[Westheim]

Towards the end of the winter meetings, I got a *really* funny offer from the Indians. They were offering C Jose Paraz, a good, almost major league ready left-handed relief prospect, and a scum pitcher nobody really needed, plus $1.1M in cash, for … Ron Alston.

That was a mean offer. We really need a catcher. Jose Paraz’ batted unleashes worlds of hurt upon opposing pitchers, but there are some obvious hooks to this one, and some that are not quite as obvious.

The obvious hooks include, well, we’d have to give up Ron Alston again. The second obvious hook is Paraz’ horrible defense. Think Ricardo Martinez, just behind the dish. His throwing arm is so weak, against Paraz we run everybody. Not just Castro, no. We send the Duke, we send our own catcher, heck, we send even Chad in the mascot, and Aunt Phyllis, well, at least until she passed away from old age two years ago. He never threw out any of them. Chad even ran in the wrong direction. Paraz’ throw was so poor, Chad was still safe.

The less obvious, but fatal hook is Paraz’ contract. He is owed just over three million squids every year through 2012. While the Indians would cover the difference between Paraz’ and Alston’s contract for 2009, that doesn’t help us a bit beyond that.

It is a trade that is impossible to make for the Raccoons, because we just can’t pay Paraz beyond 2009, but we would have to get actively rid of him, and you try to find a team to take on a $3M contract. The Indians were trying right now. No, it was an impossible deal and we could not do it.

December 10 – The Raccoons deal 24-yr old 2B Jose Gutierrez (.215, 0 HR, 15 RBI) and 26-yr old MR Dan Parker (2-1, 6.45 ERA) to the Wolves for 24-yr old SS/1B Rob Howell (.321, 0 HR, 35 RBI).
December 11 – The Indians acquire SP Jimmy Sjogren (10-10, 3.56 ERA) from the Condors, who receive two prospects, including Jimmy Eichelkraut.
December 11 – The Capitals land ex-LAP LF/RF Ken Potter (.259, 179 HR, 583 RBI). The 30-year old signs a 2-yr, $2.52M contract.
December 13 – The Raccoons and Miners strike a deal that sends 24-yr old C Ximenes Lopes (.200, 0 HR, 0 RBI in 5 AB) to Portland in exchange for 29-yr old AAA SS César Pena (.215, 0 HR, 6 RBI in 65 AB).
December 14 – The Indians send SP Ramiro Gonzalez (137-137, 3.78 ERA), age 34, to Dallas for 29-yr old outfielder Clint Philip (.234, 15 HR, 76 RBI), who hasn’t had more than 18 major league AB in a season since 2006.
December 23 – The Indians pick up 36-yr old 1B/2B Dave Heffer (.293, 52 HR, 814 RBI) on a 1-yr, $540k contract. Heffer was last with the Titans.
December 25 – The Capitals sign 36-yr old ex-NAS C Carlos Ramos (.298, 131 HR, 816 RBI) to a 3-yr, $5.86M contract.
December 26 – The Scorpions shell out $15.86M over seven years for ex-CIN LF/RF Rodrigo Lopez. The 28-year old has batted .305 with 28 HR and 351 RBI over his career.
December 26 – Career Bostonian SP Jason O’Halloran (236-138, 3.30 ERA) gets aboard with the Cyclones. The 37-year old southpaw signs a 2-yr, $3.32M contract.
December 26 – Another ex-Titan lands with the Capitals, who sign 36-yr old 1B Roberto Vargas (.270, 84 HR, 538 RBI) to a 3-yr, $4.66M contract.
December 27 – 36-yr old ex-POR SS/2B Juan Barrón (.306, 35 HR, 917 RBI) joins the Indians on a 1-yr, $550k contract.
December 28 – 37-yr old ex-POR OF/1B Jerry Fletcher (.311, 56 HR, 838 RBI) gets another 2-year deal, worth $2.24M, from the Blue Sox.
December 29 – Ex-DEN SP Victor Bernal (123-59, 3.14 ERA) moves in with the Stars on a 7-yr, $16.26M contract.
December 29 – Ex-TOP C Miguel Torres (.257, 63 HR, 408 RBI) wins a 2-yr, $2.5M deal from the Bayhawks.
December 30 – The Wolves pick up ex-TOP INF Jon Merritt (.268, 39 HR, 551 RBI). The 32-yr old will receive $730k for a year.
January 1 – The Gold Sox console themselves over the loss of Bernal with SP Manny Guzmán (63-95, 4.53 ERA), who signs up for 2-yr, $1.18M. Well…
January 3 – The Thunder pick up ex-NAS SP Takeru Sato (145-133, 4.22 ERA) on a 2-yr, $2.52M deal.
January 4 – $3.2M over two years lands the Titans INF Takahashi Higashi (.268, 156 HR, 821 RBI).

We receive our second supplemental round pick after the Indians signed Barrón. That is all the compensation for us this year, but with #14, #21 and two supplemental round picks, you’re not in a shabby spot in the draft.

I’m quite happy with the Howell trade, which also saves us one minimum salary while not taking away from player substance. I tried to get a deal done with third-rate prospects, but they were pretty much Santos-or-nothing in this regard. The Wolves are looking for left-handed relief, and while Parker is probably not the answer to any pitching-related question, it scratches their itch for the moment. The only other left-handed reliever they had on their 40-man roster was even worse than Parker…

Ximenes Lopes is a good defensive catcher and while there isn’t much data for his bat, since he was never really the primary catcher anywhere, all indications are that it’s not going to be pretty. So far I consider him a backup even to Esquivel. Lopes has options, though, so he can be put away at AAA at the start of the season if we (and I hope we) find a better option. Esquivel as the primary is not something I dig.

We do have an offer out there, however. It is to a catcher that was already at least twice on the table to come to Portland. Once as a free agent two or three years ago, and even a few years before that in a trade, but I can’t remember for whom that would have been.

I’m also working on a trade for one of our high priced players, but Eduardo Durango is off the table, it’s impossible to work out a deal with the rampantly broken Aces.