The Honolulu Hammerheads and Alamo Short Stacks completed a blockbuster deal headlined by Jacob deGrom leading into the 2020 season that was ultimately skipped by the Roger Dorn Baseball League due to the pandemic. While the results of the deal were delayed a season, both clubs can look back on the deal today with positive outlooks with the Heads getting major results from the forgotten man in the move, Wade Miley.
To go back, the Heads posted a league-worst 5.12 ERA in 2019 with just 1,228.0 points in the Regular Season, 161.0 points lower than any other team in RDBL History. GM Ross Horiuchi was determined to fix the club's rotation and eyed deGrom as the key target to fix their broken pitching staff. While the price was large in dealing away a trio of top prospects Julio Urias, Casey Mize and Jarred Kelenic as well as a 1st Round Pick, the club was sure to grab additional rotation depth with left-hander Wade Miley.
The move has paid off in spades for Horiuchi this season as Miley has emerged as a more than dependable starter behind deGrom and breakout star Corbin Burnes. Miley (11-4) picked up the win Friday, allowing six hits and a walk over seven scoreless innings in a 6-0 victory over the Miami Marlins which highlighted arguably the best season of his career. It's the third time in his last five starts the veteran southpaw has delivered seven shutout innings, and he hasn't been stuck with a losing decision since May 19 which includes his no-hitter. Overall, Miley will take a 2.74 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 112:46 K:BB through 144.2 innings into the RDBL Playoffs. His 383.0 points rank 19th in the RDBL.
The results from Miley and deGrom have stabilized the entire pitching staff that has been hit hard by injuries, including their prized $66 starter. The Heads own the league's 3rd best pitching staff with a 3.43 ERA and 1.14 WHIP and are set for their second trip to the RDBL Playoffs in Franchise History.
The Heads are hopeful to have deGrom back in the fold in the Playoffs in some form while 2021 activation Ian Anderson is on track to return Sunday. With their dominance at the top of the rotation, the Heads are as capable as any club in the RDBL at making a big run in the RDBL Playoffs which start on Monday.
The Remainder of the Deal
It's rare a blockbuster deal of this size is looked back on 18 months later with both teams fully comfortable doing the move again. That looks to be the case between the Heads and Stacks.
deGrom's injury derailed a potentially historic 2021 season while Miley has been the key stabilizing force in their rotation. Both remain under contract for 2022 and will be back, provided deGrom can return to the mound healthy.
The Heads also utilized the 26th overall pick acquired in the deal to land catcher Bo Naylor, a player the club is quite high on moving forward.
On the Stacks end, GM Greg Shelley activated Julio Urias who oddly enough has produced at the almost exact clip as Miley. Urias is 4.0 points ahead of Miley and ranks just one spot above him in pitching scoring.
Kelenic has suffered through a rough introduction to the big leagues thus far and looks completely out of whack at the plate. An overhaul to the outfielder's swing is likely this off-season while many remain quite high on the prospect who was regular ranked in the top five across baseball.
Mize would go on to be flipped to the Spokane Fightin' Fish for shortstop Francisco Lindor who was a bust in 2021. Lindor did serve as an important asset though, serving as the key piece to a deal with the Lunatic Fringe to acquire Ozzie Albies, Cody Bellinger and Jorge Soler and strengthening the depth of the Stacks offense heading into the Playoffs.
The Stacks would go on to use the 9th overall selection on outfielder Corbin Carroll who was impressive to start 2021 before a shoulder injury ended his season.
To round out the move, the Stacks utilized the $66 cost savings in the rotation to invest in Brandon Woodruff as a replacement for deGrom. That investment has proven to be a key to the Stacks season as Woodruff ranks third among starters in scoring and is on pace for a 650 point season.
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