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.......... The Shoe Finally Drops! .....
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May 24, 2045
Lance Harrison heard the mumbling in the dugout shortly after he was removed from his disastrous start against San Antonio. He had given up six earned runs in just 2/3 of an inning and by the fourth inning the coaches were talking amongst themselves about the possibility of Harrison being traded. He didn't like it, he didn't like it at all. He had watched some of his friends get traded before the 2044 season by this new GM who didn't know anything about baseball. "He sucked in the UMEBA," Harrison told his agent. "What can he possibly do in the BBA?" Well Montreal GM Herb DeSpain has the Blazers' playing winning baseball, no first place baseball and Harrison is the black mark on a rotation that is currently fourth in the Johnson in ERA. "I wasn't expecting to trade him that fast," DeSpain told ESPN The Ocho after the game. "But once I heard he was cleaning out his locker DURING the game...well, it was on like Donkey Kong!!"
Several teams answered the call but it was another over-achieving team that came with the best offer. With a preseason prediction of 85 wins the Omaha Cyclones are on pace for 115 wins and they are desperate to stay on top of the Heartland Division. They acquire Harrison in return for their own head case starting pitcher and a top 100 short stop prospect. Like Harrison, 25 year old Juan Ruiz has avoided the success and consistency that got him to the big leagues. Ruiz moves to Montreal and will take over the rotation spot vacated by Harrison. Whether it be long term or short term is up to him if you ask DeSpain. "If Ruiz performs then he has a home...if he doesn't then he'll be on the move again. Ruiz still has four years of team control so if he does turn it around it will be a major haul for the Blazers. Ruiz will make his Montreal debut on Sunday against the El Paso Chilis at Ubisoft Field.
In addition to Ruiz the Blazers receive SS Jeff Patenaude who is listed as the Cyclones' fifth rated prospect. Patenaude, the 13th pick in the 2044 ammy draft, has been slow to develop but still retains the raw skills that made him such a high draft pick. "He's struggled in the minors to this point but we think our coaches can turn him around," DeSpain explained.
