Chasing The Storm 2044-1 Offseason Review
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 10:17 am
It's been said in several different ways, but the 2043 season was an unmitigated disaster for the Seattle Storm. While there was more than enough blame to go around, it seems pretty clear that one of the major problems was the team's defense, and improving the defense was the team's number one priority. To address that, Seattle made a few major moves. Let's take a look at two of them.
Seattle ended the 2043 season with a glut of outfielders and some major problems with its infield. To address those issues, Seattle traded longtime stalward Todd Rice and first baseman Vincent Vanderhugen. In return, Seattle got first baseman Liann-wei "Chairman" Mao and out fielder Arturo Mendoza. While it's generally not great practice to trade a center fielder for a first baseman, Seattle's motivation was twofold: first, Seattle had several players who could play center field; more importantly, Vanderhugen had been brutal defensively at first base, and The Chairman is both a superior fielder and a far better hitter. Having a competent defensive first baseman should be a huge upgrade for Seattle's infield defense, but it will only be a piece of their offseason puzzle.
Seattle also handed out a big contract to Pedro Diaz. While Diaz's hitting has never been his strongest skill, he is fantastic defensively, and he will be a huge upgrade for Seattle's infield defense. More importantly, his acquisition will allow Alejandro Cordova to move to his more natural position of third base, and will also allow Eric Jones to slide to the less demanding position of second base. If Diaz can hit at all, Seattle fans will be thrilled with the deal, but at a minimum, his presence will markedly improve Seattle's defense.
Seattle ended the 2043 season with a glut of outfielders and some major problems with its infield. To address those issues, Seattle traded longtime stalward Todd Rice and first baseman Vincent Vanderhugen. In return, Seattle got first baseman Liann-wei "Chairman" Mao and out fielder Arturo Mendoza. While it's generally not great practice to trade a center fielder for a first baseman, Seattle's motivation was twofold: first, Seattle had several players who could play center field; more importantly, Vanderhugen had been brutal defensively at first base, and The Chairman is both a superior fielder and a far better hitter. Having a competent defensive first baseman should be a huge upgrade for Seattle's infield defense, but it will only be a piece of their offseason puzzle.
Seattle also handed out a big contract to Pedro Diaz. While Diaz's hitting has never been his strongest skill, he is fantastic defensively, and he will be a huge upgrade for Seattle's infield defense. More importantly, his acquisition will allow Alejandro Cordova to move to his more natural position of third base, and will also allow Eric Jones to slide to the less demanding position of second base. If Diaz can hit at all, Seattle fans will be thrilled with the deal, but at a minimum, his presence will markedly improve Seattle's defense.