The Lake Merced Goutfish might have a comfortable lead, but the 2019 Asti Grape Stompers season sits right in the mind of GM Ryan Atkinson who knows how quickly things can change when the standings reset to zero for the final five weeks of the season. After taking a major blow with the knee injury to Ronald Acuña this weekend, the Goutfish wasted little time in finding a capable replacement in a monster deal with the Mission Viejo Maulers.
The Goutfish will acquire outfielder Cedric Mullins (1FA/$5), reliever Mark Melancon (1FA/$5), first baseman Josh Bell (1/$27) and right-hander Noah Syndergaard (1/$17) from the Maulers with Acuña (2R/$3) and outfielder Corey Dickerson (1/$10) headed the other direction.
Mullins, claimed on March 31st, is the unquestionable leader for Free Agent Claim of the Year as he enters the All-Star Break with 293.5 points while slashing .314/.380/.541 with 16 home runs and 16 steals. He will be expected to continue his hot pace as the key replacement for Acuña while having the added bonus of team control through 2022.
Acuña is expected to make a full recovery with a likely timetable of April of 2022 for his return. He will be entering the final year of his RDBL rookie contract.
Comments