Despite the fact the Chicago Champions finished the regular season with 98 wins, in first place, they are not resting on their laurels. Trades on happen in the offseason, after the World Series, before the first dice of the new season hit the table. IAL’s Playoffs, World Series, & Draft weekend will take place the weekend of March 13th. Trade negotiations occur now, the Champions just worked out the details of their 2nd offseason deal.
This trade was between the Chicago Champions and the Northside Hitmen. The Champs had excess pitching, so A.J. Burnett & Boof Bonser were traded to the Hitmen in exchange for a couple of hitters, C Ryan Doumit & SS Bobby Crosby. Northside also received Chicago’s 2nd round DC for the Hitmen’s 3rd rounder.
Burnett will move right into Northside’s rotation (behind Jake Peavy & Cole Hamels), after being in the Champs rotation (which now will consist of Tim Lincecum, Mark Buehrle, Greg Maddux, Matt Cain, & Josh Beckett) the last four years. Bonser will be a long man out of the pen and a spot starter.
Doumit will provide the Champs with some flexibility as the team’s 3rd catcher (along with Victor Martinez & Miguel Olivo) & be a solid lefthand bat off the bench. Crosby will backup Iron Man #2, Jimmy Rollins, at SS, JRoll played in every game at shortstop this past season.
Earlier the Champs swapped OF Vernon Wells to the Upperdeckers for IF Felipe Lopez. Lopez was stuck behind Luis Castillo & Asdrubal Cabrera with the Upperdeckers, Felipe will start at 2B in Chicago. While Wells will see plenty of action with the Upperdeckers, he was behind Carlos Lee, Grady Sizemore, Nick Swisher, & B.J. Upton (who’ll be moving to the OF from 2B).
Playing GM is on of the most satisfying roles in rebuilding your team in a draft APBA league. While these two deals were not earth shattering, I’d love to hear about any blockbusters you may have made, or are thinking of making. A couple of blockbusters made by the Champs were Gary Carter coming to Chicago from the Davenport Fire in exchange for Greg Luzinski, another was picking up Alex Rodriguez from the Hitmen for Miguel Cabrera.