May 5, 2047
by Banjo Jackson
Nashville, TN
When the Nashville Bluebirds acquired Juan Cerda from the Twin Cities River Monsters at last year’s trade deadline, many assumed he was more than a rental given the team’s current state of affairs. Turns out Cerda will be part of the Bluebirds plans for the next several seasons as the team came to terms on an extension with the star reliever through the 2053 season. The deal is expected to pay the stud stopper $5.3 million over the next four years with a player option of $6 million in 2052 and a team option for $9 million in 2053.
RHP Juan Cerda
“I’m thrilled to return to Nashville,” said Cerda. “I understand trades are part of the game, so I didn’t hold anything against them when they sent me to Twin Cities, but I can’t tell you how happy I am to be back. Signing a long term deal was an easy decision for me and my family.”
Originally drafted by Nashville, Cerda was dealt to Twin Cities in a 2039 deal that included fellow stud stopper, Lorenzo de’ Medici. In his six seasons in the Gopher state, Cerda had a 3.15 ERA and 674 K’s in 486.1 IP. Thus far in Nashville, Cerda has been even more impressive with a 1.99 ERA and 82 K’s in 45.1 IP. The back end of the Bluebirds bullpen is as reliable as any in the game with Cerda, Martin Román, and Mitchell Purssell.
