Transaction Analysis

Expos trade for Fernando Tatis and Britt Rheams

Look at the Expos!  Who'd have thought that they'd be clever enough to pull off a deal like this?  They struck while the iron was hot, dealing highly sought-after (and extremely over-rated) starter Dustin Hermanson and lefty reliever Steve Kline for stud third baseman Fernando Tatis and prospect Britt Rheams.  Tatis is obviously the crown jewel of this trade, although he struggled through injuries to a .253 average last year.  Nevertheless, he's still only 25 years old, and should rebound to build on his breakout season of 1999 when he hit 34 homers and drove in 107 Cardinals.  Rheams is a bit of a wild card, but after posting a 2.88 ERA in 40.2 innings for St. Louis last season (7 starts), he should be able to grab a low-end spot in the Montreal rotation.  The Expos' lineup suddenly looks pretty formidable, with Vlad, Tatis, Jose Vidro, and Lee Stevens making up the core.  Michael Barrett most likely will move back behind the plate with the addition of Tatis, strengthening two positions.  Great trade for Montreal - we didn't think they had it in them.

Triple Steal rating: Home Run

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TripleSteal Rating Scale:
Grand Slam - A can't miss move; automatically makes the team considerably better.
Home Run - A great move; will help the team now and down the road.
Triple - A good move; plugs a temporary hole or will help in the future.
Double - An average move; team will get what they paid for.
Single - A head-scratcher; could help, but we definitely don't see how.
Out - A panic move; tells fans "hey, we're trying..."
Double Play - A disaster; will make fans angry just thinking about it.