Chicago trades starting pitcher Rangel to Pittsburgh for outfield prospect
With the non-waiver trade deadline fast approaching the Chicago Fire yesterday sent 26-year old right-handed starting pitcher Tony Rangel to the Pittsburgh Roadrunners for 23-year old outfield prospect Chris Caldwell.
WPK insiders consider it a good move for both teams. For the next to last place Fire it gives them another toolsy young player with great makeup who many consider underrated. For a struggling fourth year expansion club who has aging outfielders and whose best position player prospects are infielders, this is a good find.
As for the Roadrunners, they are currently sitting at .500 thanks to their talented lineup but are at or very near the bottom in pretty much every pitching category. Rangel may not be a tremendous talent, but he is certainly a step up over their current number 3 through 5 arms in the rotation. And while he might not have the best reputation as a clubhouse influence, he is durable and can give a club solid innings and almost certainly he will fare better now that he is with a club that can give him some run support.
But perhaps the biggest winner in the trade is young Mr. Caldwell. He well knew that he had no chance of getting much playing time in Pittsburgh on a team that has probably the most offensively talented trio of young outfielders in the game in Bill Winchester, Matt Van der Heyden, and Larry Leshane.