For the 2nd time in his brief career, Nick was traded for the 2nd time in a season. After playing 29 games for Rochester, he was shipped(with a dozen Elvis records) to Memphis. Ezdra Lee was also shipped to Memphis, in exchange for Raul Escobar. Ezdra is currently in AA for Memphis. He has had up and down season in the minors since he trade to Memphis. The first season he was 10-5, the next 5-14. But the 5-14 season, he had a 3.69 ERA. He could easily win double digits every season. Nick however, struggled in his first season in Memphis. He had 13 homers, while hitting a mere .242. The next season saw Nick pick it up some, he had 173 hits, 37 doubles, 23 homers, batting .275, while driving in 84 runs. Memphis is a true pitchers park, so those numbers are impressive. Nick has settled down in Memphis for now, and hopes he will stay there. But every time he see's the GM or VP in the building, or every time his phone rings, the thought is there....'Where am I going next" Raul Escobar has flourished with the offense in Rochester sine the trade. The first season he was 12 -6 with a 3.81 ERA. The second season saw him excel even further. He was 17-7 with a 3.82 ERA, while pitching over 200 innings. By far I would say the deal made Rochester happy. Nick Valentine on the other hand, has made American Express re-think the frequent flyer mile program.
