The Charlotte Sting today traded their outspoken starter Jalen Cotton to the San Antonio Keys for talented infielder Tony Knighton.
The hard throwing and durable lefty Cotton has had an inconsistent career but there is no doubt about his talents. The Keys rotation, currently sitting at 7th in the SJL in ERA, can certainly use the assistance.
With the loss of Knighton, it appears that for the moment the Keys will rely on a pair of veterans- Norm Howard and Kyle Watts, both former All-Stars- to man third base.
The real question is how Charlotte will fit Knighton into their lineup. With third baseman Alex Villatoro in the midst of a breakout season it appears most likely that Knighton will return to his earlier position of second base instead of Amari Williams, who turned 30 a few days ago, is having a poor season, and is injury prone. And who will take Cotton's spot in the rotation? It isn't clear, but the most likely option is 30-year old Marino Misiano, who has the repertoire and stamina to start, but nothing like the level of talent of Cotton.