TVT 2038.3 - Mounties Making Moves

[StormZ_23]

In a time frame of just 12 hours, it had been reported that the Mounties had made two separate deals to trade 3 of the bigger names on the roster. Let's look at these moves in depth.

First Deal: Mounties trade CL Rodrigo Lugo to the Yellow Springs Nine in exchange for RP Luis Moreida.

On paper this move makes sense for both teams. Lugo is an expiring contract who the Mounties will have little interest in re-signing due to an extensive injury history. YS9 gets an above average closer when healthy, but it's more likely he is used as a set up man. Moreida is an interesting player to bring onto the roster. This is his debut season in the majors after many good seasons in the minors and has done well in his limited appearances. In YS9, he was not trusted to handle left handed batters due to control issues and it is likely he stays as a right handed specialist in Vancouver for the foreseeable future. As it's only his first season in the majors, he has many years to develop his game and become a real asset to a hopeful Vancouver playoff team in the future. It's sad to see Lugo go as he's been in the Mounties organization his whole career, but it's the best move for all parties involved. We wish Lugo the best.

Second Deal: Mounties trade SP Manuel Solíz and SS J.J. McQuade to the Brooklyn Robins in exchange for LF Desiderius Kirshbaum (BRK retains 20% of contract), RP Bernard Keller, and C Jesús García.

Now, this move is clearly for salary reasons, but it's an interesting deal nonetheless. It's a shame that the Mounties couldn't net more value out of Solíz as he can be a solid back end starter, but he really has not played well for the Mounties this season with many calling him the worst pitcher on the team. He had a solid season last year and because of that, he receives a large salary from arbitration and the Mounties did not want to pay that next season. There were rumors that before trade negotiations started between the two teams, Solíz was going to be put DFA'd and put on waivers. So, for the Mounties to get anything back for him is great. The Mounties acquired McQuade before last years trade deadline as a high risk, high reward move. He hasn't performed well this season but McQuade is a clubhouse guy, so losing him could negatively affect the locker room. Now, let's look at what the Mounties got back. Kirshbaum was put in to make salary work, a clear salary dump by the Robins. Don't be surprised if he is not in the Mounties organization at the end of the season. Keller is another interesting reliever for the Mounties. He's got two more years of control after this season and has proven to be a capable reliever in the past, but he wasn't getting done for Brooklyn this season. A change of scenery into a pitchers park could help Keller greatly. The acquisition that Vancouver fans should be excited about is young catcher Jesús García. He was drafted in the 4th round of last years draft and played decently in rookie ball last season, finishing the season with a stat line of .240/.280/.430 in 35 games played. The question is whether he will stick at catcher or not. He clearly has the ability to play catcher, but his arm is not the best. The plan for García should to be bulk up as he has not grown into his 6'5'' frame yet as he is only 200 pounds. This would definitely help his development. Overall, an interesting trade for both sides.

The rebuild continues. Thanks for reading!

[RonCo]

A couple of interesting moves for Vancouver. Garcia's fate probably decides the long-term "winner."