[ayaghmour2]

More bats for the Cougars! Maybe we can not suck this year!

Ironically, I sought out a player I thought was perfect, offered a package I thought would work, but the team decided to stand pat. Luckily, I had a trade post out of what I was looking for, so a player that's just about perfect himself was offered to me, I offered a similar package, but he wanted the player I offered the first team -- who I almost offered instead -- and the deal was consummated.

Something the Cougars did during the second quick sim, we followed suit, acquiring an All-Star from the Foresters. We upgraded from a 4-Time to 5-Time in a deal I hope finds way more success, as we picked up 31-year-old outfielder Andy Babel for a pair of prospects in Andy Alexander and Julio Torres. A former 13th Overall pick and 4-Time Diamond Defense winner, Babel has been a mainstay in the Cleveland lineup since his 1966 debut. Named an All-Star, he hit .298/.358/.454 (131 OPS+) with 38 doubles, 9 triples, 11 homers, 74 RBIs, 98 runs, and 51 walks. Worth 4.1 WAR with help from his cannon in right, he was exactly the type of player they thought they drafted, a guy who hits the ball hard, puts it in play, and draws his share of walks.

Babel followed up his excellent rookie season with another All-Star selection, leading the Conti with 181 hits. His .298/.380/.415 (138 OPS+) batting line was just as good, and this time it came with 30 doubles, 11 homers, 75 RBIs, 75 walks, 81 runs, and 4 triples, as well as his first Diamond Defense award. Babel took a step back in '68, though he was still an above average hitter, and right back to himself. He put up his best two seasons at 25 and 26, worth 6.1 and 6.3 WAR in full 159 games seasons. '70 was the better season, especially at the plate, as Babel won a batting title with his .337/.405/.531 (154 OPS+) and some down-ballot Whitney votes. The extra base hits were plentiful, 41 doubles, 11 triples, and 17 homers, adding in 95 runs, 98 RBIs, and 63 walks. The homers and doubles matched his total from '69, where he led the Conti in doubles, but he had just 6 triples, 82 runs and RBIs, and a still excellent 154 WRC+ that was just ten points lower then his still best 164.

No more astronomical numbers after that, though in each of the last four seasons he's had at least a 125 OPS+ and at least a 130 WRC+. It was 147 in '71 and 141 last year, and aside from a 6-homer 1972 he's had at least 50 extra base hits in the other three campaigns. Each came with more walks then strikeouts, something he's done every year since his rookie season, and his .296 average in '72 was his first below .300 since his uncharacteristic .246/.316/.368 (109 OPS+) line in 1968. A career .301/.365/.445 (134 OPS+) hitter, he's exactly the type of bat we were missing. The extra base machine enters 1975 with 340 doubles, 59 triples, and 103 homers, and considering how his game is pretty much dependent on his bat and his arm, he should age very well. He's almost never been injured, and should have at least three more years of his prime. A good clubhouse figure and a guy with enough range to cover center in a pinch, he's a guy you'd be happy with as your main acquisition, not just the secondary.

What makes me most excited is the power, as you can't led the relatively low homer counts fool you. Forester Stadium is one of the most spacious parks in the game, as the lefty slugger deals with a .792 park factor for home runs. The lowest for lefties. Cougars Park is on the complete other side of the spectrum, as our 1.118 is the second highest in FABL. As crazy as it sounds for a guy who never got past 17, he should be a lock for 20 this year, even if it is as the cost of a few doubles. No Forester even had 10 homers in '68 or '72, and the last guy to hit 20 in a season was Ed Wise, who hit 21 in 1966 and had multiple 30-homer seasons in Boston. I think a lot of people are going to finally recognize the power he has, but even if I'm wrong, a .300 doubles hitter who doesn't strike out is extremely valuable on any ballclub, and why we had to give up a talented young outfielder and a current starter who's just 21 and in low-A.

Neither ranks in the top-100, but with a much larger league that matters much less, as I'm absolutely enamored with FABL's 122nd prospect who's just eight spots above Alexander. Cleveland's new Andy, he's an elite defender and had worker who we took in the 2nd Round of the 1973 draft. I don't love having to move him, but he's one of our more valuable trade pieces, and I love our recent 4th Rounder and Illinois native Phil Ransom. An elite defender himself, he makes parting with Alexander easier, but I'm sure I'll regret it once he's catching our hitters balls in Cleveland. The same will go for Torres, just making our hitters miss, as he has a deep seven pitch arsenal and legit strikeout stuff. Command may hold him back, but our 4th Rounder from 1972 could be a useful swingman if the walks stay to high.