General Manager Berger on Line 1

I was thinking about baseball trades today and the ability for teams to rebuild on the run. Last year I advocated the Yankees to try to trade a guy like Mussina who, though valuable, could help the Yankees restock the "farm" without dismantling the team. Of course they turned around the season and still made the playoffs and now Mussina is helping lead the drive to the playoffs this year.

So, if you dont want to trade a veteran from a team that contends every year, then what about trading youth from a team in the middle of a rebuild. Now before you scratch your head to the point of scalp removal, please read my case study...The San Francisco Giants. Right now the Giants are a bad team in a worse division. They just traded Ray Durham and are cleary in Post-Bonds rebuild. I think they should make one more trade...trade TIM LINCECUM! Now, if you were scratching your head before, I can only imagine what you are thinking now. I say, that Lincecum's value has never been higher nor will it as you have the rare window of opportunity to trade a guy who is EXCELLENT now AND still has pontential to spare. Some people would say that is a reason to lock him up like the Cleveland Indians would do in the past with young players. But I look at the Okaland A's and the Indians themselves (C.C. Sabbathia trade this year for example) as two great reasons to trade Timmy. The A's have showed how you can trade a Haren, Hudson, Mulder, etc. and get solid (if not better) major league ( near major league) ready talent. The Indians have shown that locking up young talent works, but you can end up in a CC Sabbathia situation as well.
I say trade Lincecum and get 3-4 prospects that could all be playing at the major league level within the next 12 months and that wil give you a chance to win a weak National League West quicker than one Tim Lincecum can do by himself.