Trade within Division? Yes or No?

[Horsehide Harry]

The long standing rule of thumb going back decades is that you don't trade within your division. You don't want to help your competitors get better and don't want to have to face the player you traded away over and over every season.

I think that is extremely outdated and faulty thinking. Since FA arrived, teams have no choice if a player ends up with a rival. Take the AL east for example. Baltimore had Mussina who finished his career with the Yanks. Boston has Ellsbury who's now with the Yanks. In fact, I think some of the prevailing correctness likely dates back to the Red Sox selling Ruth to the Yanks.

But, now, things have changed. You have FA, interleague play, a more limited number of games against teams in your division, the Wild Card, etc.

Now, I think the smart play (assuming needs align) is to take away your competitions future with your present if you are a rebuilding team.

Take the Braves and gNats for example. The gNats just shipped out 3 relatively high end pitchers for Adam Eaton. They hurt their future by trading for their present. But, let's say that the Braves traded them Inciarte instead for some portion of what they traded away for Eaton, say Giolito, Fedde and Dunning.

The gNats got to keep Lopez in that scenario but got an arguably lesser talent in Inciarte instead of Eaton. But, they got their CF in either case. The difference in the second case is that a direct competitor (the Braves) took part of their future in exchange for the Braves today. Now, obviously, you don't do that if you are the Braves IF you intend to really compete with the gNats on a short term basis. But, who really believes that the 2016 Braves will challenge the 2016 gNats for the NL East? This is the gNats window. It is closing and will likely be closed when Harper goes elsewhere. They might be able to overcome that IF they have a minor league system full of talent to replace what is lost. But if the Chisox have that talent, it will make it tough. If the Braves have that talent though, it would work two ways, make the Braves better then and make the gNats worse.

[nsacpi]

2016 no. But maybe WC contention in 2017.

[mqt]

There should be no issues trading within the division. You make trades to improve your roster, either now or in the future. If you think the best way to do so is to trade with one of the teams in your division, you should do that. Besides, as you mentioned a lot of deals are done between rebuilding and contending clubs, so you're not really helping your rivals improve during the same time frame.

[bravesfanMatt]

There should be no issues trading within the division. You make trades to improve your roster, either now or in the future. If you think the best way to do so is to trade with one of the teams in your division, you should do that. Besides, as you mentioned a lot of deals are done between rebuilding and contending clubs, so you're not really helping your rivals improve during the same time frame.

I agree. Just because we might play more games against our own division should not persuade us from a trade. If we send a player that we think is better than the return, then we shouldn't make that trade with any team.

[nsacpi]

we've made significant trades within the division
..uggla...francouer-church

[Horsehide Harry]

I agree. Just because we might play more games against our own division should not persuade us from a trade. If we send a player that we think is better than the return, then we shouldn't make that trade with any team.

Very much part of the point.

To me, it's also about, timing. If you as a team are not contending today but have an idea where your rebuild might allow you to contend in the future, and if the team in your Division that is expected to win now has a need to help them win now, then as a competing team you could benefit in the future by helping your competitor benefit today. And not only would you benefit in the future from the assets you gain but you weaken that competitor in the future by the assets that they lose.

It's a bit of a Machiavellian point of view, but I think it's valid.

[mqt]

we've made significant trades within the division
..uggla...francouer-church

****, we give Kelly Johnson to the Mets annually.

[VirginiaBrave]

Off-season no issues with doing it. During the season, I would only do it for bench pieces after the Braves either had the division wrapped or out of the race.