[mikev]

We're Getting The Band Back Together!

With the rapid, unexplaniable decline of 27 year old "should be in the middle of his goddamn prime" Salvador Bernal, who has been shedding talent points and ratings points like, I dunno, like something that sheds /a lot/, the Crusaders needed to do something to shore up the third base situation.

Enter Jason Pope, former Crusader dealt away to Greenville in the Carlos Mora deal.

Well, we're getting the band back together. Pope is returning to California for the final season of his contract, and he is penciled in as the starting third baseman again for the Crusaders. As stated by several other GMs in the league, Pope's had a knack for outperforming his fairly pedestrian ratings through the course of his career, and we're hoping a return to his old stomping grounds and a starting job are just what he needs.

In exchange for Pope, the Crusaders gave up the Seven Million Dollar Man, Ruben Velez. After the 25 year old tore through the league last season to the tune of a .312 average with 17 homers and 26 doubles, the OOTP gods saw fit for Velez to start shedding both contact AND gap talents, and to shed ratings accordingly. Relegated to a reserve role with the Crusaders, the power-starved Moonshiners jumped at the chance to give Velez the chance to start.

Both sides seemed reasonably pleased with the deal, as the Crusaders move a high priced backup player, while Greenville adds a starter at a position of need while dealing a backup of their own.

The best part? Pope's player picture doesn't even need to be updated now!