Completing a fantasy baseball trade is usually difficult.  Most trade offers are one sided and make you feel as if you just wasted 30 seconds of your life. Offering an unfair proposal and hoping the opposing team knows nothing about baseball, is not the way to land the player you want.  Fantasy baseball has become huge, and everyone pays attention.  You have to take a different approach.  Here are some ways to do it:

1) Set it up, plan ahead:  Since the time my draft started and the person with the 3 pick was unsatisfied with Vlad, I knew I'd have a shot to get him.  He drafted him, but seemed dissapointed he didn't come away with Pujols or Arod.  As a Mariners fan i knew he would be all over King Felix, and used him as bait.  I talked up Felix as much as possible, as well as Matt Holliday(Coors Field).  Then after a week or so I started talking to him about pulling off the move.  I used his homerism to my advantage and snared Vlad from him.  The more you talk up your own players, the more people think they want them.  Don't bash your players and say you need to make a trade, talk your players up, make them seem irreplaceable, and then trade them.  Planning, monitoring, and watching who you want is the best way to begin a trade.

2) Talk to the other team: A simple trade offer rarely works unless it is completely fair.  To pull off a favorable trade you have to talk to the other person, find out what they need, who they want, and where the holes are on their squad. Every trade I pull off usually comes after talking with the other team for a while, switching players in and out, until finally both teams come to an agreement.  When I am talking to the other person I like to talk my players up, seem reluctant to pull of a deal, and then after I get them where I want them, I pull the trigger.  As a part of a deal to land Victor Martinez, i traded BJ Ryan and received Chris Ray.  Ray is filthy, has more saves than Ryan, and will be a solid closer.  Ryan may be better, but only because he is proven.  Having known this I talked up Ryan as though he was getting the obviously better closer and talked about Ray as though he was iffy, and I would be taking a chance.  Now my opponent is thinking he may be losing Victor Martinez, but he is getting the better end of the deal in Pitching.  Even though Ray and Ryan are almost equal, with Ray currently having the edge in fantasy this season.

3)Go after the homers: By this I don't mean go after the players who hit the baseballs out of the park, I mean go after the opponent who is obsessed with one team. The whole reason I was able to land Victor Martinez was by getting my opponent to add Michael Barrett, who at the time, was on a tear.  Of course, those numbers are unlikely to last and he is nowhere near the fantasy player that Victor is.  But my opponent is a die hard Cubs fan, and will look at Barrett through rose colored glasses, and think he can continue to put up those numbers.  I conviced him to add Barrett, and told him there is no way he could carry two catchers on his roster.  But I could help him out by giving him some players at another position and take Martinez off his hands.   Same with Landing Vlad, i went after the Seattle fan.  King Felix will no doubt be a superstar in the future, but not now, and Vladimir Guerrero is a superstar now.  And now.....well now he's hitting the big fly for my squad. 

4) Using Hot players to your advantage: This is a widely known tool.  Telling my opponent to get Barrett and send me Victor was taking advantage of a hot player, whos current statistics were mind boggling.  I even told my opponent at one point, don't worry about a trade I'll just get Barrett for myself, I don't even want Victor Martinez.  Yes I do, he is a fantasy stud.  

My advice: Trade Chris Shelton-odds are you will land someone who is good, and could produce better numbers.  No way Shelton will keep up his pace.  Nine dongs is great, but in the end what will he end up with.  40 at the most, with nine already, his numbers may seem bloated all year even if and when he cools down.  You have already got the nine dong homerun parade, now trade him while he is hot and scoop a player who has yet to hit a hot streak.