39.11 Bobby Lynch is leaving Edmonton

[crobillard]

The news is shaking Edmonton fans to their core. After several months of rumors and speculation on whether Bobby Lynch and the Jackrabbits would go separate ways after this season, several sources are reporting that a trade is imminent. The recipient of Lynch is not clear just yet, but soon the news will be official. There most certainly will be a package of prospects coming back in return of Lynch. Some have speculated whether it would be a sign and trade deal like the ones typically fawned over by sports networks that cover the NBA. Sign and trade deals are not as popular as they are talked about though because of Collective Bargaining Agreements. Lucky for GMs in the BBA, they are not under any such constraints much to player dismay.

We're over a month from the trade deadline though. Many in the media speculated that with the recent hot streak from the Jackrabbits, 26-16 over the last month and a half, that the Jackrabbits may choose to hang onto Lynch to see if they could still contend and if not deal him at the deadline. That's why this news is so puzzling. In the midst of the hottest streak of the season, when the Jackrabbits finally look like possible contenders that just need to catch up, why would the Jackrabbits deal Bobby Lynch?

GM Chris Robillard has said publicly that negotiations between the team and Lynch have been going well and that the team intended on signing him. If perhaps those negotiations have gone south that could be one reason that he is dealing Lynch so suddenly. However, once the negotiations break it's impossible to do a sign and trade. Is it possible the Jackrabbits agreed to a gentleman's handshake for the receiving team not to resign Lynch and allow him to go to free agency, but only if the receiving team is able to get Lynch now to help them with their postseason push? That could be one answer to the about face the team is doing with this deal.

One thing is for certain, Edmonton fans are not happy with GM Robillard with a lot of support for Lynch to get paid. Lynch has been with the team since he signed to a minor league contract with a two million dollar bonus in 2029 after the Atlantic City Gamblers drafted him the previous year in the fourth round and failed to sign him. The following years in the minor leagues Lynch saw incredible growth and in 2032 he was named the #1 prospect in the BBA. In 2033, at 21 years old, he was called up to the majors. That season he won the Newcomer of the Year award with a 3.27 ERA in 167.2 innings pitched. 2034 saw Lynch establish himself as an ace on the Jackrabbits pitching staff and one of the best pitchers in the league. He had an ERA sub 3 in 230 innings. He suffered a horrific ruptured UCL injury in 2035 that cost him a year of time and early in 2036 he made his return. He was solid in 2036, but it wouldn't come all together until 2037 when Lynch won the Comeback Player of the Year award for his 17-4 performance with a 2.74 ERA in 200.2 innings pitched. He finished third in Steve Nebraska Golden Arm voting. He carried that success into the 2038 season. At times he was dominant and other times he struggled resulting in a solid year statistically for the power lefty. For the first time in his career though, his team stepped up to the plate and performed really well. It led the 2038 Jackrabbits squad to win the Landis Memorial Series.

Since Lynch's contract was expiring at the end of the 2039 season, the celebration of winning the Landis was shortlived. Edmonton was in intense negotiations with Lynch trying to secure a deal for several years. When the season started Edmonton started shopping Lynch. Over the first two months of the 2039 season the team went 20-39 which caused distraught fans to worry about the future of their beloved pitcher. Lynch helped his case this season by returning to his dominant 2037 form. As of the time of this writing on July 21st, Lynch is 11-6 with a 3.31 ERA in 130.1 innings pitched striking out 113 batters and only walking 12.

It has been rumored all season that Robillard has been close to sealing the deal on a few trades for Lynch, but never before has it been so certain. It seems like Lynch's time in an Edmonton uniform is numbered. Lynch was a big reason Edmonton won the Landis in 2038, the biggest question in the BBA is, who will Bobby Lynch be helping win the Landis in 2039?

[RonCo]