[Westheim]

January 9 – The Raccoons add 31-yr old ex-ATL INF Ken Rodgers (.252, 60 HR, 386 RBI) on a 1-yr, $300k deal.
January 13 – Ex-MIL SP Ramón Jimenez (111-121, 4.51 ERA) settles on a 1-yr, $1.38M contract offer by the Thunder.
January 16 – The Capitals ink ex-ATL CL Patrick Mercier (26-19, 3.32 ERA, 133 SV) to a 2-yr, $3.4M contract.
January 24 – Ex-POR LF/CF Tomas Castro (.298, 74 HR, 418 RBI), who at 29 also has 183 stolen bases for his career, signs a 1-yr, $630k contract with the Scorpions.
January 26 – Ex-POR SP Scott Spears (93-105, 4.50 ERA) signs on with the Indians, $242k for one year. The Raccoons receive a supplemental round pick.
January 30 – The Thunder pick up 37-yr old ex-PIT LF/RF Mohammed Blanc (.323, 119 HR, 908 RBI) for 1-yr, $1.98M. The 37-year old Canadian spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Miners.
February 7 – The Loggers deal SP Fernando Cruz (60-82, 4.19 ERA) to the Warriors, receiving 1B Mike Rucker (.208, 2 HR, 15 RBI), who still has rookie eligibility, and a decent prospect.

+++

Rodgers plays all four infield positions well. He bats left-handed, and at least has a serviceable bat. No base-stealer, though. With money a bit short at that point, the stock of players like Dave Roudabush and Walt Canning, right-handed batters filling both spots on the left side of the infield, was rising slightly. Ever so slightly.

Fan interest crashed after Tomas Castro signed elsewhere, incited by the Agitator, who railed on about the inept front office that allowed an exciting and electric player like Tomas Castro to sign elsewhere while still having a dud like Keith Ayers on the payroll.

DUDE, I’VE BEEN TRYING TO TRADE AYERS FOR MONTHS!!

But everybody still has that framed of Keith Ayers being out at home in mind. I do, too. It has been playing on continuous replay for three years and three months now. And what exactly has been electric about Tomas Castro being laid up in a cast year in, year out?

January continued to roll past and still no takers for any of the surplus players. They would probably all end up on waivers (well, not Pruitt, who would most likely end up on the bench) at the start of the season. Which is horrendous, because I would have loved to do some wheeling and dealing, but nobody was biting really. [On a personal note, I hate OOTP 16’s trade AI, which is bull**** broken]

I threatened with this before, but the second Saturday home game (facing the Knights) will now be Rich Hood Hoodie Night. Maud couldn’t come up with anything else. Just like I can't come up with any meaningful trade...