Two major deals

We're now halfway through the season and two major deals have already taken place, one involving a sure-fire future Hall-of-Famer.

Trenton Traffic and Vancouver Golden Otters

Trenton gets: RF Cap Herrera
Vancouver gets: SP Damion Mays, IF Junior Hara (AA)

Analysis: Trenton had been trying to plug the RF hole all season (Leo Miller had been terrible, Max Clifton was OK), so the Traffic decided to get the best hitter available at the position. Herrera has always been a decent power hitter and recently has shown that he can hit for average as well. However, they do give up Mays, a bit of an odd move for a team that is struggling in its rotation. On Vancouver's end, they get Mays, a talented pitcher who didn't quite live up to expectations in New Jersey. The hard-throwing lefty hopes to solidify a very shaky Golden Otters rotation. Hara is a guy who has to find a position (it's probably not SS), but can hit and should find his way to a ML lineup.


Louisville Legends and Charlotte Princesses

Louisville gets: 2B Gregg Black
Charlotte gets: SP Esteban Gutierrez (Lo-A), RP Jerry Taylor

Analysis: An interesting deal on both ends. Black (now 34) is not quite what he once was, but he's still very dangerous at the plate. Is the future HOFer the guy who puts the Legends over the top? Or does Black slide too much and leave Louisville on the hook for the remainder of his contract (2 years, $18.8 million)? In my opinion, it's a gamble for the Legends, but one worth taking. In return, Charlotte gets two pitchers, both somewhat flawed. Gutierrez was the key to the deal; he's highly talented but has low stamina. At his best, he could be a Manny Christians-type pitcher. It's possible that the club could struggle to find a role for him, as several of Christians's teams had in the past. Taylor is a right-handed specialist- he'll struggle against lefties.