American Association Daily provides insights and features on the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions going on with teams around the league. In today’s edition, the Lincoln Saltdogs make a bold move, acquiring the rights to Tyler Alexander in what could be a championship making move. 

Tyler Alexander Dealt to Lincoln Saltdogs

Over the last three seasons, no pitcher in the American Association has been as dominant as LHP Tyler Alexander. The left-hander has been a strikeout machine and has been one of a group of two or three pitchers that no team in the league wanted to face.

This past off-season, Alexander signed to play in Mexico, but the Mexican League season should be over there by mid-August. That makes him eligible to return to the American Association to help his team make a playoff run, even go all the way to the league title. That is why the Lincoln Saltdogs traded for the left-hander on Tuesday, acquiring him from the Farg0-Moorhead RedHawks.

A Top Two or Three

Since signing with Fargo-Moorhead in 2015, Tyler Alexander has been as good as any pitcher in the league. His first season, he appeared in 21 games, starting 14, posting a 3.31 ERA and a 5-5 record. In 111.1 innings, the left-hander struck out 111, while tossing 3 complete games.

In 2016, the lefty was tied for the American Association lead in victories with 12 and finished with a 3.45 ERA. In 143.1 innings pitched, Alexander struck out 156, adding 4 complete games and a shutout. Last season, he was 8-6 with a miniscule 2.07 ERA in 148.o innings pitched, striking out a league record 167. In 22 starts, he tossed 4 complete games and had 2 shutouts.

Putting the Saltdogs Over the Top

The Lincoln Saltdogs gave up quite a bit to acquire Tyler Alexander, which tells you a lot of about Manager Bobby Brown belief that the left-hander will be on his team by mid-August. It also serves notice that Brown believes he has a playoff team already, but that Alexander makes Lincoln a championship club.

The dealing of OFs Tim Colwell and Randolph Oduber, along with RHP Tyler Herr was a lot to give up and adds a great deal of depth to the RedHawks. Oduber hit 17 homers for Lincoln last year, and Colwell had a solid year with the St. Paul Saints, while Herr proved to be the best pitcher on the Salina Stockade last year.

This was a lot to give up but, if the Saltdogs are in the running for a playoff spot when Alexander becomes available, the losses will be minimal to say the least. Tyler Alexander could very well be the piece that sends Lincoln to their second title in franchise history. It was truly a bold move, but one that could be the best of the year.

American Association Daily Notes

The Winnipeg Goldeyes signed RHPs Jack Charleston and Tyler Beardsley, Cs Gavin Stupienski and Kevin Garcia, and OF Ty Moore. Charleston has been with the Chicago White Sox organization the last three seasons. Last year, the righty split time between AA-Birmingham and High-A Winston-Salem, posting a combined 3-2 record with a 2.42 ERA in 34 appearances. Beardsley has been in the Minnesota Twins organization the last two years, where he played in rookie ball and at Mid-A Cedar Rapids last season. Combined, the righty went 4-9 with a 5.38 ERA in 15 starts. Stupienski has spent the last two seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He was in rookie ball and at Low-A Hillsboro last season, hitting .354 in 21 games with 3 homers and 18 RBI. Garcia has four seasons of minor league experience, the last two with the Twins. Last year, the catcher split time between AA-Chatanooga and High-A Fort Myers. He hit a combined .248 with 17 RBI in 62 games…The Cleburne Railroaders added RHP Roman Gomez. Gomez pitched in three different independent leagues, including with Long Island in the Atlantic League and Texas in the American Association. He was 1-2 with a 3.94 ERA in 7 appearances with Texas…The Kansas City T-Bones traded Grant Sides to Sugar Land and signed OF Keith Curcio and C Christian Correa. Curcio has been in the Atlanta Braves organization since 2014. He spent all of 2017 at AA-Mississippi, where he hit .219 in 120 games with 4 homers and 21 RBI. Correa began last season with Low-A Boise (Colorado Rockies), but finished the year with the T-Bones. He hit .214 in 8 games in Kansas City…The Chicago Dogs acquired RHP Scott Firth from the Texas AirHogs. Firth appeared in 16 games for Texas last season, going 2-5 with a 5.80 ERA. The right-hander struck out 46 in 49.2 innings pitched.

By Robert Pannier
Member of the IBWAA