Diamondbacks acquire Shawn Green

On January 10, 2005 the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks completed the long awaited trade sending $10 million, and 32-year-old RF Shawn Green to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for four minor leaguers.

In order for this trade to occur, Green had to waive the “no-trade” clause in his contract with the Dodgers. Green was only willing to do this if the Diamondbacks came up with a contract extension he would be content with. After about a week of negotiating, and many rumors of the trade not happening, Green and the Diamondbacks did finally agree on an extension.

With the new contract extension included, Green’s salaries for each of the next three years now look like so:

2005- $10.5 million

2006- $8 million

2007- $9.5 million

2008- $10 million option with $2 million dollar buyout clause.

Not including the option year of 2008, Green’s new contract essentially pays him $30 million over the next three seasons.

In exchange for Green and the $10 million that Los Angeles sent with him, Arizona sent the Dodgers 20 year old minor league catcher Dioner Navarro, and minor league RHP’s William Jaurez (23 years old), Danny Muegge (23 years old), and Beltran Perez (23 years old).

Here is a look at each players 2004 and career, translated and actual stats:

***For the minor league players involved, only actual statistics will be presented because translated statistics were unavailable***

Diamondbacks receive:

Shawn Green:

2004:
Actual Statistics: .266/.352/.459, 811 OPS, 28 HR, 86 RBI, 114/72 (1.58/1) K/BB
Translated Statistics: .270/.354/.470, .280 EqA

Career:
Actual Statistics: .282/.357/.508, .865 OPS, 281 HR, 885 RBI, 1076/600 (1.79/1) K/BB
Translated Statistics: .288/.360/.524, .295 EqA

Dodgers receive:

Dioner Navarro:

2004 (AA Trenton, AAA Columbus):
.263 AVG/.341 OBP/.366 SLG-.707 OPS, 4 HR , 45 RBI, 61/47 (1.30/1) K/BB Career (Minor Leagues):
.277 AVG/.350 OBP/.402 SLG--.752 OPS, 21 HR, 168 RBI, 198/138 (1.43/1) K/BB

William Juarez

2004 (A South Bend, AA El Paso):
6-8 W-L, 3.71 ERA, 121.3 IP, 8.8 H/9—0.6 HR/9—2.1 BB/9—8.5 K/9

Career (Minor League):
27-19 W-L, 3.07 ERA, 408.0 IP, 9.1 H/9—0.4 HR/9—2.2 BB/9—7.6 K/9

Beltran Perez

2004 (AA El Paso):
2-6 W-L, 4.41 ERA, 104.0 IP, 8.8 H/9—0.9 HR/9—4.0 BB/9—6.7 K/9

Career (Minor League):
31/22 W-L, 3.98 ERA, 480.0 IP, 9.0 H/9—0.7 HR/9—2.9 BB/9—8.1 K/9

Danny Muegge

2004 (A South Bend):
14-4 W-L, 3.12 ERA, 153.0 IP, 8.8 H/9—0.9 HR/9—2.5 BB/9—6.1 K/9

Career (Minor League):
16-7 W-L, 3.32 ERA, 176.0 IP, 9.2 H/9—0.9 HR/9—2.5 BB/9—6.4 K/9

As discussed in my earlier article “Yankees acquire Big Unit,” Navarro is a very good prospect at catcher.

A look at William Jaurez’s number show that he, himself, is also a very good prospect.

Perez, on the other hand, struggled last season. Although he has put up good numbers throughout his minor league career, it may be a concern that he stuggled at his highest current level of competition, AA El Paso.

Muegge, in essentially one minor league season, has put up very good numbers.

All four of the prospects that the Diamondbacks gave up in this deal, show signs of having success in the future…which is all any team (Dodgers) can ask for out of any minor leaguer.

Since the four minor leaguers essentially do not count against the Dodgers major league payroll, and will be making league-minimum salaries anyways, they are essentially not adding any money to the Dodgers total payroll; but to fully look at the financial aspects of this deal for the Dodgers, Shawn Green’s old contract with them must be looked at.

Under that contract, Green was signed through 2005, and was due to make $16 million that year. After looking at that figure, paying $10 million to the Diamondbacks to complete this deal doesn’t look so bad. The Dodgers actually save $6 million by completing this deal ($16 million owed to Green minus $10 million paid to Arizona).

The financial analysis on the Diamondbacks side show an addition of $30 million (Green’s salry) to their payroll through 2007. Factoring in the $10 million received from the Dodgers to help pay part of Green’s salary though, will show that the Diamondbacks will actually pay less than $30 million to Green throughout his stay there.

Subtracting those figures from eachother will show that the Diamondbacks are only paying $20 million for Green’s serives through 2007 ($30 million minus $10 million). This equals out to $6.66 million a year ($20 million divided by 3 years).


The role the Green will be asked to fill for the Diamondbacks is obvious. He will be asked to do what he has his entire career, be the everyday right fielder.

On the other end of the trade, the Dodgers already have their replacement for Green in RF. The younger, newly signed, 29-year-old J.D. Drew


After looking at the financial aspects, as well as the statistics of each involved player, I will say that the Dodgers got the better end of this deal. I say this though because a deeper look at Green’s statistics in each of the past three seasons will show that he has declined in many major offensive categories:

(AVG/OBP/SLG)

2002: .285/.385/.558

2003: .280/.355/.460

2004: .266/.352/.459

Even though $6.66 million per year for a player with Green’s career statistics is a bargain, it really isnt that great of a bargain when one sees the decline he is in.

As for the Dodgers, on top of saving $6 million, which they can use to help pay newly acquired RF J.D. Drew, they get four good prospects.

The best thing about this deal for the Dodgers though, is that with every team (including the Diamondbacks) knowing that the Dodgers were eager to part with Green because of the acquistion of Drew; you’d think the Dodgers would be so eager to trade him away that they’d get a bad package in return for him, but they didn’t. The Dodgers stayed calm, and negotiated themselves into a very good deal.

Good job Paul Depodesta (GM of the Dodgers)

Thank you for reading.

Frank Bundy III

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions, please do not hesitate to email me at frnkbndy@yahoo.com.