Another One Bites the Dust

The Orioles made a relatively small trade yesterday, sending veteran infielder Alex Gonzalez to the Tigers in return for utility infielder, Steve Lombardozzi. On paper, it's a great trade in that the O's traded a 37 year old player who was signed on a minor league deal and likely would have been used mostly as a short-term fill-in at third base during Manny Machado's absence for a 25 year old who can more easily move around the infield and is under team control for four more years.

If nothing else, it's a nice depth move that looks towards the future of the club, and it sounds like Lombardozzi is expected to make the 25-man roster out of Spring Training and head north with the team. But it also sounds like that would have been true with Gonzalez. And I would have been much happier from an autograph standpoint.

Because I had some pretty solid success with Alex during my spring training trip. This card was ready to slide right into the collection.

And these were ready be used as trade bait. 

But at least someone still might be able to use this one...

 I'll trade it for an autograph of Lombardozzi. Anyone?


*This is the second time this off-season that one of my signed and personalized OMC Orioles cards are not going into my collection due to roster moves. But if anyone needs an autograph of Liam Hendriks or Alex Gonzalez, I'm your guy.