The Anatomy of a Tricky Trade

Follow me on this, if you can.

Friday, the RailCats acquired infielders Joe Anthonsen and Brad Dutton from Rockford of the Frontier League to complete a trade they made nearly one year ago. That’s when the ‘Cats traded Jim Paduch to the RiverHawks in exchange for these players to be named later.

But it’s not that simple. The move to acquire the players to be named later (now Anthonsen and Dutton) also completed a 2006 trade in which the RailCats traded none other than Anthonsen himself to Rockford for future considerations. Anthonsen was signed by the RailCats after the completion of his college career and was with the team through spring training in 2006 before being traded to Rockford, where he has spent the last three seasons. So essentially, the RailCats traded Anthonsen for himself (three seasons later) and sent Paduch out in exchange for Dutton.

Again, if only it were that simple.

Dutton and Anthonsen may never actually suit up for the RailCats, who now must send one of the two to Joliet, completing a July trade for Brian Forystek. If that player happens to be Anthonsen, the career .293 hitter (who hit a career-best .352 and drove in 50 runs in 2008) will have enjoyed one of the strangest and briefest careers a RailCat has ever had.