PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said on Friday the papers of the trade that will bring league scoring champion CJ Perez from Terrafirma to San Miguel Beer in exchange for a first-round pick and three bench players have yet to reach his office.
But once the papers come, the fate of the biggest trade to rock the league in this offseason will be in the hands of a five-man committee that was created by Marcial as an independent body to scrutinize all transactions during his term.
Marcial used to represent the tiebreaking vote in that trade committee, but gave that up just recently, putting in PBA technical consultant and former player Joey Guanio in his place to join deputy commissioner Erik Castro, technical officials Rosc Tiotico and Junior Bengua, and legal counsel Melvin Mendoza.
"Kaka-approve lang ng move na 'yan ng PBA board," said Marcial on Friday. "So now they'll be the ones to scrutinize and decide on that trade."
That five-man committee will have a tough decision in its hands as it scrutinizes a trade proposal that will send Perez to SMB for bench players Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, Gelo Alolino, and Russel Escoto and the Beermen's 2021 first-round pick which will be No. 8 overall in the PBA Rookie Draft on March 14.
This early, not a few fans are unhappy with the thought of seeing Perez, the league's scoring champion the past two years after being selected No. 1 overall in 2018, leaving a lowly Terrafirma side for a star-laden side like the Beermen — a blow, without a doubt, to league parity.
Since Perez's arrival, Terrafirma hasn't had a lot of success but has been able to surround the former Lyceum star with decent talent. The Dyip were also expected to add one more vital piece with the No. 1 pick in the coming draft — and perhaps one more No. 1 in Isaac Go if a plan to allow Gilas draftees to play in the PBA pushes through.
[See Isaac Go, fellow Gilas draftees eyed to play in PBA next season]
But instead of waiting to see that process through, Terrafirma has decided to pull the trigger on another trade that, although the rational was painstakingly explained by team governor Bobby Rosales to SPIN.ph, certainly won't help the Alvarez-owned ballclub dispel accusations of being someone's 'farm team.'
Regardless, this deal may eventually gain PBA approval, if history repeats itself.
The Perez deal is eerily similar to another controversial transaction pulled off, ironically, by Kia (now Terrafirma) and the Beermen back in 2017 giving San Miguel the No. 1 pick in the draft in exchange for bench players Ronald Tubid, Jay-R Reyes, Rashawn McCarthy, and SMB's first-round pick in the 2019 draft.
That controversial trade, which enabled San Miguel to select Christian Standhardinger, was approved after minor revisions by then-commissioner Chito Narvasa.
But that deal's approval had far bigger repercussions, driving a wedge among the league's member teams in a feud so deep it nearly sabotaged an entire PBA season — and eventually cost Narvasa his job.
Marcial, who replaced Narvasa, was able to restore harmony within the board, but now finds himself in the same hot spot that cost his former boss his job.
Will Marcial's trade committee make the right decision?
Well, your guess is as good as mine.
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