by Olaf Halvorsen, Senior Blogologist
December 17, 2018
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Duluth made a key retooling move today, bringing in right fielder William McKee to replace the outgoing tandem from last year of Jeff Wilson and John Knight. In return, the Warriors give up outfielder Jim Owens and two prospects plus some draft considerations.
McKee has a potent bat, posting an .898 OPS (5th in IL) and a .377 wOBA (8th in IL) last season for the Maulers. Just as important, he swings from the left side - a trait lacking in the middle of the Warrior lineup last last couple season. He has a good combination of power and speed that should be a plus for the ball club.
The most intriguing part of this move I see is where to slot McKee in the lineup. The most obvious spot would be to plunk him between current sluggers Angel Cortez and James Heard for righty-lefty balance. However, an unnamed source with the club has told Unga Bunga that he prefers to hit at the top of the lineup. There has been no official word from the team, so this may be a wait-and-see situation.
The biggest loss in the deal is prospect Jimmy Hudson, a former first round pick from last season. The club really liked how developed he looked coming straight out of college as he batted .306 with 7 HR and 29 RBI in a partial season at High-A Rapid City. Hudson struggled to adjust to AA pitching last season, but is still advanced for his age and should be a good investment for the Maulers farm system.
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The Warriors still need to address a couple key areas to remain competitive in the Sovereign League next season. Second base has been a big hole in past years. Artie Marsh filled this void well last season and provided a big spark to the lineup before injury prematurely ended his season. The team decided not to renew his contract at the end of the season, but the Unga Bunga staff seems to think there may be some interest in bringing him back for another year. You heard it here first.