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After what Vero Beach CEO J. Lee Gohlke called "intense negotiations," he and Washington Sea Dogs owner Aaron Weiner agreed to a major deal made effective today. Marquee centerfielder Marquis Grissom and starting pitcher Willie Adams have left the great state of Washington and travelled to south Florida to join the first-place Bums. In exchange, Gohlke sent young left-hander Shawn Estes and centerfielder Ernie Young to Washington.
"This is a great deal for both teams," proclaimed Gohlke from his office after the trade. "I got a superstar centerfielder in Grissom and a reliable starter in Adams. Aaron got Shawn Estes, a guy who was very hard to part with, a guy with a lot of potential and a great left arm who will be a brilliant pitcher someday. He also got Ernie Young," Gohlke added.
Estes commented, "I certainly hope things happen for me in Washington, because they didn't in Vero Beach. I figured to be there a little longer than I was, but Aaron knows I've got a great future. It's nice to be a Sea Dog."
Young expressed some disappointment at being traded. "Well, it was nice while it lasted," he said, referring to his stay in Vero Beach. Young came to Vero in the trade with Sacramento (then Atlanta) along with Gregg Jefferies. "The fact is, I didn't contribute while I was here, but I'm confident I can with another team, especially if I play every day. With all these other great hitters here, I think I was just intimidated," stated Young.
Gohlke answered possible questions about his lineup. "Sure, I know, I know. We didn't need any more hitting with the best average in the league. But Grissom adds some pop that will help a lot. He's also a great fielder. Grissom will take over the centerfield job full time, but I'll find a place for Chuck Carr, who's hitting really well right now.
Ron Gant will probably take back his job in left, moving Carr into the DH position for now. As far as pitching goes, well, Adams will fit right into the rotation. His stats so far this season don't reflect his ability. He's got 3 very good pitches and should win plenty of games with the amount of run support that he'll have."
A team source offered speculation that Gregg Jefferies may be the "odd man out," with Carr at DH, Jeff King immovable at first, and Gant in left. The source indicated that the team will be closely monitoring both Jefferies and Carr's progress and will experiment with a number of different looks.
Written by Jason Gohlke