Ottawa Champions trade Canadian Tyson Gillies

The Ottawa Champions have traded outfielder Tyson Gillies (Vancouver, B.C.) to the Gary SouthShore RailCats. Photo Credit: Marc Lafleur

Champions grant Gillies trade request, make series of roster moves

February 21, 2018

By Michael Nellis

OTTAWA—Hal Lanier has added to his Ottawa Champions bullpen, acquiring LHP Onas Farfan from the Gary SouthShore RailCats in exchange for Canadian OF Tyson Gillies (Vancouver, B.C.).
 
The trade stemmed from a request by Gillies to move on from the Champions.
 
“This has been ongoing for quite some time,” Lanier said of the Gillies trade request. “Tyson and I have spoke multiple times, he really enjoyed his time in Ottawa, he just felt it was time to move on and requested a trade.”
 
Gillies took to Twitter Wednesday afternoon to thank the Champions organization and fans for his time in the Nation’s Capital.
 
The former Philadelphia Phillies farmhand attended Ottawa’s open tryout last May, and hit .294 in his abbreviated 2017 campaign. He also added 11 home runs and 50 RBI in just 71 games.
 
Farfan, a left-handed pitcher, was drafted by the MLB’s Minnesota Twins in the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft. The 24-year-old was a member of the American Association’s Cleburne Railroaders in 2017, where he had a 3-4 record and a 5.83 ERA.
 
He joins LHP Evan Rutckyj (Windsor, Ont.) as another southpaw setting up shop in the Champions bullpen.
 
Other Roster Moves
 
The Champions also made a series of signings out of the Florida Minor League Camp, where Lanier spent most of his February scouting potential players.
 
He made two signings out of Florida this week:

OF CHASE HARRIS – In 2017: .263, 5 HR, 29 RBI in 96 games for Gary SouthShore (AA).

INF KYLE ZIRBES – In 2016: .324, 3 HR, 27 RBI in 49 games for Embry-Riddle (NCAA).

Additional signings:

C TYLER NORDGREN – In 2017: .250, 3 HR, 17 RBI, in 53 games for Ottawa (Can-Am).

Releases:

RHP GARRETT CORTRIGHT: In 2017 – 2-2, 3.66 ERA, 19.2 IP, 8 ER, 4 SV in 17 games for Ottawa (Can-Am).

LHP YEAN CARLOS GIL: In 2017 – 2-7, 5.56 ERA, 79.1 IP, 49 ER in 16 games for Ottawa (Can-Am).