1B Albert Gaona
Jayden Harsnett
As reported earlier in the season, Twin Cities is(was) in no position to sign Jayden Harsnett to the long term extension his agent was demanding.
Resigned to the fact that it was Harnett's last season, Manager Juan Williams somehow convinced Harsnett that actually playing to his potential might go a long way to negotiating the big time Free Agent Contract he's expecting. For years, Harsnett has performed below expectations, perplexing GM Scott Piccoli and infuriating Owner Robin Wells.
Harnsett responded has been playing his best baseball since his rookie season... Prompting his agent to constantly nag GM Scott Piccoli that Jayden's demands were only going to rise if he didn't sign an extension now...
When opportunity came knocking and San Fernando offering injured 1B Albert Gaona for Harsnett, the Twin Cities office accepted.. though a bit reluctantly.
The River Monsters are in the middle of hotly contested Wild Card Race, with a somewhat outside shot at the Heartland Division lead. Replacing Harsnett's offense wasn't going to be easy. It appears that once promising 1st Round Pick, CF Wes Savage is going to be called upon to fill the spot. Savage's projected offensive ratings have plummeted since being selected with Twin Cities's 2032 1st Round Pick (2nd Over-all), however he does show potential to be average with the bat.
While Wes Savage doesn't have the offensive firepower to match Harsnett's production this season, he's a superior defender to Jayden, Savage has been tearing up the minors to date and the team is hoping (praying) he can bring just a little of that to the BBA.
So why take this gamble?
Albert Gaona may help resolve a few issues that team currently has.
1) Offense Vs Lefty Starters - Twin Cities has a strong lineup against Righties, but tends to struggles against left lineups. Boogie Eisenhower had helped remedy that situation.. but more on that.
2) Fill a Glaring Hole at 1st Base - Boogie Eisenhower was initially signed last season to play 1B and provide Power in the middle of the lineup. And while Eisenhower has filled the role offensively, he's lost too much defensively to be anything other than a DH. Futhermore, Boogie's appears to be declining right before our eyes this season after a hot start. As happy as the team has been with signing Eisenhower, the writing is on the wall that the Front Office will not be electing to keep Eisenhower with his upcoming Team Option for 2036.
3) Actually affordable for a Few Seasons - With Twin Cities upcoming Budget Crunch heading into 2036/2037, Gaona's team friendly arbitration estimates will allow the Team to continue to explore possible Free Agents. It was unlikely the team would be able sign decent offensive free agent to play first base and still be able to manage salary. For Example, the Aging Eisenhower commanded ~$10 million per season.
4) Harsnett had zero chance of signing an Extension with Twin Cities. Early in the season, Harsnett's agent was asking for an average of $10 Million/season. That quickly inflated with Harsnett's hot start and it appears that he's currently upped his demands to almost $19 million. While it seems Jayden likely has no chance of signing a Free Agent contract for that amount, Twin Cities is in no position to try to sign him for half of that amount.
The Gamble - Albert Gaona is scheduled to return right before the end of the season. However, he's already had one setabck in his rehab and any hiccup will cause the Team to completely miss having him for the remainder of the season. Will the team be able offset the loss of Jayden Harnsett and remain competitive in the Play Off Race? Fading and Missing the playoffs will be a bitter pill to swallow for trading away productive player who could have made the difference...
The Front Office believes the Team can adapt and overcome... Over the last few seasons, the River Monsters has been able to rely more upon the Pitching Staff and less on the Offense... Especially with several young pitcher coming into their own... Not just the one named Kelly.
And just to twist the knife a bit more. Jayden Harsnett has been on complete fire since being traded to San Fernando... 1.199 OPS? Really? He never broke .800 OPS prior to this season.
