2055.04 Nine Make Splash Trade for Koganti

[Trebro]

Nine Make Splash Trade for Koganti

November 16, 2054
by Valerie Davies for the Yellow Springs World

Yellow Springs, OH – The Yellow Springs Nine announced today that they have traded up and coming starting pitcher John Jensen and Nine reliver Bartolo Romero to the Twin Cities River Monsters, receiving a series of prospects, highlighted by outfielder Devanya Koganti. Also received in the trade were reliever Wade Williams and infielder Altair Qutaiba.

Koganti got his first taste of the Brewster in 2054, batting .222 in 63 at bats, with an OPS of .762. That included 3 home runs. He hit 22 home runs in AAA in 54, with an OPS of .773. He's known for his powerful swing, but it does have some holes, as noted by his 24% K rate in AAA. He is expected to be the starting left fielder for the Nine in 2055.

Williams, 24, spent only 58.1 innings so far in parts of three Brewster seasons but was in AA for all of 2054. in 67 innings, he had a 1.40 WHIP and 9.9 k/9 rate.

Qataiba, 21, was a 14th round pick by the River Monsters in 2054. He was in R ball that year, hitting just .218. His main strength is his ability to play multiple positions.

Going back to the River Monsters is Jensen, once a brightly shining star in the Nine organization, but who struggled to handle AA pitching. In 7 games in 2053 he had a 7.26 ERA, followed by a 6.42 ERA in 21 games in 2054. His WHIP was over 1.70 each time. While he's young (just 19), his 40 man roster clock would begin soon, and scouts have been souring a bit on his potential. Twin Cities also received Romero, who was good in 14 appearances last year for the Nine, going 1-1 with a 2.42 ERA.

"We saw an opportunity for some raw power and took it," said GM Rob McMonigal. While Koganti is a risk, if he can bring his batting average up higher, he'll be a solid lock on the left field position for years to come. Best of all, his splits show he hits both right handed and left handed pitching equally. We'll keep developing him, and I can see him turning into something special."

On the other pieces, McMonigal had this to add: "Williams can compete for a spot on the Nine's roster and our scouts liked Qataiba in the 54 draft. Neither are key pieces, but they could be contributors."

Reaction league-wide was mixed, with some stating it was a good move for both teams while others felt that McMonigal had given up too soon on Jensen. Regarding this, the starting to be questioned GM responded more sharply than usual. "I get the hype for Jensen, who would be an amazing player in the Talons organization, because he's great at playing against A-ball players. But looking at his struggles in AA, when other peers and those of lesser perceived skills were able to make the jump, I felt it better to move him now before we lost more value. 28 failed starts in AA and you get to know the player. Time will tell, but I think we made the right move."

McMonigal needs to make some right moves soon, as the team under his leadership has sunk further and further away from its winning culture.