Off-season Trade Reviews

Hey all, basebalguru is back with your trade reviews! Here we go:

The New York Tough Guys and the Minnesota Skeeters kicked off season 26 in World Camp with a blockbuster of a deal.  The Tough Guys got all around 3B Butch Reliaford.  He is coming off a stellar season with 43HRs and driving in 120RBIs.  He also hit a career best 312 and had an OPS of 912.  The Tough Guys are hoping he had duplicate those numbers.  The Skeeters got SP Alex Astacio.  Astacio has had some bad luck with wins and losses as hes only 3gms over 500 in his career but hes got about 50more innings pitched in his career then hits allowed and his ERA is at a very respectable 3.36.  The Skeeters also got 3B slick fielding and swift base running Tripp Heiserman.  Heisermans range has diminished as hes getting older but anything he gets to he should make the play with an above average glove for 3B.  The Tough Guys are banking Reliford keeps up what he did last season. I dont think he does.  This deal favors the Skeeters but not by much.

The San Franciso Fish Tacos cut a deal with new ownership, the Houston Dessert Sluggers.  The Fish Tacos needed an upgrade at SS defensively and they got Keith Beliz. His range is off the charts and his glove is a little below par but he can get the job done.  He wont hit much but hes not their to hit, hes their to field.  In Houstons first move of the franchise they got long relief pitcher Allan Wheeler and prospect starting pitcher Tony Lee.  If Tony Lee can help out on the big league squad then Houstons first deal of their franchise is a winner.

Cheyenne Cherokees made a deal with another new franchise in Camp this season with the Arizona wranglers.  The Cherokees got SS John Dong.  Dong is a power hitting SS who should probably play 3B as he is a liability defensively as a SS. He has gold glove potential at 3B but if he is used as a SS expect a lot of errors as hes below par for every defensive rating for a SS.  Arizona got prospect C RJ Paredes.  This boy can hit but he should never see the major leagues as a catcher. hes more suited for the AL as a DH or play 1B where he cant hurt defensively as much as he can hurt a team behind the dish.  Arizona also got future SP Max Flores.  Flores has all the tools to be a number 2 or 3 starter at the ML level.  Hes only 20 and still has a few years to develop properly if allowed to and not rushed to the bigs to quick, like a lot of new owners like to do.  He should have pinpoint accuracy when all said and done and will have  legit ML fastball.  The Wranglers also got closer Tomas Andino.  He probably wont develop much more as hes has been in the minors for 4yrs.  Hes got 1 of the best knuckleballs you will ever see and on top of that he throws it with such velocity it makes hitters off balance.  He also has above average control of it which is the hardest pitch to control.  Alot of people have had some issues with the wiley vet getting over on some of the new blood in the world but honestly, Arizona wins this deal.  Dong is consistant and will hit arond 30hrs and drive in close to 100rbis but his defensive skills for a SS are really bad and he will also strikeout consistantly more then he drives in runs. for a guy to hit close to 30HRs and have a career OPS of just at 800 is not that great to be honest.  If the prospects Arizona got pan out the proper way this was a steal for them.  Paredes is a better all around hitter then Dong. Flores should be a middle of the rotation guy for many years. Andino is a run of the mill relief pitcher, nothing special.  Flores and paredes can be special.

Syracuse Orange iguanas and previously owned Helena which has moved their franchise to the great aloha state, capital Honolulu Fighting Pineapples have made a deal. Syracuse got two prospects from Honolulu in exchange for 3B kaito Zhang.  The Fighting Pineapples stockpiled talent last season.  Zhang is gold glove caliber at 3B.  His glove and arm are above average and his range right where it needs to be. Syracuse recieved SS Bill Weston.  He probably wont play much SS at the big league level as hes projected to beunder par defensively for a SS at all of the key ratings.  Syracuse also got 2B Greg Boehringer.  Boehringer was in a lose lose situation with Honolulu as they have so much talent at 2B with players at the ML level and the minor league levels all made it a logjam at that position for them, it made someone expendable.  Boehringer should project to be a really good all around hitter and is capable of playing 2B at the ML level.  I would say the Fighting Pineapples got the better of this deal as both prospects wont be better then Zhang and honestly weston, I feel is way overated and they didnt have to give up any of their top of the line prospects to recieve Zhang.

Cheyenne cut a deal with the Fish Tacos of San fran.  Cheyenne got speedy CF Red Hill.  Hill can play multiple positions but is mainly a CF.  He might be the fastest player in the world.  rumor has it that he can shut off a light switch and be out of the room before the light goes out, thats how fast this guy is. If the Cherokees unleash his  speed, hes capable of swiping 90+ and possibly hit the 100 mark. He needs to get on base more as hes a career 275hitter but his OBP is a little low as its a career 321.  The Fish Tacos got the future ace in Bob Kaufman.  The sky is the limit for this kid.  The only flaw, and this is nitpicking at the very least, he wont give you many CGs as his stamina will get you 6-7 great innings day in and day out.  Hes not built to finish games.  Kaufman has alot of developing still as hes only 19 but his fastball and  velocity are off the charts.  He has a great changeup and curveball as a second and third option if the 95+ fastball isnt working that day.  The Fish Tacos front office must think their a bunch of theives as they stole kaufman right under the Cherokees noses.  Cheyenne must have been desperate to get a leadoff CF. The only way this deal  can be justified for the cherokees is if Hill gets his OBP up to around 335 and he gets nothing short of 80SBs.  pitching is a premium and the Fish Tacos clearly win this deal by a landslide.

Persistance pays off.  After a lot of controversy, the Arizona Wranglers finally found a new home for Bruce Dunwoody, with the Cleveland Criminals.  This one was a blockbuster folks, they also sent relief pitcher Ismael Ethier with Dunwoody to Cleveland.  Dunwoody is an absolute hitting beast.  He might be the best power hitter in the world. His tape measure shots are measured by NASA.  He should easily contend for MVP year in and year out.  Ethier is no slouch by any means.  He recorded 147innings pitched last season as a relief pitcher.  Hes one of the few relief pitchers who can take the ball and pitch in 90 to 100 games.  Guys like him just dont come around that much.  Obviously Cleveland had to give up something to acquire guys like Dunwoody and Ethier.  The Wranglers got middle infielder Tris Grudzielanek, hes an all around slick fielder and an all around complete package hitter.  He can hit lefties and righties equally well.  He has an eye that can rank him in the top 10 in walks consistantly every yr.  He should be in the league leaders in OBP when hes fully developed.  He doesnt have elite speed but hes got enough speed and base running prowess to swipe 20-25SBs if allowed.  Very smart baserunner.  Cleveland also sent LF Jack Uribe to Arizona.  Uribe might be better off as a 1B or DH as the guy just is a complete liability on defense. He wouldnt know what a glove was if u slapped him in the face with one, but lets face it, hes not there to play defense.  The bat is all around ready right now to play in the bigs. He should get a little more time to develop his craft of hitting as i wouldnt rush him anywhere.  He can hit righties and lefties equally well.  He can easily swipe 50+ bases in his sleep  and hes capable of possibly driving in over 100RBIs a year and hit 30+ HRs a year.  This guy can contribute in a lineup like very few can with his versatility of power, contact, and speed.  he can bat leadoff or he can bat cleanup.  If ya got a lineup with a lot of depth in it, he can help it out by batting in the lower part of the lineup.  The Wranglers also got 2B Bill Ott.  With an OBP of a whopping 350 career, this guy is the prototypical leadoff guy.  He has a little pop in his bat, he can hit ya around 15 dingers a year. He also can get 20 to 25 stolen bases a year.  He has great range in the field but hes below average glove and arm for any infielder, and outfielder for that matter. I think Cleveland wins this deal convincingly.  Arizona should have found away to acquire some sort of pitching of any sort as pitching is the premium in any world and to  deal MVP caliber player like dunwoody, you got to find away to get a young ml pitcher ready now or get a top pitching prospect.  I think the Wranglers got the best deal they possibly could have got considering they are a new and up and coming franchise, they decided to make a deal with a veteran front office and the Criminals front office  took advantage of that by not dealing any pitching what so ever in this deal.  Chalk this one up as a learning experience for the Arizona front office.  The Criminals lived up to their namestake on this deal.

Cheyennes front office sure stays busy.  this is their 3rd deal of the offseason and found the Charlotte Tobacco Growers as a dance partner.  They got back of the rotation starting pitcher Lance miller.  Miller is coming off elbow surgery and only started 8games last season.  He is somewhat of an overachiever but Cheyenne is hoping he can return back to his normal form.  Hes got a career ERA of 3.51 and a career OBP of 301.  those are phenominal numbers.  He is due over 10mil over the next 2years, which  after coming off surgery thats a risk.  This must have just been a cash dump for Charlotte as they just wanted to get rid of the damaged goods.  They got prospect relief  pitcher Don Suzuki.  Suzuki has one of if not the best slider in the game.  One problem is he cant really control it that well.  Charlotte probably wasnt looking for much inreturn to get rid of millers contract.  Suzuki might not ever see the big leagues.  This deal is a high risk, high reward for Cheyenne and if Miller can return to form, they hit a homerun with this deal.  They clearly win this one. 

Written By: basebalguru

   

Free Agency Recap- Season 26

Now that the free agency is over, we bring you who we thought were the biggest winners and losers coming out of free agency! After it was all over and the door was shut on open negotiations, there were no teams that failed to pick up some key pieces. Some teams could have used some players, but may instead be looking into their farm system or in the draft for the piece they need. The one team, however, that spent a lot of money and did not get much value were the Arizona Wranglers. In the offseason they traded away some of the biggest pieces of their team and failed to replace them in the free agency. They did sign Orval Cedeno for 8 million and Rico Lugo for 9 million. That is 17 million combined and that will be stuck with them for the next 4 seasons. Both players are aging and neither are great hitters, ok in the field but again, not great. Don't see the reason behind these signings but we don't know everything, so there may be something else behind it.

Another team with question marks around their signings is the San Juan Senadores. They did sign Eduardo Diaz and Alcides DeSoto to contracts that I believe are bargain for the two of them. However,  I'm scratching my head on the signings of Koji Ishida and Bunny Young. Koji's contract would be ok, but he does not deserve the $10 million bonus he will be receiving. He is also an average second setup guy at best in my eyes. On the other hand, Bunny is one hell of a hitter, but $19 million this season? He definitely does not deserve that. He will help the team, but they are wasting money in my opinion. He too does not deserve the $10 million bonus he is getting. Regardless, the Senadores do look very solid going into the season and maybe the overpaid players will help them bring home a championship.

A lot of teams were active in free agency, but the winner is the Suan Juan Senadores despite their bad contracts. Since they can afford it, it will really help their team this year; however, I believe it will come back to bite them in the ass in a few seasons. The losers were Wranglers, they traded their stars, and signed older, worse players in response. It make absolutely no sense to me, but we will see how it all works out. Stay tuned Camp fans, the season will begin soon!

Interview with blues_bros

As you all know, the following season after the World Series, we here at the Camp Post get the opportunity to sit down 1-on-1 with reigning World Series Champions' owner. Here is how it went:

Q: What do you think propelled your team to their first championship in franchise history?
A: Pitching. As you mentioned in the blog post, I've been to the post season ten times, but most of my previous teams were built around offensive production (on multiple occasions I had the best offensive team in terms of runs scored going into the playoffs) and I lost to teams with superior pitching. My team last year was built on pitching and it paid dividends in the playoffs. The secondary factor is a combination of the fact that my team got "hot" after the all-star break and I had more overall team speed to help manufacture runs in close games. All that said, my team could still hit... The Cubs led the NL in battering average last year, but it was not the determining factor that finally got my team over the hump... my starting pitching was the difference.

Q: What are your thoughts on this upcoming season?
A: I think I will have a very competitive team once again in terms of making the playoffs. My entire starting pitching staff is returning. That said, the NL looks to be very competitive b/c there are probably 10 teams that have the talent to make the playoffs, but only 6 spots. 

Q: Do you feel you need to strengthen your team in any areas?
A: Yes, I need some bullpen help and maybe a bat or two.

Q: Are you going to look in the free agency or through trades or both to make additions to your team?
A: I'll try to utilize both avenues, but I think I'll primarily focus on trading. The FA market is pretty bad this year and there are multiple teams that have a lot of money to spend, so I can see the few top tier FA signing big contracts. One of my major areas of focus is not to overspend on FAs... so I may be limited to trades.

Q: Do you feel your team can continue this success for many seasons to come?
A: Yes, I think my team will be a playoff caliber team for the coming years. Once again, I have good starting pitching and that is, in my opinion, a key factor in this game.

Q: Do you have any advice for the new owners out there?
A: My main advice would be focus on building a good pitching staff. Chicks dig the long ball, but a team build on big bats alone doesn't usually do well in the playoffs. Secondary advice is don't overspend on FA, particularly if your team is "one" player away from seriously contending. One bad contract can really set a franchise back. 

We would like to thank blues_bros on allowing us to interview him. But pay close attention to what he is stressing in order to win: pitching, pitching, and more pitching! This may be the new path for teams in the league as they try to do the very same thing the Cubs did this past season, win the World Series. We wish the best of luck to them moving forward and next time you here from us it will be on the free agency! See you soon!

A Look Back

Hey all you crazy Camp fans! Welcome to Season 26 of America's favorite pastime. Over the off-season many coaching changes went about, as usual. This season will show you fans how your new management will fair out here in Camp. Among the management changes are cincyred111 taking over the Richmond Cavaliers for livemike, kmcgregor replacing wolves16 for the Los Angeles Diamond Dominators franchise, ramonesfan taking over the Houston Desert Sluggers for kona2008, and finally gbuck41 replacing tessy0035 in the Arizona Wranglers franchise. We here at the Camp Post want to wish the best of luck to these coaches this season and hopefully many more to come! Now that's enough for this season, let's take a look back on last season.

In a season filled by disappearing owners, the new ones that came in did an outstanding job. The owners that were forced into a difficult situation mid-season were mrx39, basebalguru, and csudack. I personally want to give a big shout out to these owners for turning those teams around into fighters and staying with them this season. I wish them the best of luck in the future.

Now the biggest news of last season was the Chicago Cubs on winning their first World Series as a franchise. Owner blues-bros has been there for 26 seasons now and must be ecstatic on the long-awaited World Series title. Over his time as owner, he has had 10 playoff appearances and had never made it past the NLCS until this past season! It was a fantastic run by the Cubs and they deserved the title considering overcoming being the underdogs according to us here at the Camp Post. My guess is that they used that as motivation to propel themselves to their first World Series title. Again, a big congratulations to blues_bros on sticking with it despite a lot of losing seasons for the organization early on, but in the end it all worked out.

Well, that's all we got for you now, stay tuned as we will be updating you fans on all your favorite team trades and free-agent signings and more!

Congratulations!

We here at the Camp Post would like to congratulate the Chicago Cubs on their World Series victory despite being an underdog all throughout the regular season and playoffs! A team that defied all odds throughout the course of the season and came out to be victorious! They used the Camp Post predictions as motivation to propel them to the World Series Title! Owner blues_bros has done a fantastic job with his squad which now sits on top of the baseball world. Hope you all enjoyed this past season and look even more forward to Season 26 of Camp!

World Series Preview

Wow! I did not see this match-up happening! Though each of the teams are 2 seeds, nobody considered them as contenders coming into the playoffs! Almost everyone saw the New Orleans Calypsos running away with it. However that is not the case due to the Chicago Cubs knocking them out in the NLCS. The counterpart joining them in the World series, the Minnesota Skeeters, had a considerably easier match-up with the El Paso Grievous Angels  as they come into the World Series coming off of a sweep.  This could benefit the Skeeters now because of the extra rest. However, the Cubs have been saying that the Skeeters have been away from live play for too long now and feel they have the better chance to come out and have a strong start in the series. The Skeeters obviously think different but the Cubs are making an excellent start. In my opinion, none of the rest issues will change the series. My pick will be the Minnesota Skeeters in 5 games. Their talent level is just much better than the Cubs and I see this series coming to an end early. Hope all you fans enjoy the series! Should be a great one!

A Look Back On Trades

Hi all, it's the basebalguru coming to you with the trade reviews from the past season. Sorry for the delay in getting these out, I was on strike for a better salary. I finally got it, so, from now on, I will get these out on time for all you impatient fans. Here are all the reviews you guys have been asking for:

The 1st deal of the off season was between the San Francisco Fish Tacos and the Minnesota Skeeters.  It was a blockbuster of a deal.  The Fish Tacos gave up, what seemed like an intricate part of his WS team, in Butch Relaford.  The Skeeters were desperate to get a top-notch 3B in relaford and they gave up an arm and a leg for it. The Skeeters dealt LF/1B Jeanmar Gallardo and SU/CL Paul Oliver.  Gallardo has a ton of potential with possibly being a huge 40+ homerun guy and 120rbi guy. his batting eye is as good as it gets and the power is dare i say, Ruthian potential.  he will could struggle a bit against right handers, but if he makes contact, like hes projected to then good things will happen.  Paul Oliver seems like a shutdown closer or setup  guy.  Hes got an A fastball and an A+velocity.  He should get a lot of  hitters to swing and miss.  All in all, Minnesota bettered themselves right now and SF bettered themselves for the future. Both teams got what they wanted so this is what i consider a win win situation.

 

 

San Fran stayed busy dealing CF/2B Quinton Hamilton and minor league C Bernie Kirwan to Cheyenne Cherokees.  Cheyenne gave up prospect Roscoe Berkman. Berkman is what i would like to call a professional hitter.  He doesn't do anything really great but he does everything good.  he can hit lefties or righties with good contact and good power.  His eye will have to get a little better but its ML caliber.  He doesnt have a true defensive position but can play a few lesser important positions at Gold glove level like 1B or one of the corner OF. Kirwan doesn't really seem like an everyday catcher.  his defensive skills are below average and his bat is more suited for a DH/1B role then a Catcher.  Hamilton will give any lineup a top notch base stealer and leadoff guy.  he wont hurt you in CF as hes more then  capable of playing CF.  he wont get every ball out there but he will make the plays needed.  Cheyenne got the better of this deal.  Hamilton is a main stay in any lineup and its hard to find legit quality leadoff hitters.

 

 

 

The previous owner of the Herd, Rector, made a deal with the New York Tough Guys.  The Herd acquired Terry Cora, and prospects BJ Bichette and Greg boehringer.  TheTough Guys received Murray Rolle.  This deal seemed a little off when i noticed it.  Cora and Rolle are very similar and probably could have just swapped the 2 as both might have needed a change of scenery.  Bj Bichette, and Greg Boehringer are really good prospects.  Bichette doesn't have much power but can play 2B and can hit 1 or 2 in the lineup with above average speed.  Boehringer is even younger then Bichette and has more potential then Bichette.  Even though in the same deal the Herd got two 2B prospects, which is odd in itself when he might have been able to find another position to fill, Helena clearly won this deal as the Tough Guys got a similar pitcher to the one he gave up in Cora, but the 2 2B prospects give the edge to Helena.

 

 

 

New York and Minnesota pulled off a deal.  The Tough Guys got a speedy defensive SS in Archie Whitesell and a defensive CF in Sammy Ortiz.  The Skeeters got a legit hitting 1B in Nicholas Taylor.  This deal seems more of a need in the minor league depth charts for the Tough guys. Whitesell is more then capable of playing SS at the ML level except he cant hit, he can only field.  hes not even a superstar in the field.  He is above average though, so in case an injury happens he can fill in for the job.  Ortiz is a low prospect with a lot of defensive upside. Hes not much of a power guy, lucky to get ya 10hrs in a yr.  keep him away from lefty pitching altogether.  very fast, exceptional base running ability and speed.  probably can get 50+SBs consistently.  Taylor, a career 290+ hitter is a nice piece to add to any lineup.  hes not the prototypical power hitting 1B that's going to get you 35-40hrs but he belongs in a ML lineup.  this deal is somewhat even in regards to the skeeters were looking for ML bat at 1b and the tough Guys were looking to add some defensive depth at all levels. 

 

 

Huge Blockbuster deal between the Florida Giggers and the Syracuse Orange Iguanas.  In a shocking move the Orange iguanas gave up 3time MVP Andrew Marte and spot starter/mopup pitcher Tomas garza.  To acquire talent like Marte you must give up some talent and the Giggers sure did.  They gave up a 23yr old, who can start on probably any team at the ML level right now in Jacob Holt and CL/SU type in Matty Franco. The Giggers are giggity giggity giggity about this deal.  at only 31yrs of age, I do not think franchises should be trading hall of fame material and 3 time MVP.  Holt will be great, no doubt about it, but to give up something like that, the giggers should feel they stole  Marte for what they gave up for him.

 

 

 

The Tough Guys and Orange Iguanas sure keeps their front offices busy late at night as they pulled off a deal.  The Tough Guys got a top notch GG caliber ML SS in Miguel Rios.  it will be hard to find a better glove in the game then Rios as hes a 5time consecutive GG SS winner.  The Orange Iguanas in return for dealing a GG SS got a fringe SP/LR pitcher, Juan Fernandez and a lower level prospect SP in Milton O'Connor.  Fernandez, to me is a journeymen pitcher at best and in a pinch can eat up some innings for ya.  O'Connor can pan out to be a legit back of the rotation guy.  He can handle lefties pretty well but will struggle against righties enough to hinder him from being a top of the rotation guy. As the Tough Guys made a cpl of questionable moves, this one hits a home run!  Im sorry but GG SS do not come along everyday and to only give up at best a journeymen pitcher and a back of the rotation guy for the best defensive SS in the game makes the Tough Guys a clear cut winner in this deal.

 

 

 

The Fish tacos were at it again and it seems like they had a backup plan all along to get a CF after dealing Quinton Hamilton. The Fish Tacos got Red Hill from the  Philadelphia Athletics.  Hill is literally a younger poor mans version of Hamilton.  Hes actually faster then Hamilton and is capable of swiping 80+ bags a yr if given the green light at will.  his defense is just as good as Hamilton and when he hits is prime hes an everyday CF.  The Athletics in return got an above average hitting and an A defensive catcher, Corey Garcia.  I would say that Athletics got the better of the deal providing Garcia hits his full potential.  If he doesn't get to where the scouts think he should be then the Fish Tacos got the better of the deal.  its pretty much a wash at the moment as both teams got needs taken care of.

 

 

 

Salem Volcanoes paid big bucks to take away SP Willie Lima from the Charlotte Tobacco Growers.  The volcanoes gave up Kevin Lee, a little below the par defensive SS. Lee has some pop in his bat and hes got good contact as well.  He can hit lefties and righties equally well.  The volcanoes front office must have erupted with joy when this deal got pulled off.  Lima has a career ERA under 4 and has 60 more wins then losses in his career.  Its obvious Charlotte was just trying to get rid of the 11million bucks he was owed this yr, he probably could have gotten something better then a less then average defensive SS who's probably more better suited for 2B. Its clear as day that Salem won this deal by far.

 

 

 

The deal between the Rochester Royals and the Cherokees of Cheyenne was very odd on Cheyennes part.  The royals got a low level good prospect Harold Wheeler, in is case should be a nice SU/CL type in a cpl of seasons.  The Royals didn't give up much really to get Wheeler either.  The Cherokees were trying to resurrect, underachieving end of the rotation SP, Billy Ray Rekar.  back end of the bullpen pitcher, Sidney Dawkins and career minor leaguer RF Felix Hill.  I would say that Cherokee made this decision because they needed a couple of extra arms and the caliber of Wheeler is a run of the mill arm.  I would say Rochester won this deal on the fact that they got the better player, even though its his potential that its being based on.

 

 

 

The Orange iguanas were at it again and found the Huntington Heores as a dance partner.  They received 2 time all star and last years GG winning 3B Willie Morales from the Heroes.  The Orange Iguanas won big time in this deal.  They sent over ML ready 2B Freddy Chang.  Closer type Alex Gardel and pitcher Juan Fernandez.  I'm going to assume that this was a cash drop for the Heroes.  Chang is a legit ML 2B and could possibly see the ML level any time this year.  Gardel probably isn't going to improve much more then where he is now, since hes 25yrs of age.  Fernandez could be a decent innings pitcher if hes in the right home ball park.  If pitches in a hitters friendly park, I feel bad for the home team.  As he maintains A+ cut FB and an A+ slider, probably and could be the best in the biz, the problem with him, he has to find away to harness his control of it and learn to keep it down in the zone.  He will be giving up a lot of long balls when the batters connect with it cause he doesn't even understand on how to spell G-R-O-U-N-D-B-A-L-L.

 

 

 

 

With new ownership and a new regime taking over in Helena, which rumors are spreading their also looking for a new stadium or even a new city next season, the Herd is cleaning house.  They made a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.  The Herd sent 2 career minor leaguers, Albie Cabrera and Kane Tatum.  The Dbacks sent a legit RP, Horacio Vallarta.  The winner of this deal, players wise is Helena but the real winner is the consummate professionalism of the Arizona organization for helping out another franchise in a really, really dire situation.

 

 

 

The Herd sent tired arm, Brendan Parrish to the Charlotte Tobacco Growers in exchange for two RPs, Lorenzo Fuentes and Miguel Salas and 1B Max Abbott.  Parrish is one of, if not the best closer in the league.  hes a three time all star, won the fireman of the yr award when he posted a 0.69ERA, yes folks that's correct, 0.69ERA.  He saved 40 of 41 chances and only gave up 3 earned runs in 39innings pitched.  Basically you probably wont find a better year ever in the history of baseball for a closer.  Fuentes is projected to be a number 3 or 2 at best SP.  Hes got an A+ sinker and can control it enough to make those hitters swing and miss a lot.  Hes a SP who can easily get  over 180IPs.  Miguel Salas is going to be a high risk, high reward type of pitcher.  He has all the tools to make him a shutdown closer like his counterpart, Parrish he was traded for.  Lights out A+ velocity.  A blow it by you fastball that will top out with an A+.  He has an above average curve ball and he will induce more ground ball double plays then the law should ever allow.  this is all of course when hes not walking batters because his control is the high risk part.  He needs to find away to  figure out his control problems to ever be a legitimate shut down closer. A 3rd wheel in the deal was a good all around 1B Max Abbott, who really hasn't gotten a real opportunity to play at the ML level.  All in all, when a team gets 1 of the best 9th inning men in the world, your going to win a lot of ballgames.  Charlotte probably won this deal providing Salas doesn't fix his control issues.  If he does then Helena wins this deal as Salas would be a younger, harder, faster Parrish.

 

 

 

The herds fire sale continues as Terry Cora got shipped out of town and found a new home with Cheyenne. Cheyenne needed some cap relief help and Helena has a lot of extra cap room so this was a perfect match.  The Herd got a top 5 pitching prospect in Steve Clayton. They also received pitchers Del Hillanbrand and Yonder Siquerios.  The Herd had some dead arms and needed any type of ML caliber pitching and got 2 decent arms out of the deal.  The meat and potatoes of the deal though was Cora for Clayton.  Cora, at 32 is probably seen his best days behind him but is far more then capable of helping a winning team take them over the top to the promise land.  hes got a career ERA under 3 and hes never made an all star game.  Clayton doesn't have a top notch repertoire of pitches but he does have a couple of above average pitches.  If your a lefty hitter, u might as well call in sick for the day.  lefties don't want to even take batting practice against this kid.  This is a win win situation as Helena is heading in one direction and Cheyenne is heading completely in the opposite direction.

 

 

 

With the fire sale going on in Helena, the heroes wanted to get in on the fun and boy did they ever.  The Heroes got power hitting 3B Bennie Nixon.  Nixon was ecstatic upon hearing he was dealt to Huntington.  a quote from Nixon himself  "After taking me to arbitration 3 times, I'd prefer to play for a franchise that treats its players better.  Free-agency, here I come!" He didn't even want to give the new regime a shot.  The heroes gave up a future every day LF in Hoss Parmelee and work horse SP Diego Castilla.  This deal is in huge favor of the heroes if they can resign Nixon long term.  If Nixon doesn't resign then it wasn't a good deal to get rid of two prospects for a 1yr rental.
 

 

 

 

With Cincinnati CEO's making a quote "If you see anyone on ML team you would be interested in, let me know by trade chat. No offer is too crazy." The herd took advantage of the situation before any other team swooped in and dealt pitching prospect Javy Diaz and SS prospect Peter gates. Diaz probably has the best sinker of any pitcher right now.  He is a ground ball machine with average projections pretty much all across the board.  hes probably good enough to be a number 4 or 5 starter. Gates has some raw talent to develop.  Hes gold glove material at 2B or 3B.  hes under par for a SS glove.  he can get to most any ball, the range is their. Hes an above average hitter with good pop who can get 20-25hrs.  probably a 100+ strikeout guy a yr.  The Herd helped their ML roster out and possibly solidified a LF for future yrs in to come. Domingo Pena is a young talent.  Hes 26yrs old and He has 4yrs of ML playing time.  Pena is capable of hitting 30+ hrs with above average power and contact.  With an  exceptional eye, he will not strikeout much.  He is also capable of playing 162gms a season.  I think the Herd win this deal by getting a player like Pena and not giving up any of the top prospects they acquired in their other deals. the Heroes win this one by a lot.

 

 

 

The Fish Tacos worked out a deal with division foe, Helena herd.  San Fran acquired one of the few worthy ML pieces left on the Herd roster by getting SP Matty Wallace. Wallace is worthy enough to be a number 2 or a number 3 at worst.  Really good control and can get you 180+ innings pitched.  His repertoire consists of a really good split fastball. His slider and sinker are average at best.  The Herd is continuing to acquire young talent by getting relief pitcher Andy Oliver and young stud LF, Jeanmar Gallardo.  Oliver seems to be ready to be on a ML ball club this season or at worst next season.  Hes got really good control and has top notch velocity and fastball. Gallardo is 19 and his contact, power and eye are off the charts.  If Gallardo fills into his projections then the Herd have a gem of a player and that is a big if. I would call this a wait to be seen outcome on who wins this deal.  I think he hits his projections so the Herd win this deal.

 

 

 

The Athletics decided to get a jump on making a push for the playoffs by trading 3 prospects, pitcher Vernon Meyers, defensive catching wizard, Mark Tracy, and RF Felipe Tejara to the Richmond Stars and Bars for R.A. Taylor.  Taylor has a dead arm this yr and he needed to be moved.  When hes healthy and ready to go, Philly is going to be real tough down the stretch.  Meyers will be a number 1 or a real legit number 2.  Hes got all the potential in the world.  He will lead the league in innings pitched year in and year out.  His real only flaw and its not a big deal but he will have a little bit of trouble against lefties.  Mark Tracy couldn't hit himself out of a wet paper bag but he sure knows how to call a game better then most catchers now and hes 21.  A team that emphasizes defense, you wont find better behind the dish.  Tejara will be an exceptional defensive player at lesser important positions.  hes more of a utility guy.  He has good contact with not much power but he really swings a lot, but when he does make contact, the little he will, it will be positive.  hes capable of swiping any base at any time.  When Taylor gets his health back to his norm, he will be once again, a top notch pitcher in this world and its hard to find top end of the rotation guys to shut down teams and Taylor is just that.  They win this one for sure.

 

 

 

Ask and you shall receive, that's what the Cherokees did, they needed a utility guy that can play some defense and give some depth off the bench acquired SS Rich Ludwick from the Las Vegas Gamblers.  Ludwick is a slick defensive SS.  he wont make the spectacular plays that will get you on the evening highlight reels but he is consistently good and will make the plays he needs to make.  The gamblers in return got a right handed power hitting specialist in RF J.D. Howard.  When Howard isn't bashing 550ft homeruns he will be striking out a lot as he doesn't have the best tools to make contact.  Howard is basically a one trick pony who can hit the ball a ton.  Ludwick wont hit like Howard with the power but Ludwick is more valuable to a team then Howard so the edge in this deal clearly goes to Cheyenne.

 

 

 

The Herd has been busy since the new regime took over and their still cleaning house.  For the 2nd time this season Yonder Siqueiros has been shipped out of town, this time to the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Seems like hes good enough to get but not good enough to stay. Arizona sent younger and cheaper SP Aurelio Castro.  The Dbacks were looking to bolster their rotation with a playoff push run.  The Herd, as its been their staple since the new regime took over has been getting younger and they succeeded.  This deal is a tie as it seemed like Castro needed a change of scenery and Siqueiros wasn't in the long term plan of the Herd franchise.

 

 

 

The Cleveland Criminals solidified their lineup with making a last minute deadline deal with the Herd.  The criminals acquired 1B Rex Abbott and power hitting RF R.J. Overbeck. R.J. Overbeck has been the only real threat in the Herds lineup and the Criminals paid a hefty price to get him away from Helena.  The Herd got catcher Freddie Goodwin and SP prospect J.D. Veres.  Goodwin is a pitch calling specialist and has a great arm from behind the plate.  Veres is a future number one or two top of the rotation arm. His curve ball, when he fully develops could possibly be the best in the biz hands down.  He can easily log 220 plus innings pitched.  He is a workhorse.  The sad reality for the city of Helena is setting in.  Once they dealt fan favorite, and the only offensive weapon in Overbeck it looks like its time for a relocation next season and probably wont see Helena anymore.  I actually like this deal in favor of the Criminals as they are doing what they can to make that playoff run and this sure helps their lineup today.  This deal goes to Cleveland.

 

 

 

An after deadline deal between the Royals of Rochester and Syracuse had a few experts scratching their head on this one.  Rochester sent setup guys Odalis Espinoza and Luis Suarez to the Orange Iguanas in return for DH and emergency catcher George Bonham.  Bonham has the contact and batting eye of the best of the best in the world. He is not anything great defensively and you would expect a little more power from a DH but hes more then respectable hitter.  Any team would love to have a professional hitter like Bonham.  Syracuse must have needed some arm depth to make this deal.  The Royals clearly win this deal. Syracuse dealt a young talented DH for two run of the mill arms that they probably could have just went to the waiver wire or the free agents out their and could have found two similar arms to the ones they got and didn't have to give up a DH like Bonham. 

Sorry for the lengthiness, but there you go! From now on they will get out on time. Enjoy!

Written By: basebalguru