2005 Trade Scorecard

The potential risk: It might take more than Randa to turn around a stalled San Diego offense. While Randa's .847 combined on-base plus slugging percentage ranks him fourth among NL third basemen behind Aramis Ramirez, David Wright and Morgan Ensberg, he's leaving homer-friendly Great American Ball Park for pitcher-friendly Petco. His power numbers are likely to suffer as a result.

The potential reward: Randa is a positive personality and reliable teammate who won't have any trouble blending in in San Diego. He gives the Padres a reliable glove and more offense at third base than Sean Burroughs, who had one homer and a feeble .302 slugging percentage in 255 at-bats this season. Randa's arrival also sends a signal to the San Diego players that GM Kevin Towers is trying to do something -- despite budget limitations and a lack of tradeable prospects on the farm -- to extricate the team from its funk.

Conclusion: Randa has arrived and Burroughs is on his way to Triple-A Portland. Now Towers is working on a Phil Nevin-for-Sidney Ponson trade, which is basically a case of swapping his unproductive, overpaid player for somebody else's.

The potential risk: Cincinnati desperately needs an infusion of young pitching, and Baseball America ranked Chick as San Diego's No. 4 prospect and Germano No. 7. But that's more a commentary on the lack of talent in a weak San Diego farm system than an endorsement of their potential. Chick, 21, was 2-9 with a 5.27 ERA for Double-A Mobile this season. Germano, a control specialist, projects as more a No. 5 starter type than a front-of-the-rotation guy.

The potential reward: Randa's departure clears the way for the Reds to take a look at hot prospect Edwin Encarnacion, who was recalled from Triple-A Louisville and will take over at third base in Cincinnati.

Conclusion: Now that Randa is gone, the rumors will continue to swirl around Adam Dunn, Ken Griffey Jr. & Co. That's a hazard of playing for a team that began the season with high expectations and finds itself 20 games out in late July. When Randa homered off Braden Looper to beat the Mets 7-6 on Opening Day, he never could have envisioned this.

The potential risk: Gerut hit 22 homers and drove in 75 runs in 2003 to become the first Cleveland rookie to lead the team in both departments since Joe Charboneau in 1980. But his power numbers dipped considerably before he blew out his knee last September, and he continued to have trouble driving the ball this year. Gerut, 27, developed a reputation as strong-willed and slow to adjust in Cleveland. He'll try to amend that with the Cubs.

The potential reward: Gerut is a much better defensive player than Dubois, and is capable of playing all three outfield positions. It remains unclear if Dusty Baker will give Gerut extensive playing time in left field or stick with the platoon of Todd Hollandsworth and rookie Matt Murton. Either way, Gerut gives the Cubs a little more experience than Dubois. That's always a plus where Baker is concerned.

Conclusion: Cubs GM Jim Hendry reportedly hasn't given up on his pursuit of Kearns. But if a deal with Cincinnati fails to materialize, he has an outfielder who could be useful in the team's quest for a wild-card spot.

The potential risk: Dubois is a below-average defender, and with Hafner a fixture at DH, he'll be asked to play some right field in Cleveland. It remains to be seen how he'll handle the demands of the position. His arrival could also force manager Eric Wedge to do some lineup juggling. Casey Blake, who has started 71 games in right field, might lose some at-bats, or he could shift to third base and take at-bats from Aaron Boone. Blake is hitting .224 and Boone .214, so neither player can squawk about reduced playing time.

The potential reward: Dubois hit 31 homers in 109 games for the Cubs' Triple-A Iowa farm club last season, so he has some serious thump. With Hafner slow to come back after getting hit in the head by a Mark Buehrle pitch over the weekend, Dubois gives Cleveland some short-term insurance at the DH position.

Conclusion: This isn't as splashy an acquisition as Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro might have preferred. But if Dubois is able to relax in Cleveland -- something he was never able to do under Dusty Baker in Chicago -- he could add a new dimension to the Indians' lineup in the team's bid for a wild-card spot.

The potential risk: The Yankees had to pay $400,000 of the $2.8 million that Florida still owed Leiter. After watching Redding and May get hammered in a 17-1 loss to the Red Sox on Friday, manager Joe Torre probably would have paid that out of his own pocket.

The potential reward: The Yankees saw it in Leiter's 6 1/3-inning performance in a 5-3 victory over the Red Sox on Sunday night. Leiter mixed his fastball, cutter and curveball to great effect against Boston, and exhibited far better control than he had in Florida. If Leiter fails in his final go-round with the Yankees, it won't be because he wilts under pressure. But he needs to throw strikes more consistently.

Conclusion: It's hard to get carried away over one effective start. The Yankees will have a better idea if Leiter is for real after his next appearance, later this week in Anaheim. But is it possible that a team with a $208 million payroll hit the mother lode by bargain shopping? We'll find out soon enough.

The potential risk: Leiter was clearly finished in Miami. But if he has a resurgence in New York and the Marlins continue their fade in the National League East, it won't do much for team morale -- or manager Jack McKeon's job security.

The potential reward: With the 39-year-old Leiter gone, the Marlins can start looking to the future. Prospects Scott Olsen and Jason Vargas are getting a look in a revamped Florida rotation. And Josh Beckett could be back from the disabled list by the weekend.

Conclusion: Leiter's 3-7, 6.64 performance wasn't quite on a par with Juan Pierre's .319 on-base percentage or Mike Lowell's four homers in 300 at-bats on the disaster meter in Florida. But he clearly contributed to the Marlins' disappointing showing this season.

The potential risk: Wilson has a history of knee problems. He is also leaving one of baseball's most hitter-friendly parks, Coors Field, for a hitter's graveyard in RFK Stadium. As a member of the Rockies, Wilson hit .281 with 10 homers and 34 RBI in Colorado and .235 with six homers and 15 RBI on the road. Jose Guillen, Washington's best run producer, has hit only one of his 18 homers this year at RFK. Wilson might be in for an awakening when he crushes a few balls and watches them die at the track.

The potential reward: Wilson, who homered in his first game with Washington, gives manager Frank Robinson a veteran presence in the cleanup spot. Despite concerns over his health, he had been running and hitting with more confidence since removing a brace from his left knee in late May. Wilson's arrival allows Robinson to shift Marlon Byrd (no homers in 134 at-bats) to the bench. It also sends a signal in the Washington clubhouse that management is doing all it can to make a run at the National League East title. After all the hard times the Washington players went through in Montreal, they have to appreciate the support from the front office.

Conclusion: The Nationals have already used 46 players, three short of the franchise record. With the always-aggressive Jim Bowden in charge, they're sure to end up somewhere in the 50s.

The potential risk: Todd Helton wasn't getting a lot of quality pitches to hit with Wilson behind him in the batting order. That's not likely to improve now that Garrett Atkins is protecting him. It also remains to be seen how Day will adjust to life at altitude. The Coors Field factor is always a consideration when the Rockies bring in a new pitcher.

The potential reward: Day starts out in the bullpen for manager Clint Hurdle, but will slide into the rotation if the Rockies trade Shawn Chacon. Day throws a sinkerball and has a career ground ball-to-fly ball ratio of 2.34, so his repertoire is well-suited for life at Coors Field. He is also reasonably-priced -- always a plus where the Rockies are concerned. As for J.J. Davis, he's a former Pirates No. 1 pick and noted "tools" guy who has never played up to his potential. The Rockies sent him to Triple-A Colorado Springs, and he'll remain there barring injuries or a surprise.

Conclusion: If Day slides in behind Jason Jennings, Jeff Francis and Aaron Cook as the Rockies' fourth starter next year, this will go down as a serviceable trade by Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd. If not, it will be remembered as another Rockies salary dump.