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Old 08-28-2019, 04:56 PM   #10
Paulie123
All Star Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Manchester, England
Posts: 1,945
January 2055

Free agency
  • The plethora of free agent signings in December filled the holes in my roster, but I remained concerned about both our depth and our defensive versatility. So, we had further front office meetings to discuss obtaining more cheap free agents to add depth. Astute signings here could also become potential trade pieces if we’re out of the race by the deadline...
  • SP Héctor Alvarez (age 35, RHP, 3*) is a bit of a coup. He was an all-star way back in 2046 and is looking to get back to the show after a poor 2054 season where he put up a FIP of 5.28 and his BB/9 rate jumped by over a point. He’ll be the first guy called up in the event of injury to one of the RHPs in the rotation.
  • OF Jason Webb (age 30, RHP, 1.5*), previously of Santa Fe, also signed. He plays all three outfield positions well and has excellent plate discipline. These days he doesn’t hit well enough to hold down a starting role, but should be a very effective backup outfielder for us, should we need him.
  • The final addition was Glove Wizard standard defensive infielder Paul Jackson (age 30, RHP, 3*). He’s another ex-Magpie (although he never featured in the majors) who’ll give me some veteran depth behind my youthful infield. It’s a sentimental return home for a guy who spent the first six years of his big league career here in Richmond.
  • All three signed one-year contracts, for a combined total of $4.7m. They will likely be offered extended deals or moved at the deadline, depending on their and the team’s performance.

Trades
  • Trenton came calling, looking to acquire 2B Bryan Brantley. Convenient timing, as I had been toying with whether to move Brantley along anyway. He’s a fine hitter, about to enter his prime at age 27, but is a defensive weak link, who plays only second base and that not very well. It took several separate conversations with Trenton’s GM, but we finally agreed on a straight 1-1 swap, Brantley for SS Jesús Torres (age 23, RHB, 2*). Torres, who was the Colts’ first round draft pick in 2053, is a decent all-round hitter with a good eye, but isn’t yet at Brantley’s level. But what he does have in his favour compared to Brantley is youth, blazing speed on the basepaths and excellent defense at both SS and 3B. He gives us a more balanced and versatile infield. Torres will be our everyday SS, with Ed Shelton shifting down to be our infield backup.

News from around the league
  • Denver signed one of the top free agent pitchers on the board, inking veteran lefty Chris Faulkner to a 3-year contract worth $69m. Faulkner was excellent for the Trenton Colts last season (16-6, 2.42), but he has a fragile injury reputation and only time will tell whether this deal works out for the ambitious Snow Sox.
  • Legendary 1B Brian Coble re-signed with Hartford for another year. The 43-year-old is the SCL career leader in HRs (702), RBIs (2086) and hits (3708), and is now set to add to those tallies.
  • Hartford got the newswires buzzing again a few days later when they signed Ed Rice, the #1 ranked free agent starting pitcher, to a monster 5-year deal worth over $24m annually. Rice has a highly impressive 2.85 ERA over his 9-year career to date. The Tarantulas won the North East Division last year but crashed out 3-0 to Albany in the division series. Rice makes them look altogether a tougher prospect over a short playoff series.
  • Big-money Lansing splashed the cash on the last truly elite free agent, shortstop Rikiya Yamashiita, for $24m per year over five years. An excellent acquisition for a wealthy Sharks franchise desperately seeking to catch their division rival Magpies.
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