MLB Comes to the Plains of North Dakota

[Dobber2419]

Major League Baseball to Expand Again

NEW YORK, New York (February 8th, 2012) - Commissioner Bud Selig announced today in a press conference that MLB has rescinded its plan to move the Houston Astros to the American League for the 2013 season, and will instead add two new expansion teams to the American League. This move evens out the number of teams in each league at 16 teams each. Selig announced that Portland, Oregon will be one of the entrants, and Minot, North Dakota will receive the second team.

“Portland is a city that has deserved Major League Baseball for a number of years, so there was never really a doubt that it would be one of the cities included when we did decide on another round of expansion,” Selig stated in his announcement.

“I’m sure Minot, North Dakota is a city that will surprise many folks, but this is a city that has had tremendous growth over the last several years, due to primarily the oil boom in North Dakota. There is a strong financial presence in place now, and with the successful relocation of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL last season to Minot, we feel this is a location that can be successful for Major League Baseball,” Selig continued. “North Dakota, the Dakotas in general really, is a region that has not had much, if any, of a presence in professional sports until the NHL last season, so it is a population base hungry for Major League Baseball.”

Selig announced that the ownership group for the Portland franchise is led by Brennan Brown, a 54 year old Portland businessman, while the Minot franchise will be owned primarily by Collin Reid, the 65 year old founder/owner of Minot-based Erickson Technologies.

Both teams will begin play in the 2013 season, with Minot joining the AL Central division, and Portland joining the AL West division.

While Portland has long been a staple of the Pacific Coast League and minor league baseball, and its baseball history is fairly well-known, Minot may be more of a mystery to all but the residents of Minot and the select few knowledgeable in Minot baseball history. This will not be the first time Minot has seen major league talent within its city limits, as it does have a rich baseball history. Its strongest point was in the 1950’s and early 60’s. The Minot Mallards were a team in the ManDak League, which operated from 1950-1957. The ManDak league was a haven for many former Negro League stars, including Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe, Lymon Bostock, Frazer Robinson, and Baseball Hall of Famers Willie Wells, Ray Dandridge, Leon Day, along with former Mallards players Satchell Paige, Marion “Sugar” Cain, and Willard Brown. In all, seventeen Minot Mallards players had or would gain Major League experience.

Following the folding of the ManDak League after the 1957 season, the Minot Mallards joined the Northern League, which was a Class C minor league at that time. The Mallards were affiliates of the Cleveland Indians from 1958-1962, and amongst the players who appeared for the Mallards in this time frame was Max Alvis.

[Dobber2419]

This dynasty will quite obviously be a hybrid of fictional-reality, in that in reality, while Minot, and North Dakota itself has seen a bit of a boom as a result of oil, it is still only a town of 40,000 or so. I’m imaging a fantastical boom in which it was grown to the size of a major league-caliber city, able to support professional sports. This OOTP dynasty will be part of a multi-sport dynasty I am doing where Minot will gain a franchise in each of the 5 major U.S. sports: MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS.

Why Minot, you might be asking? Well, my parents are both from a small town near Minot, and as a kid growing up in Michigan we would visit my grandparents, who had moved to Minot at that point. Being the nostalgic fella I tend to be, Minot has always had a special interest for me. Plus the idea of major professional sports in North Dakota is almost humorous. I had gone back and forth on whether to do a dynasty using a completely fictional city, but would like to do one in the near future with a completely fictional country and its league, so for this one I decided to use a real city as a base, but fictionalize it considerably.

The dynasty will primarily follow the Minot franchise as it seeks to go from new team to an established team. I will be acting as GM for the team, but may occassionally play "God" within the league in other areas (though not to give Minot any sort of advantage).

[Dobber2419]

MLB Expansion Teams Announce Team Names

NEW YORK, New York (February 29th, 2012) - The 2013 MLB expansion teams have each announced their official names, Major League Baseball has announced in a press release today. The Portland franchise will be known as the Portland Pioneers, while the Minot franchise will be known as the Minot Mallards.

"From the feedback we have received from the residents of Minot, it was clear to us that there was great desire to bring back the Mallards name that has such a fond place in Minot history," Minot General Manager Timothy Sorenson commented. "As this is the city's team, not mine," owner Collin Reid continued, "how could we do anything but listen to the fans?"

Also announced in the press release were plans for the building of a permanent home for the Portland Pioneers. The Pioneers will begin play at 20,000 seat PGE Park for 2013, but a new stadium will be built in the area north of Portland's Rose Quarters. Construction will begin this summer, and should be ready for the 2015 season.

Reid's, along with the city of Minot's, gamble that 'build a stadium and Major League Baseball will come' paid off as Minot will begin play in its new stadium, Erickson Park, in its inaugural season. The 39,875 seat stadium will be completed by the end of 2012.

[Dobber2419]

I quick-simmed through 2012 to get to the offseason. Here are results and news from the 2012 season:

World Series Winner: Detroit defeats Milwaukee 4-3

AL Playoff Teams: Boston (AL East winner), Detroit (AL Central winner), Cleveland (wildcard), Texas (AL West winner), Seattle (wildcard)

NL Playoff Teams: Philadelphia (NL East winner), Atlanta (wildcard), Milwaukee (NL Central winner), Cincinnati (wildcard), LA Dodgers (NL West winner)

AL Outstanding Hitter Award: Adrian Gonzalez, BOS (.323/.414/.545, 34 HR, 115 RBI)
AL Cy Young Award: Josh Beckett, BOS (19-5, 2.86 ERA, 205 K)
AL Rookie of the Year: Jesus Montero, SEA (.317/.369/.546, 31 HR, 115 RBI)
AL Manager of the Year: Eric Wedge, Cleveland

NL Outstanding Hitter Award: Matt Kemp, LA (.331/.390/.588, 33 HR, 115 RBI)
NL Cy Young Award: Stephen Strasburg, WAS (15-9, 2.50 ERA, 237.1 IP, 284 K)
NL Rookie of the Year: Tyler Pastornicky, ATL (.309/.377/.429, 8 HR, 43 RBI)
NL Manager of the Year: Ron Roenicke, Milwaukee

Major Trades:
- 7/2/12 - SD trades Huston Street to Philly for Jonathan Pettibone, Brian Pointer
- 7/10/12 - Phi trades Ryan Howard and $3M cash to SD for Jesus Guzman, Uber Paz
- 7/30/12 - Det trades Prince Fielder and $3M cash to Tampa for Matt Joyce, Oscar Hernandez

Major Injuries:
Curtis Granderson, NYY, Broken elbow, 4-5 months
Albert Pujols, LAA, Concussion, 10 months
Carlos Zambrano, MIA, Torn flexor tendon, 12 months
Chris Carpenter, STL, Sore shoulder, 2 months
Carlos Quentin, SD, Concussion, Career over
C.C. Sabathia, NYY, Partially torn labrum, 4-5 months
Tim Hudson, ATL, Partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, 9 months
Josh Johnson, MIA, Torn rotator cuff, Career over
Jhonny Peralta, DET, Broken kneecap, 8 months
Jason Heyward, ATL, Broken kneecap, 6 months
Josh Hamilton, TEX, fractured fibula, 3-4 months

Personnel Changes:
- Minnesota - fired Ron Gardenhire and Terry Ryan
- LA Angels - fired Mike Sciosia
- San Francisco - fired Bruce Bochy

Hall of Fame Entries: Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling, and into the question mark wing of the Hall: Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens

[Dobber2419]

MLB Free Agents File

NEW YORK, New York (November 27, 2012) - The deadline for potential Major League Baseball free agents to file has passed, and this promises to be a quality class, as several big-time names have thrown their hat into the ring. Amongst the most sought after free agents promise to be Robinson Cano, Andre Ethier, Russell Martin, David Wright, Huston Street, Mariano Rivera, Dan Haren, Ian Kinsler, Miguel Montero, Mike Napoli, Lance Berkman, Francisco Liriano, and Edwin Jackson.

One of the most interesting storylines with this year's class is the number of key Yankee and Met players available, including Wright and Liriano for the Mets, and Martin, Cano, and the still dominating Rivera. The thought of Rivera in any uniform other than Yankee pinstripes is hard to fathom, but from rumors coming out of Yankee Stadium, it appears the Yankee brass may be feeling it is time to cut the cord on Rivera, even though the Hall of Famer is coming off a season in which he saved 35 games and had a 2.79 ERA at the age of 42.

Another interesting storyline will be the expansion teams and their level of activity. Minot Mallards owner Collin Reid has stated consistently that money is not an object, and he wants a quality team sooner rather than later, so whether they are a big player in this offseason, and will any of the top free agents consider signing with the expansion prairie team, will be particularly interesting to follow.

[Dobber2419]

MLB Expansion Draft Completes

NEW YORK, NY (November 29, 2012) - The MLB 2013 Expansion Draft took place yesterday, and the Minot Mallards and Portland Pioneers began the process of assembling their rosters and looking to build a foundation for future success. With existing teams able to protect 23 players, and lose no more than 4 players each in the 35 round draft, Minot had the first pick, selecting pitcher Eulogio De La Cruz from the Chicago Cubs. Portland's first selection was pitcher Matt Harrison from the Texas Rangers.

"Time will tell if we have selected any future cornerstones of our franchise, but we have built some needed depth at the very least," Mallards GM Timothy Sorenson remarked after the draft concluded.

Time will tell indeed, but it's hard to imagine too many Mallards fans running around the city wearing "De La Cruz" jerseys.

Players Selected by Minot:

Pitchers
Eulogio De La Cruz
Junichi Tazawa
Zach Stewart
Taylor Stanton
John Ely
Michael Kirkman
Charlie Furbush
Brad Mills
Ryan Vogelsong
Scott Diamond

C
Josh Donaldson
Jesus Flores
Michael McKenry
Bobby Wilson

2B
Luis Valbuena
Blake Dewitt
Jonathan Herrera
Corban Joseph

SS
Robi Estrada

3B
Scott Sizemore
Adam Rosales
Kyle Shelton
Chris Nelson

OF
Craig Gentry
Jonathan Greene
Ryan Sweeney
Ezequiel Carrera
Stephen Vogt
Willie Cabrera
Jaff Decker
Ollie Linton
Kyle Hudson
Grant Hogue
Kevin Mattison
Collin Cowgill

Editor's Note: For better or worse, I generally just went with my scouting director's recommendation for each pick.

[Dobber2419]

Wright Signs with Expansion Team

MINOT, ND (12/6/12) - Minot, North Dakota is known as the Magic City, a name that originated from the city's rapid growth in the late 1800s and early 1900s. That name has rung true within the last years given the city's amazing transformation from progressive prairie city to busy plains metropolis as a result of the oil boom the state of North Dakota is currently under. And now that nickname appears to hold true for its new Major League club as the Mallards fire the first salvo in the 2013 free agent scramble, signing 3B David Wright to a 5 year contract this morning. Wright will earn $16,390,000 a season for each of the five years of the contract, along with incentive clauses of $460,000 for winning the Most Outstanding Hitter award and an additional $120,000 bonus for making the All-Star team.

Collin Reid, the Mallards owner, promised to be a player from a financial standpoint, and he certainly proved that to be the case here. The Mallards have a number of holes to fill as they look to fill the organizational roster, so Mr. Reid will have plenty of opportunities to open his wallet.

The signing of Wright clearly shows the Mallards mean business, and may show other free agents that this team wants to win quickly.

"We're not going to go out and just sign popular names," Minot GM Timothy Sorenson has shared in regards to the team's free agent strategy. "There is a plan here, and it would not make sense for us to spend big on players who are on the downside of their career, but we are looking to build a core that will be here for a number of years yet, as we look to build a foundation which allows us to make success the norm," he offered further.

Wright is coming off of a disappointing season for the Mets in 2012, in which he batted .237 with 13 home runs while knocking in 61 runners, but ended the year strong. The Mallards will certainly be hoping that strong finish carries over into a great start to 2013.

[Dobber2419]

Mallards Sign Another Free Agent

MINOT, ND (12/7/12) - Choosing not to sit on the success of the David Wright signing, Mallards GM Timothy Sorenson has scooped up another big name for the infant club, signing Ian Kinsler this afternoon. Contract details for the second baseman were revealed as 6 years for a total of $69,000,000, with a player option in the sixth year.

"We've added a couple quality bats to our lineup, but we need to address our starting rotation as well, and I expect to be focusing heavily on bringing in some arms to provide some experience for our rotation," Sorenson revealed when discussing next steps for the offseason. Based on players selected in the expansion draft, Ryan Vogelsong projects to potentially be the #1 starter, which surely must be addressed.

[Dobber2419]

Mallards Sign Free Agent Pitcher

MINOT, ND (12/19/12) - Mallards General Manager Timothy Sorenson promised to address the starting rotation, and showed he is a man of his word as the team announced the signing of Ervin Santana today. The 30 year old put pen to paper on a three year deal for $5,500,000 a season. Santana is coming off of a hard-luck season with the Angels in which he tallied a 4.01 ERA, but had a disappointing 7-18 record to show for it.

[Dobber2419]

Mallards Sign Three Free Agents

MINOT, ND (12/28/12) - The Minot Mallards have announced a trio of additions to its pitching staff today with the signings of starting pitcher Gavin Floyd, along with relievers Chad Qualls and Jonathan Broxton.

Floyd, who signed a 5 year deal, is fresh off of a 10-13 season combined with the Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres, racking up a 4.23 ERA along the way.

Qualls signed a 3 year deal, with an option on the 3rd year, and is coming off of a season with Philadelphia which saw him go 4-3, with 5 saves to go witha 3.65 ERA, pitching out of the Phillies bullpen.

Broxton pitched for Kansas City in 2012, going 6-4 with a 3.70 ERA.

"Broxton has been a closer, and Qualls could do it as well, so hopefully one of these guys nails down that role in spring training," Minot GM Timothy Sorenson shared, almost sounding more wishful than anything to the attentive ear. "We're bound to have some young guys in the bullpen, and the experience Broxton and Qualls bring should be very beneficial for the youngsters," he continued.

There are rumors Minot is in the mix on Brandon McCarthy, and Francisco Liriano is still out there too among free agents, so it remains to be seen if another starter will be brought in to add some depth.

[Dobber2419]

A Legend Says Good-bye in New York

NEW YORK, NY (12/28/12) - It's the end of an era in New York as Yankee great Derek Jeter announced his retirement today after 18 years as the Yankee shortstop. "I still feel like I have something to give to the game, but not at the level I have come to expect from myself," he shared at the press conference today.

Jeter finishes his Hall of Fame career with a .311 lifetime average, he is the Yankees all-time leader in hits (3230), games played (2556), stolen bases (351), and at bats (10383). He also hit 247 home runs, knocked in 1246 RBI, and scored 1833 runs.

The Yankees drafted Jeter out of high school in 1992, and he debuted in the major leagues in 1995. The following year, he became the Yankees' starting shortstop, won the Rookie of the Year Award, and helped the team win the 1996 World Series. Jeter continued to contribute during the team's championship seasons of 1998–2000; he finished third in voting for the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award in 1998, recorded multiple career-high numbers in 1999, and won both the All-Star Game MVP and World Series MVP Awards in 2000. He has consistently placed among the AL leaders in hits and runs scored for the past ten years, and since 2003 has served as the Yankees' team captain.

Jeter was a 12 time all-star, won the Gold Glove 5 times, and is the all-time major leagues leader in hits by a shortstop.

With Jeter's retirement, along with the decision not to re-sign Mariano Rivera, the Yankee clubhouse will have a vastly different feel in the 2013 season and beyond.

Jeter joins a list of players who have retired this offseason, including Omar Vizquel, Jamie Moyer, Derek Lowe, Jason Giambi, and Eric Hinske.

[Dobber2419]

Major League Baseball Announces Major Realignment

NEW YORK, NY (12/29/12) - Major League Baseball ended the 2012 year with a bombshell announcement on this New Year's Eve today, effectively ending the one year trial of a second wildcard team, but of even greater impact completely restructuring both leagues.

Commissioner Bud Selig announced that the American and National Leagues would both be shedding their Divisional structures, and instead moving to a one table format, with the top five teams in each league making the playoffs. Selig also announced that as a result of this shift, and the move to a balanced schedule in both leagues, interleague play would be ended.

"We have historically had an unbalanced situation in certain divisions, which has not always led to the best teams reaching the postseason, and given the situation we saw last year where without a five game winning streak in the final five games, we could have seen the Dodgers win the NL West with a losing record," Selig offered. "With the addition of the Portland and Minot ball clubs this season, the League felt like this would be a perfect time to move forward with the restructuring of Major League Baseball."

"As for interleague play," he continued, "we have been very pleased with the positive impacts it has had on the game, but in order to make a balanced schedule work with interleague play, we would have been forced to schedule even more interleague games. In spite of some of these changes, we wanted to hang on to the historical integrity of the division between the American and National Leagues, and keep the significance of the two leagues battling in the World Series," Selig commented further. The ending of interleague play appears to be a complete about-face for Selig, based on his public statements in the past regarding the success of it.

This is a major development for Major League Baseball, one that is sure to have its share of proponents and naysayers. To me, this seems to be a good blend for traditionalists and baseball progressives. It returns baseball to the pre-Divisional format that was ended in 1969, but keeps the excitement of playoff baseball that has been generated by the addition of first the Divisional Series and then the addition of the Wildcard Series.

Once again Selig has shown that he is unafraid to make changes to Major League Baseball that he feels are in the best interest of the game. I have not always been his biggest fan, but one cannot really argue that MLB is as popular and successful as it has ever been.

[Dobber2419]

The Minot Mallards announced their minor league affiliates for the 2013 today. The Mallards minor league system will consist of:

AAA - El Paso Mavericks (Pacific Coast League)
AA - Baton Rouge River Bats (Southern League)
A - Monterey Sea Lions (California League)
S A - Kelowna Timber Rattlers (Northwest League)
Rookie - AZL (Minot 1) Mallards
Rookie - AZL (Minot 2) Mallards

Editor's Note: I let the AI place the Portland and Minot minor league affiliates into leagues, and then I just changed the location of those teams to places that made more sense given the league. One note with this is it placed 2 Minot rookie league teams in the Arizona League, so at least for now I left them both there.

[Elysian Fields]

Originally Posted by Dobber2419

The Minot Mallards announced their minor league affiliates for the 2013 today. The Mallards minor league system will consist of:

AAA - El Paso Mavericks (Pacific Coast League)
AA - Baton Rouge River Bats (Southern League)
A - Monterey Sea Lions (California League)
S A - Kelowna Timber Rattlers (Northwest League)
Rookie - AZL (Minot 1) Mallards
Rookie - AZL (Minot 2) Mallards

Editor's Note: I let the AI place the Portland and Minot minor league affiliates into leagues, and then I just changed the location of those teams to places that made more sense given the league. One note with this is it placed 2 Minot rookie league teams in the Arizona League, so at least for now I left them both there.

You should add one of the Rookie league teams to the Pioneer League maybe or even the Appalachian league. I'd go with the Pioneer League though.

Cool dynasty.

[Dobber2419]

Mallards Sign Free Agents Samardzija, Huff

MINOT, ND (1/13/13) - The Minot Mallards announced the signing of two more free agents today, with Jeff Samardzija signing a 2 year deal at $2,250,000 a season and Aubrey Huff signed a 2 year deal worth $3,000,000 a season.

The Samardzija deal seems like a reasonable deal, as he looks to step into the rotation and add some more experience to go along with Santana and Floyd. Mallards GM Timothy Sorenson also joked with reporters that given his shaved head look, he was looking to live vicariously through Samardzija's hair.

But the Huff deal is extremely questionable, both from a dollars standpoint and from a length of contract perspective. He is coming off a solid season from a numbers perspective, hitting .348 with 7 home runs and 42 RBI for the Giants, but only played in 85 games. He is 36 years old as well. Huff is certain to be the club's Designated Hitter, as his days in the field are well past him, but questions will remain as to whether he will fall apart physically before this contract runs out.

[Dobber2419]

The Minot Mallards have announced their broadcasting teams for the 2013 season. The television crew will consist of Jerry Mathers doing play-by-play, with Geoff Zahn doing color commentary. The radio team
will be Michael Broadmor on play-by-play, and he will be joined by Ray Knight.

[Dobber2419]

Mallards Continue to Add to Roster

MINOT, ND (2/3/13) - The Minot Mallards continue their busy offseason, adding two more players to their inaugural roster. Signing with the club today were left fielder Delmon Young, signed to a one year contract for $1,500,000, and right fielder Ichiro Suzuki, who despite his age, at 39 years old, gets a three year deal from the Mallards for $2,410,000 each season.

Suzuki has not shown any real signs of slowing down yet, coming off of a season with Seattle where he compiled a .292 batting average, along with a .340 on base percentage. Of course he will be 42 by the end of this contract, and it is hard to imagine his legs remaining as strong at that age.

Young seems to be a relatively inexpensive gamble for the Mallards for one season, at least compared to the alternatives on the roster currently. Young's 2012 season with the World Series winning Tigers was fairly typical for Young's career, batting .269 with 15 home runs and 64 RBI in 112 games. He figures to play some left field as well as DH for the Mallards.

[Dobber2419]

Key Freee Agent Signings Around MLB:
- Lance Berkman - San Francisco, $35.2 million over 2 years
- Jeremy Guthrie - Portland, $26.1 million over 2 years
- Dan Haren - Milwaukee, $34.8 million over 2 years
- Robinson Cano - Detroit, $135 million over 7 years
- Brandon League - LA Angels, $22.8 million over 3 years
- Michael Bourn - Portland, $13.64 million over 3 years
- B.J. Upton - Seattle, $79 million over 5 years
- Mike Napoli - LA Angels, $65.2 million over 4 years
- Russell Martin - Philadelphia, $ 118.2 million over 6 years
- Scott Rolen - LA Angels, $29.2 million over 2 years
- Andre Ethier - Texas, $75.2 million over 4 years
- Brandon McCarthy, ChiSox, $73.4 million over 6 years
- Mariano Rivera, Portland, $12.2 million for 1 year
- Huston Street, Colorado, $23.4 million over 3 years

[Dobber2419]

Spring Training Opens Tomorrow

MESA, AZ (3/3/13) - One of the most exciting times of the year for baseball fans begins tomorrow. Spring Training always brings excitement, optimism, hope, visions of 'this is finally the year' for Cubs fans,and for the new teams this season, Portland and Minot, they will experience all of that for the first time.

The Mallards will train in Mesa, Arizona, sharing HoHoKam Park with the Cubs until the Cubs open their new Spring Training facility next spring. The Pioneers will train in Scottsdale, Arizona, sharing Scottsdale Stadium with the San Francisco Giants.

For the two expansion teams, a number of young players will be looking to earn their ticket to the bigs, afforded an opportunity they may not have had with their previous clubs. The Mallards have a number of questions they will be looking to answer this spring, such as who will start at catcher, first base, shortstop, center field, and solidifying the 5th starter spot in the rotation along with identifying the bullpen.

The battle at catcher appears to be between Josh Donaldson and Jesus Flores, both picked up in the Expansion Draft for the Mallards. The 27 year old Donaldson played in 69 games for Oakland last season, and appears to have the inside shot. He is a hard worker, and has shown good command of pitching staffs in his limited opportunities.

First base looks like it will be Aubrey Huff unless a youngster surprises this spring and earns some playing time. Huff is the veteran amongst the list of potential candidates, and certainly the more known quantity.

Shortstop appears to be Adam Rosales's to lose, given he is the best fielder of the candidates. Chris Nelson has the better bat, but is a weaker shortstop defensively. Rosales's most extensive playing time came in the 2010 season for Oakland, when he played 80 games for the A's. Nelson had a very good offensive season for the Rockies, putting together an .831 OPS in his 63 games.

Fighting it out for center field looks to be a three-way battle between Ezequiel Carrera, Craig Gentry, and veteran Ryan Sweeney.

Amongst the candidates for the 5th spot in rotation are Eulogio De La Cruz, Junichi Tazawa, Zach Stewart, and John Ely. If none of those show enough to nail down a spot, the Mallards could sign a veteran free agent as well.

As for the bullpen, four spots are essentially locked down at this point. Veterans Jonathan Broxton and Chad Qualls are all but assured spots, and Rule 5 draftees Phillipe Aumont and Nate Jones will open the season in the bullpen unless they are returned to their former teams. That leaves two spots theoretically open, with any of the losers from the 5th spot in the mix, along with Michael Kirkman, Brad Mills, Taylor Stanton, and a whole host of other names few know anything about.

[Dobber2419]

Mallards Sign Free Agent Pitcher Liriano

MINOT, ND (3/10/13) - Minot owner Collin Reid opened his checkbook once more, this time signing pitcher Francisco Liriano to a two year contract worth $2.87 million a season. Liriano finished 2012 a disappointing 8-16, with a 4.86 ERA for the Minnesota Twins, but the Mallards will be counting on Liriano to fulfill the tremendous potential he has shown glimpses of through out his career.

"Early projections for Francisco had him signing for around $11 million a season," Mallards GM Timothy Sorenson commented, "so for just under $3,000,000, we feel like we are getting a tremendous bargain."

With the signing of Liriano, the starting rotation appears to be set for the Mallards, but with opening day still 3 weeks away or so, things may change. The rotation currently appears to be:
1. Gavin Floyd
2. Ervin Santana
3. Francisco Liriano
4. Jeff Samardzija
5. Ryan Vogelsong