The Portland Lumberjacks front office has been relatively quiet in their free agency plans this off-season, opting to keep things close to the vest in terms of free agent targets. All the information we've gotten from anyone in the front office was from assistant GM Sandy Mounds stating the team was mainly just seaching for backup and role player type guys to fill out the active roster.
Well that information was contradicted today when GM Chris Wilson let leak that the team was in the hunt for former Hawaii Tropics centerfielder Angelo Luchessi. Luchessi just signed a 3 year deal worth just over $32 million to sign with Heartland rival Chicago Blacksox.
"We were in talks with Luchessi and his agent" added Wilson. "Luchessi was placed on our radar after a Pacific GM meeting held back prior to the Brewster Series when we found out Luchessi would be a free agent. We made a little note off to the side that he'd be a guy we'd like to add in Portland. While he not a superstar with offensive ability, we liked what he could defenisvely in centerfield and with his WAR numbers from the last few years we felt he could be a guy who we could replace the loss of Dares with in terms of overall WAR. But in the end, he took the money to go play for an inferior Heartland team. I mean, I guess I can't blame a player for wanting to leave a division where things are very tough. Some guys just want money and for things to be easy. At least he won't have to play more than 162 games in Chicago."
Wilson didn't get to specific about what the team had offered Luchessi but it was not as much as the offering by Chicago, but was close. The deal was also laden with opt-outs and options, as the Portland front office tends to do and is possibly the reason Dares is no longer with Portland.
Luchessi has put up 7.8 WAR in the last 3 seasons in Hawaii while playing in over 143 games in each of those campaigns. He'll turn 35 in May.
