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ayaghmour2 · 12-16-2020, 01:08 PM

Would you believe me if I made another trade? This one saw 10 players go from Chicago to Chicago. Wait, what?

Yep, we sent a huge package (more on that later) to the South Side Chiefs for their best pitcher and best hitter: Dave Rankin and Joe Masters.

Let's start with the superstar Masters:

Taken 11th Overall by the Chiefs back in 1920, the now 35-year-old slugger debuted for them in 1922 and hasn't looked back since. He's played in 1,846 professional games and has started all but 10, with nine of those in his rookie season. He's done really well, batting .309/.380/.480 (124 OPS+) with 247 homers and 1,369 RBI's. His best season was 1928 where he slashed .388/.456/.709 (202 OPS+) with 56 homers, 195 RBI's, and a whopping 12 wins above replacement. I know, WAR sucks. But 12! That's more then our entire team combined! (I didn't actually look). Anyways, those 195 RBI's are the FABL single season record, which shattered former Gothams center fielder John Jones 174. Interesting enough, the third most all time is also Masters. In 1930 he drove in 167, one more then Max Morris' career best. This year has gone well for Masters, as he's hitting .356/.428/.563 (152 OPS+) with 11 homers and 59 RBI's. Our crosstown counterpart has a very similar stadium to ours, so Masters will be comfortable launching home runs like he's used to. He's also a surprisingly capable defender despite his age, but Kincaid is generally better. In my weekly report, I'm going to go in depth on how I plan to setup my lineups as we are going to have a few moving parts.

The second piece was Dave Rankin, an arm I've been interested in for awhile. A 5th Round pick back in 1927 by the Kings and he got 6 starts and relief appearances 1930 that did not go so well. Still, he was one of the Kings better prospects and was a piece of the Milt Fritz blockbuster in that offseason. His first two seasons in Chicago weren't great, but he started to find himself last season. His stats this season look a bit worse then when we started talking the trade, as he allowed 5 or more runs in his last four starts, but he still has a 3.93 ERA (114 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 35 walks, and 51 strikeouts. June was a rough month, 1-2 with a 5.91 ERA (76 ERA+), 1.57 WHIP, 6 walks, and 16 strikeouts in 35 innings, but I'm not worried about a few (four) rough starts. The 28-year-old is entering his prime and I just love everything about him. He sits in the low 90s and his sinker leads his seven pitch arsenal. He's also a Tommy Wilcox type starter where you start him in the first and watch him finish off the ninth. He'll slide into the three spot in the rotation, but I think he might be better then Dick Lyons.

Well, enough about what I got. What's scarier is what I gave up:

SP Jim Crawford FABL
3B Elmer Hutchins AAA
LF Ed Reyes AA
2B Red Moore AA
SP Bill Ross A
CF Ernie Carson B
SP Walker Pearce C
LF Joe Joseph C

Yeah, that's a lot of players...

But, I think it will be worth it!

Starting with Crawford, he's the only big league piece leaving us. I know this guy is good, but for some reason he doesn't. He broke out as a sophomore, going 18-11 with a 3.15 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 60 walks, and 80 strikeouts in 254.1 innings pitched. He went from our #5 to #1 and helped secure our 1931 title. Unfortunately, he's gotten worse each season since and absolutely nothing is going right for him now. I'm ready for him to blow up in Chicago right after the trade, but he's not happy and we're not happy, so this is a win-win for both parties. Well, and a big win for the Chiefs if he breaks out. But even if he doesn't, let's look at some of these prospects:

I'm not quite sure which of the three prospects I want to call the centerpiece, but Ed Reyes, Bill Ross, and Ernie Carson rank 8th, 9th, 10th and 76th, 79th, and 84th on ours and the leagues prospect lists. I'll start with Reyes, who was just recently promoted to AA and has absolutely raked. He's hitting .413/.462/.550 (166 OPS+) with 22 RBI's in 121 trips to the plate. Reyes was taken by us 15th Overall in 1931 and was one of three Atlanta HS players taken in the first two rounds (the others Harry Barrell and our new top prospect Leo Mitchell). Reyes reminds me of a left handed Vince York. He's got a ton of contact potential, a little bit of pop, but not the greatest defensively. He's stuck behind Rich Langton, who my scout thinks could crush big league pitching already. Next is Bill Ross, our 3rd Round pick back in 1930 who's spent the whole season in A Lincoln. In 10 starts he's 5-2 with a 4.39 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 21 walks, and 26 strikeouts. He's a three pitch pitcher who sits in the high 80s with a pretty good cutter. His changeup is his go too strikeout pitch, and probably the best pitch, but even his slider can get swings and misses. He doesn't overpower batters, but he places his pitches well. He's got a future in a big league rotation, but likely more in the middle then the top or bottom. This is the second time I've traded a Bill Ross, but I think this run will actually help me (unless this one also ends up beating me in a game 7...). Lastly, Carson is kind of in a similar situation as Reyes. The 1932 5th Rounder is stuck behind Marty Roberts who I am really high on. Carson is a really good prospect in his own right, but what I like about Roberts is how much more superior of a defender he is. Carson can handle center, but may be better suited for a corner. He's always going to hit though, as his contact potential is top of the line and he's an extremely intelligent player, both on the bases and at the plate. Giving up all of these guys hurt, but I've added enough depth across the past two drafts (well, really just 1932) that I think we can stomach the loss.

Of course, there's more prospects:

1932 6th Rounder Red Moore ranks 13th in our system and right outside the top 100 at 110. He's already up in AA, but hitting just .299/.333/.390 (90 OPS+) with 2 homers and 25 RBI's in 261 trips to the plate. He's a really good defender at second and he's got top notch speed and contact ability. My scout thinks he's also ready for the big leagues, but I think he needs at least another year of seasoning. He's actually my highest ranking second basemen, but I have Ducky Jordan and Homer Ray right behind him plus Freddie Bennett, Tommy Wilson, and Billy Hunter, our top shortstop prospect. All of these guys except Ray can play either middle infield spot, but I'm guessing if I gave Ray some reps at short he'd pick it up as well. We also included 1932 2nd Rounder Walker Pearce. The lefty ranks 91st in the league, but has only made two starts this season. This kid as a ton of upside, but at 19 he's still all the way down in LaCrosse. He's an extreme groundballer with a high 80s sinker that a strong middle infield will always be able to turn two with. He won't strike out many batters, but he does better when the ball is in play. Even though they throw different pitches, he really reminds me of Dick Lyons. Both guys thrive when the ball is in play because you can't get enough on their pitches.

The final two pieces are Elmer Hutchins and Joe Joseph. A 1929 8th Rounder, Hutchins is up in Milwaukee. A natural second basemen, I've started working him out at third. The early results have been pretty good, but I still think second is his better position. He's hitting well at the highest level, batting .319/.356/.431 (106 OPS+) with a homer and 25 RBI's in 204 trips to the plate. Joseph was our 14th Rounder in 1932, and I actually selected him myself via. draft list. He's stuck in a numbers game, and he should be a strong offensive corner outfielder. I think both of these guys are more bench players then every day starters, but Hutchins is plug and play for the Chiefs (if they want) and they can wait for Joseph to develop. The Chiefs are jump starting their rebuild, and perhaps a few more Chiefs may be on the move.

So yeah, this is a lot to unpack. This deal is multi-purposed. Masters helps us win now, Rankin helps us long-term. And I also think after seeing Rankin Kellogg (and spelling his name with a g at the end every time for whatever reason) destroy us in the World Series, I think having a Rankin of our own might be a good thing! Just like every trade I make, I know that there is a really good chance that one of the guys I gives up becomes a superstar. But I think with this one there's definitely going to be a Dean Astle or John Lawson. It's just there could be a second (or third) just like the Wilcox/Taylor deal.

But one thing I know for sure is that this trade will be talked about for a while. Let's just hope we get another ring before I start seeing Ed Reyes' name in the news every week. Or Bill Ross. Or Ernie Carson. Or--, you get the point...

I just can't wait to see Joe Masters in the middle of the order!

12-16-2020, 01:08 PM	#306
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,015	Trade News! Would you believe me if I made another trade? This one saw 10 players go from Chicago to Chicago. Wait, what? Yep, we sent a huge package (more on that later) to the South Side Chiefs for their best pitcher and best hitter: Dave Rankin and Joe Masters. Let's start with the superstar Masters: Taken 11th Overall by the Chiefs back in 1920, the now 35-year-old slugger debuted for them in 1922 and hasn't looked back since. He's played in 1,846 professional games and has started all but 10, with nine of those in his rookie season. He's done really well, batting .309/.380/.480 (124 OPS+) with 247 homers and 1,369 RBI's. His best season was 1928 where he slashed .388/.456/.709 (202 OPS+) with 56 homers, 195 RBI's, and a whopping 12 wins above replacement. I know, WAR sucks. But 12! That's more then our entire team combined! (I didn't actually look). Anyways, those 195 RBI's are the FABL single season record, which shattered former Gothams center fielder John Jones 174. Interesting enough, the third most all time is also Masters. In 1930 he drove in 167, one more then Max Morris' career best. This year has gone well for Masters, as he's hitting .356/.428/.563 (152 OPS+) with 11 homers and 59 RBI's. Our crosstown counterpart has a very similar stadium to ours, so Masters will be comfortable launching home runs like he's used to. He's also a surprisingly capable defender despite his age, but Kincaid is generally better. In my weekly report, I'm going to go in depth on how I plan to setup my lineups as we are going to have a few moving parts. The second piece was Dave Rankin, an arm I've been interested in for awhile. A 5th Round pick back in 1927 by the Kings and he got 6 starts and relief appearances 1930 that did not go so well. Still, he was one of the Kings better prospects and was a piece of the Milt Fritz blockbuster in that offseason. His first two seasons in Chicago weren't great, but he started to find himself last season. His stats this season look a bit worse then when we started talking the trade, as he allowed 5 or more runs in his last four starts, but he still has a 3.93 ERA (114 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 35 walks, and 51 strikeouts. June was a rough month, 1-2 with a 5.91 ERA (76 ERA+), 1.57 WHIP, 6 walks, and 16 strikeouts in 35 innings, but I'm not worried about a few (four) rough starts. The 28-year-old is entering his prime and I just love everything about him. He sits in the low 90s and his sinker leads his seven pitch arsenal. He's also a Tommy Wilcox type starter where you start him in the first and watch him finish off the ninth. He'll slide into the three spot in the rotation, but I think he might be better then Dick Lyons. Well, enough about what I got. What's scarier is what I gave up: SP Jim Crawford FABL 3B Elmer Hutchins AAA LF Ed Reyes AA 2B Red Moore AA SP Bill Ross A CF Ernie Carson B SP Walker Pearce C LF Joe Joseph C Yeah, that's a lot of players... But, I think it will be worth it! Starting with Crawford, he's the only big league piece leaving us. I know this guy is good, but for some reason he doesn't. He broke out as a sophomore, going 18-11 with a 3.15 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 60 walks, and 80 strikeouts in 254.1 innings pitched. He went from our #5 to #1 and helped secure our 1931 title. Unfortunately, he's gotten worse each season since and absolutely nothing is going right for him now. I'm ready for him to blow up in Chicago right after the trade, but he's not happy and we're not happy, so this is a win-win for both parties. Well, and a big win for the Chiefs if he breaks out. But even if he doesn't, let's look at some of these prospects: I'm not quite sure which of the three prospects I want to call the centerpiece, but Ed Reyes, Bill Ross, and Ernie Carson rank 8th, 9th, 10th and 76th, 79th, and 84th on ours and the leagues prospect lists. I'll start with Reyes, who was just recently promoted to AA and has absolutely raked. He's hitting .413/.462/.550 (166 OPS+) with 22 RBI's in 121 trips to the plate. Reyes was taken by us 15th Overall in 1931 and was one of three Atlanta HS players taken in the first two rounds (the others Harry Barrell and our new top prospect Leo Mitchell). Reyes reminds me of a left handed Vince York. He's got a ton of contact potential, a little bit of pop, but not the greatest defensively. He's stuck behind Rich Langton, who my scout thinks could crush big league pitching already. Next is Bill Ross, our 3rd Round pick back in 1930 who's spent the whole season in A Lincoln. In 10 starts he's 5-2 with a 4.39 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 21 walks, and 26 strikeouts. He's a three pitch pitcher who sits in the high 80s with a pretty good cutter. His changeup is his go too strikeout pitch, and probably the best pitch, but even his slider can get swings and misses. He doesn't overpower batters, but he places his pitches well. He's got a future in a big league rotation, but likely more in the middle then the top or bottom. This is the second time I've traded a Bill Ross, but I think this run will actually help me (unless this one also ends up beating me in a game 7...). Lastly, Carson is kind of in a similar situation as Reyes. The 1932 5th Rounder is stuck behind Marty Roberts who I am really high on. Carson is a really good prospect in his own right, but what I like about Roberts is how much more superior of a defender he is. Carson can handle center, but may be better suited for a corner. He's always going to hit though, as his contact potential is top of the line and he's an extremely intelligent player, both on the bases and at the plate. Giving up all of these guys hurt, but I've added enough depth across the past two drafts (well, really just 1932) that I think we can stomach the loss. Of course, there's more prospects: 1932 6th Rounder Red Moore ranks 13th in our system and right outside the top 100 at 110. He's already up in AA, but hitting just .299/.333/.390 (90 OPS+) with 2 homers and 25 RBI's in 261 trips to the plate. He's a really good defender at second and he's got top notch speed and contact ability. My scout thinks he's also ready for the big leagues, but I think he needs at least another year of seasoning. He's actually my highest ranking second basemen, but I have Ducky Jordan and Homer Ray right behind him plus Freddie Bennett, Tommy Wilson, and Billy Hunter, our top shortstop prospect. All of these guys except Ray can play either middle infield spot, but I'm guessing if I gave Ray some reps at short he'd pick it up as well. We also included 1932 2nd Rounder Walker Pearce. The lefty ranks 91st in the league, but has only made two starts this season. This kid as a ton of upside, but at 19 he's still all the way down in LaCrosse. He's an extreme groundballer with a high 80s sinker that a strong middle infield will always be able to turn two with. He won't strike out many batters, but he does better when the ball is in play. Even though they throw different pitches, he really reminds me of Dick Lyons. Both guys thrive when the ball is in play because you can't get enough on their pitches. The final two pieces are Elmer Hutchins and Joe Joseph. A 1929 8th Rounder, Hutchins is up in Milwaukee. A natural second basemen, I've started working him out at third. The early results have been pretty good, but I still think second is his better position. He's hitting well at the highest level, batting .319/.356/.431 (106 OPS+) with a homer and 25 RBI's in 204 trips to the plate. Joseph was our 14th Rounder in 1932, and I actually selected him myself via. draft list. He's stuck in a numbers game, and he should be a strong offensive corner outfielder. I think both of these guys are more bench players then every day starters, but Hutchins is plug and play for the Chiefs (if they want) and they can wait for Joseph to develop. The Chiefs are jump starting their rebuild, and perhaps a few more Chiefs may be on the move. So yeah, this is a lot to unpack. This deal is multi-purposed. Masters helps us win now, Rankin helps us long-term. And I also think after seeing Rankin Kellogg (and spelling his name with a g at the end every time for whatever reason) destroy us in the World Series, I think having a Rankin of our own might be a good thing! Just like every trade I make, I know that there is a really good chance that one of the guys I gives up becomes a superstar. But I think with this one there's definitely going to be a Dean Astle or John Lawson. It's just there could be a second (or third) just like the Wilcox/Taylor deal. But one thing I know for sure is that this trade will be talked about for a while. Let's just hope we get another ring before I start seeing Ed Reyes' name in the news every week. Or Bill Ross. Or Ernie Carson. Or--, you get the point... I just can't wait to see Joe Masters in the middle of the order!