2018 trade package #17: Baseball Card Breakdown

When it comes to trading, "good things come in small packages" is more than just a cliche; it's often true.  I like an envelope stuffed with cards as much as the next blogger but I'm just as appreciative of a PWE that contains just a few.  Like the one I got from custom card king Gavin of Baseball Card Breakdown the other day, for example (for the second month in a row, no less).  When you get as lazy as I do about posting, having to scan and write about three cards is a treat!

So what kinds of things could be contained in a PWE from Gavin?  How about...

...a 2016 Topps Heritage RC of an impeccably bearded Michael Fulmer?  As I've said the last few times I've mentioned him this year his 2018 campaign hasn't quite gone according to plan, a bit of a continuation from a relatively disappointing 2017 that followed his 2016 Rookie of the Year season.  It's hard to say if that's due to injury--he's currently on the shelf with an oblique strain--but the silver lining for Tigers fans is that it makes him much less likely to be traded, at least this year.  Count me among the folks that would like to see the talented Fulmer stick around in Motown as long as possible!

What else could he have slipped in?  Try...

BLUE MANY VERLANDERS!  Hahahahahaha, I kill myself.  Kudos to Gavin for combining three of my favorite cardboard likes:  Justin Verlander, Refractors, and the color blue.  The lefty is from 2015 Finest and is numbered 128/150.  It's just my third Verlander from that product (base and regular Refractor).  Meanwhile the one on its right is from 2017 Topps Chrome and is nearly identical in being numbered 133/150.  The '17 flagship design didn't lend itself well to the Gold parallel but it works very nicely with Chrome's color variations, that's for sure.

By the way, considering Verlander was the AL's ROY in 2006, how soon should we expect the Tigers to draft 2026's award-winning pitcher?  Maybe 2022?  Regardless, Gavin is on the hook for sending me at least one card of that future Tiger star--I'm putting that in writing right here.

Thanks again for a fun PWE that was both rewarding and relaxing, Gavin!  I already having something set aside for you that I'll send you the next time I get some trade packages out, and hopefully by then it'll have been joined by a few friends.  For now, please keep those amazing customs coming!