Mike Jacobs Trade

I had completely forgotten he was a Met.

The first major trade of the off-season will probably have a minor effect on next season, but it's at least worth mentioning. The Marlins traded Mike Jacobs to the Royals for reliever Leo Nuñez. This trade has been trashed by a lot of people so far looking at it from the Royals perspective, but it really doesn't seem that bad. Jacobs is a useful offensive player that will hit for power. The thing is that the Royals didn't really need a first baseman. They have Kila Ka'aihue, Alex Gordon, and Mark Teahen already battling for the two corner infield spots, and Billy Butler and Ryan Shealy are also n the mix there and at DH. My guess is that Gordon stays at third, Jacobs takes first, and Butler goes to the DH spot. Then, they trade Teahen to the Indians or someone else to fix other holes. Butler could also be moved for pitching or something else while Ka'aihue takes first and moves Jacobs to DH. I'm not sure what this accomplishes, which is why most people are angry about the trade.

The Royals gave up a reliever in Leo Nuñez. His 2.98 ERA last season and 3.92 from the year before make him a valuable reliever but he only threw 48 and 43 innings, respectively, during those two seasons. To make matters worse, his K/9 dropped from 7.63 to 4.84, and his BB/9 rose from 2.06 to 2.74. That's not terribly disturbing considering that's still above-average, but the K rate is a little scary. His BABIP of .280 was about average, but his GB/FB rate was only .91 (although up from .66 from last year). The most telling stat might be his HR/FB rate of 3%. Um, that won't hold up in court. I expect Nuñez's ERA to go back closer to 4 next season, and honestly, you could probably get that from a minor-leaguer you already have.

Overall, this trade really makes no sense. It really isn't bad for either team, but it isn't good either. The Royals now have some added flexibility as for trades and such, but most people aren't looking for first baseman. However, this frees up Mark Teahen a little more, and I'm sure someone will give up a decent amount for him. As for Florida, they probably could have gotten more from a guy ready to enter his prime with a 32 HR season under his belt than a decent 25-year old reliever. I'm guessing the Royals probably needed the pitching more, but I don't think he was essential in any way. Again, I'm a little confused by the trade, but it doesn't necessarily hurt either team. I guess.