SEO and RRD strike deal
January 3, 2011 in Trades
With 13-16 draft selection Elvis Andrus now slated to play shortstop for the Seoul Fighters, the Rosehaven RiverDogs send starting pitcher Johnny Cueto and pick 19-134 in exchange for Chris Volstad, sp, Alcides Escobar, ss, and pick 20-143 from SEO.
“Escobar and Andrus were the two top-rated shortstops in the 2009 MLB rookie class,” noted Rosehaven GM Chester Caulder. “The RiverDogs hope he can improve his batting average and on-base percentage in the change of scenery and become a viable replacement for Derek Jeter in future years. It’s tough to part with a starting pitcher with the numbers and future of a Johnny Cueto, but if nothing else having Volstad and Doug Fister on the RRD roster gives us a tremendous height advantage in IIBL intramural basketball games.”
Seoul GM B.J. Chang said, “While Chris Volstad was a first round pick out of high school and we fully expect he will be pretty good in the future, the Fighters needed to improve its starting rotation now, and Johnny Cueto has shown himself to be — at a very young age — a workhorse at the front of a rotation over the past two seasons. Alcides [Escobar] will be better with the move to RRD.”
Caulder indicated Escobar will play second base in 2011 as a trial at replacing Jeter in future seasons.
