In a move that could reshape the National League Central as we know it, the Houston Astros, led by former Cardinals GM Jeff Luhnow, have traded the Toronto Blue Jays four random guys for six other random guys. "Our strategy is built around having more guys than the other team," Luhnow said in a statement following the trade. The final tally: The Astros sent Brandon Lyon, J.A. Happ, and former St. Louis farmhand David Carpenter (sent over in the execrable Pedro Feliz trade) to the Blue Jays for Francisco Cordero, Ben Francisco, Joe Musgrove, Asher Wojciechowski, David Rollins, Carlos Perez, and a player to be named later.
↵Francisco Cordero, the erstwhile Reds closer, is the biggest name in the deal despite being a 37-year-old with an ERA of 5.77; that might make this deal look like a salary dump, except that Lyon, the aging reliever going to the Blue Jays, is both more expensive and more effective.
↵This reminds me most of an NBA trade--like some really weird things are going on to make the money balance out, and someone has inadvertently acquired Jamal Mashburn's contract.
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