NALB - Brooklyn Knights 2006 Preseason

K. Fields
2007-07-15T13:35:04-04:00
Baseball

I'm getting ready for the NALB 2006 season. I've been going through preseason activities for the Brooklyn Knights over the last two days: evaluating talent, signing contract extensions, following the free agent market, etc. The Knights have exceptional stability. I have kept the changes to a minimum. However, there are three main changes on our major league roster:

1. Our backup catcher, Bubba Allison, retired after last season. Brooklyn struck a trade with the Vancouver Wild. The Knights sent 32-year old reliever Harmon Lamb, 20-year old minor league right fielder Terry Watson and 25-year old minor league starting pitcher Tony Martell to the Wild for 33-year old reliever John Coleman and 24-year old catcher Danny Dygert. I promoted Dygert to the majors and he will serve as backup catcher to Ted Pollet.
2. I released starting pitcher Chuck Wagner. He had been with the Knights for several seasons and was our #5 starter in the pitching rotation. Unfortunately, he compiled a 12-11 record and a 5.41 ERA last year in the final season of his contract. We decided not to pursue a contract extension. Reliever Tracy Corkhill has been pushing for a move to the starting rotation. I decided to give him that chance.
3. With Corkhill no longer in the bullpen, that left a void for a solid left-handed middle reliever. The aforementioned trade with the Vancouver Wild solved the problem. John Coleman is our new ace lefty in the bullpen.