Completing a trade is probably the most exciting thing a general manager can do for a sports team, so far as fans are concerned. Signing a free agent comes in a close second but a trade is the only move a GM can make that requires the team to give up something more than money and a roster spot. Trades also might be the hardest thing to evaluate because there are so many more pieces to the puzzle than in other kinds of transactions. If you draft a guy and he makes an impact at the major league level it was probably a good draft pick.
Hok Talk: A guide to trade evaluation
