Trail Droppings 2039-5 Pioneers Grab Puckett in Big Deal

[indiansfan]

Pioneers Grab Puckett in Big Deal

The Pioneers were able to pull off a blockbuster trade and acquire shortstop Chip Puckett son of the legendary Charles Puckett. Calgary sent SP Lee Morgan and reliever Jorge Perez to the Rockville Pikeman for the two time All Star. Puckett moved into the lead off role for the team and replaced the platoon they had at short stop.

“We had been talking for a few months about a deal and Weiner reached out to me again this week and it came together pretty quick,” said Calgary GM Kevin Dickson. “We hated to give up Lee, but we have been piecing together shortstops for the past couple of years. Puckett solves that problem now and for the future.”

Of course that is only if the team can get him to sign an extension. Puckett has a player option for next season so he could be a free agent at the end of this one. One of the reasons he was on the market was that Rockville was facing a cap situation with too many good players and not enough cap space. The team has offered Puckett a 3 year deal, but he is holding out for a 6 year one. The team can’t sign him to that length until he reaches the 5 year minimum so negotiations have been put on hold for a couple of weeks. It is reported that he is looking for a deal in the $11 million per year range.

At only 23 years old, Puckett is already in his 6th BBA season. A career .312 hitter, he is also a top base stealer and gives the team the option of putting his great glove at 2B or SS. His speed and his career .377 OBA make him the perfect player to top the Pioneer batting order. Puckett is leaving one of the top teams in the league and coming to one that hasn’t been to the Landis in nearly two decades. Puckett won the championship with Rockville in 2036 and 2038. With the best record in baseball and a 9 1/2 game lead in their division, the Pikemen are making another run this year.

Morgan was in his second season with Calgary after pitching well last season before missing the end with an injury. Several appearances on the DL this year had frustrated Calgary leadership making it easier to trade the hurler. It did create a hole in the Pioneer pitching rotation, but that was soon filled in an even bigger trade. Of course to get Morgan, the team traded four top prospects to the Tropics, so they may end up being the biggest winner where Morgan is concerned.