sosa
Andy Fox Roberto Alomar Glendon Rusch Scott Sullivan |
Ricky Ledee
Alex Cora John Patterson Kip Wells Jose Jimenez
Danny Bautista
13th round pick |
Tenacious B made perhaps the biggest moves at the trade deadline,
picking up some big names in an effort to rise above their current 5th
place standing.
It didn’t work out so well for them, though. Sosa was good, providing 17 HR and 40 RBI
over the last two months, and Fox contributed 11 SB. Rush was fine as well, posting 5 Wins with
a 3.57 ERA.
Alomar was a big disappointment, though, hitting just .232 with no
power or speed, while Sullivan’s ERA was over 6.00.
In the end, it was just enough to edge Tenacious B into 4th
place, the last money spot. by the end of the year.
|
LAMBCHOPS
Acquired
|
Traded
|
Results
|
Adrian Brown
Edgardo Alfonzo Hideo Nomo |
Tyler Houston
4th round pick 8th round pick 10th round pick |
Apparently supremely confident, the first place Lambchops completed
just one small deal in early July, then stood pat the rest of the month
leading up to the trading deadline.
Though there weren’t any superstars among the players the Chops
acquired, all three contributed.
Alfonzo hit .312 with 12 HR and 31 RBI. Brown was injured at the time of the trade,
but he returned in September to hit a soft .333 and added 3 SB. And Nomo won 7 games for the Chops to go
with his 3.49 ERA.
In the end, the Lambchops cruised to their first CFCL Championship. |
2002 Standings at Trade Deadline and End of Season (click to embiggen)
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