Palmchats Eliminated, Rebuild on the Horizon?

[Huckleberry]

Thursday, October 10, 2109
Santo Domingo
by Odin Locks

Santo Domingo was eliminated from the playoffs two nights ago by the Northwest Emeralds, and as reported here before the series it seems like the front office may be seriously considering a move to blow up the team. Sources inside both the Palmchat front offices as well as others around the WBA indicate that several of the team's stars have been part of trade discussions since the moment the final out was recorded.

Although it was previously known that Cheslav Zamorov and Zuleide Rainha could be moved, rumors persist that Pio Seixas is now on the market as well. Fan reaction has been decidedly negative to the possibility of allowing such superstars to leave the squad. A crowd had gathered outside team headquarters earlier this morning with several fans begging the team to keep the players. "What am I supposed to tell my sons?" asked Mateo Rodríguez when confronted by a reporter. "I tell them you play to win the game and now it looks like their favorite team is doing the exact opposite. We can still win with these guys!"

A small minority, though, seemed to support the potential changes. Season ticket holder Alejandro Pérez said "We were passed in the division by the Dolphins, and they're a younger team. We got beat in the playoffs by the Emeralds and they're a much younger team. The right move is to blow it up and prepare for the future. We had our run, we should be trying to do it again, not be average for years!" Pérez was then struck in the head by a flying piece of casabe.

Update:

The first trade appears to have been finalized although an official announcement is yet to come. Sources indicate that the Palmchats have traded reliever Pat Hardy to the Singapore Merlions in exchange for pitching prospect Joyjeet Ramnarine and the Merlions' 4th round pick in the 2110 IBL draft.