A Slow Start to Free Agency Signings
February 16th, 2056
The free agent market had seen no signings to start off the first 2 weeks, but there had been plenty of talk. We had been drilled into several areas to start with, as we made offers to both LHSP Cliff Simpson (34) and LHSP Julio Castro (38). Simpson was our first choice having acquired him in the off-season and we were interested in retaining him, but by the time we got around to it he wanted to test the waters. Knowing that Toledo was interested in re-signing him, we had a backup plan and that was the veteran Julio Castro. Castro was less expensive and was only seeking a 1-year deal which fit better into our plans with LHSP Curt Hopkins hopefully ready by spring of the 2057 season. We still made an offer to Simpson for 4 years and $39 million, that had a player option at year 3 and a team option for year 4.
Our offer to Castro who was seeking $8.5 million was a low ball offer of $6.5 to start off with. There were reasons I was shooting low, besides the obvious cheapness which will become clear soon.
We also were in early discussions with 1B Eric Molina (29 B-L). Now some might wonder why I would be interested in signing a high priced first baseman with Reagan Osborn on the roster who only plays 1B. We have RF/DH Jose Aranda coming but he won’t be ready for the start of the season with the setback he had in his rehab (fingers crossed he doesn’t decline because of that setback). But my plan for Molina was to play LF where my scouts say he would be an average fielder, but I love that power bat. Molina was looking for a 6-year $122 million dollar deal and of course I was looking to backload as much as we could without it getting crazy.
We were also in discussions with an international free agent SS Carlos Montano. He looked better than what his agent was asking for. He just wanted a minor league deal to get started and we were all over that. I was envisioning him as our starting 2B to start the year or at least to get that opportunity.
We reached out to former Architects 2B/IF Kent Noseworthy and also OF Jose Gomez, but their starting prices were too high for the roles I was thinking about. We decided to let them continue on with their much higher dollar requests for starting roles. We also checked in with FA RP Matsusuke Yoshida who had pitched well for us in middle and long relief last year. The fans loved him but I didn’t quite want to go to the $4.4 million he was asking for. I was hoping for $2.5 which he signed for last year or top side $3.25 million. He also wanted 2 years and if we signed Molina our salary structure for the 57 season was in doubt.
On a smaller note we also were in discussions with SP Kieron Aplin, C Guo-quiang Lee and several other potential minor league guys.
All of this was just talk but finally International Free Agent Ricardo Valentin broke the ice and made the first major signing of the FA period and it was not where we wanted to see him go. I loved Valentin’s skill set and was wishing I felt he could be a SP. He was a lefty (big plus on my staff of predominantly righties), he looked dominant like I see Thunder Bay’s Roberto Terraza. I had LHCL Pat Wright under contract and had just signed future closer and current setup man Larry Stott to an extension. Both are signed well under the money that Valentin wanted and got. To my dread, Valentin was going to Toledo and that was not a location I was hoping he would go to (Duluth either). I was hoping that maybe an Owen Sound in Canada or maybe even a Kingston would sign him. If he was going to a US team then either Milwaukee who could have signed half of this FA class and become relevant or Traverse City would have been ideal locations. But no, Toledo had swooped in and signed by far the best RP on the board.
Now with him off the board maybe things will break free and start moving.
Next - Business is about to pick up