Coco Crisp trade

The Red Sox needed a CF and the Indians had one playing out of position with no 3B propsects ready to step-in after 2006. Coco Crisp for Andy Marte is a perfect match.

The teams swapped right-handed relievers with the Sawx getting the younger one (Dave Riske) and back-up catchers with the Indians getting the better one (Kelly Shoppach.)

With Victor Martinez cemented as one of the best offensive catchers, why did the Indians get a catching prospect who looks ready for his major-league chance? Shoppach will be 26 shortly after the season starts while VMart is going to play all of the 2006 season as a 27-year-old. There is no room for Shoppach.

If you recall where Shoppach was going last July, then it begins to make sense. A three-team trade was set to occur where Larry Bigbie would go to Boston, Eric Byrnes to Baltimore and.... Kelly Shoppach to Colorado!

Given the wisdom Indians GM Mark Shapiro has shown the past two off-seasons in refusing to overpay for targeted free agents, I believe he obtained Shoppach to flip him to a team for an outfielder or 1B. And what better place than the team that already tried to get him - the Colorado Rockies!

Do the Rockies have any spare corner outfielders or 1B? Of course they do! I mentioned OF Jeff Salazar and 1B Ryan Shealy just yesterday. One could also include Cory Sullivan and Brad Hawpe, too, but I suspect Sharpiro would prefer OFers Salazar or Hawpe to Sullivan as one has better OBP skills and the other has more power and hits from the left side of the plate!

But for a catcher with no chance of playing, any inexpensive OF would make this an incredibly astute move.

If you run your Roto team the same way, you're clearly at the top of the game. Adding bit pieces to trades in order to flip them for better ones down the road is the mark of champion players!.