[Westheim]

While I tried to get any attention from other teams that were going to pile onto the various type A free agent starting pitchers – and I would try to preserve our #16 pick in the 2030 draft if at all possible, never mind we did not really have the budget space to go after, say, Vincent Alfaro, Jorge Beltran, or Mel Lira – there were some very interesting and peculiar developments in the second half of November.

One of those developments was Dan Delgadillo, who was a Crusader for about three weeks and on paper only. When they discovered there was not going to be any reasoning with him regarding his 2030 salary, they cut their (already tremendous) losses and let him walk rather than take him to arbitration and get hit with a $2.5M bill. Within a week Yusneldan teamed up with his third CL North team in less than a month, signing a 2-yr, $534k deal with the Indians.

There was a lot to unpack in this story, none of which was particularly worth unpacking. The bottom line was this: the Coons had fleeced a ranked prospect from the Crusaders and still had saved several millions while doing so. The Crusaders were left with Jamie O’Leary and a raging fan base. Regardless of whether Chris Wise turns into a badass closer or an exiled pariah for walking sixteen batters per nine innings, I claim we have already won this one.

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November 17 – The Loggers pick up 29-yr old OF Khalil Sams (.256, 28 HR, 227 RBI) and unranked prospect 1B Omar Huerta from the Blue Sox in exchange for 30-yr old LF/RF Willie Trevino (.245, 77 HR, 370 RBI).
November 27 – After catching for the Pacifics and Crusaders in 2029, C Jaiden Jackson (.292, 145 HR, 713 RBI) signs a 2-yr, $2.52M contract with the Blue Sox.
December 1 – 35-year-old career Scorpions superstar RF/LF Pablo Sanchez (.344, 122 HR, 1,278 RBI) signs a 3-yr, $11.24M contract with the Buffaloes.
December 1 – The Titans sign ex-PIT/RIC C J.J. Henley (.284, 182 HR, 689 RBI) to a 2-year deal worth $6.36M.
December 1 – Rule 5 Draft: 18 players are selected across two rounds. The Raccoons are not affected.
December 2 – The Falcons sign 33-year-old righty SP Ed Hague (94-85, 4.10 ERA) to a 1-yr, $980k contract. Hague had spent the last four years with the Aces.
December 5 – The Scorpions try to jumpstart the rebuilding process with a 4-yr, $9.34M contract to 29-year-old ex-PIT/NYC SP Mel Lira (81-74, 3.84 ERA).
December 6 – The Pacifics snatch up one of the biggest fish in the free agency pond, signing 30-year-old right-hander former Capitals SP Jorge Beltran (127-91, 2.81 ERA) to a 7-yr, $30.88M contract.
December 6 – The Crusaders deal RF/LF Matt Owen (.288, 87 HR, 462 RBI) to the Miners for 3B Ryan Czachor (.240, 77 HR, 449 RBI) and a prospect.
December 6 – The Indians sent 3B/1B Brett Blades (.237, 26 HR, 133 RBI) to the Scorpions for MR Juan Melendrez (12-11, 5.06 ERA, 5 SV) and a second-rate prospect.
December 6 – The Wolves acquire C Dean Hill (.279, 24 HR, 100 RBI) and a prospect from the Blue Sox in exchange for SP Josh Weeks (37-28, 3.80 ERA, 2 SV).
December 7 – Sacramento sends 35-year-old C David Drews (.305, 130 HR, 533 RBI) to the Buffaloes for five prospects. The package includes right-hander and #61 prospect Matt Broughton as well as #117 prospect 3B Fidel Nunez.
December 8 – The Cyclones sign ex-DEN RF/1B Brad Gore (.282, 171 HR, 944 RBI) to a 2-yr, $6.48M contract.
December 8 – Milwaukee acquires 25-yr old OF Josh Stephenson (.280, 6 HR, 66 RBI) from the Miners for two prospects including #72 SP Jon Bleich.
December 10 – The Indians get SP Mark Morrison (61-65, 4.09 ERA) from the Stars along with a pile of cash for AAA infielder Mike Roesler (.214, 2 HR, 33 RBI) and a prospect.

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Unfortunately, the Delgadillo episode made us non the more competitive compared to the Titans, for example, and despite valiant efforts during the last few weeks and the winter meetings, I have been unable to come up with an answer for the glaring hole in the rotation. The top free agent pitchers are out of our price range, and the other teams are less than impressed by our selection of non-prospects and bit players for their solid pitchers.

Man, wouldn’t it be great to have actual prospects for once?

Other Raccoons signing with new teams: Omar Alfaro joined the Scorpions for $710k; Matt Hamilton hooked up with the Knights for $1.44M; Chris Munroe took $326k from the Indians; Pete Molina got $1.42M over two years from the Aces; Kyle Anderson signed with the Buffaloes for $298k (!!);

Anderson? Really? Well, I won’t trade for that guy again!

If it is any consolation, there is a new Hall of Fame ballot out. It contains a few former Raccoons, but if we’re honest… it is not overwhelming… it might well be the worst HoF ballot we have ever seen since the Secret Ninja Committee stepped down and selections for the Hall were made in the open. I mean, Ron Thrasher was a thrill – there were a season or two where it was all but impossible to score on him. But he faded after his departure and ended up with the Loggers in the end, and when was that ever a winning entry on a resume? It’s a ballot where anybody but a few of the first basemen should be deleted right away…