That's What Cheesehead: 34.16 - Wolves Make a Move

[7teen]

If you've followed this team for any amount of time, you've probably come to the conclusion the Madison Wolves front office doesn't have much rhyme or reason behind what it does. Perhaps we just do things on a whim. Hell, I don't know. It's the only logical explanation I have for why the team traded a long time 1B this off-season, lost an ace starting pitcher, decided it was devoted to fixing the defense by moving guys around, only to go out today and trade away a defensive prospect for another firstbaseman and a starting pitcher. Yeah, you try and figure out what we're doing here.

"We're trying to win a Landis" said Wilson with a shrug leaving reporters wondering whether that was a statement or a question at today's press conference announcing a trade had been made with Havana. "Our pitching is a mess, improving the defense and some injuries haven't helped that, so we need to do something. We are either going to make another run at this or crash and burn. I've led the franchise through both of these so what the hell!"

In a trade that has yet to be dissected by the rest of the league yet, the Wolves sent RF prospect Luis Maldonado to the Havana Sugar Kings in return for starting pitcher Jody Nunez and 1B Albert Gaona. Fans of the Wolves initial reaction is the trade is a good one though it glares the obvious question.... "What about the commitment to defense?"

"Yeah scratch that idea" said Wolves manager Millard Davis. "It's Raider back to 2B, Draper to SS, Gaona at 1B, and Dempsey in RF for the rest of the season. Which will likely lead to bad pitching again. But damn, we're gonna score some runs."

Gaona adds another power bat in the middle of the Wolves lineup, something that was needed from last year's team. Last season, the Wolves hit just 151 homeruns, the 3rd fewest in the Frick League. Gaona's 38 homeruns last season would have tied him for the team lead last year with Mick and propelled the team up in the homerun category. Gaona is off to a slow start in 2034, hitting just 5 homeruns thus far this season.

More needed than the Gaona bat in this transaction is the addition of Jody Nunez who is off to a blistering start in Havana. In 7, 2034 starts, Nunez is 5-1 with a 2.20 ERA. He's also posted a WHIP below 1.00 thus far and has struck out 64 batters in 57.1 innings pitched. Nunez will be a much welcomed piece to a pitching staff that has allowed the 2nd most runs in the Frick League and to a rotation that ranks 13th in the Frick.

Heading to Havana is the Wolves former 1st round pick in 2030 Luis Maldonado. Maldonado was playing in Madison after the Draper injury and was hitting .275/.315/.412 in 51 at-bats this season. Maldonado was the 7th overall pick in that 2030 draft but was often thought to be stuck behind Steve Dempsey on the depth chart for RF in Madison.

So broken down, perhaps the trade is a win for both teams. Havana was rumored as to needing to cut salary and moving Nunez's $12.5 million salary this season will help that. Madison needed pitching help as well as a batter who could hit homeruns and drive in more runs behind Jon Mick and they obviously got that. Typically a trade like this where one team acquires two ready starters for one prospect would put the team getting the two in the winning position in the trade. But for some reason, I'm skeptical of calling it a win just yet.

[RonCo]

The Heartland is a total quagmire, and now we add No Pants into the mix. Sheesh.

[udlb58]

Fitting that Madison is now doing the No Pants dance.

[RonCo]

So tempting to make a Louisville joke here.

[7teen]

I typed this TN out while not wearing pants.

[RonCo]

Officially TMI.

[7teen]

Officially TMI.

In that case, I won’t tell you what I used to hit the space bar.

[RonCo]

Head. Exploding. So to speak.

[usnspecialist]

I had one hole with my position guys, with pitching depth and multiple 1B on my roster, so I think this one makes sense for both of us. I will say this, I made this exact same offer to multiple other teams for similar players, but for various reasons it didn't happen.

[RonCo]

Probably does make sense for both teams.

[usnspecialist]

I had one hole with my position guys, with pitching depth and multiple 1B on my roster, so I think this one makes sense for both of us. I will say this, I made this exact same offer to multiple other teams for similar players, but for various reasons it didn't happen.

quoting myself here (thanks to this thread being linked in another TN), but at least 2 of the guys I offered the gaona/nunez package to were Twin Cities for Ricardo Juarez and Edmonton for Mitch Dalrymple. I think there was one other one in there too I cant remember.

[7teen]

I had one hole with my position guys, with pitching depth and multiple 1B on my roster, so I think this one makes sense for both of us. I will say this, I made this exact same offer to multiple other teams for similar players, but for various reasons it didn't happen.

quoting myself here (thanks to this thread being linked in another TN), but at least 2 of the guys I offered the gaona/nunez package to were Twin Cities for Ricardo Juarez and Edmonton for Mitch Dalrymple. I think there was one other one in there too I cant remember.

I wish you had made those trades now in hindsight. Haha

[usnspecialist]

I had one hole with my position guys, with pitching depth and multiple 1B on my roster, so I think this one makes sense for both of us. I will say this, I made this exact same offer to multiple other teams for similar players, but for various reasons it didn't happen.

quoting myself here (thanks to this thread being linked in another TN), but at least 2 of the guys I offered the gaona/nunez package to were Twin Cities for Ricardo Juarez and Edmonton for Mitch Dalrymple. I think there was one other one in there too I cant remember.

I wish you had made those trades now in hindsight. Haha

I was actually turned down in both cases!! Ironically if I remember right the quickest one to say no was scott in twin cities (and he has the worst player of the 3). Brandon in Edmonton thought about it for awhile before declining.