I have a new poll up asking whether or not you've ever made a trade and had the players you've acquired get cut from your roster before they ever had a chance to contribute while the ones you dealt still retain all their value for the acquiring team. This is an issue for me because I have to decide whether or not I should protect Oakland A's starting pitcher Joe Blanton, who I acquired with Indians reliever Fernando Cabrera in a trade for Jorge Posada and Jesse Crain, or Devil Rays outfielder Elijah Dukes.
Blanton has had a very shaky spring so far allowing 17 hits and four walks in nine innings of work. On the plus side,though, he has struck out ten. For a pitcher who only punched out 100 or so last season, that is noteworthy.
Because I acquired him, I am biased towards the strikeout totals and the time of year to conclude I made a good gamble when I traded for him. But the side of me that tries to strip out that bias points towards the hits and walks, and combines it with the 2006 production, to conclude I should cut my losses while I can and not risk three or four bombings during the regular season.
There is almost two weeks remaining for me to weigh this decision. A lot could happen - injuries, trades, Dukes not making the team, but I want to be ahead of the final decision. What do you think?