C-Notes 2043.02 - Yep, Another Trade

[GoldenOne]

GM Golden seemed to take a little respite over the Thanksgiving holiday after his blockbuster trade of the Cougars' 2042 #1 draft pick, Dave Lee. It didnt take him long to jump right into it again though. On 1 December, he shipped out a couple of AAA starting pitchers that had seen time or were expected to see time on the big league club in 2043.

Headed to Jacksonville were 23 year old lefty, Sabir Askeri and 26 year old Nick Mobley. Mobley only saw 1 game with the Cougars in 2042 but managed to appear in 17 games in 2041 (split between a SP role and RP role) with an ERA of 5.53 in 84.2 innings with 66 strikeouts and 32 walks. Askeri was expecting to see time with the big-league club this season. He had a 13-10 record last season in 29 starts for the Richmond Panthers.

Passing Askeri and Mobley on I-95, heading north, were 19-year-old minor league second baseman John Weber, 21-year-old minor league shortstop Iván Sosa and 19-year-old minor league right fielder Brandon Gould.

Asked to comment, GM Golden had this to say:
"Askeri and Mobley...yeah, they may have seen some time in Charlotte this season. Probably not though, barring an injury or a crazy trade or something. We also needed to clear some room on the 40-man roster. I dont think Mobley had any more options. Askeri - he's a nice pitcher, some nice stuff and good control, but man does that ball come in flat. We've got a big outfield but I dont if its big enough to hold all the shots he'll be giving up."

"On the other side, we got a whole lot younger. And, as we saw last season when Quinn (Richardson) went down with a hammy, you can never have too much depth, especially up the middle. Gould's a nice piece, he can hit. But Sosa, he can play almost anywhere on the field. And he cant handle a bat well enough. Gotta love that versatility. Weber...well, what can I say about John. He is, after all, the owner's grandson. I mean, bringing someone like that into the organization...certainly doesnt hurt job security. And oh yeah, he's pretty good too. All-in-all, I'd do this deal again every time, no matter how it turns out in the end."