We have unknown trialists and an unknown new player

By: Bob Kellett | March 11th, 2008

A few weeks ago my fiancee and I drove to BFE, Oregon (go ahead, Mapquest it) to visit a nursery. Our mission was to buy a number of fruit trees for our backyard. We ended up purchasing a kiwi tree that four years from now will produce skinless red fruit that melts in your mouth and in your hand. The fruit is like rootcrack without the infertility-causing side effects. You’re welcome to have some, assuming we don’t kill the tree in the interim.

I was reminded of this today when I saw the Trib’s headline proclaiming Gavin Wilkinson Shops for Kiwis. Our noble leader apparently has gone out and bought himself a player from his native land with the possibility of another New Zealander also putting pen to paper. Exciting news if we had any idea who this player from down under was and what position he plays. But we don’t because this is the time of year when prying information out of Wilkinson is a bit like getting information from Iran’s nuclear agency.

According to the team’s press release yesterday, there are 17 players on trial. Who are these 17 people? Hard to say since there is no mention of names, positions, backgrounds, social security numbers or any other relevant details. We wouldn’t want to let their names be known, after all, since that might tip off the competition and it might make the players’ parents sad when they read that their sons have been released.

What we do know is that these 17 players are competing for a limited number of roster spots. The team has 17 players officially under contract; 18 if you include the unknown Kiwi. Wilkinson is likely to carry 22-24 players this season. You don’t have to be an accountant to figure out that most of these trialists aren’t going to be around come mid-April. One way to see where they stand is to go to the exhibition games. The guys without names on their jerseys are on trial. Once they get a name, they are under contract.

It is worth nothing that Wilkinson told the Trib that Justin Thompson is the only guy from last year’s squad currently not signed who might return. That means no Lee Morrison, no David Hague, no Jaime Ambriz, no Bayard Elfvin (I was told last week he was coming back), no Luc Harrington, and no Garrett Marcum. No tears from my end to see these guys go, although I am a bit surprised that Morrison wasn’t re-signed. He didn’t play much last season but he has proven to be a useful player over the years. If nothing else he’d add depth in the backline, something the roster currently lacks.

The schedule gods permitting, I plan on swinging by practice tomorrow to see if I can’t dig up some of the names of the trialists. In the meantime, anyone out there have any dirt on any of these players?