BARAKO Bull drew incredulous comments in social media on Sunday after the team passed up on its chances to get younger and better by trading away three first-round picks during the Annual PBA Rookie Draft.
And management did it so well that even league commissioner Chito Salud was left with no recourse but to approve the trades.
Barako Bull traded away the electrifying Fil-American James Forrester at No. 4 and UAAP superstars Terrence Romeo and Ryan Roose Garcia of Far Eastern at Nos. 5 and 6, respectively.
The Globalport Batang Pier then made use of its No. 7 pick to snag 6-foot-9 Fil-Am Isaac Holstein.
“If the issue is the strategy, wisdom and rationale behind Barako’s or any other team’s decision to trade their picks for current stars or vice versa, that’s obviously not within my province to explain or second guess,” Salud said in a text message after the league was deluged by questions and comments.
“A team can strengthen its lineup through trades and/or draft picks. I did not perceive any lopsided trades during the Draft.”
Salud said this yesterday even as he approved another Barako trade that sent Enrico Villanueva to Globalport for former two-time MVP Willie Miller and undersized forward Hans Thiele.
“It remains… solely within the ballclubs’ prerogative and the teams would thus be in a best position to explain the direction they have chosen to take, provided of course, that there are no lopsided trades involved,” said Salud.
One of those intrigued by the Barako Bull trades was Talk ‘N Text owner Manny V. Pangilinan.
“Barako gave up all its 1st round picks, and so did its 2nd round. ‘The world wonders’—Admiral Chester W Nimitz:),” Pangilinan said in his Twitter account @iammvp.
Globalport pounced on the opportunity and built itself a title contender literally overnight, prompting team owner Mikee Romero to ask the Inquirer in jest: “Did we score a coup?”
Barako Bull has been hit by hard times in the last few years. It even went on the brink of disbanding until businessman Bert Lina, the Air21 team owner, rescued the franchise.
“They (Energy) traded for veterans with big salaries,” said the source, who declined to be named. “Maybe they are impatient, they want to win right away.”
Had Barako Bull stayed with its Draft picks, the Energy would have paid each of their rookies a maximum of just P150,000 a month under the league’s salary cap rules.
The Energy would spend a lot more by bringing in former Rookie of the Year Rico Maierhofer and Willie Wilson from Ginebra in exchange for Forrester.
On the other side of the coin, the teams that draft younger players not only get new projects to develop, but are also able to put some space in their respective salary caps by being able to unload some of their older players. Hence, the chance to offer more cash to other players.