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2015 Off-Season
As 2014 turned into 2015, the NABL welcomed the two newest charter franchises. The Kings, who called Memphis home and the Spartans who would play out of San Jose. Both clubs found themselves at a major disadvantage almost immediately, due to the fact they had not been permitted to take part in the Inaugural Player Draft the previous year. Free Agency was very tough for the new clubs, as they had to compete with the other 24 teams for the few good free agent players that were available and generally pick over the rest of the leagues ‘scraps’ to fill their rosters. Memphis did manage to get one significant deal over the line though when they signed catcher Don Bernard to a 6 year $131.4M deal while San Jose’s prized acquisition was pitcher Juan Ortiz, signed from San Diego on a 4 year $61M contract. Other notable signings included 3B Larry Peterson who left New York to sign a three year $54M deal with division rivals Boston, catcher Culley Clare who swapped LA for Minneapolis on a 3-year $35M deal and former Chicago teammates LF Francisco Martinez who signed with Kansas City for $99M over five years, 2B Roy Kenelly who moved to Detroit for $53M over 4-years and outfielder Manny Limon who landed in Houston for $64M over four years.
The ‘compensation’ both Memphis and San Jose received for their disadvantage, the first two picks in each round of the coming Amateur Draft, wouldn’t benefit them in the immediate future, but it was hoped that the top picks received could help them down the line. Although in the 2015 draft there were no prospects of the calibre of Dixon Bodean, Ray Ware or A.J Merriweather expected to declare.
Three College Pitchers took centre stage on Draft night. First up the Memphis Kings made Cal-State Fullerton’s Armando Luna their first ever draft pick, next Notre Dame’s Kenny Law was passed over by new boys San Jose Spartans in favour of High Schooler Franklin Keyes who signed a lucrative $8.6M deal. Law’s fall only lasted until the third pick where New Orleans snapped him up. The first position player picked was 2B Richard Slocum, who went to Seattle with the fourth overall pick. Pepperdine University pitcher Eric Parker (who had been the Dallas first round pick the previous year but had failed to agree a deal) had declared for the draft again, picked 10th overall, this time he agreed terms, and signed a $5.6M deal with the Indianapolis Racers.
The season itself saw the first 100-win team while also witnessing four!! 100 loss teams.
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