[Westheim]

December 30 – The Condors sign 35-yr old ex-Titans stalwart 2B/3B Rhett West (.251, 116 HR, 798 RBI) to a 2-yr, $2.8M contract.
December 31 – Dallas adds ex-SAL/CIN SP Jong-hoo Cho (94-80, 4.01 ERA) for 2-yr, $2.48M.
December 31 – Meanwhile the Indians help themselves to ex-DAL CL Chris Henry (29-31, 3.11 ERA, 150 SV) at a 3-yr, $5.28M price.
January 2 – Portland adds more relief with former Crusaders MR Casey Moore (35-43, 3.00 ERA, 129 SV), who joins on a 1-yr, $500k contract.
January 8 – The Cyclones grab ex-NAS C Matt Cooper (.258, 38 HR, 299 RBI) with a bait four years wide and $5.52M across.
January 8 – Richmond also gets a new closer in ex-SFB Jimmy Lohrey (28-34, 4.28 ERA, 119 SV), who signs for $5.28M over three years.
January 16 – The Titans trade infielder Todd Johnson (.239, 17 HR, 194 RBI) to the Aces for MR Jeremy Wallis (11-7, 3.77 ERA, 1 SV) and a prospect.
January 17 – The Indians sign ex-POR 3B/SS Bob Zeltser (.299, 80 HR, 484 RBI) to a 1-year deal worth $1.34M.
January 23 – LVA OF Justin Simmons (.269, 16 HR, 159 RBI) is traded to the Knights, who part with SP Drew Johnson (34-37, 4.60 ERA) in the deal.

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Not gonna be snippy or anything, but Zeltser could have gotten a better deal here…

Moore was added as much for his pitching (those walks, though…) as his talent to keep a clubhouse in order. We had multiple issues with that in the last few years, and there’s still the odd mindless jerk around (Darren Brown f.e.) that needs slapping on the paws. And I prefer if the players self-police, because if I had to do it I would have to get out of this chair, go through Maud’s room to the hallway, down the left side, through the door, down the staircase, though the other corridor with the toilets, down another staircase right to the bottom, up the right corridor, all the way around the black pit where we keep the failed first round picks, and then down another set of stairs until I am finally at the red door to the clubhouse, and then I have to –

Then I’d have to talk to them. Nah. I’d rather not.

Vance Harbison was returned to the Caps with the Moore signing to make room on the 40-man roster, which was completely full.

Ex-Critters update: Billy Jennings to the Falcons for $310k; the Rebels took on Jarod Howden, the dumb pig, for $322k; Craig Hollenbeck is on the Scorpions for $384k; Fernando Garcia landed with the Thunder for $392k; 41-year-old Mark Roberts hooked up with the Blue Sox for $840k; the Condors found room and $416k for Elias Matias Tovias Diaz;

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2036 HALL OF FAME VOTING

The Hall of Fame inducted two new members from the current ballot, both making it into the Hall on their first year on the ballot, while Gil Rockwell remains on the outside looking in with only one more year to go for him.

Missouri-born, Andrew Showalter wore five different uniforms in his career, but always stayed close to Nashville, where he also spent the first seven of his 19 years in the majors. An 8-time All Star and 6-time Platinum Stick winner, he never got onto a championship-winning team, but led the Federal League in hits twice and consistently batted for more than an .825 OPS. The shortstop was adept at legging out extra base hits, logging as many as 70 of them in 2020, and also leading the league in triples once. For his career, he posted an exceptional .311 average, but never won a batting title. His .832 career OPS and 284 homers and 1,371 RBI sure didn’t hurt getting him into the Hall of Fame as a Blue Sock.

A catcher in the ABL for 18 years, Ruben Luna spent 15 of them with the Knights. Predominantly known for his bat, he took out seven Platinum Sticks and won the CL Player of the Year award three times (2020, 2023, 2024), but also took home two Gold Gloves in due time. He led the league in slugging once and OPS twice, and also won two home run titles in 2024 and 2025. Unfortunately, he never won a World Series ring. For his career, the Dominican left-handed batter hit .257/.363/.426 with 274 homers and a 1,117 RBI.

NAS SS Andrew Showalter – 1st – 89.4 – INDUCTED
ATL C Ruben Luna – 1st – 83.8 – INDUCTED
ATL LF Gil Rockwell – 9th – 60.0
??? SP Chris Klein – 2nd – 51.5
LAP C Errol Spears – 4th – 35.3
CIN 3B Eddie Moreno – 1st – 30.2
SFW SS Jamie Wilson – 1st – 24.7
??? CL Jarrod Morrison – 4th – 20.9
??? SP Ernest Green – 3rd – 15.7
??? SP Ian Van Meter – 4th – 12.3
NAS C Pat Walston – 5th – 10.6
??? SP Bob King – 10th – 8.5 – DROPPED
??? CL Ben Marx – 2nd – 7.7
OCT 2B Emilio Farias – 3rd – 5.5
ATL SS Devin Hibbard – 3rd – 5.5
PIT SP Pedro Hernandez – 3rd – 4.3 – DROPPED
??? CL Harry Merwin – 1st – 1.7 – DROPPED
SAC 1B Luis Moreira – 1st – 1.3 – DROPPED
SAC SP Brian Simmons – 2nd – 0.9 – DROPPED