[Westheim]

Heading into Winter Meetings, Matt Sims’ agent informed me that the Thunder had made a better offer that Sims was inclined to take, and that I should not be so predictable and spice things up a bit.

My empty coffers were a sad sight to see, but I would make a better offer, but only marginally, going from $1.2M to $1.3M over three years. On the third day of the meetings, the Aces jumped in, reportedly offering a 3-yr contract for $1,328,000. Come on, Matt. Don’t be that bitchy. I made one final, FINAL, offer, and made sure that Sims knew it would be FINAL. It had the word FINAL scrawled right over it. Three years, $380k this season, and $480k in each of the next two. Take it or leave it.

Sims in the end decided not to take it, instead pointing at the Blue Sox having made a better offer. Yeah, well, so be it. Our new plan centers on Jackie Lagarde closing games in 1994. Or will Grant West continue to …..?

I should make up my mind rather quickly. If West does close for us, we need a second lefty in the pen. Tim Mallandain failed in his September callup (badly), and Cesar Salcido, our other option at AAA, is walking almost six per nine innings. I am not confident with either option.

Overall, there was not much action during the meetings. I wouldn’t call them snoozer, with BNN-top-ranked free agent Jou Hara going off the boards, but well, he re-signed with the Aces for 4-yr, $3.59M, so … well, maybe they really were a snoozer. The Aces also resigned their closer, Vicente Rúbio, so there was little movement. The Aces were not going to make huge moves if they didn’t sign somebody else. As a reminder, the Aces are one of three teams that in 17 seasons have never made it into the playoffs. The others are the Loggers and Titans, of course.

The rest of December was quiet in Coon City. I had a trade worked out for a southpaw for the bullpen (Rafael Negrón from the Buffaloes), but then didn’t pull the trigger. The trade would have sent over A level un-prospect Conceicao Guerín. To be honest, I don’t know what I am doing at all.

December 8 – The Loggers improve their bullpen in a trade with the Blue Sox, getting 27-yr old MR Roberto Martinez (5-7, 3.75 ERA, 3 SV) for 2B Armando Fernandez, 25 and batting .287 with 1 HR and 40 RBI, and a minor league catcher.
December 10 – The Miners unload 34-yr old SP David Castillo (107-88, 3.65 ERA) on the Bayhawks for 1B Pedro Lugo, who at age 29 has 19 career AB’s to his credit. Castillo pitched 0.2 innings last season before rupturing his triceps tendon. He will make $950k this season, the final year of his contract. It could still be a steal for the Bayhawks.
December 14 – The Loggers and Blue Sox trade again. 28-yr old MR Raúl Ramirez (6-7, 4.04 ERA, 51 SV) goes to Nashville, for the Loggers receiving two prospects.
December 17 – SP Craig Hansen, 35, returns to the Miners, for whom he pitched from 1981-88, for 2-yr, $1.74M. For his career, Hansen, who last pitched for the Rebels, is 204-137 with a 3.14 ERA.
December 17 – Ex-SFW SS Art Garrett (.271, 106 HR, 633 RBI) signs a 3-yr, $2.4M deal with the Scorpions.
December 21 – 1B Hector Atilano will be 43 years old by Opening Day. The Warriors give him a 1-yr, $850k contract anyway. Atilano (.314, 191 HR, 1,284 RBI) and with 2,647 career hits, still had a respectable age 42 season, batting .297 with 5 HR and 58 RBI for the Scorpions as a semi-regular, appearing in 124 games. His defense however has eroded about completely by now.
December 26 – The Gold Sox sign ex-IND (and former Raccoon) INF Antonio Gonzalez (.263, 47 HR, 326 RBI) for 5-yr, $3.11M.
December 28 – Ex-Coon 3B Cameron Green (.247, 124 HR, 728 RBI) is traded from the Stars to the Scorpions in exchange for MR Ramon Morales (12-16, 4.51 ERA, 3 SV) and a minor leaguer.

By the way, I have not said anything about retirements after the 1993 season, and there really is only one significant one, 37-yr old OF Sean Bergeron. Debuting with the Capitals in 1980, he was traded to the Knights before the 1983 season, where for several years he was a part of a feared offense as the Knights had their best years in the mid-80s. Bergeron never hit for average (topping out at .264 in 1984), or may home runs (most: 19 for the ’87 Condors), but due to a high OBP (.372 for his career) had nine consecutive seasons of OPS+ over 100, and most of those were significantly over. Overall, he played for six teams, most prominently the Knights and Condors, the latter of which he had two stints and finished his career with. Career stats: .241/.372/.391 with 151 HR and 779 RBI. He also drew 1,041 walks.

It has become 1994, happy new year and so. Matt Sims has yet to sign anywhere.