MELBOURNE, Australia: After the 2108 WBA Championship, the fortunes of the
Melbourne Meteors took a turn for the worse. A series of terrible injuries, and (probably more importantly)
terrible trades, led Melbourne's championship team into the doldrums. Melbourne has lost 100+ games in each of the past 3 seasons.
Coming off a historically terrible season in which the Meteors lost 105 games and finished at the bottom of the IBL, analysts (and most fans) believed that the rebuild would last at least 2 more seasons. However, Meteors GM (and according to doctors, the leading cause of ulcers in the Melbourne area) Bob Weinberg had other ideas.
Other pens have chronicled the events leading up to the financial crisis in the WBA, so this reporter won't go into details here. Suffice it to say that the Melbourne front office found themselves with quite a bit of money to spend, heading into a year widely regarded as the best free agent class ever. But with every other team's finances in chaos, there were bound to be some teams with even more money to burn. The WBA Times can now report that there was turmoil in the Melbourne front office, with GM Bob Weinberg arguing with many team accountants. Reportedly, the front office wanted Weinberg to stand pat until free agency, but Weinberg felt that prices would be too high due to the financial crisis. Weinberg eventually "settled" the dispute by telling the front office "I'm going to go trade for some people with high salaries, then we'll see what you
redacted can do in free agency."
And spend he did. Weinberg made two very high-profile trades in the month after that conversation. In two deals, with the
Santo Domingo Palmchats and the
Mumbai Cobras, the Meteors sent a total of 4 draft picks (including a first rounder, 2 2nds, and a 3rd), $10 million in cash, and 2 prospects- catcher
Aghecher Mpasa and former first round pick
Isko Fflunker, a highly touted prospect who has been unable to deliver in the big leagues thus far. In return for this incredible price, the Meteors picked up no less than 6 bona fide stars:
SP Michael Smith- You can't have a successful rebuild without an ace, but in Michael Smith, the Meteors have found one. Smith has 3 above-average pitches, including one of the best changeups in the WBA, and gives up very few home runs. At $11 million, Smith is paid pretty highly, but it's a fair price for an ace.
SP Bartholomos Wilmetz- With a career record of 43-29 and ERA of 3.48, Wilmetz is a very solid starter with little downside. Boasting a fastball that can touch 100 mph regularly and an excellent control rating, Wilmetz has a lot to like, but the best thing about him may be the salary- with two more years of arbitration, Wilmetz won't make more than $4 million at any point in the next 3 years.
SP Jermão Vilardeb- Completing Melbourne's pitching acquisitions is Jermão Vilardeb, who could pass for an ace on many WBA teams. Vilardeb possesses 3 excellent pitches. He's a bit of a risk, with a career ERA above 4 and a history of giving up the long ball, but if he can live up to his potential, Vilardeb could be an absolute steal for the Meteors.
CF Golofredo Zote- Zote can do it all. He's not particularly good at hitting for average (.255 last season), but he more than makes up for it with everything else. He's a great power hitter, averaging 27 HRs per 162 games, and he stole 26 bases last season. He's also an incredible fielder, with a fielding percentage of .993 at center field.
1B Harsendu Dhurvasula- Much like Zote, Dhur is a player with power and speed. Last season, he hit 26 home runs and stole 48 bases. He tends to strike out a lot, but with a career average of .264, that doesn't hurt him too much. At just $3.2 million, Dhur is a steal.
LF Bhuvanacandra Dwijen- Finally, we come to the hometown hero. Dwijen was drafted by the Meteors (then the Brisbane Bandits) and traded in the blockbuster that kicked off the Andy Stone Fiasco. An incredible power hitter, Dwijen averages 44 home runs per season but still has a career AVG of .280 and an impressive career OBP of .389.
Melbourne certainly gave up a lot, but these 6 players can transform the Meteors from a bottom-dweller to a wild card contender pretty much instantly.
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