We Got Wood - 43.-5 - Congrats, You Win Popularity Contest! Collect $12.5 Million!

[7teen]

Ok, maybe we aren't "that" popular, but if Portland continues to take on everyone's sucky contracts then perhaps Kate and her Kookies will be more popular next go around in the food challenge! The Lumberjacks struck a deal today with the Omaha Cyclones (formerly Hawks) which makes the team more popular while also making the club some money!

Coming to Portland from Omaha via Calgary, the Lumberjacks have acquired 2B Jose Rios and 1B prospect Alarico Melendez from the Omaha farm system. In exchange, Portland gives Omaha an old barn door valued at $1.

"We have cap space and need to use it I guess" commented Wilson on the deal. "Rios is a popular player in the league, but is coming off a pretty devastating injury that resulted in his worst season to date last season. It's unclear whether Rios can recover. It's that uncertainty that urged Calgary to trade him off to Omaha and it's that same uncertainty that forced the Barnstormers, I mean Hawks, shit, I mean Cyclones to put him on the block. Of course it's also the same question marks that forced us to ask Omaha to chip in a little more."

The Omaha organization will also be sending Portland $12.5 million in bonus funds to cover future operating costs, a huge motivating factor in convincing team majority owner David Wallace to allow the move.

"I wasn't crazy about acquiring Rios after seeing his stats post injury" said Wallace. "But when Omaha was willing to throw in Melendez and another $12.5 million to cover future operating for the franchise it was a no brainer for us. We are in a good financial situation right now to where we can afford some uncertain contracts as we build for the future. No offense to the Brother Allred in Wichita, but we don't want to be in their situation down the road. They've been fighting financial issues in Kansas while losing games for years. If we're going to struggle to win games early on, we want to make sure we are financially stable for when we do start competing."

As of now it is uncertain whether Rios will be the starting 2B for the Lumberjacks in 2043 or will be a backup to someone else. But Rios, a popular player around the BBA, should help continue fielding seats at the Trail in Multnomah as fans flock to the stadium to hopefully watch him get some at-bats this season. And with another $50 million in cap and budget space still left for 2043, it is highly unlikely that Rios' contract does any damage to the financial situation for the Lumberjacks.