FRIERS TAKES FLIER ON MORA

The St. Francis Friars have acquired veteran 3B Melvin Mora from the Casselton Horned Toads in a move that seems largely driven by salary considerations. To obtain Mora, the St. Francis brain trust sent versatile but largely-unused IF Nick Punto to Casselton. A good fit for the Toads, Punto will give them a sure-handed defender to play at short with Mike Aviles likely gone for the year. The Friars, meanwhile, get a 37-year-old bat who has enough with the glove to play both IF and OF positions.

Casselton GM Landon Bolt was blunt, though: "In a move to cut payroll, Mora found himself to be expendable. We have Atkins cleaning up off left handed pitching, and the emergence of Gordan Beckham, Mora was just in a position where he was expendable, while we needed a fill in 2B."