TVT 2044.4 - Sato Traded

[StormZ_23]

Alright, it looks like we got the Mounties first trade of the year. The team hasn't made a trade since last season's deadline. They have been focused on re-signing their current players and finding real pitchers for their bullpen. Well, the player they traded is someone that has been speculated to be on the trade block for a long time. That player is Masaki Sato. Let's take a look at the deal.

VAN Trades:
Sato

Edmonton Trades:
SP Hideaki Shibutani
RP Harvey Finch

Now, this may not seem like a big return for the power hitting DH. But you have to remember, this is Sato's final season before he hits free agency. Apart from crushing right handed pitching, he doesn't do much. He has shown to be a bad defender and he struggles against left handed pitching. Just look at these splits:

Career vs LHP: 361 G, 198 GS, .202/.258/.236, .634 OPS, 33 HR, 108 RBI, 211 K, 49 BB, 59 OPS+, -2.2 WAR
Career vs RHP: 698 G, 529 GS, .284/.358/.540, .898 OPS, 131 HR, 392 HR, 481 K, 196 BB, 124 OPS+, 14.8 WAR

Quite the difference right? It's very possible the front office looked at these numbers, then looked at all of the other players they want to re-sign and thought it wasn't worth re-signing Sato. He's a great power hitter. 164 home runs in 5 seasons is impressive. However, it's likely he commanded too much money and with the possibility of Sato not reaching the WAR threshold needed to secure a supplemental pick, the Mounties were ready to move on.

Who did the Mounties receive in return? They received two pitchers, one starter and one reliever. First we will look at Harvey Finch. Finch is a 19 year old reliever who didn't pitch very well in A ball last season. He projects to have a plus fastball and curveball. Right now, it's about developing those pitches. Maybe a change of scenery is what he needs. Now, let's look at Shibutani. He signed a minor league contract with the Phoenix Talons back in 2038. In 2041, he was released by the Talons and picked up by Edmonton. He's a four pitch power pitcher. He projects to have average control and below average movement. However, his scouting report shows that he lacks a good work ethic. This is definitely holding him back from progressing towards his full potential. He likely relies on his natural talent rather than trying to develop his skills. Seeing that Vancouver considers him worthy as an integral piece in a trade, the coaching must feel confident that they can instill a work ethic into Shibutani.

This wasn't a bad trade by the Mounties. They traded someone one year before free agency who they were not going to re-sign. They likely weren't going to get any draft compensation for Sato either. Also, something we haven't talked about, this trade allows the team's top prospect Brad Parkinson to be the team's starting DH. Although, it's likely the team will look to sign a power hitter to backup Parkinson. Overall, a decent deal by Vancouver.

[RonCo]

I think we will see more of these kinds of deals going forward.