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Former New Caney pitcher Dean traded to Marlins
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| Dean |
By STEPHEN WHITFIELD
On the night of Nov. 11, P.J. Dean was watching television at his home in New Caney when he received a phone call.
He felt something odd was in the works because the area code was different - 202, the Washington, D.C., area. As a pitcher in the Washington Nationals’ farm system, Dean knew he wouldn’t get a phone call like this unless it was big news.
Indeed, the news was big.
Dean had been traded.
Dean, a former star pitcher for New Caney’s baseball team, was traded by the Nationals to the Florida Marlins as part of a five-player deal.
The Nationals received two major-league players - pitcher Scott Olsen and outfielder Josh Willingham - while the Marlins got Dean along with two other players, second baseman Emilio Bonifacio and minor-league second baseman Jake Smolinski.
Dean said he was surprised to hear the news but ultimately got over it.
“At first I was shocked,” he said. “I didn’t think [the Nationals] would make a trade like that, especially since I’d done so well for them last year. But then I sat and thought about it and I realized I’d been traded for two major-league players, so obviously that must be a good thing.”
Dean, the District 21-4A Most Valuable Player in 2007, was drafted by the Nationals in the seventh round of Major League Baseball’s amateur draft that year.
In 2008, Dean went 4-1 with a 1.97 ERA in 10 appearances for the Vermont Lake Monsters of the New York Penn League. He was quickly becoming one of the top prospects in Washington’s minor-league system.
Dean will report with the rest of his new Marlins’ teammates to spring training in mid-February. The official start date of spring training will not be released for another two months.
For now, though, Dean is busy working out and relaxing in New Caney. He said regardless of what organization he is a part of, his goal remains the same.
“The only thing I’m trying to do is make the big leagues,” Dean said. “It doesn’t matter what squad I’m on, what team I’m on. My goal has always been the same.”
He felt something odd was in the works because the area code was different - 202, the Washington, D.C., area. As a pitcher in the Washington Nationals’ farm system, Dean knew he wouldn’t get a phone call like this unless it was big news.
Indeed, the news was big.
Dean had been traded.
Dean, a former star pitcher for New Caney’s baseball team, was traded by the Nationals to the Florida Marlins as part of a five-player deal.
The Nationals received two major-league players - pitcher Scott Olsen and outfielder Josh Willingham - while the Marlins got Dean along with two other players, second baseman Emilio Bonifacio and minor-league second baseman Jake Smolinski.
Dean said he was surprised to hear the news but ultimately got over it.
“At first I was shocked,” he said. “I didn’t think [the Nationals] would make a trade like that, especially since I’d done so well for them last year. But then I sat and thought about it and I realized I’d been traded for two major-league players, so obviously that must be a good thing.”
Dean, the District 21-4A Most Valuable Player in 2007, was drafted by the Nationals in the seventh round of Major League Baseball’s amateur draft that year.
In 2008, Dean went 4-1 with a 1.97 ERA in 10 appearances for the Vermont Lake Monsters of the New York Penn League. He was quickly becoming one of the top prospects in Washington’s minor-league system.
Dean will report with the rest of his new Marlins’ teammates to spring training in mid-February. The official start date of spring training will not be released for another two months.
For now, though, Dean is busy working out and relaxing in New Caney. He said regardless of what organization he is a part of, his goal remains the same.
“The only thing I’m trying to do is make the big leagues,” Dean said. “It doesn’t matter what squad I’m on, what team I’m on. My goal has always been the same.”
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