Hartford (AP)- "I never thought I'd ever deal within my own division again,
especially in the thick of a pennant race," said Whalers Manager Jeremy
Chrabascz, "but Philip (Raisor) did one hell of a sales job." The Outlaws
Manager reportedly flew to Hartford to spend time personally with Chrabascz at
his home to convince him to deal. Apparently, Raisor was looking to make a
major move on the division now while it was obvious Hartford was building for
the future. So, after hours of time on the golf course, a deal was struck (and
Raisor had lost over $1,000 in side golf bets). The deal is this:
To Deadwood: 1B Rafael Palmiero
To Hartford: 1B Julio Franco, SS Rod Lewis* & 1st Round Free Agent Draft Pick
Palmiero was reached at his home and commented, "Well, I knew when Ken
(Griffey) and Sheff were dealt that my days were probably numbered. Not sure
why they picked up an older first baseman but it's their loss. Although I hear
they got a draft pick or a great infield prospect or something. Whatever. I'm
going to go win another McCoy Division crown in Deadwood." Meanwhile,
Chrabascz evaluated the deal like this, "Rafael was an integral part of our
ballclub as were Griffey and Maddux. However, we're going in a new direction
and everyone knows it. A requirement to deal was a replacement and Julio
(Franco) should fill in nicely this season. We also picked up a top infield
prospect in Lewis and the first round draft pick we craved. No other owner
came close to filling the 1B and draft pick requirements we had. Philip did a
superb sales job. Only time will tell who was the wiser."
Here's the skinny on Lewis...
*SS Rod Lewis 44-33-52 48/68, age 22
And Franco still has some life in him, or so both he and the team doctor
claim...
1B Julio Franco 72-48-37 58/46, age 33
With the addition of Lewis, tradewinds appear to still be blowing. Both Kurt
Abbott and Jay Bell have been mentioned in trade talks. We'll keep you posted.
Update: While maintaining a fairly competetive squad, Hartford has managed to
pick up draft picks. Thus far, Hartford has 3 first rounders and 3 second
rounders. Of the offseason, Chrabascz has already declared, "A first baseman
will be our top priority. Don't worry, Julio knows that already. We're also
hoping to nab a CF or RF. We'll see, it's a long way off."
