[ayaghmour2]

No, I did not move Doc Love, but I made a move to improve our rotation. I acquired Gothams starter Hardin Bates for last year's first rounder Charlie Wheeler and our 7th Round pick in the upcoming draft. I am a big fan of Wheeler, the 21-year-old righty who I took 13th Overall, but I really want to throw better starters out. He was progressing well, pitching strong in AA, but as with all prospects, it's never a sure thing. In 7 starts he was 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA (141 ERA+), 1.05 WHIP, 14 walks, and 9 strikeouts and he had 8 impressive starts in Lincoln too. He's got five potentially nice pitches, but still has to work on polishing his stuff. He'll never throw too hard, but will thrive if he keeps his sinker down. I think he'll be a reliable big league arm for the Gothams, but I'm comfortable trading him now as we have a lot of young arms and we eventually won't be able to use them all.

I also really like the pitcher I was able to pick up. Granted, the 29-year-old Bates is having a tough season, but I think he'll turn things around. He
s just 3-7 with a 5.76 ERA (82 ERA+), 1.72 WHIP, 54 walks, and 44 strikeouts in 123.1 innings, but he was bound to come back to earth after a really impressive two year stretch. He was the 1934 Allen Winner, going 19-5 with a 2.35 ERA (199 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 69 walks, and 121 strikeouts in 234 innings pitched. He followed that up with a 17-9 season where he had a 3.42 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 88 walks, and 80 strikeouts. Bates is a towering righty who can overpower hitters with his low to mid 90s fastball and he does a great job mixing in the slider and curve. He keeps the ball in the park with his excellent movement, but he has seen his walks rise a bit this season. I've always been a fan of his, and I think once I get my defense built to my liking, he's going to really do well in Chicago. He's got a lot of good years left and he should help us continue to improve. For his career, Bates is 75-53 with a 3.68 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 435 walks, and 454 strikeouts in 1,207.1 innings, all with the Gothams. Bates was an undrafted free agent and definitely overperformed any expectations that were laid out for him. It was the 1925 draft, the first of the human ones, so it was just 15 rounds, but Bates was one of the many guys to sneak past.

I'm now down my 7th and 8th for this draft, but I'll probably end up making more draft pick trades on draft day. The earlier we pick, the more likely I trade the pick, as I don't really want to pick in the first half of the first round unless I pick first, which isn't possible. This move will also move Tommy Wilcox to the pen likely permanently, as the poor guy is basically done for. I can't see myself ever cutting him, so I hope he's at least an effective pen arm for the rest of his career. The numbers aren't pretty, 2-12 with a 6.77 ERA (68 ERA+), 2.10 WHIP, 80 walks, and 40 strikeouts. I still remember 1933 when he led the league in wins, ERA, WHIP, and pWAR. Good times...