SEATTLE (AP):
Seattle turned another blockbuster trade today, sending five players to the New York Gothams for last year's Zotti League Rookie of the Year, Carmelo "The Gimp" Deleon and New York's third round pick in the draft next year. Seattle sent starting pitcher Bradford McGreevy, starting shortstop Derrick Raglin, and three prospects to New York in the deal.
General Manager Mack Shultz was grilled by the press today about whether trading McGreevy, who has the lowest ERA of any of Seattle's starting pitchers this year, and Raglin, who has been the starting shortstop since the franchise's inception, would hurt the team's chances of making it back to the Cecil Cup this year. "We said in the offseason that we're looking to the future and not necessarily this year. We'd like to win now, but we're trying to build a dynasty here. Besides, it's not like the Gimp is chopped liver. The guy can really rake."
McGreevy, or Brad as the Seattle fans famously chanted after last year's deal bringing him to the Emerald City from South Bay, admitted that he'll miss the "action" in Seattle but still sounded upbeat about the deal. "I like the Zotti League. The groupies ... I mean hotels ... are better there. I'll be glad to visit some of my old 'friends.'"
Raglin was much more despondent. "I've never played anywhere but Seattle," he moped. "I've even got my post-Cup-defeat pick-me-up vacation planned. What do I do now? Huh? What do I do now?"
Two of the prospects dealt by Seattle, Samuel Matamoros and Richard Hudock, have been moving through the minor leagues quickly this year and can be expected to join McGreevy and Raglin in New York soon. The third, reliever Otha Wells, has posted a 3.00 ERA in AAA Tacoma this year and may move to the New York bullpen soon.
Deleon, meanwhile, seemed excited about joining a team in the thick of the race. "It gets the heart pumping, you know? I mean, I'm just going to be another piece to the puzzle there, joining Arant, Mudge, and Rawlins in the line-up. I'm looking forward to learning from them and, at the same time, showing what I can do."
To fill McGreevy's spot in the rotation, Seattle is expected to recall Isaac Diehl from AAA. That will give Seattle three five-star prospects in the rotation behind Nelligan and Bird.
Stung by prior Cup defeats, Shultz has stated before that his goal is to build an "overwhelming" team that can't help but win the series. But, one wonders if he has thrown away a chance this year in the illusory hopes of a certain future victory. As always, time will tell.
Jeez, Mack, whom do you still have left from our deal? Arant, for sure, and Hernandez? Is that it?
ReplyDeleteI have Arant, Fernandez, and Novotny left. McGreevy, Sedillo, and Matamoros are now gone. Of course, Fernandez will be gone at the end of the year when his contract expires.
ReplyDeleteBut, I used those three players I got from you, along with some other pieces in my organization that I regarded as expandable, to pick up Carmelo Deleon, Mohammed Stelly, and Covington's first round pick next year. I think that's good value.
This is probably the last trade I'll be making for a while. I have my starting rotation under contractual control for the next three years. They're a five-star starter, a 4.5-star starter, and three five-star prospects. My top three relievers, all five-star guys, are locked up for at least the next three years. I have a long-term starter (either in the majors or hitting the heck out of the ball in AAA) at every position in the field under my control for at least the next three years, with the sole exception of Mr. Arant. The worst rating of those players are my catchers at 2.5 stars.
Assuming I can resign Arant to a long term deal in the next year or so, I don't see a need to make any more big deals. Of course, I might get twitchy and have to do something just to soothe my baseball fever, but that's ok too. Making deals is one of the things I most enjoy about this league.
I do find it amusing that I now have four picks in the third round of next year's draft (HIK, NY, SEA, SB), but no picks in the second or fourth rounds. Basically, if I could find something to do with my sixth round pick, I could ignore every other round of next year's draft.