Tricks Of The Trade.

Less than a month into the offseason, there have already been a few trades that have slightly rocked the baseball world before the tremors of certain first basemen being signed completely shatter all 30 continents.

First, the Braves shipped Derek Lowe out of town to the Indians for a Double-A pitcher in return, on the condition that Cleveland would eat $5 million of the $15 million Atlanta owes Lowe for 2012. A perfect representation of how Lowe's reputation had changed in Atlanta, they gave him up for almost nothing. Not without provocation, of course: aside from the DUI he was charged with early last year, he went 9-17 with a 5.05 ERA, not to mention 0-5 in September in what ultimately led to the second-worst collapse in baseball history (only behind the epic Red Sox Collapse of '11). He lost the command that made him a fan favorite at Turner Field, and the fans let management know just how badly they wanted him out of town. Sure, he'll be a great veteran presence in an Indians clubhouse that's beginning to trend younger, and he'll be fantastic as a number 5 starter who throws more than 200 innings and saves the bullpen some trouble every once in a while, but it would appear as if his days as a marquee player are well over.

Next, the Royals and Giants made an interesting swap: San Francisco shipped out starter Jonathan Sanchez, while Kansas City sent outfielder Melky Cabrera in return. Sanchez saw a dip in production from his 2010 numbers, going 4-7 with a 4.26 ERA compared to 13-9, 3.07 in '10, but he spent a significant amount of time on the DL. Conversely, Cabrera enjoyed a career year, going .305 with 18 home runs, 87 RBIs and 201 hits, as well as posting career highs in almost every other offensive categories. This is a trade that seemingly benefits both teams on paper: the Royals get a young, somewhat reliable starter that can throw a lot of strikeouts and bolster an incredibly weak rotation, as well as an outfield spot to give top prospect Lorenzo Cain a chance to make an impact, while the Giants get a young outfielder who could not only boost their anemic offense, but could also give them a reason not to resign floundering 2010 NLCS MVP Cody Ross to a long term deal. Only time will tell if this trade will work out for either side, or both, but in theory, this should be one of the rare trades that's actually great for everyone involved.

And now, the Rockies have sent utility man Ty Wigginton to the Phillies to a player to be named later or cash. This is a trade that can only further strengthen the Phillies, who have been very busy already this offseason: Wigginton, although not necessarily an offensive powerhouse, is super useful off the bench, and has seen time at nearly every position on the field. He's hit 158 home runs in a 10 year career, and even though he's 34 and a little past the meager prime he had (his only career accolade is that he was an All-Star with the Orioles in 2010), he's a very powerful ace in the hole for any team. Considering that first baseman Ryan Howard injured himself in his last at-bat, it seems like the Phils are scrambling to find viable options to replace him while he's on the DL. With this trade, and the signing of veteran slugger Jim Thome (who used to be a first baseman long ago), they'll at least be able to plug one hole in the dam before it bursts.