June 7, 2024
Fire Sale in San Diego
The financially strapped San Diego Hops, struggling to
remain at .500 amidst a four game losing streak, announced a trade with Cox
Division rival, Duke City, sending starting catcher Antonio Rójas to the Danger
for C Tangles Calderon, prospect pitcher, 20 year old, Zong-yuan Sang and 1.5
million dollars.
“We were going to lose Antonio to free agency at the end of
the season, and despite our nice start, we must think of the future. Calderon
is under our control for a number of years, and Sang is a legitimate bullpen
prospect, an area we see a weakness on our big league club. The cash was
important, as we can’t sign any of our players to an extension at the moment.”
Fans didn’t like the message from Assistant GM, Richard
Black, but the communication is clear, San Diego is going to change. Still
rumored to be on the block are starting pitchers Tad Kato and Kaz Kanno, both
with ERAs over 6.5, and slugger Justin Davis. Davis looks to be the most
desirable, with a lifetime slash mark of .293/.381/.450 including 66 round
trippers. He suffered the travails of minor league life in 2023, serving time
in both Jacksonville and Coronado before ending the year in the Brew Stade.
“My job is to see the ball, and hit the ball. I’ve been
traded once before (2017, as part of the seven player Ortiz deal), so maybe it
is time for me to seek new horizons. Whatever they tell me to do, I’ll do it. I
proved that last season when I rode those buses, so I can do it again. If it
means waiting it out until the off-season, and free agency, well, that may be
my fate.”
Davis is seen as a quiet leader in a clubhouse that has
generally been low-key, but it remains to be seen how cohesive the group will
be in the future.
Goldi Lebel, a team leader, had this to say, “I know
sometimes Tony (Antonio) and me had some trouble, he was the starting catcher
when I came up, but I only wish him the best. I’m looking forward to working
with Tangles, Phil Smith, and hope Cairns is back soon. Heck, Smith has two
batting titles, seems I could learn a lot.”
Also rumored to be on the trading block are OFers Badry
Makaev, Sergio Aragón, Daniel López, and Bill Turner. “Not many teams are
interested in our outfielders, except for Butardo, but he is off limits,” said
Black. “We are committed to a future that includes both hitting and pitching
without sacrificing defense, or our good, young talent in the minor leagues.”
Some reading between the lines says that the Hops would
consider offers for minor league pitchers, Tex Sweet, Kendrick Dobson,
You-liang Rang, Daniel Wilson, and Alonso Esquivel, if a team would take on
some of the expiring big league players’ contracts.
