56.12 Casson Headed to Defending Champs

[Bob Breum]

Originally chosen by Montreal as the ninth overall pick in the 2042 amateur draft, four-time All Star Carlton Casson always saw himself as a Blazer for life. Now 35 years old, it's been a rough season so far for the veteran two-way player, and it looked to get even worse when the Blazers informed him that they had placed him on irrevocable waivers. He wasn't completely surprised. His ERA was 8.74 and his batting average was .146. He found himself wondering, "Was this it? Was his baseball career over?"


Carlton Casson
Today, Casson learned that he had been traded to the defending champion Charm City Jimmies. Charm City has been hit with an extraordinary number of injuries. When they saw a player of Casson's pedigree on the waiver wire, they immediately picked up the phone and called Montreal. They knew that their record this season placed them near the bottom of the priority list for waiver claims, and they anticipated that they were not the only team that would have an interest in Casson. A deal was struck, and both the Jimmies and Casson hope that the change of scenery will help him revert to All Star form.
Usamah bin Esam
Montreal receives 21-year-old left-handed starting pitcher Usamah bin Esam in the deal. This will be bin Esam's third organization since originally signing with Jacksonville in 2052. He throws four pitches, including a knee-buckling curveball, but he has yet to learn how to harness them for strikes. Scouts remain skeptical that he will ever do so.

[BaseClogger]

The young lefty seems like good return for a guy on waivers. Also like Casson’s chance of rebounding in Charm City. Sim-win trade.