Is it a Dunn deal ... and Hollenbeck too?
Though nothing has been released by the Wild Things (they're still waiting on the paperwork to be filed), Washington has traded right-handed pitcher J.J. Hollenbeck and left-handed pitcher Brooks Dunn to the American Defenders of New Hampshire (yes, that's the name) of the Can-Am League in exchange for two players.
The Wild Things will receive second baseman Ismeal Castro and right-handed pitcher Sean Heimpel.
Castro, 25, was once a highly touted prospect in the Seattle Mariners' organization and played 49 games at Class AAA Tacoma in 2006, hitting .303. A native of Cartagena, Columbia, Castro was signed as a 16-year-old by the Mariners. In 2002, he was the Most Valuable Player of the rookie-level Northwest League. He spent four more seasons in the Mariners' system.
The last two years, Castro has played in independent leagues. In 2007, he led the South Coast League in RBI and extra-base hits. Last season, playing for the Nashua Pride (the name was changed after the season), Castro batted .300. A switch-hitter, Castro has a career .292 batting average.
Heimpel, a native of Bethlehem, pitched in only five games for Nashua after concluding his collegiate career at Georgia State, an NCAA Division II school. Heimpel pitched Liberty High School to the PIAA championship game in 2002.
The trade clears a L2 roster spot - Hollenbeck was an L2 - for the Wild Things but there is still a roster logjam among older players. Castro is classified as a Veteran, so he basically swaps spots with Dunn. If Castro stays on the roster, then Washington has to make a decision on L2s between Mike Schellinger, Jacob Dempsey and newly acquired Jon Lewis. They would be able to keep only two of those players.
Another note about Castro: If he sticks with Washington, then he'll be (as best I can recall) only the second Wild Things player with Class AAA experience. Do you the other player?
One thing is certain about the 2009 Wild Things – they will have revamped pitching rotation. Dunn (2-6, 3.32 ERA), Hollenbeck (15-10, 3.88 in three seasons) and Aaron Ledbetter (FL's all-time wins leader) will not be back, so look for a flurry of signings (Rookies and L1s) after the minor-league spring training cuts.
Labels: Brooks Dunn, Ismeal Castro, J.J. Hollenbeck, Sean Heimpel
posted by Chris Dugan at
8:29 PM
32 Comments:
cahill?
I sure hope Dunn is done.
No big loss.
Not Cahill. I think he played in one game at Double-A in the Angels system before coming to Washington. You're on the right track - it wasn't a pitcher.
Doug Garcia
-Nate Six
Correct! Doug Garcia made it to Triple-A in the Rangers' system. There might have been some other player who was in a game or two at Triple-A, but I don't recall any other than Garcia's 11 at-bats for Oklahoma City in 2002.
Didn't David Bradley make it to AAA?
Bradley made it to high-Class A before joining the Wild Things in 2002. After two years in Washington, Bradley pitched in 66 games in Class AA. He went to spring training with Oakland's Triple-A club but was sent back to Double-A when camp ended.
It seems like Mason wants to bring in his "guys" -- kinda seems like Ross is no longer making decisions but the control has been turned over to Mason. Especially after the aquisition of Spiers from lake erie (formerly paints).
Judging by his success with the paints I would think the powers at be would want Ross involved and making decisions -- things didn't turn out so well the last few years for Mason when he was making personnel decisions in Chillicothe.
I understand what you are saying Ron, but maybe players didn't want to play in Chilocothe. They would never have more than 150 fans per game. Just a different thought process being that I am a Mark Mason fan!
If Mark Mason is in charge of player attainment instead of Ross, that is a definite improvement and I hope Ron is right.
Anonymous...A valid point. But i don't want those types of players coming in and playing 'just because' now they have a crowd.
I understand if Mason is uncomfortable with some of the guys Jelks brought in -- they have differing styles etc. And you my have a beef with Ross -- but you can't argue with his success over the years. Playoffs every year until last year? No other franchise achieved that. And probably no franchise will again -- that's consistency... Yeah Mason has brought it some good looking players -- but what happens when they hit a rough patch and the team quits on him like his team last year did?
And maybe they won't hit that rough patch...but its possible.
By my understanding the can am league is actually a better league than the frontier league, with no age limit and higher salary. I think its great for J.J. and even Dunn too.
Higher salary, yes. More talent, higher competition, doubtful. There have been guys who were middle of the road in the FL who were able to go to the CANAM and be top tier players. Even last year the WT brough in a player via trade from the CANAM who came in here and was unimpressive and was sent right back. Just some food for thought.
Will Mason keep any of the pitchers from '08. I cant see Schellinger being dealt but who knows at this point.
Mason has never had a team that quit on him. Just ask TC last year. His players play hard for him every night. His teams are always in the top of the league in one run game winning %. Players love to play for him.
Don't be suprised if Jon Cahill is introduced as a member of the coaching staff. Great move.
Jon Cahill, hitting coach.
Chris Carter's business work will make him unavailable.
Chris Carter couldn't coach hitting if his life depended on it!
You are correct. Jon Cahill will be the next hitting coach.
Who is going to be pitching coach?Hopefully not Wayman.
They had no pitching coach last year. Anybody will be an improvement.
Wayman should return to his day job - an IRS agent!
Good stuff.
Chris Carter seemed to do a great job last year. Not only did Washington not have any problem scoring runs -- but his hitters seemed to like him as well. The relationship between a hitting coach and hitter is different from most coach/player relationships.
Hitters have to be able to trust the advice and more importantly actually trust that the coach knows what he is talking about. I think the improvements you saw at the end of the year to guys like Raber were a direct result of time spent with Carter.
No sense in ripping the guy on the way out -- he was a class act...and is Cahill really that legendary? I'm sure he'll do a decent job -- but there was nothing wrong with Carter last year.
Hey Thriftyone,
Now a 10% tax on parking! - I'll bet you gonna like that!!
What "improvements" did we see with Raber at the end of the year?
He was hitting .275 for the year with Rockford (44-160), 7 doubles, 2 homeruns and 35 strikeouts.
He hit .272 while here (34-125), with 9 doubles, 1 homerun and 26 strikeouts.
He hit .254 over the last three weeks of the season (16-63), falling from a .290 average his first three weeks here.
The way Obama is taking the country, we won't have to think about the FL much longer - it will be belly-up in about 2 years!
If North Franklin gets the entertainment tax they want, perhaps this will be thet Wild Things final season.
You know Dems - never seen a tax they didn't like!
If I worked for the WT, I'd be preparing for a new career!
If I worked for the Wild Things, I'd be happy to have a job. Some of us need one, you know. Tough times.
I'm a former Washington, PA resident living now in Atlanta. Sean Heimpel pitched at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, not Georgia State, which is D-1 and in Atlanta.
If you work for the WT then get ready for unemployement!! The FL will be gone in two years!
I greatly doubt that.
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