New York - The New York Transformers and the Charlotte Wolfpack completed a 6 player deal that sent ss Tanyon Owen, 2B James Banks, pitcher Bud Lankford and cash to the Wolfpack. In return, New York landed three minor league prospects: 19 yr old AA RF Matt Gates, 20 yr old High A pitcher (and former 1s tround pick) Shaggy Spencer, and 20 yr old High A 3B Stone Fogg. In the deal, New York shed salary in exchange for solid prospects, while Charlotte solidified their chances as they retain a stronghold on first place of the AL SOUTH. A day after the trade was completed, New York traded Spencer and Gates to the Vancouver Titans.
Owen transitioned to shortstop despite playing the majorityof his career as a 3B, and was the Transformers' highest profile off-season acquisition. A New York spokesperson explained: "We signed Tanyon to a big deal hoping to win it all, but it quickly became obvious that our franchise had to move towards rebuilding for the future. Tanyon Owen is the ultimate professional, working hard to transition to our team's needs, and this trade allows him to play for a championship team right away. His resume speaks for itself - Tanyon has a list of awards longer than most people's list of friends".
The 30 yr old Banks, an all star 2B last season, had been the face of the New York franchise. He is a .314 career hitter and is 1 homerun shy of 200 career HRs. Veteran Bud Lanford has been primarily a starter throughout his career, but projects to be working out of the Charlotte bullpen.
No comments:
Post a Comment