Santa Clarita Valley Journal | Stars Pass the Pepper (55.14)

[mragland]

Santa Clarita Valley Journal
Vicente Lamb, Stars Reporter
August 25, 2055

VALENCIA – The Valencia Stars and Mexico City Aztecs have agreed to a trade that sends 34 year-old infielder Daniel Pepper to Mexico City, and which sees 28 year-old outfielder John Hopkins, 22 year-old reliever Adam Hines, 17 year-old pitching prospect Bob Red, and 23 year-old pitching prospect Xavier Vargas to Valencia.

Valencia will retain half of Pepper's remaining contract, which could potentially include a 2056 player option in his age 35 season. This year Pepper has slashed .268/.339/.496 for Valencia, collecting 124 hits, 26 home runs, 79 RBI, and scored 72 times. He has so far posted a 3.4 WAR in 115 starts. He joins a club that is 3 ½ games out of first place in the Johnson League Frontier Division and is looking to make a strong push to end the season.

Hopkins, who is in the last year of his contract and is reportedly very unlikely to entertain any offers of extension from the Stars, has slashed .276/.336/.404 for the Aztecs, posting 102 hits, 11 home runs, 37 RBI, and 58 runs scored. He has so far posted a 1.7 WAR in 87 starts. Right-handed reliever Hines had a 2.89 ERA, 152 ERA+, and 1.4 WAR in 53 inning pitched for Mexico City. The pair join a club that is 16 games out of first place in the Frick League Pacific Division, and 8 ½ games out of wild card contention.

Right-hander Vargas had a 4.06 ERA, 109 ERA+, and 3.0 WAR in 26 starts for the AA Parker Pilots. Lefty Bob Red had a 2.20 ERA, 197 ERA+, and 1.8 WAR in 12 starts for Rookie League Castroville.

[Dington]

Pretty good haul in return. Hope it doesn’t bite me in the butt that I did t get Pepper, but still hope Brickell can turn it around the next two months.