Among the Talons deals for Kondo and Troop last winter, the trade with Yellow Springs for reliever Tiernan O'Macken could qualify as slightly under the radar.
In his final year of arbitration, the trade would have been for naught had the Talons not signed O'Macken to an extension. The task of doing so initially appeared to be a difficult one, as Tiernan wasn't the happiest of campers upon learning that he had been dealt away from the Nine. However, as Opening Day approached, he began to appreciate the fan interest and laid back clubhouse in Phoenix, and shortly thereafter agreed to a 5 year contract that will pay him $6.5 million per season.
That contract represents the largest ever given by the franchise to a relief pitcher. Remember, this is a Talons team that traded away Mitchell Purssell because he was getting too expensive. But Phoenix has been using O'Macken in the new-fangled "stopper" role, and the results have been amazing so far. Tiernan currently leads the BBA in ERA with a tidy 0.00 mark. And while that clearly will not last (he has allowed unearned runs already), he looks poised to continue his recent success that has allowed the lefty to amass over 12 WAR since 2043.
What pitcher will O'Macken be in 2050? Who knows. But it's a safe bet that he will be worth the money for the Talons.
