[Westheim]

As offseason turned to preseason the Raccoons were being busy in keeping a low profile. I tried to trade on Majano for a while, but it was obvious that the only return to be expected for him was a similarly out-of-shape player with a similar or bigger financial commitment. The good news was that Majano was a 1-year commitment for a pitcher that would be under team control through 2040 and who the Raccoons hoped to expand at some point, preferably without his arm coming off.

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February 7 – For reasons best known to them, the Canadiens spill $6.89M over three years on SP/MR Michael Donovan (19-14, 3.36 ERA, 7 SV), a 29-year-old former Indians right-hander with exactly one major league start to his name.
March 18 – The Titans add former Aces catcher Paul Kuehn (.257, 50 HR, 264 RBI) on a 3-yr, $2.7M contract.
March 20 – The Aces trade 26-yr old OF Mike Hall (.282, 22 HR, 210 RBI) to the Bayhawks for 1B/RF Zhao-jun Da (.266, 12 HR, 58 RBI), age 37, and #50 prospect SP Steve Huffman.
March 22 – The Raccoons claim 27-yr old INF/CF/LF Matt Kilgallen (.256, 13 HR, 117 RBI) off waivers by the Knights.
March 30 – 36-year-old outfielder Justin Fowler (.276, 322 HR, 1,144 RBI), who spent ’38 with the Caps, signs a 3-yr, $4.4M contract with the Blue Sox.

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And the Raccoons? No transactions in early February apart from cleaning out the Beagles roster and promoting a few kids from the international complex, but no top-echelon names. Same for additional free agent signings. The Raccoons picked up left-hander Ernesto Rivera in early March on a $400k contract. Rivera, 29, had been signed by the Caps out of the Dominican Republic in ’26 and had toiled in the minor leagues ever since. He was assigned to AAA along with 25-year-old 1B Oliver Anderson, a left-handed batter that had batted .214 with no homers and 7 RBI during two cups of coffee with the Buffaloes in prior years. He was a defense-first player, which was always so dandy to have at first base. Anderson signed a minor-league contract with a major-league option.

Kilgallen comes equipped with a certified good character, high work ethos, and no room on the roster at all. He even was one of the super utility guys I was digging so hard, being able to play five positions competently, but there was no room to squeeze him on anymore. He didn’t fit in the mix of five outfielders that we weren’t going to change, and all the infield spots were taken too between Monge, Cosmo, Williams, Berto around the diamond, and Majano and Joel Hernandez on the bench. As much as I wished this lucky snatch, who had no options and would surely be lost again once waived on Opening Day, into the mix come April 5 – it was impossible.

Who else? Ben Feist signed with the Cyclones for $820k;