Louisville continued to remake their team this off-season, utilising the last refuge of the damned…the waiver wire.
Louisville welcomed failed prospects Bill Wordsworth 2B (Baltimore) and Dave Williamson SP (Valencia) to Louisville and bid adieu to failed prospects Phil Hazely OF (Marquette), Salvador Howard 1B (Greenville), Jim Bagnall P (Hawaii) and Claudio Manazares SS (Hawaii).
Bill Wordsworth is an unexciting twenty-nine year-old second baseman. He’s an adequate fielder at second base, probably not quite good enough to play there, but he hits pretty decently with some power, but probably not well enough to play at first base. He is remarkably similar to the departed Salvador Howard, except he can field to some degree. In short, he’s a Slugger.
“I’m very excited to get Bill for nothing,”confirmed GM Hopkins,”He fields ok, and he bats ok…which is ok…now I just gotta figure out how to make this all work out with my other second basemen Manuel Lopez and Cody Chamberland…wish me luck.”
Dave Williamson is not tremendously different from the departed Jim Bagnall…who was waived to make room for Williamson. Williamson throws a little harder, has better stamina, and is left-handed…but interestingly enough, is tougher on right-handers.
“I’m working off of the theory that Dave is a very good pitcher who has been incredibly unlucky throughout his career…and has been saddled throughout his career with an unending series of brutal infielders,”GM Hopkins confirmed.
The other two departing Sluggers, OF Hazely and SS Manzanares are aging AAA backups which should be easily replaced from within the Louisville organisation.