Mike Lupica, Tempe Gazette

January 1, 2010

For someone who stated, “We are not going to be busy during the Winter Meetings,” Knights GM Chris Van Hauter sure looked like he was busy.  The Knights pulled off three major moves which, not only helps the club now, but has pointed the team in the right direction for the future.  First the Knights sent Cipriano Carnossi and a fourth round pick to Fargo for Luis López and second basemen Miguel Velasco.  López will be the Knights fourth outfielder and will get around 300 at bats.  Velasco will platoon at shortstop with either Edward Allen or Allen Robinson.  The Knights’ love López’s potential and he will fit in nicely with the Knights’ platoon system.

In the second trade of the Meetings the Knights shipped Orlando Maldonado and a fifth round pick to Florida for starting pitcher Dave Cox.  Cox will slip into the rotation as the Knights’ number three starter behind Markus Hancock and Chet Collins.  The Knights hope Cox can duplicate his 2008 performance with Florida where he went 12-10 with a 3.70 ERA.

The Knights saved their biggest trade until the end of the meetings by sending Octávio Pexego, Patrick Hunter and Jeff Thomas to San Antonio for a first, fourth, ninth and tenth round pick, 1B Takahiro Yoshida, SS Allen Robinson, SP Barney Sharp, C Chad Hull, CF Jose Maldonado and SP Tu-an Sima.  Robinson will platoon at 2B, SS and 3B, Yoshida will be the starting DH, Sharp will be the ace at Chandler AAA, Hull will start the season at Quebec City AA, CF Maldonado will patrol the outfield in Calexico Hi-A, while Sima will compete for the Knights’ final slot in the rotation.

The Knights GM stated that the organization will miss Pexego but saw that the deal would not hurt the Knights too much because the team played over .500 ball after Pexego went down for the year.  The Knights also believe that Sharp is a year away and will be called up sometime this year with the chance of him starting next year in the starting rotation.  As for the added draft picks, the Knights stated that they will target pitching but will not pass on a player who can dominate on offense.

Van Hauter also stated that the team is still looking for another middle reliever because the team decided to send Bryan Duncan down to AAA and make him the closer.  The Knights want Duncan to get used to closing games and the demotion is by no means a sign of the club being disappointed in Duncan’s performance last year.  Van Hauter stated that Duncan is being groomed for the closer’s role and will probably be handed it at the start of next year.

Up next, the Knights' team report for January.