Nothing for something
One of the unique aspects of independent baseball is managers never know for sure who will be on their roster -- or, at least, have a chance to be on the roster -- until the players show up for spring training. Putting together a team during the offseason can be as tricky as walking through a mine field. You're never sure what your next move is going to produce.
For example, you sign a guy one day, and the next day that player might have his contract purchased by a major league organization. Sign another guy because you're told he lives baseball 24/7, but in the offseason he opts to retire because he got a "real" job. You count on an injured player to come back as good as ever, but he suddenly decides that all the rehab work isn't worth it and he hangs up his spikes. Another player you're counting on shows up for spring training overweight and out of shape, or he arrives with an injury.
Those things happen in independent ball. They happen almost every year. To every team.
That's what makes the "player to be named" trades in independent ball a risky proposition, especially when you acquire the "player to be named" during the offseason. There's no guarantee that player will even make it to spring training.
That's what happened with two of the Wild Things' "player to be named" trades from late last season. Washington made four such trades, sending pitchers Orlando Santos and Anthony Collazo to Evansville in separate deals, outfielder Darian Sandford to Joliet and pitcher Shawn Sanford to Schaumburg.
In return for Santos and Collazo, the Wild Things acquired shortstop Ryan Kresky and pitcher Ryan Zamorsky. For Sandford, the return was pitcher Mike Barsotti. And Schaumburg sent pitcher Chris Phelan to Washington to complete the Sanford deal. However, only two of those four acquired players will be heading to Washington for spring training.
Zamorsky was placed on the retired list in January. Barsotti was retired this week. That leaves only Kresky and Phelan to show for the four trades.
The Wild Things entered into another "player to be named" trade Tuesday, but they were on the opposite end of the deal. Washington acquired the rights to right-handed pitcher Alex Kaminsky from the Lake Erie Crushers in exchange for a "player to be named." This will be the third Frontier League team for Kaminsky. He was 10-5, 3.74 with Gateway in 2012, and 7-5, 3.28 for Lake Erie last season. Kaminsky is an Ohio native and played one season in the Cleveland Indians' system.
Washington also signed third baseman Garrett Rau, who is a former 12th round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox -- as a pitcher. Rau had a terrific season with the bat at California Baptist, a good NCAA Division II program -- in 2010, when he was an infielder who also dabbled on the mound. The Red Sox liked Rau more as pitcher, drafted him and he threw for two seasons in the minors before being released. Rau is trying to get back to affiliated ball as a position player. He spent the last two years as one of the youngest players in the American Association -- considered a rung above the Frontier League -- and had respectable seasons with Amarillo and Laredo.
For example, you sign a guy one day, and the next day that player might have his contract purchased by a major league organization. Sign another guy because you're told he lives baseball 24/7, but in the offseason he opts to retire because he got a "real" job. You count on an injured player to come back as good as ever, but he suddenly decides that all the rehab work isn't worth it and he hangs up his spikes. Another player you're counting on shows up for spring training overweight and out of shape, or he arrives with an injury.
Those things happen in independent ball. They happen almost every year. To every team.
That's what makes the "player to be named" trades in independent ball a risky proposition, especially when you acquire the "player to be named" during the offseason. There's no guarantee that player will even make it to spring training.
That's what happened with two of the Wild Things' "player to be named" trades from late last season. Washington made four such trades, sending pitchers Orlando Santos and Anthony Collazo to Evansville in separate deals, outfielder Darian Sandford to Joliet and pitcher Shawn Sanford to Schaumburg.
In return for Santos and Collazo, the Wild Things acquired shortstop Ryan Kresky and pitcher Ryan Zamorsky. For Sandford, the return was pitcher Mike Barsotti. And Schaumburg sent pitcher Chris Phelan to Washington to complete the Sanford deal. However, only two of those four acquired players will be heading to Washington for spring training.
Zamorsky was placed on the retired list in January. Barsotti was retired this week. That leaves only Kresky and Phelan to show for the four trades.
The Wild Things entered into another "player to be named" trade Tuesday, but they were on the opposite end of the deal. Washington acquired the rights to right-handed pitcher Alex Kaminsky from the Lake Erie Crushers in exchange for a "player to be named." This will be the third Frontier League team for Kaminsky. He was 10-5, 3.74 with Gateway in 2012, and 7-5, 3.28 for Lake Erie last season. Kaminsky is an Ohio native and played one season in the Cleveland Indians' system.
Washington also signed third baseman Garrett Rau, who is a former 12th round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox -- as a pitcher. Rau had a terrific season with the bat at California Baptist, a good NCAA Division II program -- in 2010, when he was an infielder who also dabbled on the mound. The Red Sox liked Rau more as pitcher, drafted him and he threw for two seasons in the minors before being released. Rau is trying to get back to affiliated ball as a position player. He spent the last two years as one of the youngest players in the American Association -- considered a rung above the Frontier League -- and had respectable seasons with Amarillo and Laredo.
posted by Chris Dugan at
11:25 AM
4 Comments:
Chris,
I noticed the front office made a lot of changes in the offseason but didn't create any additional positions. How burnt out will these people be trying to run two teams simultaneously?
Also Stu's daughters are apparently now the "Director of Operations" and some other title. How can that benefit the company? What are their qualifications?
Burnt out? I don't think there are degress of burnt out. Either you are or you're not, and we won't know for sure if these employees will be able to handle the workload until the second half of the seasons.
I don't know what "Director of Operations" is, so I can't comment on that one. Some companies are big on giving employees titles that mean nothing. Others don't give you a "director" title unless you're in charge of a large staff. Who knows what "Director of Operations" means for the Wild Things/Rebellion/Consol Energy Park.
In the days of natural grass, the front office staff ran both the Wild Things and the soccer team.
The only burn out was the natural grass from the constant use. Plus I think more abuse was from the concerts where you would see a lot of brown spots after an event.
"Also Stu's daughters are apparently now the "Director of Operations" and some other title. How can that benefit the company? What are their qualifications?"
Why are you asking a question like that? Being Stu's daughters ARE their qualifications!
Anyway, I think the entire Wild Things organization is just some sort of a tax thingy that Stu is using for some reason. He is a lawyer and they know every possible tax loophole. I don't see how the WT can be a money making operation the way it is being run. I almost looks like they are trying to lose money.
I would not work for the miserable Stu for twice what he pays his lackey Steze Z.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home