[Westheim]

January.

Still debating over that #5 starter. Lopez and Rivera will be back in the rotation for better or worse, along with Farley and Ford. That leaves a spot for Wade or Paco Martinez. Wade could also pitch long relief out of the bullpen, however. Martinez would be a waste to pitch out of the pen. Problem is, if we make Donis the closer, we need a second left-handed reliever, and that second left-handed reliever is not going to be Fred Carlton.

Other than that, our bullpen holds Miller, Collins, Meeks, Fairchild, and Joly. The latter two are leftovers, there to absorb damage while Nordahl and Manuel Martinez (I always want to call him Miguel…) start the season in Florida to get into better shape with control. But we need a left-hander. Even Andrew Schaefer, who’s been mulling an offer since December 3, is a right-hander.

I am not looking for a big name. I am looking for a cheap, stopgap solution for a few months, to get all other arms sorted out. The Raccoons will not contend in 2000 one way or the other.

The question is, will they contend the following year? We may be operating on borrowed time already. Meeks and Richardson will be free agents, as will be Miller, Wade, and Reece (our last three ring wearers). Barring unforeseen demotions, Farley, Brady, and Crowe will all be first-time arbitration-eligible. It doesn’t look like we can keep the cast together as it is already.

But let’s stop this. The point is moot. We don’t have money now, we don’t whether we will have money in nine months (but most likely, no, sorry son, but no, we will not).

This is a season where we throw all that young talent at the wall and see whether it sticks or it stinks. Mata, Martin, Brady, Ford, Farley, heck, even Guerin or Donis or Rivera aren’t that well established as major leaguers. If that’s a cast that works in combo with Reece, Ingall, and the few others that have a proper contract, then we might have a good result, and Carlosito might be willing to spend a bit more money on us. If not, well, then Richardson, and Meeks, and maybe even (and I will be permanently embittered by this) Neil Reece will walk away, and we go back to square one, rinse repeat, the only difference being that our youngsters will be young only for so long.

I also came up with a way to dispose of Mike Crowe: we don’t. He’s the right-handed bat off the bench, that gives us more freedom for that fifth outfield spot, which now can be filled by Chris Parker again.

Besides, Daniel Richardson’s injury history reads much like Daniel Hall’s. Lots of small nagging things that keep him off the field a week here, and two weeks there. There should be ample playing time for Parker.

When Vince Guerra presented me a list of left-handed relievers with decent scouting reports, I was surprised through how many of the guys we had been through only on page one.


January 3 – The Raccoons announce the addition of former Logger MR Andrew Schaefer (21-14, 4.03 ERA, 8 SV). Schaefer, 31, signs a 2-yr, $560k contract.
January 4 – The Indians try to improve their lackluster offense with the addition of 34-yr old LF/RF Roland Moore (.282, 76 HR, 436 RBI), who was with the Warriors in 1999. He signs a 2-yr, $1.65M contract.
January 10 – Traded from Tijuana to Topeka during the season, INF/LR/RF Rory Gorden returns to where he knows everything best. The .253 hitter with 101 HR and 683 RBI, signs a 4-yr, $4.63M contract with the Condors for his age 31-34 seasons.
January 10 – 31-yr old LF/RF Román Reyes (.273, 37 HR, 282 RBI) joins the Loggers on a 3-yr, $2.71M deal.
January 13 – Well-ridden workhorse Neil Stewart signs another big league deal at 36 years of age, inking with the Buffaloes for 3-yr, $2.58M. Stewart is 237-181 with a 3.44 ERA and could move past Hall of Famer Juan Correa if he keeps winning 15 games a year.
January 14 – The Capitals add ex-CIN 3B Ramiro Gonzalez (.304, 13 HR, 344 RBI). The 31-yr old iron man, regularly playing all or almost all the games in the season, will earn $6.29M over six years.
January 16 – The Coons have another new pitcher, adding southpaw MR Orlando Blanco (28-61, 4.83 ERA, 2 SV) to the mix. Blanco will make $200k for one season.
January 20 – The Scorpions sign 36-yr old Holden Gorman (61-49, 3.55 ERA, 115 SV) as their new closer, paying $3.25M for three years of service from the ex-Falcon.
January 22 – The Condors shell out $2.37M over three years for 35-yr old ex-Coon 1B Mauro Granados (.257, 110 HR, 633 RBI). The Raccoons receive a supplemental round draft pick.

Mauro Granados will don a new shirt for the eleventh time in a 12-year career (but only the ninth shirt in total), after playing for the Aces (1988-90), Condors (1990), Blue Sox (1991-92), Bayhawks (1992-94), Buffaloes (1994-95), Blue Sox (1995-96), Gold Sox (1998), Aces (1998-99), Scorpions (1999), and Raccoons (1999). He was born in Costa Rica – some people there don’t own this many shirts in a lifetime!

Schaefer signing on was merely filling a spot that was threatening to go to Bob Joly and his 6.75 ERA. Schaefer is serviceable in a 7th/8th inning role. Right-handed relief was adequately covered between him, Miller, and Meeks, with Fairchild and Wade ready for long relief roles. Unless Wade started. But I was not sold on that yet.

Before you choke on Blanco, he was a horrible starter for the Falcons early in his career. Of his 297 games, 102 were starts, and he ran his ERA as high as 6.75 in those seasons, and had WHIPS of 1.70 and over. As a reliever, he has settled down a lot, and should be way more productive. He is 33, by the way. He is also the stopgap solution I walked about. If Carlton does well, and Blanco doesn’t, out with Blanco.