2045-00009: Talons Admit They Made Huge Mistake by Trading Mitchell Purssell, Atone by Trading for YS Nine's O'Macken
Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2020 4:06 pm
Phoenix, AZ--
Back when the calendar turned to June last season, the Talons were looking as mediocre as they always had. With closer Mitchell Purssell looking at higher and higher arb figures, the club decided to cash in on the new "stopper" trend and market him to other teams as such.
The Talons ended up getting a decent deal for Purssell, netting three future big leaguers including 70 rated closer prospect Jeremy Smith. Unfortunately, as September approached, the club found itself in unexpected contention for a Wild Card slot, which they would end up losing on the last day of the season. Purssell definitely would have made a difference had he still been a Talon.
Fast forward to this winter, and the Talons have made moves to solidify their rotation in a big way, looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2039. The only thing missing? A dominant late inning reliever. A "stopper" if you will. So, in discussions with Yellow Springs, Phoenix agreed to send over SP Roy Minty, RF Martin Herrera, and CL Kandy Soufax. In return, they got one of the best relievers in the game, Tiernan O'Macken, along with 50% salary retention.
O'Macken, who has been worth 11.2 WAR over the last two seasons as a 'stopper', is signed through 2045 but is willing to negotiate an extension. He looks to shore up the Talons bullpen and make it equal to the club's now formidable starting rotation. Minty, readers may recall, was the Talons first round pick last season who just showed up and signed for free. He's fully developed and is probably a back end starter for most teams, but with the Talons' recent SP acquisitions, he did not look to have a spot available for at least a couple seasons. Herrera is likely a borderline starting outfieder when he develops, while Koufax is an intriguing hard throwing lefty who will likely be a "4-A" type player, but will always get a look.
So the Talons pitching staff is set. Will it be enough to finally get back into the playoffs?
Well, will it??? Seriously, we don't know. Someone please tell us.
Back when the calendar turned to June last season, the Talons were looking as mediocre as they always had. With closer Mitchell Purssell looking at higher and higher arb figures, the club decided to cash in on the new "stopper" trend and market him to other teams as such.
The Talons ended up getting a decent deal for Purssell, netting three future big leaguers including 70 rated closer prospect Jeremy Smith. Unfortunately, as September approached, the club found itself in unexpected contention for a Wild Card slot, which they would end up losing on the last day of the season. Purssell definitely would have made a difference had he still been a Talon.
Fast forward to this winter, and the Talons have made moves to solidify their rotation in a big way, looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2039. The only thing missing? A dominant late inning reliever. A "stopper" if you will. So, in discussions with Yellow Springs, Phoenix agreed to send over SP Roy Minty, RF Martin Herrera, and CL Kandy Soufax. In return, they got one of the best relievers in the game, Tiernan O'Macken, along with 50% salary retention.
O'Macken, who has been worth 11.2 WAR over the last two seasons as a 'stopper', is signed through 2045 but is willing to negotiate an extension. He looks to shore up the Talons bullpen and make it equal to the club's now formidable starting rotation. Minty, readers may recall, was the Talons first round pick last season who just showed up and signed for free. He's fully developed and is probably a back end starter for most teams, but with the Talons' recent SP acquisitions, he did not look to have a spot available for at least a couple seasons. Herrera is likely a borderline starting outfieder when he develops, while Koufax is an intriguing hard throwing lefty who will likely be a "4-A" type player, but will always get a look.
So the Talons pitching staff is set. Will it be enough to finally get back into the playoffs?
Well, will it??? Seriously, we don't know. Someone please tell us.