2045.01 - A Pair of Trades

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Surfers Bolster Rotation


June 1, 2045
Long Beach, CA

The Surfers today announced another trade with the Portlad Lumberjacks, the second in the past two weeks. They have acquired another pitcher, this time right handed starter Terrence Kelly. The 24-year-old projects as a back-end starter and has acrued just over two years of BBA service.

In return for Kelly, the Surfers send recently drafted prospect Kam Fiscus. He's well developed for an 18-year-old, but there are multiple questions about his work ethic and loyalty, not to mention the fact that he is the son of Portland AGM Kate Fiscus.

This deal comes on the heels of the acquisition of Ray Verhoeve in exchange for two top prospecs, SP Frank Walbourne and OF Du Wu, a recent international signing. Verhoeve spent the offseason at an elite pitching science training facility in the Pacific Northwest this offseason, and has demonstrated clear improvements in velocity and movement in the 2045 season.

The Surfers front office is placing a lot of trust in their scouts with this acquisition, as Verhoeve is 27 years old and has an unimpressive history as a starter. If his current ratings prove to be a true assesment of his talent, he could be a solid mid-rotation contributor for the team. A not-insignificant factor in the acquisition must be the fact that Verhoeve is signed through 2049 at a rate of $1.2 million per year. If he is able to be even a solid bullpen contributor, he will be worth that money. If he's able to be a mid-rotation starter? Walbourne and Wu may be missed in a few years, but it's hard to argue with Verhoeve's value.

The Surfers had gone quite a few seasons without trading top pitching prospects, but with the collapse of Yrrigs Carpenter, and another injury to Mathieu Valette, the Surfers were in dire need of rotation support. Prospect Del Willis performed admirably in his cup of coffee in 2044, but still needs some time in the minors to put some more polish on his secondary pitches.

For now, let's hope that the players traded to Portland become solid contributors, but not Hall of Fame players like Arthur Dempster.