Free Agency Changes Karachi Plans

[Karachi_GM]

Three Falcon Starters Declare Free Agency

by Hasan Khan, Sports Editor (Karachi Dawn)
December 1, 2106

Foiled in their attempt to make the postseason in 2106, the Karachi Falcons have begun planning to make 2107 more successful.  Alas, three Falcon starters, all considered important parts of team chemistry, have chosen to become free agents and seek employment elsewhere.

Slugging first baseman Konosuke Sanu is the first and probably most likely to be missed ex-Falcon.  Sanu, who has been in the Karachi organization since the IBL was formed in 2100, has been starting first baseman for the past three seasons.  He racked up 113 home runs and 288 runs batted in over that stretch and led the IBL in 2105 with 45 round trippers and 104 RBIs.  On top of his hitting skills, Sanu was a superlative fielder.  On a negative note, he struck out almost once in every four at-bats, and last season his WAR dropped in half from 7.5 to 3.3..  Considering his demand for more than $8.0 million a year for five years, Karachi chose to let him walk.  To replace Sanu, the Falcons have already executed a major trade with the London Monarchs that will bring Cheng-en Jiang to Karachi.  Three years younger than Sanu, Jiang hit .258 for London last year as the Monarchs tried rather unsuccessfully to convert him from a first baseman to an outfielder in his rookie World Baseball Association campaign.  The overall second pick in 2101 amateur draft, Jiang will most likely appreciate the return to the familiar confines of first base.

Trigana Chioke has been a mainstay behind the plate for the Falcons for the past five season save for a minor league stint for part of the 2103 season.  The future looked rosy for Chioke after the 2104 season in which he hit .271 with 28 home runs.  Alas, his batting average faded to a dismal .190 in 2015.  He rebounded slightly last year to .229 and even cut down on his strikeout ration, but his salary demands were more than Karachi management thought reasonable.  The club seems quite happy to replace him in-house with backup Tsadik Shukrani.  By the end of last season Shukrani had actually begun sharing the starting role with Chioke in order to get his .320 average into the lineup more often.  While no one expects Shukrani to hit over .300 this season, he will certainly hit for a higher average than Chioke albeit with less potent power numbers.  Down-again up-again Zelalem Luzige will now be assured a roster spot as the backup catcher after three solid seasons with Faisalabad (AAA).

29-year-old Luis Rivera has been a starter in the Karachi outfield since the team’s inception 2100.  A fine defensive player with good power (he hit 32 home runs in 2104) and speed, his batting average had slipped to around .240 the last two seasons.  He too wanted more money to extend than Karachi was willing to pay.  His spot in right field will be inherited by rookie Vasantha Yudhajit who hit .305 last year after jumping from A ball to AAA Faisalabad.  He missed three plus months of last year with a torn triceps muscle.  While less accomplished in the field than Rivera, he rates out as one of the fastest guys in baseball although he needs to improve his base running skills.