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November 16, 2006 (cbatraderumors.com)
Subject: World Series Opponents Confirm Trade
A trade was announced today at a press conference in Louisville. Not satisfied with their current depth in starting pitching, the Louisville Colonels general manager shook things up by acquiring 21-year-old minor league starting pitcher Edgardo Ordóñez from the Washington Admirals for 27-year-old second baseman Mariano González, 27-year-old right fielder Lorenzo Olivares, 26-year-old reliever Leonard Sherman and 28-year-old minor league first baseman Nathaniel George.
The Admirals general manager said, "We're a better team now. We've added several pieces to the puzzle." The question is – at what cost? The left-handed Ordonez is the #7 pitching prospect in the CBA (#19 overall) and projects to be a top of the rotation starter. Ordonez was 9-6 with a 3.41 ERA in AA last season and will move up to the Lexington Legends (AAA) staff in 2007 according to Louisville general manager Otto Orcin.
The acquisition of Ordonez shows concern on the part of Louisville management over the health of star left-hander Chip Davidson and the expiring contract of ace Robert Westaway. The Colonels also have AAA Pitcher of the Year Mike Yates and top prospect Juan Hernandez at Lexington, but there were no premier left-handed prospects in the system until now.
Fans in Louisville were disturbed by the trade, which appeared to some to be motivated by money. The recent ticket price increase announced by the Colonels already had the fans grumbling about greedy management. The trade of well-known players Gonzalez and Olivares dropped the BNN fan interest poll number by five points (to 95/100). The Colonels were able to shed nearly $10 million of salary and acquire a top prospect, so the trade may help the team remain competitive in the long run. However, it appears to leave the team weaker in the short run.
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