Today in the CBO
News and Notes - Reports from around the Commonwealth
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
20 January 2298 - Surprise Trade as Rogers Heads to Oberland
The players apparently knew they were on the trading block, so it did not surprise one of them when he learned that he had been traded to Finch Farm.
"Got my bags packed already," Ginger Rogers said, when reached for comment.
The Four Leafs will receive 20-year-old RHP Justin Sumbich, 2298 Rookie Draft 2nd-round pick RHP William Butcherman, 2298 Rookie Draft 1st-round pick 3B David Yellowsky, 22-year-old minor league LF Josh Akins and a 2nd round draft pick, while 27-year-old CF Ginger Rogers and a 4th round draft pick will go to the Oberland T-51s.
In 108 games in 2298, Rogers batted .233 with 100 hits with 18 doubles, 3 triples, and 32 home runs, tying him atop the North Charles Association. He also collected 74 RBIs and scored 91 runs.
Sumbich pitched in 19 games in relief for the T-51s, gaining a record of 1-0 with a 6.07 ERA in 29.2 innings. It was by far his worst season in his three years in Oberland.
Butcherman will start as a relief pitcher but could become a starter in time. He has a three-pitch repertoire with a lively knuckle curve and sharp cutter. He has good stuff but needs to work on the placement of his pitches. His biggest hangup is that he tends to tire more quickly than some of the top pitching prospects.
Yellowsky was considered a good pick for talent but may be a bit of a knucklehead and will require good hands-on coaching to ever reach his talent potential. He already has good power and could develop into one of the best power hitters in the CBO if he works on his contact and waiting on the right pitch to drive. He is pull or nothing on his hitting, so teams can shift their infield and outfield over to the left side when he is batting. In youth league ball, he hit all of his home runs over the left and left-center fences. He needs to work on his glove, but when he fields the ball, he has a cannon for an arm. Runners will not get infield hits on him.