C-Notes 2047.03 - French, the Cougar

[GoldenOne]

Fans in Charlotte are waking up to some big news today - OF Dennis French, has been traded to the Cougars. The star OF has spent the last 10+ seasons setting franchise records in Boise but now the New Hampshire native finds his way back to the East Coast and the warmer climate of Charlotte.

For the season, French is hitting .289/.309/.474, a far cry from his career averages of .340/.381/.572. At $18M for this season and $17M for next season, that's an awful lot of cap space for someone with those numbers.

When asked about the trade, GM Golden commented, "We're excited to bring Dennis to Charlotte. Yes, he's not the player he used to be but he's still pretty damn good. I can guarantee you, the other teams in the Atlantic are are not laughing at this trade. Take a look around the Atlantic; there isn't a lot of LHP out there. There's a little bit more when you look at the whole JL, but Dennis will still be in the lineup more than enough.

And another thing, our offense is a tad better than Boise's this season. Adding someone of Dennis's caliber...his numbers will come up. He's still on pace for a 3.6 WAR and with the support he'll have here in Charlotte...I'm excited and you should be too! Look, its simple, he doesnt have to do it all in Charlotte, he can relax and just play ball here."

French was traded for C John 'His Rotundity' Adams and SP Willard Labonte. Adams had virtually no shot at making the BBA roster in the next 4-5 years and was easily replaced by selections from this year's draft. Labonte was a decent find from Canada and has progressed nicely but the decision was easy based on the return the Cougars were getting.