WHIV 2021.6- Sharp dealt to Hawaii

[recte44]

One of the lynchpins of the Hustlers recent success, outfielder Emory Sharp, was dealt yesterday to the Hawaii Tropics in exchange for three prospects.

Sharp was a stalwart for the Hustlers for the last five seasons, producing a power/speed combo that was one of the best in the league. Along with that, he was a capable outfielder who played a decent center field but last year served as the primary designated hitter.

He was a free agent to be, and demanding a contract in the $15-16 million per year range, something the Hustlers couldn't fit into their long range plans. Additionally, the trade gives the Hustlers the ability to play Ramon Espinosa (a .321 hitter in part time play last season) everyday in center field, further increasing the clubs stellar defensive ability.

In return, the Hustlers get three interesting prospects. Outfielder Tony Banuelos is a pure hitter with off the charts speed. Defensively, he's a little rough so he'll likely be a bench player for the Hustlers in the future. 19 year old righty Mike Bailey shows promise as a future potential starting pitcher, with great control and four pitches. He's also the tallest player in the game today, at 7'2". Finally, the Hustlers picked up an interesting relief prospect in 22 year old righty Jesus Guzman.

The Hustlers will continue to look to the future when need be, but still keep a top notch major league team together. This is the way towards sustained success that failed them in the 2010's.