JetHawks' Nottingham, Mengden react to trade to Athletics
July 23, 2015
By ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER — Carrying their belongings in their Astros bags, Jacob Nottingham and Daniel Mengden made an unthinkable walk from one end of The Hangar’s outfield to the other on Thursday afternoon.
“It’s kind of weird,” Mengden said. “We were both talking, ‘Does it feel real yet?’”
Speaking from the Ports clubhouse near left field after the Astros traded both prospects to the Athletics in exchange for Oakland lefty Scott Kazmir, Mengden and Nottingham were still trying to cope with the reality of having to get ready to face the JetHawks instead of suiting up for them.
“Just shocked,” said Nottingham, a catcher who came up from Low-A Quad Cities on June 29. “Mixed feelings. I made a lot of good friends and now I’m with the A’s and I’m excited. I’ll see where it takes me.”
The 31-year-old Kazmir (5-5, 2.38 ERA), set to be a free agent after this season, strengthens the rotation of an Astros club in the thick of a pennant race while leaving the JetHawks without one of their best hitters in Nottingham, who was batting .324 with four home runs and 14 RBIs in 17 games.
In 10 appearances, the right-handed Mengden, a fourth-round draft pick by Houston in 2014, started eight games and went 2-1 with a 5.26 ERA.
“It’s kind of weird, kind of different,” JetHawks third baseman J.D. Davis said. “It’s a situation no one’s really been in, seeing a teammate being traded.”
The MLB trade deadline fast approaching, prospects are expected to form part of packages for teams looking to fortify their rosters. With the Astros in the thick of the race for the first time since 2005, Davis, one of Houston’s top-rated prospects, said he anticipated a move.
This one took Davis by surprise, however.
“Nottingham and Mengden, you don’t really expect that guy to go,” Davis said. “It was kind of a shocker, but not really because you were really kind of waiting for it.
“I spent my day off with (Nottingham) and (Derek) Fisher in Anaheim (on Wednesday) and hung out. We had no idea he was in trade talks with the A’s.”
Nottingham, a sixth-round draft pick by Houston in 2013, was even more blindsided by the move.
“Honestly I didn’t have any idea,” he said. “I didn’t think my name was going to be in the mix, but I mean, it happened and I’m here now, so I’m ready to play.”
Both ex-JetHawks did the walk of trade from the Lancaster clubhouse, located near right field, to the Stockton one to get set to face the home team. Nottingham was in the Stockton lineup on Thursday and singled during his first at-bat as a Port off right-hander Keegan Yuhl.
“It’ll probably hit me when I’m facing my friends on the mound or when they come up to the plate,” Nottingham said. “That’s going to be different.”
Mengden is set to start Saturday’s game against his former teammates. After that, he and Nottingham will depart Lancaster with their new ones.
By then, reality might have set in just a tad bit more. They both understand it’s part of the business. There are no hard feelings.
“I want to thank the Astros for everything they did for me,” Mengden said. “They drafted me and took care of me for the year and a half I was there.
“I’ll just keep playing baseball. Nothing changes, just the name in the front of your jersey.”
By ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER — Carrying their belongings in their Astros bags, Jacob Nottingham and Daniel Mengden made an unthinkable walk from one end of The Hangar’s outfield to the other on Thursday afternoon.
“It’s kind of weird,” Mengden said. “We were both talking, ‘Does it feel real yet?’”
Speaking from the Ports clubhouse near left field after the Astros traded both prospects to the Athletics in exchange for Oakland lefty Scott Kazmir, Mengden and Nottingham were still trying to cope with the reality of having to get ready to face the JetHawks instead of suiting up for them.
“Just shocked,” said Nottingham, a catcher who came up from Low-A Quad Cities on June 29. “Mixed feelings. I made a lot of good friends and now I’m with the A’s and I’m excited. I’ll see where it takes me.”
The 31-year-old Kazmir (5-5, 2.38 ERA), set to be a free agent after this season, strengthens the rotation of an Astros club in the thick of a pennant race while leaving the JetHawks without one of their best hitters in Nottingham, who was batting .324 with four home runs and 14 RBIs in 17 games.
In 10 appearances, the right-handed Mengden, a fourth-round draft pick by Houston in 2014, started eight games and went 2-1 with a 5.26 ERA.
“It’s kind of weird, kind of different,” JetHawks third baseman J.D. Davis said. “It’s a situation no one’s really been in, seeing a teammate being traded.”
The MLB trade deadline fast approaching, prospects are expected to form part of packages for teams looking to fortify their rosters. With the Astros in the thick of the race for the first time since 2005, Davis, one of Houston’s top-rated prospects, said he anticipated a move.
This one took Davis by surprise, however.
“Nottingham and Mengden, you don’t really expect that guy to go,” Davis said. “It was kind of a shocker, but not really because you were really kind of waiting for it.
“I spent my day off with (Nottingham) and (Derek) Fisher in Anaheim (on Wednesday) and hung out. We had no idea he was in trade talks with the A’s.”
Nottingham, a sixth-round draft pick by Houston in 2013, was even more blindsided by the move.
“Honestly I didn’t have any idea,” he said. “I didn’t think my name was going to be in the mix, but I mean, it happened and I’m here now, so I’m ready to play.”
Both ex-JetHawks did the walk of trade from the Lancaster clubhouse, located near right field, to the Stockton one to get set to face the home team. Nottingham was in the Stockton lineup on Thursday and singled during his first at-bat as a Port off right-hander Keegan Yuhl.
“It’ll probably hit me when I’m facing my friends on the mound or when they come up to the plate,” Nottingham said. “That’s going to be different.”
Mengden is set to start Saturday’s game against his former teammates. After that, he and Nottingham will depart Lancaster with their new ones.
By then, reality might have set in just a tad bit more. They both understand it’s part of the business. There are no hard feelings.
“I want to thank the Astros for everything they did for me,” Mengden said. “They drafted me and took care of me for the year and a half I was there.
“I’ll just keep playing baseball. Nothing changes, just the name in the front of your jersey.”