New Jersey Hitmen and Canton Longshoremen

July 14th, 2008

New Jersey receives:
SP Oscar Holloway (29, ML) - $12.6/$12.6/$12.6

Canton receives:
SP Anthony Bagg (24, ML) - $1.4/$1.4/$1.4
MR Zander Miller (24, ML) - $0.38/$0.38/arbitration/arbitration/arbitration
CF John Knight (23, ML) - $0.38/arbitration/arbitration/arbitration
1B Albert Rishworth (26, ML) - $1.2/$1.2/arbitration/arbitration/arbitration
C Leo Coury (22, AA) - minor league contract
New Jersey's 3rd round 2009 draft pick (3B Ken Vance - 21st pick)
$1,000,000 cash

Since Then:
Holloway pitched superlatively for New Jersey after the trade. He went 7-1 with a 2.90 ERA on 15 games started. Holloway remains with New Jersey in '09 and has had a decent season. For his career, Holloway rates as a top of the rotation pitcher ideally as a #2 starter.

Bagg went 4-4 with a 5.48 ERA 13 starts with Canton in '08. As of '09, he has struggled while spending time with Canton and its AAA affiliate. He rates out as a minor league starter.
Miller went 4-2 with a 4.26 ERA in 30 games with Canton after the trade. In '09, he has had a mediocre season with the majority of the time spent with Canton's AAA affiliate. He grades out as a potential bottom rotation starter or long reliever.
Knight struggled with Canton hitting .229 with 3 homeruns and 11 RBIs in 54 games after the trade. He was traded to Aurora in the offseason (11/25/08). He has had a breakout '09 season with Aurora.
Rishworth batted .263 with 5 homeruns and 20 RBIs in 67 games with Canton in '08. He has struggled with Canton in '09 but still has potential to be a solid hitting first baseman if he ever develops.
Coury has spent '08 and '09 with Canton's AA affiliate. He grades out as a potential big league defensive backup catcher.
Vance has struggled mightily in his first minor league season at Canton's SS-A affiliate in '09. A solid hitter in high school, he has the potential to be a good gap hitting infielder in the big leagues one day if developed properly.

Commentary: *BOOM* The hammer drops on a true blockbuster. This to me is one of the most fascinating trades in PEBA history. There's a lot happening here, and the fallout won't really be able to be judged for a few years. What can be immediately deduced is that a number of Imperial League playoff contenders are going to want to enter scramble mode to respond to this opening salvo in the Trade Wars. - Commissioner John