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Keeper League Trade: Trading Bryce Harper

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 03:  Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals hits against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park on August 3, 2012 in Washington, DC.  (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 03: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals hits against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park on August 3, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
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I wanted to get your thoughts on a huge deal I made in the UBA NL-only keeper league last night. Before I get to the deal, let me tell you where I stand. I am currently in second place, 12 points behind the 1st place team.

I am 5 wins from first place in Wins (in 3rd place), which is a 3 point swing.

I am .19 behind in ERA (in 4th place), which is a 4 point swing.

I am .007 behind in WHIP (in 2nd place), which is a 2 point swing.

I am 43 RBIs out of first place in RBI (in 5th place), which is a 5 point swing.

I am .10 behind in batting average (in 9th place), which could result in another 1-6 point swing.

So I can gain anywhere from 15-20 points resulting from this trade with a little less than 2 months left in the season. The details of the deal after the jump:

Here is the deal, which I admittedly agonized over for a few days, yet it seemed like weeks. But, this deal may have never happened if it wasn't for two other deals I made over the weekend. I

n those two deals, I traded a $5 Dee Gordon and out of time Dan Uggla for a $27 Andre Ethier.

Then I traded a $7 Wilson Ramos and a $10 Mitchell Boggs for a $10 Michael Fiers.

With these two deals, I get the pitching help I needed, especially after losing Zack Greinke to the American League, and a solid batting average and RBI hitter in Ethier for Gordon who has speed galore and a terrible batting average, and he is on the DL currently.

So here is the huge deal I made last night:

I get

$50 Joey Votto

$10 R.A. Dickey (out of time)

$3 Jonathan Niese (out of time)

$8 Jordan Zimmerman (out of time)

$10 Jose Altuve (headed to AL next season)

$10 Drew Stubbs (out of time)

$15 Dexter Fowler (out of time)

$4 Josh Thole (two years left)

for

$5 Bryce Harper

$10 Barry Zito

$10 Matt Belisle

$15 Matt Garza

$23 Travis Snider (guaranteed contract)

$10 Joaquin Arias

$10 Sandy Leon

I won this league last season after being about 19-20 points out of first place in July, so I had to go for the repeat. I gave up Harper, who I think can put up a 25 HR, 25 stolen base season in 2013, to go all in on 2012. It is certainly a risk, since I am 12 points out, but I am close enough in several categories to make up some ground quickly with the starting pitchers I received in the deal. In Zimmermann and Dickey, I receive 2 of the top 5 starters in ERA, and now own 5 of the top 14 NL starters in ERA, and 5 of the top 16 NL starters in WHIP.

Once Votto comes off the DL, here is my roster:

C - Devin Mesoraco

C - Josh Thole

1B - Joey Votto

2B - Jose Altuve

SS - Josh Rutledge

3B - Ryan Zimmerman

CO - Chris Johnson

MI - Danny Espinosa

OF - Matt Kemp

OF - Giancarlo Stanton

OF - Drew Stubbs

OF - Dexter Fowler

OF - Gerardo Parra

U - Andre Ethier

U - Brian Bogusevic

P - Cole Hamels

P - A.J. Burnett

P - Chris Capuano

P - Jordan Zimmermann

P - R.A. Dickey

P - Jonathan Niese

P - Michael Fiers

CL - Craig Kimbrel

CL - John Axford

So, do Fake Teamers think I can make up the 12 points to take over first place or was I a complete fool for trading the best keeper in the league?