Cael Chatham Acquired to Complete Trade, Signed
WASHINGTON, Pa. (May 27) – Yesterday, the Wild Things officially acquired two players in trades, one to complete a trade with Southern Maryland from camp that sent RHP Santiago Florez to the Blue Crabs for future considerations and one where the Wild Things now owe future considerations to the Atlantic League’s York Revolution.
Infielder Cael Chatham was acquired to complete the trade with Southern Maryland and RHP Chad Coles was acquired from York. Both signed their Wild Things contracts Tuesday and will be active for the series opener in Avon against the Crushers.
Chatham was 3-for-15 in 22 plate appearances (five walks, one HBP, one sac bunt) for the Blue Crabs so far this season. He had a double and an RBI. It was his second taste of pro and indy ball, as he finished his 2024 last summer with Great Falls (PION). There, he slashed .306/.326/.306 in 61 plate appearances. He drove in two, walked 11 times and scored six runs.
That work for Chatham came of a stellar collegiate career, which lasted six total seasons around a transfer and COVID. He began his career at LaGrange College (NCAA Division III), where he was ABCA/Rawlings Region 6 All-Region 2nd Team in 2022 and USA South West Division First Team the same year. He was ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region Second Team, d3baseball.com All-South Region Second Team, USA South All-Conference First Team and USA South West Division First Team in 2021. In four seasons at LaGrange, he slashed .339/.433/.494 with 14 home runs and 132 RBI to go with 38 doubles and two triples. He scored 139 times, walked 80 times to 73 strikeouts and was hit by 19 pitches.
He'd go on to play two seasons at High Point, where, at the plate, he slashed .319/.427/.593 with 30 home runs and 98 RBI. He had 30 doubles, a triple and 77 walks. He appeared on the mound for Lagrange in 2022 and in 16 games (19.1 innings) at High Point in 2024. At High Point University (NCAA Division I) he received laurels as a First Team and Second Team All-Big South Conference player in 2024 and won multiple weekly honors. He started his high school career at Fellowship Christian before heading to River Ridge High School for two years, where he was All-Region in 2016.
Coles, a North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania native, is a 26-year old right hander that is in his first season of pro ball after recovering from arm surgery. He was pitching for York this season in the Atlantic League and had appeared in seven games and worked 13.1 innings. He had 14 strikeouts to six walks and nine hits allowed, while he was 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA. Chad played in the MLB Draft League for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in 2022 and was 3-3 there with a 4.26 ERA in 25 games (three starts). He struck out 59 in 44.1 innings. He was a standout at Youngstown State during his collegiate career, where he, in five seasons, was 9-15 in 100 games (18 starts). He worked 191.2 innings and struck out 193. Coles finished his YSU career ranking second in program history with the 100 career appearances and 12th in career strikeouts with the 193 whiffs.
The right hander threw 61 innings with 84 strikeouts in his junior year at Norwin High School, leading his team in a stunner over Plum for a WPIAL baseball championship at EQT Park. He also wrestled in the 182-pound weight class and finished as county runner up while coming in fifth in the WPIAL finals.
Coles and Chatham will be active tonight is Lake Erie. First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m.
