DALLAS, TX - The latest news from MLP is about another trade. Columbus is sending Connor Garnett to Utah for Jay Devilliers. This is a striaight up deal, no cash involved.

 

This type of trade, when one player on a team is traded straight up for another player, with both playing the same position, is called a “challenge trade”. It would be like a Major League Baseball team trading a second baseman for another team’s second baseman. When no other players or considerations are involved, it is called a “challenge trade” because each team is claiming they are smarter than the other team and knows the player they are getting is better than the player they are trading. In other words, both teams are “challenging” the other team’s read on the players.

 

So, who is the smarter team, Utah or Columbus? Who will win this challenge trade? Let’s examine it from the perspective of each team.

 

Why Utah did it. On face value, Garnett would appear to be the better player. Garnett was drafted higher. Garnett is ranked 14 on the PPA men’s doubles leaderboard, while Devilliers is 18th. In mixed, Devilliers is 15, Garnett 16. In singles, Garnett is 3, Devilliers 15. In terms of 2024 MLP performance, neither Garnett nor Devilliers has played well. Garnett is ranked 37, Devilliers 46. I think Utah looked at the trade, decided not to overthink it, and just said ok, believing they are getting the better player.

 

 

Why Columbus did it. Columbus has underperformed to this point. On paper, Columbus looked to have a pretty good team after the draft. But, pretty much all four players on Columbus have underperformed. Riley Newman has been at best adequate as a first round pick. Meghan Dizon has played very poorly; she was a second round pick, but has played Challnger level to date. Garnett was a third round pick and has had serving issues and apparent chemistry issues with his partners. Not personality issues, but it just does not look like Garnett is jelling with Newman or the women. Brooke Buckner was the 4th round pick and has not played at a Premier level so far.

 

 

I think at this point, Columbus was a bit desperate. They needed to do something to shake up the team. Dizon is untradeable, due to poor performance. At best, a team might offer Columbus a Challenger player for Dizon. Newman could bring value in a trade, but not a first round pick talent. Buckner has limited trade value, again only for a Challenger player. Thus, to break up the team, Garnett was the only logical player to trade. I suspect Columbus just offered him around and traded him for the best male player offered. Devilliers has been fighting an ankle injury for much of the year. At the San Clemente PPA event, he told me he was finally getting close to 100%. I think Columbus wanted to shake up their team, and not find themselves a couple of events from now out of the running for a playoff spot, but without having tried to save the season with a trade.

 

So, who wins the trade? I hate to sound wishy-washy, but I am going with both or neither, depending on how you look at it. For Utah, I think they slightly improve their team, but not enough to get out of last place. The main problem with Utah is that Alix Truong is playing very poorly. Utah should have waived Truong and picked up Megan Fudge at the waiver deadline. Garnett doesn’t solve the women’s doubles problem for Utah. So no real improvement for Utah, in my opinion.

 

For Columbus, I applaud them for trying to shake up their team. This team looked like it was going nowhere. They traded the only logical player to trade. They can hope that Devilliers’ play will improve with his ankle feeling better. I don’t think Columbus can get out of the hole they have dug, and I don’t see them being a playoff team at this point. But I give them credit for trying.

 

In the end, I think this is a trade between two non-playoff teams that does not change the big picture outlook for either team. But no harm in trying.

 

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