As the 2012 trade deadline approached the front office found themselfs in an uncomfortable spot. The team had been playing sub .500 ball for over a month now, the hated division rival Orlando Calrissian got it's captain back as JTP returned to VBL6, divisional foe Jacksonville Jackhammers have been playing above .500 ball all season and the team as a whole can't seem to win on the road.
With all the inner division heat, plus the overall competitiveness of the Marvin League Hays started to search for some possible answers that could bust the team out of it's "funk" via trades.
After trying to bring in some big name, impact players and coming up empty, Hays instead looked in the other direction. Focusing in on some guys who have proven they can succeed in "The Show" but are struggling this season. The first obvious choice for Hays was one of his favorite former players SP Carlos Arévalo.
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| Carlos Arévalo |
ERA: 6.50
WHIP: 1.64
VORP: -4.0
Age: 27
Salary: $7.25M
Morale: Very Angry
In his short Quebec stint Arevalo never felt comfortable and was down right awful! In 21 starts he went 4-11 with a 6.50 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, -4.0 VORP, .323 BABIP, and a less than 2:1 K/BB ratio. Add in the fact that Arevalo had an angry morale, Hays figured a change of scenery back to H'ville could swing him back to his 2010-11 self where he went 33-14 with a 3.32 ERA.
So far it's not working, in 2 starts Arevalo is 0-1, 7.45 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 8 ER, 9 H in 9.2 innings
"As we approached the deadline I just wasn't happy with our rotation," commented Hays at the trade press conference. "Chong has struggled more than we predicted and we just felt he needed some more time in minors to iron out his mechanics. We knew Arevalo was unhappy in Quebec and despite his horrible stats we know he can pitch. It's a gamble, but unlike in the last 2 season's he's not being asked to be our #2 or #3 SP. We just need him to be a solid #4/#5 SP for us."
After contacting Quebec owner Norm about Arevalo and bouncing some different players back and forth Norm hand picked two guys from the Hitmen farm system, CF Ingo Backx, 2B Bryce Hester. Once Backx was added to the trade talks; a highly covet spec by Hays, so was MR/CL Oliver "Muscles" Donahue.
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| Oliver Donahue |
ERA: 2.96
Gms: 56
Inning: 73.0
K/9: 11.34
WHIP: 1.33
BABIP: .359
Donahue is having a breakout season after a horrible rookie season in 2010 where he went 3-6, 1 save, 5.66 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, 59/55 K/BB season and them missed the entire 2011 season to injury (I'm guessing since there is no player history and I just now noticed this!!). At 24, Donahue has a nice upside and adds more depth to the leagues #1 bullpen already.
So far this season in 8 games Donahue has....well, what's the word I'm looking for.....oh yea, Sucked! He is 0-1, with a 10.50 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, .471 BABIP!! He has given up 7 ER, 9 Hits in 6.0 innings!!
"Man we really like this young kid 'Muscles' (6'7, 215), but he has looked lost on the mound since arriving in H'ville," commented Hays after a 12-0 ass kicking by hated rival Orlando. "We need to get him straighten out quickly or he will be seeing a lot less opportunities to prove his breakout season is legit."
Aug PR 1
Since my comment magically vanished. I'll do it again...
ReplyDeleteI'm curious why nowhere in the article the mention of $10million coming to Hendersonville was mentioned?
Your attempt to justify the deal is very clear, yet you don't mention the $ changing hands? Why is that?
It's in the Denver trade PR that im still writing. But it's pretty simple, I asked for $10M and Norm said yea. Same thing with Denver. Neither one of those trades did I say, you MUST give me $10M cash or no deal. I asked and they had no problem with it. Just like LA Mike asked for $10M from Greenville in Woody Garner deal and he laughed (I think he got $5M though). All I can do is ask.
ReplyDeleteAnd just in case you are wondering I forward all my trade talk emails to Gray with my trade agreement so he knows there is no "selling" or "deceiving" guys into taking a guy.
I'm sure its just a coincidence that the new Denver owner is never anywhere to be found but had time to understand what $10mil in that deal really meant to his and your franchise's future.
ReplyDeleteKeep hustlin though, one day people will open their eyes and realize giving you players for nothing does them no good... and keep spinning the PR machine with your buddy in Oklahoma telling owners in private how all I do is rip people off.
Fun Fact: Of Hendersonville's 25 active players, TEN of them were in some way acquired in a questionable deal.