[gehrig38]

12/2
Pittsburgh extended recently acquired 1B Mario Orosco for 2 years, 32M. There’s a 3rd year team option for 16M as well.

12/3
Buerhle dealt:
Buffalo acquired LH starting pitcher Mark Buerhle for 4 prospects. The Boston Bombers will receive 23 year old SP Ryan Smith (2.5 star, 2018 7th rounder out of Towson) 1B/2B Robert Bowers (3.5 star, minor league FA) Roy Reynolds (1 star, minor league FA) Randy Peckford (1.5 star, 2016 2nd rounder) in exchange for Buerhle. Buerhle is 26-26 4.49 in 63 starts over the past 2 years. He’s eligible for free agency after the 2019 season.

12/5
Bray moves on:
2 time Koufax winner and 4 time all-star Vincent Bray has signed a 2 year 35.2M dollar free agent deal with the Corpus Christi Hooks.

51’s ink Piercey:
Las Vegas signed 26 year old catcher Pat Piercey to a 5 year 77.1M dollar free agent contract.

World Champs retain Berkman:
Sacramento backed up the Brinks truck for 1B/OF Lance Berkman. Acquired at the deadline last season, Berkman signed a 5 year 98M dollar extension with Sacramento.

12/7
Pittsburgh signs Villanueva:
Alejandro Villanueva signed a 4 year 64.6M dollar free agent deal with the Bulldogs. The final 2 years are at 18.8 and 24M! The 33 year old is a career .284/.395/.513 hitter in 959 IBL games, all with Staten Island. He’s hit 211 doubles and 184 home runs. He’s struck out just 179 times in over 4000 AB’s, to exactly 600 walks.

12/10
SP Grant Thomas resigned with the FL Champion Green Bay Blizzard for 5 years and 80M. the 27 year old was 14-7 4.03 last year, and is 56-38 3.90 in 140 career starts.

12/11
Arizona inks star IF:
Former Roughrider SS Randolph Boyd signed a 7 year 99.1M dollar free agent contract with the Arizona Greyhounds. Boyd is a career .294/.341/.482 hitter in 971 games with 163 HR’s and 224 2B’s.

12/12
Managed to sign 25 year old free agent RP Masafumi Watanabe to a 4 year 3M dollar contract. He has 3 options remaining and provides very cheap bullpen insurance.

Baltimore re-signs O’Slattery:
Chris O’Slattery is hoping to spend his entire career in Baltimore. The 30 year old signed a 7 year 77M dollar extension with the Railcats.

12/15
Las Vegas signed free agent Closer Bill Barlow to a 2 year 12.4M dollar contract.

Edmonton signed former Columbus closer Ivan Lopez to a 2 year 24.8M dollar free agent deal. Lopez is 6th all time in the IBL in Saves.

12/16
We signed minor league OF Luis Rodriguez to a 4 year 2.7M dollar deal. A 24 year old corner OF who can run well, exceptionally good corner defender, and can hit. He’ll provide more depth and AAA insurance.

Pittsburgh deals for catcher:
Las Vegas sent 28 year old catcher Jeff Weeks to Pittsburgh for 25 year old SP Bill Sharp and 18 year old 5 star prospect SS Stan Powell. Weeks is a career .291/.351/.418 hitter in 347 games with 27 home runs. He will assume the everyday job of catching for the Bulldogs. Sharp will be the #5 in the 51’s rotation, and Powell is a 5 star SS prospect, drafted in the 2nd round of the 2018 draft (57th overall).