this year, gomez has the same OPS as daniel murphy, very nearly the same OBP and SLG. and while he's still a good defender, it seems he's dropped off of late. the cost for him was a starting pitcher with promise who has performed at the major league level and with upside remaining, and a starting, albeit struggling, shortstop. instead, we traded away two pieces unlikely to make an impact in our future club, for the player with the 13th highest fWAR in baseball (19th in bWAR), and who just so happens to have been as big a fish as any traded this year*. given the choice ... i'd rather, so much rather, have cespedis this year, and still have flores and wheeler for the future, rather than have what's left of carlos gomez next year, but with neither flores nor wheeler, at the cost of two minor leaguers who are unlikely to make a meaningful major league contribution. and it has nothing to do wit the finances, either. hell, i wouldn't be surprised if the reason gomez' hips scared us off is because of the possibility of snagging cespedis at a far better price.