Take a Mulligan - an off-day contemplation

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yes, my impression is that we're definitely allowed to use hindsight in this discussion.

[Valadius]

I believe that if we had the ability to undo the Kazmir-Zambrano trade, we would have won the 2006 World Series.

[duan]

Vic Sage wrote: All we're talking about in this thread is revisionist history, about which move would we want to undo. Certainly, the Bay/Middlebrook deal, in retrospect, was a bone-headed trade of youth for age in desperate and failed attempt to stay in the race, during the Steve Phillips `02 implosion.

let us be clear about this, Jason Bay bounced around plenty - he and our lunatic 12th bullpen arm - were traded to the Pirates for a 2 month rental of Brian Giles, but long before that we'd acquired him from Montreal along with someone else for Lou Collier (hey JCL was that our mulligan?)

Middlebrook wasn't *old* for a pitcher, he was 3 years older then Bay, he was decent enough that the Padres wanted him back off us after we got him off them.

[Gwreck]

Vic Sage wrote: All we're talking about in this thread is revisionist history, about which move would we want to undo. Certainly, the Bay/Middlebrook deal, in retrospect, was a bone-headed trade of youth for age in desperate and failed attempt to stay in the race, during the Steve Phillips `02 implosion.

I object to the (frequent, not necessarily all by you) characterization of this deal as an obvious mistake because that certainly didn't become clear until several years later.

[ashie62]

Zambrano-Kazmir. Even if Kazmir never won an MLB game in his career

[seawolf17]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: In 2005, I'd have traded for Ray Durham at the deadline.

Saw that one coming a mile away.

You people do not listen to the rules, do you? I'd say Kazmir/Zambrano, but Mora/Bordick is a good one too.

Unmentioned as of yet: the Kaz Matsui signing. Screwed up Reyes for a while, and Matsui turned out to be largely a bust.

[nymr83]

I dont remember there being anything "obvious" about Bay/Middlebrook at the time, and with 20/20 hindsight thats the trade you undo.

I don't like the Perez signing, but i'll add an unconventional choice here: to protect the franchise's massive investment, and keep it on the field, I make Piazza the 1st baseman starting with Zeile's departure followig the '01 season.
Ok, that might not be my first choice, but its at least food for thought in the "what if" machine