[TeixeiraFanatic]

So, some people are saying that the A's trading Russell for Samardzija and Hammel is just about the same as the Royals trading Myers for Shields, because they are trading a Top 10 prospect for 2 years of pitching that they hope can get them into and deep into the playoffs.

Seriously?

Trading for Shields made the Royals an above .500 team, not a playoff contender. Also, they weren't trading just a prospect in Myers, they were trading a top prospect that would likely have been the starting RF to begin the season.

The A's are already in first and have a good shot at winning it all. By getting Shark and Hammel, they are bettering their chances even more. Russell is a tremendous talent and I believe he will live up to his hype, however, he's only played 14 games above High-A ball.

Myers was going to make an impact that year, while Russell won't be in the majors until next year most likely. Saying these two trades are the same is pretty ignorant of the fact that the two teams trading their prospects were in two totally different states of contention.