[Westheim]

December 12 – The Pacifics win the lottery for 28-yr old ex-POR INF Victor Flores (.289, 21 HR, 307 RBI) with their bid of a 5-year deal paying out $11.72M.
December 12 – Topeka signs left-hander Aurelio Garcia (30-40, 3.43 ERA, 125 SV) as their new closer. The 28-yr old southpaw, who split 2007 between Salem and Denver, signs a 3-yr, $3.54M contract.
December 13 – The Condors load up on relievers, signing 31-yr old ex-DAL Charlie Deacon (60-69, 2.79 ERA, 292 SV) and 35-yr old Ricardo Huerta (36-29, 3.42 ERA, 41 SV) to deals in the $700k range. Deacon gets his $720k over one year, while Huerta will have to pitch two years to make $710k.
December 15 – The Raccoons trade 26-yr old MR Adam Riddle (6-2, 3.13 ERA, 1 SV) and 20-yr old A INF Danny Zigay to the Capitals for 35-yr old SS/2B Juan Barrón (.302, 32 HR, 853 RBI).
December 16 – The Stars sign up ex-NYC SP Jesus Bautista (169-176, 3.92 ERA) for 3-yr, $6.76M, who will thus be paid through to his age 38 season.
December 17 – 33-yr old SP Anibal Sandoval (186-150, 3.45 ERA), a former Ace, will haul in $4.36M over two years in his new contract with the Pacifics.
December 20 – The Miners fish themselves ex-POR 1B/3B Daniel Sharp (.281, 44 HR, 360 RBI). The 30-year old settles for a 1-yr, $344k contract.
December 21 – Ex-DEN C Carlos Ramos (.300, 124 HR, 781 RBI) signs a 2-yr, $4.16M contract with the Blue Sox.
December 27 – The Raccoons sign 31-yr old INF Nelson Chavez (.259, 48 HR, 304 RBI) to a 1-yr, $300k contract.
December 28 – The Raccoons come to terms with ex-SFW MR Donald Sims (32-38, 4.00 ERA, 36 SV). The 32-yr old will bag $300k for a 1-year deal.
December 29 – The Blue Sox have a new closer in ex-CHA Luis Hernandez (20-25, 1.99 ERA, 176 SV), who will make $5.92M over three years.

I am SHOCKED at for how little Daniel Sharp settled! Looks like he REALLY wanted out of Portland.

Ah, life sucks.

When Juan Barrón was acquired in trade, he instantly represented more almost 40% of career games played between all position players on the expanded roster with him having been sent to war 2,282 times in his career, 2,040 times as a starter. Barrón is an elite middle infielder – still – with a career .350 OBP, and an OBP of .349 or higher each of the last three seasons, and a .399 OBP in 2007, which he split between Dallas and Washington. He has no power and his former speed (he stole 20+ bags three times) is gone, but he still has a fantastic eye and knows how to get on. His bat generates mostly singles, but he strikes out in the 4-5% range, which is phenomenal. He is in the last year of an even 2-yr, $1.82M contract, so the Raccoons pick up $910k and a veteran presence™ at short at the expense of a 6th/7th inning right-hander and an 11th round pick that had little upsides.

We said that about Nick Brown before…

Adam Riddle hardly ever embarrassed himself, but he’s a small prize for Barrón, who was not a full-time starter with either of his teams in 2007, and thus might have been valued not as highly by the Capitals. And come on, it’s our fourth-best right-hander, we gotta keep the line moving. Lemme see, there’s Cody Bryant, who’s a walk machine, Sergio Vega, who’s at best good for mop-up on a losing team, Claudio Salazar, who also has command issues, and Ted Reese, whom we accepted now is not a starting pitcher, and who improved dramatically with his command when moved to the pen in Ham Lake in June. He is in any case not ready.

Then there’s the free agent market, where 7th inning right-handers are available on the cheap. I had Whitebread compile a list of durable, good-stamina, high-control free agent right-handed relievers.

When Whitebread came back with a short list topped by a certain Bob Joly, I first through the list out of the window, and then tried to grab Whitebread to do the same, but he evaded my tired hands and clambered over the table and out of the door.

Meanwhile we signed 3-times golden third baseman Nelson Chavez. Our infield takes shape now. We have top defensive options on the left side (two even at short), and Quebell is certainly a good defensive first baseman. Yoshi might now be the weakest link on the infield. His future depends on the bat since he won’t impress overwhelmingly with the glove. I’m not yet sold on Quebell staying around. But with a top centerfielder not going to materialize out of thin air, we might be forced to continue with Castro in center, who’s not a strong defensive options, but has to play there to get both him and Pruitt into the lineup.

The Chavez signing loaded the 40-man roster, and when Sims signed the next day, we put Sergio Vega on waivers, which he cleared on New Year’s Eve.