[Elendil]

After the GM's and managers voted on the player awards, the players got their turn to vote for Manager of the Year. In the end, Stanford Rawson of North Pole won the honor for his team's storybook run to the championship. He certainly knew how to get every last ounce of effort out of his veterans.

The league was doing well. Almost every team had made money this year. The only teams that had lost money were the Bucs, Grizzlies, and Oilers. As already intimated, the Glacier Pilots had made so much money that after revenue sharing, they could pay off all their outstanding debts. The league office was hoping for a quick sale, and to reduce payroll to the bone they traded away Comeback Player of the Year Vincent Leroux, now 32 and making $80,000 a year. He was dealt to Sitka for much-traveled outfielder Doug Beard and a minor leaguer.

At the end of September, this year's free agents filed. With all the money floating around out there, this year's crop could expect to make a bundle. Here's a countdown of the most attractive players available:

15. RP Philippe Bisaillon, age 27. Had a 6.11 ERA in 2012 with the Bucs, but he had a fastball that regularly topped 90 and a couple of good seasons prior to this past one under his belt. His big problem was the long ball: he gave up 10 of them in 63 innings last year. He also needed to work on his control (36 BB's last year). His raw talent would surely prove too much for some team not to take a chance on him, though. Bucs can't re-sign him.

14. RF John Horswill, age 30. Horswill, a lefty, put up a respectable .285/.373/.450 line, which is basically average for a corner outfielder (14.6 VORP). He can play the field well, even has a little experience in center. He's loyal and could re-sign with Chugiak.

13. RF Mike Collette, age 29. Not related to Juneau 1B Ralph Collette. Mike hit .290/.378/.445 last year with 22 doubles in 321 AB. The Mushers could afford to bring him back, but he's made it clear that he's going to play the field and take the highest offer.

12. SS Sloan Starr, age 33. One of the real veterans of the league and a key part of the 2008 Nicks championship club. He spent 2012 with the Anchorage Bucs, hitting .266/.364/.488 with 21 HR, actually playing third more than short, along with a little first base. He can play all those positions pretty well, although not quite as rangey at short as some. Good hitters and fielders at third and especially short come at a big premium in this league. Bucs can't re-sign him.

11. CF Olivier Theriault, age 28. Theriault is one of the best center fielders in this league, although obviously nothing special by major league standards. He will probably command a high price, despite hitting just .250/.346/.388 with Juneau last year. Some scouts insist he hasn't hit his peak yet. Two Glove Wizard awards.

10. SS Mike Gaston, age 27. Another Jet lost to free agency; it's unclear whether he could yet be re-signed. Still young and a very solid fielder, though not outstanding. Hit .275/.317/.408 last year, good for 9.2 points of VORP. Blazing speed and stole 23 bases last year, getting caught just 3 times. Scored an eye-popping 74 runs hitting leadoff for this potent offense.

9. 2B Charley Logan, age 30. One of the guys who came up from the Lower 48 last year, he hit .294/.410/.425 last year with Sitka. A solid but not outstanding second baseman, who gets value from posting a high OBP at a low-offense position. Sitka probably can't afford to keep him, unless they make some hard decisions.

8. OF Francis Ikarashi, age 30. Actually played a lot of center last year, even though it's definitely not his natural position. He was another former minor leaguer who tried his luck in the AKL and got picked up by the southerly-located Sentinels. He hit .258/.395/.371 (13.9 VORP). He walked a whopping 73 times in 329 AB's. With just 41 K's last year and a string of .300+ batting averages in his minor league career, his batting average looks set to increase. He could be an OBP monster next year. His value is pinged a bit by reports he is demanding a 7-year contract, almost unheard of in this league (see: Rancourt, Mike for the exception).

7. SP Monzaemon Mihashi, age 36. There aren't many good pitcher free agents this year, so the ones that are on the market can expect to strike it rich. Mihashi is a former closer that the Jets converted successfully to the rotation last year, going 12-4 with a 2.61 ERA and 2:1 K:BB ratio. An extreme groundball pitcher who yields few home runs, he really fits the Chugiak model of the careful pitcher. They could re-sign him, and he has stated that he would prefer to stay, but again, he could command a pretty penny.

6. CF Bryce Payne, age 27. He's not a great-fielding center fielder, but he's good enough. An All-Star each of the last two years, he hit .304/.343/.438 (21.0 VORP) last year in something of a down year for him. Extremely fast on the basepaths, he put up a 23-5 SB-CS last year. The Mushers will likely make a push to re-sign him, but center fielders are valuable, and he could be lured away.

5. CL Ron Yuke, age 31. After struggling with injury in 2007 and missing all of 2008, Yuke has come back to establish himself as the elite closer of the Alaskan League, making the All-Star team the last three years and winning Reliever of the Year the last two. He has dependably struck out more than a batter an inning his whole career, and he has pinpoint control as well, an unusual combination. He doesn't throw hard, but he's perhaps the most intelligent pitcher in the whole league. A native of Healy, Alaska. The Grizzlies won't be able to re-sign him after losing a bunch of money last year. He could end up anywhere and will probably be well compensated.

4. RF Bob Horton, age 39. If he were even a couple of years younger and hadn't been injured in 2011, he'd be the #1 free agent this offseason, no doubt. Brash and arrogant, Horton is the top hitter in Alaskan League history. He gave North Pole another championship and for that is beloved in this tiny community. His career line is an ungodly .337/.424/.604, and he hit .325/.396/.586 last year with the Oilers and Nicks. The Nicks may pay top dollar to keep him around and the fans happy.

3. LF Sean Heath, age 25. Already one of the biggest offensive forces in the league. Had his best year in 2012 with Sitka, hitting .309/.411/.621 with 32 homers in 369 at-bats! A lefthanded hitter who's not bad in the field either. The only thing dragging down his value is his me-first reputation. Sitka probably can't re-sign him.

2. SS-3B Sherman Ferris, age 26. Ferris is a unique talent in this league. He's an outstanding shortstop and third baseman, good enough to impress at the major league level. He can also hit well enough for the Alaskan League and is still quite young. He hit .284/.373/.377 with Mat-Su last year (23.4 VORP). The Miners' coaches were hoping that his power would develop, but it never has (an average of 6 homers each of the last three years). He's also been disillusioned with being started at third each of the last two years (and winning Glove Wizard awards there). So it seems he will probably leave Mat-Su for a place where he can start at shortstop.

1. SP Eugene Pond, age 24. If Chugiak ends up losing this guy, it will hurt like hell. Still young, he could dominate this league for the next decade if he stays healthy. His K:BB ratio was better than 3:1 last year. His 3.30 ERA doesn't really do his talent justice, although that's a full run better than league average. Other than perhaps Wynn Dunsmore, he's probably the most valuable player in this league if you can get him locked up long-term. The knock against him is his work ethic, and he was never beloved in Chugiak, although the fans respect his contributions on the field.