TRADE - Baltimore and Miami Confirm Swap

In a deal necessitated by the injury to Ivan Rodriguez, the Baltimore Stouts made a trade today, shipping starting pitcher Todd Stottlemyre to the Miami Panthers in exchange for catcher Kelly Stinnett.  While not a blockbuster by any means, this is a deal that should help both teams going forward.

Stottlemyre was selected in the final round of the Millennium League's inaugural draft.  He worked his way onto the Stouts opening day roster and was slotted in as the team's 5th starter.  In two starts for Baltimore, he had mixed results.  In his first start, on the road against the Milwaukee Phantoms, he lasted only three innings, allowing seven earned runs and getting hung with the loss.  His next start was much better, at home against Toronto.  He pitched into the 9th inning in that game, picking up a win and also providing some pop with the bat, belting a homerun in the contest.  With his departure, the 5th spot in the rotation will most likely be manned by Elmer Dessens, who up to this point has been pitching in long relief.


In Stinnett, Baltimore gets a dependable option against LHP to platoon with Ed Taubensee behind the plate.  He provides much better defense at the position than Robert Fick, the other option on the roster.  This will be a two month stopgap platoon until I-Rod returns.  Hopefully the duo can hold down the fort until that time.



This is the first deal made in the 2000 Millennium League baseball season, making it the first deal in the history of the league.  A 5th starter drafted in the 30th and last round for a third string catcher who wasn't even on the active roster of the team that dealt him.  Again, not a blockbuster by any means.  But it's the small deals like these that can make a difference for a team in the short term.  Hopefully both players involved can help their new teams.