=== INPUT ===

Beltran is a known "+1.5 WAR" quantity:  it's known that (1) he will walk at the end of 2011, so you got 60 games of him ... (2) he's a 300/400/500 cleanup hitter who is playing great right now; he's also a star who bats switch and plays corner OF decently  ... (3) he projects to +1.5 or +2.0 wins above replacement (WAR), depending on how you compare him to existing Giants outfielders.

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This move was about winning in the playoffs.  The Giants were already headed to the playoffs -- 75% per CoolStandings, higher than that per Bill James' "Baseball history is woven with the fabric of great starting pitchers" axiom.  

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Zack Wheeler is a low-minors superstar SP ranked in the top 40 in baseball ... easily comparable to Taijuan Walker, as far as baseball is concerned.

BaseballHQ says "fastball tops out at 97 mph... grade 9D [good shot at All-Star in MLB] ... 4-star slider is wipeout pitch ... power curveball as well".  They go on to say "Easy heat, very athletic, tremendous upside."  So, Taijuan Walker is a striking comparable (not exact copy, Egbert, but "comparable") here.

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Beltran had $6.5M left on his contract.  The Mets will pay 60% of that for the Giants.   And the Giants will get no comp picks back to ease the pain of losing Wheeler; Beltran can't be offered arbitration.

It's Taijuan Walker for two months of Carlos Beltran at a pro-rated $6M salary.

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