Omaha says goodbye to Kondo after just 1 season.(45.01)

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Omaha says goodbye to Kondo after just 1 season.(45.01)

Post by niles08 » Mon Nov 16, 2020 12:57 pm

When Aki Kondo signed the 6 year contract with $221,000,000 with Omaha nearly one year ago to the day, fans and analysts were skeptical about how long Kondo would wear the Cyclones gear. While many pointed toward the 2047 season being Kondo’s in Omaha regardless because of the vesting option giving Omaha an out, some pointed towards the 2045 season being his last thanks to the play opt out, however those were all wrong.

After an 88 win season, and with the club being one pitch away from the Landis Memorial Series, Aki Kondo now finds himself packing his bags, and heading to the desert that is Phoenix.

Kondo sacrifices the remaining $96,000,000 on his contract that the Phoenix organization will now be liable for. That $96,000,000 obviously becomes a $201,000,000 obligation if Kondo starts 32 games in the 2047 season or becomes as little as just $33,000,000 if Kondo decides to opt out after this coming year.

While Omaha made it clear that it was not a salary dump situation, the club, who were up against the cap with literally $0 remaining for the free agent market now finds itself sitting pretty with more than $18,000,000 available to spend if they so wish. Anyhow, besides salary relief what else did Omaha get in the deal?

The #16 prospect in the BBA rankings, catcher Ichizo Sugiyami is likely the big fish in this deal. Sugiyami, who was the Talons first round pick in 2043, projects to be a 70 potential player on the 20-80 scouting scale has elite power and should be able to remain behind the plate in the long run. Sugiyami however is also one of those players who appears to be a super utlity who could play any of the other 7 positions on the diamond if push comes to shove. Our guess is Omaha will keep him behind the plate for the long term. Sugiyama was expected to contribute at the BBA level in 2044 but he did not debut after reaching just single-A.

In addition to Sugiyami, Omaha also acquired 2 pitchers that are floating around the top 100 range in overall prospects. Augusto Sanchez, who is a 19 year old southpaw, projects as a 60 potential player. Scouts however say he has a curveball and slider that will both be off the charts, in addition to a plus fastball. According to some scouts, Sanchez could front a rotation for a long time if he develops properly. Sanchez is expected to be ready closer to the 2047 season.

Takashi Nakamura is ranked #123 in the BBA Top 100 scouting listing and is also heading to Omaha. Nakamura has a wipeout curveball with a plus cutter. Nakamura is projected in the long run to fit comfortably in the middle of a rotation. Just like Sanchez, Nakamura is expected to be ready closer to the 2047 season.

Last but certainly not least it is worth noting that Omaha and Phoenix swapped catchers in the deal. Sang-Duk Sim will head to Omaha after posting a 49 OPS+ last season and a -0.7 WAR. Sim is owed $12.6 million this year and $11.6 million next season. It is possible that Omaha cuts ties on Sim before he even gets his bags unpacked.

John Todd, who was acquired from Wichita last season by Omaha now finds himself heading to another destination. He finished 2044 with a 1.7 WAR, of which 1.6 was in Omaha’s 301 at bats where his OPS+ was 93. Todd is 26 years old and has 3 years of team control remaining.
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Re: Omaha says goodbye to Kondo after just 1 season.(45.01)

Post by jiminyhopkins » Mon Nov 16, 2020 6:08 pm

Hey its only fake money, right?
GM, 2051 and 2053 JL 4TH WILDCARD Phoenix Talons (2029-??), BBA
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