Trades of the Ned Colletti Era

Since I have some free time on my hands, I decided to evaluate the trades of Snakeskin.  Despite my feelings, I wanted to be as objective as I could be.  I used a metric similar to Doug Decatur (http://www.amazon.com/Traded-Inside-Lopsided-Baseball-History/dp/0879464127/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338949305&sr=8-1) whereby I added up the WAR (per Baseball-Reference) for all players on both sides of the trade after the trade.  This doesn't take into account the player leaving the team though.  The goal is to show which group performed the best in the Majors after the trade -- the players the Dodgers gave up or the players they got back.  Issues of contract (such as Pierre), free agency (such as Blake), or quality play for another team (such as Thome) are not considered here.  Reasons the players left or stayed with the Dodgers are not considered here.  (The nice part is if the player was traded away, the future bWAR are canceled out.)

Ned came on the job in November 2005.  Per Baseball-Reference, the Dodgers have had 38 trades since then.  This does not include simply purchasing/selling a player.  (Tomas Perez seems more like a purchase, but it's a trade for these purposes per its BR listing.)  Don't worry about the math.  It's done at the bottom.  bWAR is listed for each player post trade, with the asterisks showing it is counting from midseason after the trade in question.

The Trades

1. December 13, 2005: Traded Milton Bradley (+8.2 bWAR 2006–2011) and Antonio Perez (-1.1 bWAR 2006) to the Oakland Athletics.  Received Andre Ethier (+14.1 bWAR 2006–2012).
2. January 4, 2006: Traded Duaner Sanchez (+0.8 bWAR 2006, 2008–2009) and Steve Schmoll (never appeared again in Majors) to the New York Mets.  Received Tim Hamulack (-0.8 bWAR 2006) and Jae Wong Seo (-1.0 bWAR 2006–2007).
3. January 14, 2006: Traded Chuck Tiffany (never appeared in Majors) and Edwin Jackson (+11.7 bWAR 2006–2012) to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.  Received Danys Baez (-1.4 bWAR 2006–2007, 2009–2011) and Lance Carter (-0.3 bWAR 2006).
4. March 31, 2006: Traded Jarod Plummer (never appeared in Majors) to the Kansas City Royals.  Received Wilson Valdez (+0.1 bWAR 2007, 2009–2012).
5. April 24, 2006: Traded Cody Ross (+9.6 bWAR 2006*–2012) to the Cincinnati Reds.  Received a player to be named later, who became Ben Kozlowski (never appeared again in Majors).
6. June 27, 2006: Traded a player to be named later, who became Justin Ruggiano (+0.6 bWAR 2007–2008, 2011–2012), Dioner Navarro (+0.8 bWAR 2006*–2011), and Jae Weong Seo (-0.7 bWAR 2006*–2007) to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.  Received Toby Hall (-1.1 bWAR 2006*–2008), Mark Hendrickson (-0.3 bWAR 2006*–2011), and cash.
7. July 23, 2006: Traded Sandy Alomar (-0.1 bWAR 2006*–2007) to the Chicago White Sox.  Received B.J. LaMura (never appeared in Majors).
8. July 25, 2006: Traded Blake Johnson (never appeared in Majors), Julio Pimentel (never appeared in Majors), Odalis Perez (+1.0 bWAR 2006*–2008), and cash to the Kansas City Royals.  Received Elmer Dessens (+0.1 bWAR 2006*–2010).
9. July 28, 2006: Traded Willy Aybar (+0.9 bWAR 2006*, 2008–2010), Danys Baez (-1.2 bWAR 2006*–2007, 2009–2011), and cash to the Atlanta Braves.  Received Wilson Betemit (+0.5 bWAR 2006–2012).
10. July 31, 2006: Traded Sergio Pedroza (never appeared in Majors) and Joel Guzman (-0.3 bWAR 2007) to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.  Received Julio Lugo (-2.2 bWAR 2006*–2011).
11. July 31, 2006: Traded Cesar Izturis (+1.3 bWAR 2006–2012) to the Chicago Cubs.  Received Greg Maddux (+4.2 bWAR 2006*–2008).
12. August 31, 2006: Traded Jhonny Nunez (-0.1 bWAR 2009) to the Washington Nationals.  Received Marlon Anderson (+1.1 bWAR 2006*–2009).
13. March 26, 2007: Traded Elmer Dessens (0.0 bWAR 2007–2010) to the Milwaukee Brewers.  Received Brady Clark (-0.4 bWAR 2007–2008) and cash.
14. March 29, 2007: Traded nothing to the Chicago Cubs.  Received Tomas Perez (-0.2 bWAR 2009).
15. May 26, 2007: Traded Tomas Perez (-0.2 bWAR 2009) to the Chicago White Sox.  Received Dwayne Pollok (never appeared in Majors).
16. July 31, 2007: Traded Wilson Betemit (0.0 bWAR 2007–2012) to the New York Yankees.  Received Scott Proctor (-2.1 bWAR 2007–2008, 2010–2011).
17. August 9, 2007: Traded a player to be named later, who became Travis Denker (+0.1 bWAR 2008), to the San Francisco Giants.  Received Mark Sweeney (-1.0 bWAR 2008–2009).
18. April 8, 2008: Traded Eric Hull (never appeared again in Majors) to the Boston Red Sox.  Received Christian Lara (never appeared in Majors) and cash.
19. June 6, 2008: Traded Juan Rivera (never appeared in Majors) to the Kansas City Royals.  Received Angel Berroa (-1.3 bWAR 2008–2009).
20. July 26, 2008: Traded Jon Meloan (+0.3 bWAR 2008–2009) and Carlos Santana (6.3 bWAR 2010–2012) to the Cleveland Indians.  Received Casey Blake (+8.6 bWAR 2008*–2011) and cash.
21. July 31, 2008: Traded Bryan Morris (never appeared in Majors) and Andy LaRoche (-0.3 bWAR 2008*–2011) to the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Received Manny Ramirez (+5.9 bWAR 2008*–2011) from the Boston Red Sox.
22. August 19, 2008: Traded a player to be named later, who became Eduardo Perez (never appeared in Majors), and a player to be named later, who became Michael Watt  (never appeared in Majors) to the San Diego Padres. Received Greg Maddux (-0.2 bWAR 2008*).
23. April 15, 2009: Traded Delwyn Young (-1.1 bWAR 2009) to the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Received a player to be named later, who became Eric Krebs (never appeared in Majors), and a player to be named later, who became Harvey Garcia (never appeared again in Majors).
24. July 30, 2009: Traded Steve Johnson (never appeared in Majors) and Josh Bell (-1.1 bWAR 2010–2012) to the Baltimore Orioles.  Received George Sherrill (+0.8 bWAR 2009*–2012).
25. July 31, 2009: Traded Claudio Vargas (+0.6 bWAR 2009*–2010) to the Milwaukee Brewers.  Received Vinny Rottino (-0.2 bWAR 2011–2012).
26. August 31, 2009: Traded Justin Fuller (never appeared in Majors) to the Chicago White Sox.  Received Jim Thome (+4.5 bWAR 2009*–2012) and cash.
27. August 31, 2009: Traded a player to be named later, who became Victor Garate (-0.2 bWAR 2009), and Luis Garcia (never appeared in Majors) to the Washington Nationals.  Received Ronnie Belliard (+0.6 bWAR 2009*–2010).
28. August 31, 2009: Traded a player to be named later, who became Tony Abreu (-1.4 bWAR 2010), to the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Received Jon Garland (+1.4 bWAR 2009–2011).
29. December 15, 2009: Traded Juan Pierre (+0.2 bWAR 2010–2012) to the Chicago White Sox.  Received a player to be named later, who became John Ely (-0.4 bWAR 2010–2011), and a player to be named later, who became Jon Link (-0.1 bWAR 2010).
30. July 28, 2010: Traded Elisaul Pimentel (never appeared in Majors) and Lucas May (-0.5 bWAR 2010) to the Kansas City Royals.  Received Scott Podsednik (0.0 bWAR).
31. July 31, 2010: Traded Brett Wallach (never appeared in Majors), Kyle Smit (never appears in Majors), and Blake DeWitt (-0.3 bWAR 2010*–2012) to the Chicago Cubs.  Received Ted Lilly (+3.1 bWAR 2010*–2012), Ryan Theriot (+0.1 bWAR 2010*–2012), and cash.
32. July 31, 2010: Traded Andrew Lambo (never appeared in Majors) and James McDonald (+4.3 bWAR 2010*–2012) to the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Received Octavio Dotel (+1.0 bWAR 2010*–2012).
33. September 18, 2010: Traded Octavio Dotel (+0.7 bWAR 2010*–2012) to the Colorado Rockies.  Received a player to be named later, who became Anthony Jackson (never appeared in Majors).
34. November 30, 2010: Traded Ryan Theriot (-0.3 bWAR 2011–2012) to the St. Louis Cardinals.  Received Blake Hawksworth (-0.5 bWAR 2011).
35. December 27, 2010: Traded Chin-lung Hu (-0.4 bWAR 2011) to the New York Mets.  Received Michael Antonini (never appeared in Majors).
36. July 31, 2011: Traded Rafael Furcal (+2.4 bWAR 2011*–2012) to the St. Louis Cardinals.  Received Alex Castellanos (+0.1 bWAR 2012).
37. July 31, 2011: Traded Trayvon Robinson (-0.3 bWAR 2011)  to the Seattle Mariners.  Received Juan Rodriguez (never appeared in Majors), Stephen Fife (never appeared in Majors), and Tim Federowicz (+0.2 bWAR 2011) from the Boston Red Sox.
38. December 8, 2011: Traded Dana Eveland (+0.2 bWAR 2012) to the Baltimore Orioles.  Received Jarret Martin (never appeared in Majors) and Tyler Henson (never appeared in Majors).

The Value of the Trades (Players Received/Players Lost)

1. +7.0 (Ethier for Bradley/Perez)
2. -2.6 (Seo/Hamulack for Sanchez/Schmoll)
3. -13.4 (Baez/Carter for Jackson/Tiffany)
4. +0.1 (Valdez for Plummer)
5. -9.6 (Kozlowski for Ross)
6. -2.1 (Hall/Hendrickson for Navarro/Seo/Ruggiano)
7. -0.1 (LaMura for Alomar)
8. -0.9 (Dessens for Perez/Johnson/Pimentel)
9. +0.8 (Betemit for Aybar/Baez)
10. -1.9 (Lugo for Guzman/Pedroza)
11. +2.9 (Maddux for Izturis)
12. +1.2 (Anderson for Nunez)
13. -0.4 (Clark for Dessens)
14. -0.2 (Perez for nothing)
15. +0.2 (Pollok for Perez)
16. -2.1 (Proctor for Betemit)
17. -1.1 (Sweeney for Denker)
18. 0.0 (Lara for Hull)
19. -1.9 (Berroa for Rivera)
20. +2.3 (Blake for Meloan/Santana)
21. +6.2 (Ramirez for LaRoche/Morris)
22. -0.2 (Maddux for Perez/Watt)
23. +1.1 (Krebs/Garcia for Young)
24. +1.9 (Sherrill for Bell/Johnson)
25. -0.8 (Rottino for Vargas)
26. +4.5 (Thome for Fuller)
27. +0.8 (Belliard for Garate/Garcia)
28. +2.8 (Garland for Abreu)
29. -0.7 (Ely/Link for Pierre)
30. +0.5 (Podsednik for May/Pimental)
31. +3.5 (Lilly/Theriot for DeWitt/Wallach/Smit)
32. -3.3 (Dotel for McDonald/Lambo)
33. -0.7 (Jackson for Dotel)
34. -0.2 (Hawksworth for Theriot)
35. +0.4 (Antonini for Hu)
36. -2.3 (Castellanos for Furcal)
37. +0.5 (Federowicz/Fife/Rodriguez for Robinson)
38. -0.2 (Martin/Henson for Eveland)

Total :-8.0

Average: -0.2

17 positive; 20 negative

Ranking the Trades (No Attempt to Break Ties)

1. +7.0 (Ethier for Bradley/Perez)
2. +6.2 (Ramirez for LaRoche/Morris)
3. +4.5 (Thome for Fuller)
4. +3.5 (Lilly/Theriot for DeWitt/Wallach/Smit)
5. +2.9 (Maddux for Izturis)
6. +2.8 (Garland for Abreu)
7. +2.3 (Blake for Meloan/Santana)
8. +1.9 (Sherrill for Bell/Johnson)
9. +1.2 (Anderson for Nunez)
10. +1.1 (Krebs/Garcia for Young)
11t. +0.8 (Betemit for Aybar/Baez)
11t. +0.8 (Belliard for Garate/Garcia)
13t. +0.5 (Podsednik for May/Pimental)
13t. +0.5 (Federowicz/Fife/Rodriguez for Robinson)
15. +0.4 (Antonini for Hu)
16. +0.2 (Pollok for Perez)
17. +0.1 (Valdez for Plummer)
18. 0.0 (Lara for Hull)
19. -0.1 (LaMura for Alomar)
20t. -0.2 (Perez for nothing)
20t. -0.2 (Maddux for Perez/Watt)
22t. -0.2 (Hawksworth for Theriot)
22t. -0.2 (Martin/Henson for Eveland)
24. -0.4 (Clark for Dessens)
25t. -0.7 (Ely/Link for Pierre)
25t. -0.7 (Jackson for Dotel)
27. -0.8 (Rottino for Vargas)
28. -0.9 (Dessens for Perez/Johnson/Pimentel)
29. -1.1 (Sweeney for Denker)
30t. -1.9 (Lugo for Guzman/Pedroza)
30t. -1.9 (Berroa for Rivera)
32t. -2.1 (Hall/Hendrickson for Navarro/Seo/Ruggiano)
32t. -2.1 (Proctor for Betemit)
34. -2.3 (Castellanos for Furcal)
35. -2.6 (Seo/Hamulack for Sanchez/Schmoll)
36. -3.3 (Dotel for McDonald/Lambo)
37. -9.6  (Kozlowski for Ross)
38. -13.4 (Baez/Carter for Jackson/Tiffany)

Conclusions

Not surprisingly, the Ethier trade is Ned's best despite giving up a player with plenty of baseball left in him in Bradley.  The Ramirez trade is not surprisingly the second best, especially as LaRoche never turned into the player we expected him to be.  Thome cannot be considered a good one for the Dodgers since he did next to nothing as a PH and all of that value was with other clubs.  The Dodgers obviously gave up nothing of value.  The Lilly trade has actually worked out well.  The first Maddux trade has a lot of value from his time in San Diego, but he did contribute for the 2006 Dodgers.  (And having Maddux as a Dodger was awesome for memories.)  I was surprised that Garland ranked so high and Blake as low as it did.  If Santana continues as expected will be ugly long term.  I didn't expect it to look like that already.

Trading Edwin Jackson and Cody Ross for essentially nothing in return (literally in the case of Ross/Kozlowski who never played in the Majors) are by far the worst trades made under Ned's watch.  I doubt anyone foresaw Ross's development, but Jackson was a top prospect at the time.  While there are other bad ones, these are easily the disasters of this regime.

Obviously with most of these players still active, it will be a long while before trades of Colletti or any GM can be fully evaluated.  I have not attempted to compile similar lists for Colletti's contemporaries.  But one has to feel like Ned struck gold his first time panning in the river and beyond acquiring a HOF talent (regardless of his failed drug tests), he does not have anything to be too proud of.  The converse is that with two disastrous trades, he hasn't screwed up too royally (although McDonald for Dotel will be worse every single year).  And the two worst trades are worse than the two best trades are good.