63.26 Blazers Trade for Starting Pitcher

[Bob Breum]

After the loss of their ace, Lúcio Juárez, for six weeks, Montreal went shopping. Word on the street is that they aren't done, but they have brought home the first item from their shopping trip.

Cape Fear had waived starting pitcher Liam Johnston. He is on the last guaranteed year of a three-year contract that he signed before the 2062 season, making $4,720,000 this season. If Montreal simply claimed him on waivers, they would be on the hook for the remainder of the contract. This was not within their budget. Instead, they sent closer Todd Stone, who is being paid $6,500,000 this season, to Cape Fear. This gave the Blazers some wriggle room in their budget. The Swamp Foxes wanted some compensation for the difference, so Montreal included prospect Taqi Elahi in the deal.


Liam Johnston
Johnston, 36, is a right-handed groundballer with three pitches: sinker, curveball, and circle change. His heavy sinker sits around 93-95 mph. His control is merely average but he has decent movement on his pitches. This season, he is 4-5 in twelve starts with a 4.35 ERA (104 ERA+). He was originally selected out of high school by Athens in the second round of the 2045 GBC amateur draft. He made his BBA debut in 2056 with Charlotte at the age of 29. Scouts criticize his work ethic off the field but say that he is an Iron Man who always answers the bell and can be an innings eater for his team.


Todd Stone
Stone, 38, is nearing the end of what is likely a Hall of Fame career with 323 career saves to date. He no longer possesses the electric stuff of his youth but his pinpoint control allows him to control at-bats. He is an old school fastball/slider artist but his fastball now sits around 92-94 mph. This season he is 0-2 in 17 appearances with a 3.26 ERA (107 ERA+).
Taqi Elahi
Elahi, 21, is a 5'11" switch-hitting infielder with a weak arm who is limited to the right side of the infield. Scouts project him with plus contact and plus eye but below average power. He was signed by the Blazers scouting department out of Pakistan in 2058 and spent four years in Montreal's international complex before graduating to rookie ball in 2062. He struggled in his first exposure to professional ball but has started this season strong at Oshawa, Montreal's rookie affiliate.