In the current edition of SI, Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus lists five trades which he says would benefit both teams.  Here's number five:

"Indians trade SS Jhonny Peralta to the Cubs for OF Matt Murton and RHP Sean Gallagher.  Rather than move Peralta to second or third base to make room for Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland should trade him near the peak of his value for a much-needed corner-outfielder bat.  The Cubs made do with fan fave Ryan Theriot at short this year, but Peralta, 25, is a clear upgrade.  His below-average defense with the Tribe wouldn't be as much of a liability with the Cubs' high-strikeout, fly ball staff."

My first thought was, "Make room for Cabrera?  He's the starting second baseman!"  Rather, we'd be opening a hole in the infield, and as Jay and others have recently pointed out, it's dangerous to assume that Barfield can fill it.

Murton will be 26 all of next season.  Peralta will turn 26.  Gallgher, the wildcard of the deal, will be 22.

Career lines of note...

Jhonny Peralta

1,914 MLB ABs and this season closely mirrors his career average.

.336 OBP, .425 SLG, questionable range - though perhaps his defense is not as bad as when Jay joked that he had a paralyzed left side.

Matt Murton

If he's going to be an offensive force in the big leagues, it needs to happen soon.  He's not a young prospect anymore; he should be peaking soon.

2007 with Cubs: 235 ABs, .352 OBP, .438 SLG.  It's a slight downshift from previous MLB numbers.  

MLB career: 830 ABs, .296 AVG, .365 OBP, .455 SLG.  He's had a solid-if-unspectacular 87 walks in 830 ABs.  But I'm optimistic there's room for improvement on the OBP side.  His minor league numbers are not far off, with an OPS of .851 in 1142 ABs.

Sean Gallagher

I'd like to learn more about him.  Interesting numbers with strong strikeout rates for a young age -- he struck out more than a batter per inning in AA at the age of 20.

Total minor league stats: 452 IP, 452 K, 387 hits, 179 BB, 2.75 ERA, 1.25 WHIP.

The Cubs did call him up and he made eight appearances out of the bullpen this season.  He pitched 15 innings and got rocked, but who cares about that.

I'm curious as to whether someone like Joe would post trade ideas out of thin air, or if he has any inside knowledge.  Likely the former, eh?

And would you make this trade?