In a lot of ways, transactions in the game of baseball feel scripted these days. Almost every team uses roughly the same ways to evaluate players and determine their worth in terms of dollars. After that, it just comes down to the level of a team's need and how many resources they have at their disposal. It feels sterile in a lot of ways, but a recent trade made by Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown is almost a throwback to a simpler time.
A couple of weeks ago, the Astros traded for Kai-Wei Teng, and the move was considered to be an afterthought for many.