As the season goes on and on, it seems that trades are becoming less and less fervent. What do you think this possible drop in trades means? or where do you think it comes from? I believe the question lies in the quality of the trades offered.

Everyone knows who is great out there. Everyone wants Jerry Bilby, Avery Caig, Roy Chamberlin, Scott Petrie, and Ray Coyne. But who can afford to hold such an all-star staff. Time and time again there are offers for these superb players. I receive reports every week about how offers have been made for these so called "franchise players."

Almost every owner has tried to trade for a big name. Sometimes you get lucky and can work out a big deal, but many times you're left wondering why the deal didn't work. The problem I think lies in the inability of owners wanting to "give some to get some." Everybody wants to get a superstar player that will solidify his or her playoff bound team, but no one is willing to give up another star (which position is in excess) to get him.

Take this for an example. An owner offers you 4 players for Jerry Bilby. Now a 5 player deal sounds grand and there are promises that in the 4 players there is a team's 2 top prospects. So the Owen Sound Crusaders gives up Bilby and they get 4 players in return. All of them are minor leaguers who have not been proven on the CBL level and if they are of CBL quality they cannot match Bilby's production.

So then what happens. You trade Bilby. You're left with a 24 man roster, in which you must then decide of the 4 players receive who will best fill Bilby's shoes. However this is impossible. These 4 players combined just barely reach the totals that Bilby has put together and in no way will they be able to all be put on the ACT roster. So in reality you're left with a 1 for 1 deal in which the Owen Sound Crusaders loses its franchise player. This is why none of these deals ever work. Time and time again there are trade offers made on Big time players, a deal that "would satisfy both teams needs" but do the deals really make a difference.

Now you come to the players who are good, but aren't Superhuman. In hopes of just filling that last gap, owners try to go after them to fill a gaping hole in their lineup, but again they are shot down in their attempts. You want to gets a team's decent star, but then is willing to give nothing in return. If a team needs help in the INF and you take one of their best pitchers, the expected result would be you give up some INF. But if you try to acquire their good pitching and return it with lowly RP then there is no way the deal can work. Simply put you have to make deals that are acceptable and beneficial to both teams.

Now the FA system is another thing that seems to be hindering teams. The proverbial " * " or protected status is really playing a big role in trades. Teams can no longer just say yeah we'll take him. Now they are evaluating when he'll be a FA and if a guy will be protected when acquired. Simply I believe the FA system now in place in the CBL is very good. I see no problems. It hurts trading, but hey it keeps teams honest. But how do you expect owners to give up one of their stars, if in return all they are getting are 2 soon to be FA's. So basically you get the services these 2 decent players for half a season and then you are forced to drop them, as there is no room for your protection status. And so trades are hurt. Owners are trying to dish off soon to be FA's but they want to dish them for younger brighter stars.

But again it's not the FA system that is hurting CBL trades, its not the lack of talent or the excessive of inflated ratings. No rather the hindrance of trading is coming from home. It starts with the owners, and that is where the trading problem lies. So just think next time you're about to make a trade proposal. No one wants to give up their Bilby, Caig, or Rudy Crawford. Hell who would actually think of trading these. But otherwise if you're going to make a deal, make it real. Don't offer 5 no good scrubs for one superstar. Just take this one last word with you, if you want to get something, you're gonna have to give something.

Ultimately.....happy trading and good night

Chipp Glass ~~~~~~~ LA WEEKLY