I'm looking at it as if it is three trades, Matt:
1. LHRP for LHRP: Roll the dice, it's a pick 'em.
2. LoMo for a 22 yr old OBP machine of a CF with no pop. Hey, it was either LoMo at 1B or Trumbo and we got something that might be nice for LoMo. If this was a 1 'fer 1 trade, there is no way I would be terribly disappointed.I will point out here that Powell hit LHP better than RHP last year. I'm betting DiPoto sees him as a non-platoon guy. If he is an everyday guy (and glovey) then this was a steal for us.
3. Miller for Karns. The ascendency of Marte is the real meaning of the move. But beneath the main story is the fact that some MLB teams (there must be more than one) see Miller as their SS. And we have a bunch of guys who are going to battle for 4 and 5 in the rotation. Paxton (health), Elias, Montgomery, Karns. Not a bad group to go with, I think.
I'm a considerable Miller fan, for sure. But Miller wasn't going to be our SS, unless Marte went to CF, and DiPoto was quick to say that that wasn't happening.
I guess you could look at the trade as LoMo for Karns (we win) and Miller for Powell (jury is out).
DiPoto said that he wasn't going to be a big player in the FA field, but he's shown, in a hurry, that he's not afraid to be bold.
I'll miss Miller. I think I like the trade.
Edit: There is also a DiPoto statement that he's fine with Chris Taylor as our Bloomquist. I'm fine withthat, too. There also could be some Tyler Smith love from DiPoto (or "like") bouncing around here.
Again, I'm a big Brad Miller fan. He'll hit 18 homeruns someday. But he was not going to be our CF and he was not going to be our SS. Ditto at 2B and 3B. For us, he either becomes a versatile utility guy or a platoon COF. Either of those roles are pretty swap-able.
Karns and Taijuan ran identical 4.07 FIP's last year. Gimme the 23 year old kid, who is ready to make the big leap to fearsomeness.
In his Age 22 seasons, with 465 MLB innings under his belt, Felix had a line that looked like this (on top) and Taijuans was like that (on bottom)
1.385 WHIP 3.80 FIP 8.9 H/9 .8 HR/9 3.6 BB/9 7.8 K/9
1.196 WHIP 4.07 FIP 8.6 H/9 1.2HR/9 2.1 BB/9 8.3 K/9
Taijuan had, of course, all of 53 MLB innings uder his belt when the season began. In the 2nd half of '15 he allowed a line of .236-.279-.388. OK, he's not Felix, but he's about to become a minor RHP monster. On Opening Day '16, he's better than Karns. And I like Karns a lot.
The Miller for Karns deal is a throwback. It was a young, cost-controlled SS (for a bunch of teams) with an upside, for a young, cost-controlled RH starter with an upside. Those trades don't happen much anymore.
I think I like DiPoto already.