The two major trades that Thunder Bay pulled off not only changed the landscape of the league, but they created new mountains in the ever changing sands that are the USBA. Having two of the best players in the league doesn’t mean you will be a dominant team, which Thunder Bay found out the hard way. While Jose Vidro is one of the top pitchers and Jorge Herrera is arguably a top three hitter in the league, if those players hamstring you too much because of the monetary outlay needed to retain them then you are going to have issues getting to the next level. Scott realized this, and decided that a move (or moves) needed to be made.
Tough Losses Can Either Make or Break You
Hollywood had a successful year by any measure, but losing to Vancouver in the ToC did not sit well with Cheese. He knew his team needed to get better to compete in the PL. While his offense struggled with all the left-hand pitching that Vancouver threw at him, his pitching also had a hard time against a Vancouver team that finished (only) fourth in the league in runs scored. So what is one to do when you realize this, and when you have an itch to trade that never seems to be fully scratched?
Ask someone to retain 50%, obviously. And trade for one of the best pitchers in the league.
Everyone Needs a Dealer
When you are an SL team, it’s tough to have the picks or prospects to get the best player in the league. Luckily for USBA, there is always a 3L team willing to help make things work. Montana’s GM is known to like a fun deal and is more than willing to do what might not be best for his team long-term because there is a fun short term option to be had. There is literally no other GM who is more made for this kind of trade than Panda. It’s almost like the script writers made him specifically for this kind of thing.
It’s Happening, It’s Not Happening, it’s Happening Again?
The talks between Montana and Hollywood had been on the backburner for a few days with a few salvos tossed back and forth about different players. Montana wanted young infield prospects and Cheese was looking to use those guys in a separate deal to get the pitcher he needed. Cheese knew that he also needed Panda’s pick to seal any kind of deal for a difference-making pitcher.
Little did Panda know that Scott and Cheese had been talking for days about a deal that would work for both of them. Many ideas were batted about, but the main piece of the trade was always going to Panda’s first round pick. The structure of a deal was finally reached with less than 30 minutes left before the clock would mark the closing of the ability for 2039 picks to be traded. Cheese knew he had to work quick to get that Panda pick, but he was confident that it would not be a problem.
Then it was.
Panda and Cheese tossed back a few ideas, but Panda was set on getting at least one of the two infielders he wanted if he was going to be giving up his first rounder. The clock kept clicking as the seconds raced towards the deadline. The trade appeared at a standstill as neither side wanted to give ground.
Scott was invested in this though, and he was not going to let it die like this. “If you give Cheese your first round pick, I will give you Beck,” a frantic DM came across the desk of Panda. That was the message he needed to see to get this done. Sellers and Beck for his first and second round pick. This was the ammo Panda needed to then go flip them. Sellers was never going to pitch in Montana (ed. note: shocked Pikachu).
Then the clock struck 9PM and everything fell apart. 2039 picks were a huge part of the initial trade, and time had just run out. Dave was not going to make an exception. Rules are rules. All hope seemed lost.
Then Panda created a group chat and posted a revised trade. WIth some small tweaks from all three sides, a trade got done.
What was everyone thinking:
Cheese: “I couldn’t pass up bringing in Vidro at $22M or less per year for the next 5 years. Yes, the cost was high, but he is the best pitcher in the USBA, and the costs saving of nearly $90M is fantastic (ed. note: gross).”
Scott: “His value was never going to be higher. Even if he won the triple crown again, it wasn’t going to get higher. God forbid he had a rough stretch and people thought he was done. I knew that if I was going to trade him, there was never a time that I was going to be able to get more. If someone was willing to pay the price I was looking for, then I was willing to make the move. I now have a very young rotation and with getting Beck back, I can have four or five very young pitchers to build around for the future to go with an offense that has already been very good.”
Panda: “I just like to see trades happen and I saw no reason to not allow this one to happen. I knew I was going to trade Sellers and was pretty sure Beck was going to go back to Thunder Bay, and then when he made the trade for Buffalo’s first later in the night, it was just a forgone conclusion that I was going to be sending Beck back, but the question just became what I was going to get to give him back.”
Bah Gawd, Is that Buffalo’s Music?
“I’m going to find a way to get a $30M a year guy this offseason,” was the claim Chris made at the beginning of the offseason. No one thought he was serious. Scott hoped he was serious though, and when Chris came in hot with an offer on Herrera there was no way that Scott could turn it down.
“He offered more than I thought I was going to get for him, so I had to take the deal. The idea was to always trade both in the same offseason, because I was only going to have Herrera for two more years and I hope he could get me more to get younger and better. I’m prepared to move down to the ML if this doesn’t work, but I’m pretty happy with my team and think that I could be good.”
The Aftermath
Thunder Bay: No longer has Vidro or Herrera, but has Montana’s 1st, Hollywood’s 1st, Montana’s 2nd, Buffalo’s 2nd-5th, Hollywood’s 3rd, 3B Meshach Ashpenaz (AA), SS Juan Lugo (A), SP Jorge Souza (R), 1B Derek Bangert, RF Gilberto Ocasio, SP David Schrattenhaler (R) and SP Greg Hoover (AAA)
Montana: No longer has their 1st or 2nd round picks, but does have Toledo’s 1st, Buffalo’s 1st, SP Derron Lewis (A), $4,000,000 more in cash and $4,500,000 in savings from offloading 50% of Valencia’s contract.
Hollywood: Now had one of the best pitchers in the game in Vidro at 50% of the cost.
Buffalo: Has one of the best hitters in the game at 50% of the cost.
Toledo: has bae Ricky Sellers.