Hot Stove Update: Rockies Acquire Jake McGee for Corey Dickerson

The Rockies seemed almost certain to trade one of their OF's this offseason and they got a pretty good pitcher in return for the riskiest of their 3 trade targets.  Corey Dickerson had a sensational 2014 season, but struggled last year with plantar fasciitis and a rib fracture.  The Rays apparently like his bounceback potential enough to give up LHP Jake McGee and a pitching prospect for him.  The move is a curious one for the Rays as they traded from one position of depth for another position of possibly even more depth.  They already had an OF of Desmond Jennings, Kevin Kiermeier and Steven Souza with Brandon Guyer and Mikie Mahtook in reserve.  In addition to injury concerns, Dickerson has a pretty severe L-R split.  You always have to wonder about players who put up big numbers in Coors Field and Dickerson also has a pretty severe home-away split.

McGee is a tremendously versatile and effective LH relief pitcher who can do what Jeremy Affeldt did for the Giants only with better raw stuff.  He has the stuff to be a closer, but can also be used in high-leverage situations against LH batters or can go multiple innings if needed.  I'm calling this a clear win for the Rockies although you also have to wonder about any pitcher coming to Coors Field.

The Rays also signed Steven Pearce a RH hitting 1B/DH/OF.  He will probably be used strictly as a platoon 1B/DH bat in Tampa Bay, so probably does not impact the OF situation there.

Doug Fister ended up signing a 1 year/$7 M deal with the Astros with incentives which could take him to $10 M.  I like this deal for the Astros as their is minimal risk for them and if Fister bounces back at all, they get surplus value.  I would have been OK with the Giants spending their money on, say, a Cespedes and signing Fister to this deal as their second pitching acquisition, but I'm OK with the Cueto/Shark/Span trio too.