Jackrabbits Trade “Sandslash” in Youth Movement (Hoppy Endings, Preseason Sim) [PP:2057.04]

[neugey]

Fans of the Jackrabbits have been questioning for some time how much longer LF and super-utility man Bhuhimitra “Sandslash” Keshab would remain with the team given his final contract year. Still the move that came this week took onlookers by surprise.

With Sacramento looking for a dynamic 4th outfielder to solidify their team, Edmonton decided to make the move, sending “Sandslash” to the Mad Popes for infield prospect John Jowers and a solid AAA power bat in RF Bu-Wei Luo. Edmonton will also retain half of Keshab’s 2057 salary, making it a little easier for Sacramento to navigate the salary cap.

Edmonton GM Mike Bauer was asked to give some insight into the trade and was not bashful. “We’ve been considering trading Sandslash to a contender for some time. And the deal with Sacramento makes some sense as sending him to the Frick provides a bit of comfort. Trading him to a Frontier team and seeing him hit .320 including games against us wasn’t a road I wanted to go down.”

“The important part of the deal was John Jowers, and I was pretty determined he would be the player we wanted to come away with. Jowers is not a perfect hitter, but he can club homers and play great defense. He can play everything but catcher and third base, really. It’s hard to find players with great infield range and HR power. We expect him to contribute as a key reserve and defensive asset. Jowers and another player we are excited about, LF Dwight Hartsock, will be competing for an immediate roster spot in 2057. There’s a slim chance both of them could even make the team if they both play incredibly in spring training. But between that winner, team captain Kane Gregson and Dane Procter, we’ll have plenty of options to help fill Keshab’s LF and utility role.”

“Luo will help in AAA and there’s an outside chance he could get called up if injuries occur or we are desperate for more power. For some reason he didn’t get much playing time in the minors in 2056, something we’ll look to rectify.”

With players beginning to report to Spring Training, the newly acquired Jowers has already earned a new moniker – “Jowtown”. “Frequent nicknames keep the atmosphere fun and really make things easier for us in the front office,” said Bauer. “That’s important in a league where you have 5,971 players named Rodriguez or something!”