The official terms of the deal are:
"This was not an easy move to make" commented Portland General Manager Chris Wilson at today's news conference announcing the deal. "Thompson and Warren were two of our mainstays here. We drafted both guys. They were groomed through our farm system. They were pivotal cogs to our post-season teams and the teams that appeared in 2 Landis runs. They'll go down as all-time greats here. Their names litter our franchise leaderboards. They're fan favorites. What more can I say other than they'll be missed. This wasn't a move taken lightly. But if we want to get back to competing for Landis titles and making post-season runs, we needed to look ahead. I understand this move will likely be met with a lot of angst from the fans, but trust in the front office that we do have a plan. Hell, call it a Master Plan if you will."Rocky Mountain Receives:
-- P Chris Thompson (Portland Retains 50%)
-- P Steve Warren (Portland Retains 10%)
-- P Orlando Vega
-- C Ralph DeWaldo (R)
Portland Receives:
-- P Antonio Hernandez
-- P Byron Cooper
-- C Allan Uecker (A)
-- P Mark Green (AAA)
-- P Xi-wang Ti (AAA)
Steve Warren was drafted as the 5th overall pick by Portland in the 2045 draft. The 31 year old lefty had compiled a 93-69 overall record in Portland with 1,354 strikeouts. He departs Portland as the franchise's all-time leader in strikeouts, games started, and is 2nd in all-time franchise wins.
Chris Thompson was the 4th overall pick in the 2044 draft. The 30 year old lefty had compiled an 88-77 overall record in Portland with 1,188 strikeouts. He departs Portland number 3 in several pitching categories including wins, starts, innings pitched, and strikeouts. He, Warren, and Ken Sparks are the main 3 in most all starting pitching rankings.
All is not totally lost with this deal. Coming to Portland is right handed starter Antonio Hernandez. Hernandez was 15-7 last season with Rocky Mountain with a 3.9 WAR. "Hernandez will help fill the void in our rotation some for one of either Thompson or Warren" added Wilson. Hernandez actually has a better winning percentage than either Warren or Thompson with an 82-46 career mark.
The big rebuilding piece added to the fold will be that of catching prospect Allan Uecker. Uecker was the 16th overall pick in the 2052 draft and projects to be one of the best defensive catchers in the league in a few years. "Prospects are thin in the league right now" concluded Wilson. "Being able to add a guy who can start in a few years and potentially be an all-star down the road at the catching position is a huge bonus for us. We will build back up our farm system over the next few seasons and promise the fans that with Uecker calling the game, the staff he'll have to receive pitches from will be very, very good."
The addition of Uecker now gives Portland 2 of the top 30 prospects in the league. It's still a long way to go stocking the farm back up, but it's a start.
