Orcin Returns

[Sal, The Barber]

Originally Posted by Orcin

Hi there! Jennifer here.

No one has seen or heard from Mr. Orcin for several days. I am beginning to worry. I expected him to be back on Monday morning.

Sal has a sign on his shop that says “Gone Fishing”, so maybe they went together but I don’t think Mr. Orcin is actually fishing. Sal says he won’t even touch the bait, much less the fish. But Sal also said once that “gone fishing” is really code for “gone on a bender”.

Hmm. Sal's been back for a couple of days now. But, don't worry. Mr. Orcin is still probably trying to unload those ponies he bought in Mexico City. We had to split up to shake Bonnie and Clyde outside Juarez. And then there was the time we got our signals crossed in El Paso.

On second thought, let me know if he's not back by noon today. Sal will go looking for him.

[Orcin]

2018 Game Score = 79 (again)

The Colonels exceeded 3 million in attendance for the fourth consecutive season. The franchise generated $12 million in profit, which is not bad considering that we spent $4 million on personnel terminations.

Gordon Cooper informed me that the 2019 budget would be increased by $6 million to $136 million. I thanked Gordon for the extra money, and assured him that it would not just be given back to him at the end of the season along with his unused LCS and WS tickets. The additional budget room will allow me to negotiate contract extensions in the off-season, a luxury that I had missed up to now under Gordon’s tenure.

Perhaps Gordon sensed my frustration and decided that extra incentive was needed to keep me interested in this job. He misread the situation. Four consecutive first-round playoff exits is all the motivation that I need. Yes, I am back to work.

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by Sal, The Barber

Hmm. Sal's been back for a couple of days now. But, don't worry. Mr. Orcin is still probably trying to unload those ponies he bought in Mexico City. We had to split up to shake Bonnie and Clyde outside Juarez. And then there was the time we got our signals crossed in El Paso.

On second thought, let me know if he's not back by noon today. Sal will go looking for him.

Ha, I got back just yesterday. I made a nice trade for those ponies, but I can't really talk about it here. I'll come over later so you can get rid of this beard. What happens in Mexico stays in Mexico, amigo.

[Sal, The Barber]

Have you been keeping ice on the knuckles of that right hand? Mr. Orcin may not have had a career in the major leagues, but let Sal testify that he knows how to use a baseball bat!

Sal will say no more. Loose lips sink the ships.

[Orcin]

October 28, 2018 - The Off-Season Begins

Key dates:
November 7-11 – Award announcements
November 18 – Salary arbitration hearings
November 21 – Eligible players file for free agency
December 1 – “Rule 5” Draft
December 11-15 – Winter Meetings
January 31, 2019 – Preseason begins


Management Carousel Begins
The following CBA personnel were fired (or retired voluntarily) after the season.

Federal League:
Salt Lake City Bees (87-75, 7th): MGR Vincent Lee (replaced by BC Dominic Wolf)
Indianapolis Indians (77-85, t-10th): GM Felix Gonzalez, MGR Forrest Foster
Sacramento Outlaws (77-85, t-10th): MGR David Fowler
Phoenix Coyotes (65-97, 14th): MGR Howard Mick

Patriot League:
Pittsburgh Warriors (96-66, 1st): MGR Daniel Dussart (retired)
Atlanta Flames (94-68, 3rd): MGR Carlos Satelo (retired)
Philadelphia Firebirds (86-76, 6th): MGR Kent King
New York Monarchs (84-78, 7th): GM Eric Allen, MGR Cade Brown (replaced by BC Jim Vandenberg)
Orlando Sharks (78-84, 9th): GM Terence Anderson
Providence Grays (76-86, 11th): GM Stu Spencer, MGR Stephen Goode (replaced by BC Mark Miller)
Boston Bombers (70-92, 12th): GM Thomas Cunningham, MGR Paul Cain
Charleston Generals (69-83, 13th): interim MGR Stephen Burgess
Cincinnati Bobcats (67-95, 14th): GM Chris Porter (finally), MGR Roberto Aguirre

Apparently, there was something about Stephen Burgess that Charleston management did not like. I am surprised to see him back on the market so soon.


CBA 2018 Hall of Fame Class

SP David Harrison (1992-2011)
Harrison had a career mark of 332-179 with a 2.77 ERA. He is #2 all-time in CBA wins behind former teammate Jorge Figueroa. His 3,034 strikeouts rank #16 all-time. He was an All-Star 12 times, and won the Best Pitcher award in both leagues (with Baltimore in 1996 and Houston in 2007). The Baltimore Robins had right-hander Figueroa and lefty Harrison in the rotation together from 1999-2006, and won three world championships. The only question is why they didn’t win seven.

SP Jesus De La Cruz (1995-2013)
De La Cruz was 238-131 in his career, with a sparkling 2.91 ERA. He is right behind Harrison with 3,020 career strikeouts. He was a top-of-the-rotation starter for Denver, New York, and Pittsburgh over his career, with 9 All-Star appearances and 3 Best Pitcher awards.

2B Grant Williams (1994-2013)
The former Atlanta Flames star had a career slash line of .311/.388/.493 with 347 HR and 1,352 RBI (#18 all-time). He also had 310 stolen bases and a career .984 fielding percentage. He was a 7-time All-Star.

[Orcin]

First Day of the Off-Season

The following items are on my “To Do” list today.
• Address open personnel positions
• Make decision to exercise or decline team options
• Offer arbitration (or not) to potential free agents
• Consider offers to potential minor league free agents
• Submit arbitration offers to eligible players or decide not to tender them

Budget Considerations

The budget is $136 million. For the first time in the Gordon Cooper era, money is not a constraint and I will not be dumping my biggest salary on day two. I have the depth to trade a couple of medium contracts (such as SP Matt Gray and CL Daniel Carlson) in order to upgrade a key position. The real question is who/what/where for the upgrade. As always, we will start with a review of the projected roster.

Guaranteed Contracts:
1B Jose Martinez ($30M through 2021)
RF Ed Harris ($21M through 2020, but 2020 is a player option at $11M)
SP Alec Potvin ($20M though 2020, plus team option at $12M in 2021)
3B Phil Gillespie ($17.5M through 2020)
SP Fletcher Holmes ($15M through 2022)
SP Matt Gray ($14M through 2020)
SS Luis Vargas ($11M through 2019)
SP Fernando Hernandez ($9M through 2019)
2B Lance Morrison ($3.5M through 2019)

Key Arbitration Eligible Players:
SP Michael Bowles (2.9 years, Super-Two): $5.5M projected salary
CF Jose Diaz (3.4 years): $4.2M projected salary
CL Daniel Carlson (4.2 years): $3.8M projected salary
MR Santiago Flores (2.9 years, Super-Two): $2.6M projected salary
C Willy Lejeune (3.0 years): $1.365M projected salary
C Ryan Edwards (3.2 years): $750K projected salary

Key Free Agents:
None

Next: Roster analysis by position

[beachbomer]

Orcin,

Since you said you now play out your games, how many games a week would you say you are able to play a week.

Also, I assume then that you are making all of the manager decisions for him as well?

I am simming my games 1 day at a time right now and I am just trying to justify playing them.

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by beachbomer

Since you said you now play out your games, how many games a week would you say you are able to play a week.

This is a function of how much free time that I have, so it's really hard to give a decent answer. I usually play 2-3 games per day, but I could easily play more if I didn't have other interests.

It doesn't take a lot longer to play/manage the game as opposed to sim it, maybe an extra 15 minutes. I spend more time being GM than I do being the manager.

Edit: Someone is going to ask, so... I use one-pitch mode and normal play-by-play with ball animation.

Originally Posted by beachbomer

Also, I assume then that you are making all of the manager decisions for him as well?

Yes, I have done everything since I fired Stephen Burgess early in the season. Ben Blair is just a figurehead.

[beachbomer]

Great, thanks for the info.

[blazertaz13]

When you weren't managing your teams games, would you watch them? Or do you now believe managing is the way to go?

Thanks for the advice Orcin. :-)

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by blazertaz13

When you weren't managing your teams games, would you watch them? Or do you now believe managing is the way to go?

I just simmed the day for the whole league, checked the box score, and moved on to the next day. I started managing all of the games because it was more fun for me.

[Orcin]

Preliminary 2019 Planning: Roster Analysis and Depth Chart (Pitchers)

There will be a bit more analysis this time. I hope the extra detail doesn’t bore you. My overall assessment is that the pitching is good enough to win, but not good enough to carry a mediocre offense that lacks an impact player at the top of the order. Harris and Martinez are very good, but we need more people on base ahead of the power hitters. My off-season goal is to improve on-base percentage without significantly reducing our power or defensive capabilities. But first, let’s look at that pitching staff.

Starting Pitchers

Staff aces Alec Potvin (R) and Michael Bowles (L) received poor run support (2.9 and 3.1 R/G, respectively) yet they still each won 13 games. They had WAR of 5.5 (Potvin) and 5.6 (Bowles) with 22 quality starts each (tied for the team lead). They are both very durable (33 starts and 200+ innings each) with great intangibles, and their contracts are not an issue. They are firmly entrenched in slots 1 and 2 of the starting rotation.

Fernando Hernandez (R) was not as good for us (6-3, 3.89, 12 GS) as he was for L.A. (10-5, 2.74, 17 GS), but he was a solid third starter. He is a bit expensive ($9M) for that role, but I can afford it. I need the insurance because of the uncertain status of Fletcher Holmes (R). If Holmes looks good next spring, he will join Hernandez in slots 3 and 4 of the rotation. If not... well, keep reading.

Chris Carter (L) pitched very well (9-2, 3.15, 16 GS) after he was acquired in June. He was arguably our best pitcher down the stretch. He is a strong fifth starter and gives us the luxury to bring 22-year-old lefty Dean Daniels (16-7, 3.65, 31 GS at AAA) along slowly. Daniels will be on the 40-man roster, and could replace Bowles or Carter in case of injury. I really don’t want three lefties in the rotation (like San Francisco), but Daniels could be an option in case Holmes struggles or has a setback.

Matt Gray (R) is too expensive ($6.5M) to be insurance for Holmes and his performance last season (8-4, 4.54, 20 GS) was not enough to keep him over Hernandez. Gray will be shopped and he should have decent value because so many teams need pitching.

Mauro Acevedo (7-5, 3.91, 15 GS) is a candidate for the backup right-hander in the rotation. However, he is out of minor league options, and did not pitch well out of the bullpen down the stretch. I don’t think he will clear waivers, so he will likely be traded.

Clyde Fuller (R, 13-5, 3.43, 28 GS at AAA) has an option left and continues to defy my scout’s assessment of him as a borderline prospect. He is 5-5 with a 3.78 ERA in 12 major league starts, but his 4.85 FIP and 1.65 K/BB ratio are negative indicators.

Bullpen

Daniel Carlson expects to be the closer, but his stuff (6.5 K/9) and control (3.7 BB/9) are not good enough to justify the role or his $4M arbitration estimate. I have other options, so Carlson will also be shopped. He and Gray will make a good package for teams with the budget room.

Santiago Flores is next up in the closer role. His fundamentals (10.7 K/9, 2.2 BB/9) are much better than Carlson’s and his FIP (2.33) was almost a full run lower. Flores was a bit too young to be a consistent closer when he first got here, but he is ready now.

Ray Forrest is right behind Flores at 2.59 FIP, 8.2 K/9, and 2.2 BB/9. He is the same age as Flores (23) but he has less major league experience (104 games vs. 197 for Flores). Forrest will be the setup man unless Flores falters badly.

Mike Kennedy and Salvador Felix will compete for the left-handed setup role, but both will make the club with the other as a lefty specialist. Felix has better stuff, but Kennedy has better control. Sylvester Sanderson did a nice job for us last year, but unfortunately he will have to clear waivers because he is out of options.

Brendan Polk (2.41 FIP, 8.2 K/9, 2.2 BB/9) is almost a clone of Forrest. He will be the primary option for the seventh inning bridge, and he could challenge Forrest for the setup role.

That leaves two spots open, one of which will be the long man. Billy Wilson filled the mop-up role last year, but his control (5.3 BB/9) is a problem. Burt Newell will not be offered arbitration. Acevedo is not the answer either.

There are two great prospects at AAA: Pablo “Slayer” Morales and Anthony Byers. I will add Byers to the 40-man roster because he is eligible for the Rule 5 draft. He will be the first option for the last short spot, but I may need to dip into the unsigned free agent pool for a veteran right-hander next spring. I want Morales to have another full year at AAA.

Conclusion

I have two pitchers (Gray and Carlson) to offer in trades and both should be attractive. Trading both would save $10M in salary, making room for arbitration offers of $5.5M to Bowles and $2.6M to Flores.

I would like to replace Gray and Acevedo with a young high-potential right-hander that has 2 or 3 options left. That pitcher will be really hard to find and even harder to acquire. I have a short list of candidates left over from last season, and I will start there.

Next: Position Players

[Galeg]

Not bored.

[Orcin]

Preliminary 2019 Planning: Roster Analysis and Depth Chart (Position Players)

Which position player is the weakest link? I like all of my players, so this won’t be easy but it has to be done. That table-setting impact player has to replace someone.

Catcher

Ryan Edwards (69G, 200AB, .275/.372/.400) showed enough improvement to warrant serious consideration as next year’s starter. Willy Lejeune tailed off considerably from his 2017 performance at the plate, but his 3.10 CERA was noticeably better than any other catcher we have used since Bland. Jon Howard (116G, 417AB, .295/.400/489 at AAA) looks to be the catcher of the future, but he is only a bit above average behind the plate. I want the catcher to bat eighth, handle the pitching staff well, and throw out base stealers. I think Edwards and Lejeune can accomplish that goal for a combined salary of $2M. Howard could be traded if necessary, or he could challenge for the job next spring. Prospect Darryl Fletcher has spent two good seasons at AA. He will be promoted to AAA this year and given a 40-man slot. Matt Dunham will need to clear waivers.

First Base

Jose Martinez was second on the team in HR/RBI. He slumped badly in mid-year but he still managed to lead the team with .921 OPS, .379 wOBA, .275 ISO, 44 DBL, 75 BB, and 49.4 VORP. He hits RH/LH pitching equally well. He has averaged 155 games per season in his career with no serious injuries. He is very popular with a high work ethic and very high leadership. His weaknesses are a tendency to hit into double plays (slow runner), adequate but not spectacular defense, and a mediocre record with runners in scoring position, close and late. He is 29 years old and signed to an affordable contract for three more seasons. He is a keeper and will bat cleanup or fifth.

Ricky Allen is 27 years old, fully developed, and under club control for five more years (likely the prime of his career). Allen is not really a good clutch hitter or pinch-hitter. He is out of minor league options and will never take the starting job away from Martinez. Therefore, he is trade bait. The offers for him were not that good at mid-season, but the off-season can be different because teams lose their incumbent and see a severe need at a position.

Sergio Chavez is a 22-year-old right-handed power hitter that I picked up in the Holmes trade. He will require a 40-man roster slot this year, but he will again play at AAA. His power potential is off the charts, and his contact and eye are developing.

Frank Carson is a free agent, and I will be watching him closely. If he lingers into the spring, I might make a run at him. I really loved him as a pinch-hitter. Otherwise, I don’t intend to carry a backup first baseman on the 25-man roster since I have several other players that can back up Martinez (mainly Gillespie).

Second Base

Rich Seaman was second or third on the team in most offensive categories. He plays every day and has outstanding intangibles. He may well win the Gold Glove at second base with a .991 fielding percentage, 106 DPs, ZR of +8.3, and a range factor of 4.78. Seaman will be 27 years old next spring, and he is under club control for five more years. I don’t see him as an elite hitter, and I don’t want to force him into an unsuitable role. His combination of contact, power, and speed makes him an ideal sixth hitter.

Lance Morrison is 31 years old and beginning to decline. He is angry about his role on the team, and he consumes $3.5M of salary space. He would not be easy to trade, but he could be included in a bigger deal and replaced fairly easily internally or on the free agent market. Infielders Walt Elkins and Clint Murphy are good internal candidates at AAA, and they are already on the 40-man roster.

Third Base

Phil Gillespie had a terrible first half and finished with a mediocre season (for him). I say mediocre, but he still put up a 3.3 WAR with 40 stolen bases (in 41 attempts) and 88 RBIs. He had a poor year in the field (for him) with 9 errors, but he still might win a Gold Glove on reputation. His biggest problem is the .315 career on-base percentage. We know what he is by now. His power, speed, and defense are all quite valuable to this team, but he does not get on base enough to bat at the top of the order.

Thankfully, Gillespie is also incredibly durable, because there is no backup for him in the organization today. That’s another good reason to pursue Frank Carson with my extra budget money. Otherwise, Clint Murphy is a serious injury away from being our regular third baseman. The McConnell story taught me a valuable lesson about depth.

Shortstop

Luis Vargas is extremely consistent, hitting.300 with a .350 on base percentage. He plays shortstop at a Gold Glove level. His speed is average and he has no power. He doesn’t walk enough and but he doesn’t strike out a lot either. His exceptional contact from the left side of the plate makes him an ideal hit-and-run man for the #2 spot. My lineup is not really organized to take advantage of that skill, because I don’t have a better leadoff hitter. So Vargas will bat leadoff unless I can find someone better.

Vargas is in the final year of a contract paying $11M/year. He is only 28 years old, and a very popular product of our farm system. I would like to keep him, but I can’t overpay to do it. This negotiation could be interesting, but his greed factor is low.

Mike Sutherland was obtained from Seattle to be the backup shortstop. He will never hit like Vargas, but he might be an adequate #2 hitter if he can cut down on the strikeouts. He has an option year left and can be counted on as the injury replacement this season.

The heir apparent for Vargas is 19-year-old Antonio Larez, obtained from Denver in the trade for Carson and Brian Ferguson. He is still developing but he has all-star potential. He will start the year at AA, where he hit .284 in 67 games last season.

Outfield

I will list the outfielders in value sequence with their various positions shown (best first). I want at least one left-handed and one right-handed batter – the third could bat from either side. At least one of the outfielders must bat first or second, and another must be a run producer in the middle.

Ed Harris (LF/RF, 4.5*/26/L) led the team in HR (42) and RBI (118). However, he only hit .184 after Labor Day, including the playoffs. He has a severe platoon disadvantage with a career .597 OPS vs. left-handed pitching. Harris is a good clutch hitter with above average speed and defense. He is signed for $10M next season, with a $10.5M player option in 2020. I do not expect him to exercise that option, so I must prepare to replace him after this season unless I can afford him as a free agent.

Jose Diaz (CF/RF/3B, 4*/26/R) is an elite player according to the scouting reports. He is capable of all-star performance, but he never stays healthy. He played 116 games this season – the most of his career. Manager Ben Blair is ready to bat Diaz third and count on him for a big run production role. Diaz will receive $4M+ at his first arbitration hearing next month. I am “in for a penny, in for a pound” on this guy. If he ever stays healthy, he could price himself out of my risk tolerance range with a MVP season. I have waited so long for him to realize all that potential that I deserve at least one great year out of him.

The next three outfielders project to be on the active roster, replacing McConnell and/or manning the bench.

Hector Castro (LF/RF, 2*/25/L) is the safest option for the third starter that I have right now. He has played 250 games over three seasons with a slash line of .277/.312/.467. He is a decent defender with average speed. Like Harris, he is very weak against left-handed pitching. Castro does not have a strong arm, and is better suited for left field which would push Harris to his lesser position in right. If Castro is in the lineup with Harris, I almost have to employ a right-handed platoon corner outfielder or be owned by left-handed pitching. Blair suggests the second spot in the order for Castro, but he just doesn’t fit my idea of a #2 hitter. He makes a very good bench player for now and offers some protection against losing Harris.

Jack Bunney (CF/RF, 3*/23/L) has amazing speed and Gold Glove defensive ability with the arm to play right field. He could be the ideal leadoff hitter – if he can hit. At the AAA level, he has played 222 games with a slash line of .292/.379/.525, 24 HR, 97 RBI, and 48 stolen bases. Bunney gets a lot of extra base hits with good gap power. I get a lot of trade offers for him, which makes me want to keep him. It is eerily similar to Diaz.

Henri Lesueur (RF/CF/LF, 2*/26/R) has a career .859 OPS over 500 AB against lefties, and he is an outstanding defensive outfielder with exceptional speed. He would be an ideal platoon player for Bunney and to occasionally spell Harris. He can also backup in center field, but I would not want to count on him for months of replacement play in case of a serious injury to Diaz.

If I had to open the season today, I would use Harris in left, Diaz in center, and platoon Bunney and Lesueur in right field. Harris and Diaz would bat in the middle of the order. The Bunney/Lesueur platoon was employed toward the end of last season for 50-70 games. They posted OPS of .750 and a .320 OBP, which is just not good enough for the top of the lineup. We are also vulnerable to the inevitable injury to Diaz, which would shift this platoon to center field and put Castro in the lineup. That combination is weak against left-handed pitching and not as good defensively.

There are potential (but untested) solutions at AAA. I don’t think any of them are better than the five listed above.

Top prospect Steve Evans (LF/CF, 1.5*/24/R) will be added to the 40-man roster this winter. He has good potential (4*) to be an everyday player and maybe more. He played the full season at AAA with a slash line of .251/.319/.416, 18 HR, and 132 K. He doesn’t look ready for major league pitching to me, but I might be fooled next spring.

Raul Rivera (CF/LF, 2.5*/23/R) is a clone of Diaz, right down to the fragile rating. He needs a full season at AAA in my opinion, without missing half of it due to injuries.

Miguel Bustamante (RF/LF/CF, 1.5*/26/L) is out of options and has not hit major league pitching in his brief tryouts (200 AB). I think Bunney is a similar and better prospect.

Curt Turner (CF, 1*/26/R) was our first-round draft pick in 2015. He hit .300/.356/.516 in 118 games at AAA last season. He does not excel in any area, but he could be a bench player at some point in his career.


Conclusion

The biggest opportunity to improve the on-base percentage is in the outfield. A weak outfield has hurt us for the past four seasons while we waited for players to develop. The loss of Bryan McConnell does not help the situation.

The weakest position on this team is the right-field platoon of Bunney and Lesueur. It is time to add an impact outfielder to the mix, pushing Bunney and Lesueur to backup roles where they will be better suited.

[Orcin]

First Day of the Off-Season

Task 1: Fill open personnel positions

This one was easy. There are no open positions.


Task 2: Make decision to exercise or decline team options

There were no team options to exercise.


Task 3: Offer arbitration (or not) to potential free agents

There are three major-league free agents this year: C Gregory Gardner, LF Jacob Wagner, and LF Tim Russell. None of them will be offered arbitration or a contract.


Task 4: Make offers to potential minor league free agents

There are a lot of minor league free agents. Most of them are non-prospects. I offered minor league contracts to SP Adam Smith (AAA, 1*/25/R), SP Joshua Jones (AAA, 1*/25/R), and RF Sergio Romero (AA, 1*/25/R). The rest need to move on in order to open up spots for real prospects. I can always fill in the organizational gaps later.


Task 5: Submit arbitration offers to eligible players or “no-tender” them
There are ten players eligible for arbitration. Most of them will receive offers.

• SP Michael Bowles is estimated at $5.5 million in his first year of eligibility. I am already working on a contract extension with him. The offer is 4 years, $25 million.

• CF Jose Diaz is estimated at $4.2 million. I will submit an offer of $4.5 million because I have been burned by high potential in other cases.

• CL Daniel Carlson carries a $3.8 million estimate. I will offer $4 million, but I hope to trade him before the hearing.

• Future CL Santiago Flores has a $2.6 million estimate. He is coming off a mediocre season for potential closers, and I want to see if I can get him signed to an extension starting near the arbitration number. I am gambling on a big future for him. He is rated with a “very high” greed factor, so this could be my best chance to keep him. He insists on a player option at the end of any deal, but I can probably live with that.

• C Willy Lejeune is estimated at $1.365 million. I will offer $1.5 million just to be safe.

• RF Henri Lesueur gets an offer of $900K instead of the $700K estimate, because I don’t like to lose and I fear that his 34 stolen bases will drive up the price.

• MR Burt Newell has a $900K estimate. He will not be tendered an offer.

• C Matt Dunham will receive an offer at the estimate of $850K, even though he is not likely to make the roster. If he is claimed on waivers, I won’t have to pay it. If not, he is good insurance and likely cheaper than a free agent pickup.

• C Ryan Edwards has a $735K estimate. I decided to take another gamble and offered him a 4-year, $7 million contract (starting at $1 million). He is thinking it over.

• MR Sylvester Sanderson receives an offer equal to the $700K estimate. He is in the same category as Dunham.

[Orcin]

November 1, 2018 (BNN)

Subject: Colonels Announce Contract Extensions

The Louisville Colonels avoided arbitration with three key players by signing them to long-term contracts. The terms of the deals follow.

SP Michael Bowles agreed to a four-year contract worth $25 million. The entire contract is guaranteed and includes a $500K bonus for a Best Pitcher award. Bowles will receive $5 million next season, which is roughly equal to his arbitration value.

Reliever Santiago Flores signed a four-year contract worth $16 million. The first year of the deal will pay $3 million, slightly more than his estimated arbitration value. The final year of the deal is a player option at $5 million.

Starting catcher Ryan Edwards was also signed to a four-year contract worth $7 million.

Louisville is still scheduled for arbitration hearings later this month with seven players, including starting center fielder Jose Diaz and closer Daniel Carlson.

[gehrig38]

with 40 stolen bases (in 41 attempts)

That's an unheard of success rate. You one pitch your AB's, do yo handle stealing? If not the games AI is improving by leaps and bounds.

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by gehrig38

with 40 stolen bases (in 41 attempts)

That's an unheard of success rate. You one pitch your AB's, do yo handle stealing? If not the games AI is improving by leaps and bounds.

I use the one-pitch mode, yes.

Sometimes, I select "steal" and other times I use "run & hit". I might choose R&H if the pitcher's hold rating is really high and the hitter's contact rating is really good. I only use hit & run if the runner is not a typical base stealer (slower runner or mediocre steal rating).

If I select R&H, the runner always goes on the first pitch.

If I select "steal", the runner might not go on the first pitch. If it is a strike, I select swing away. If it is a ball, I try to steal again until the count is even.

I just checked the stats for the year. The rest of the team was 81%, including Vargas (11/13), Bunney (14/16), and Morrison (14/15). I don't know if I just have a knack for selecting the right time to run, or there is something at work in the program.

[Orcin]

November 2, 2018 (cbatraderumors.com)

Subject: Colonels Acquire Springer from San Francisco

The Louisville Colonels have traded four players to San Francisco in return for all-star center fielder Peter Springer. Colonels General Manager Otto Orcin said, “Springer addresses our biggest off-season need, which was another impact bat at the top of our lineup.”

San Francisco also addressed several urgent needs in this trade. The Seals acquired 32-year-old starting pitcher Matt Gray, 25-year-old closer Daniel Carlson, 27-year-old first baseman Ricky Allen and 28-year-old reliever Sylvester Sanderson. The veteran right-hander Gray will help to balance a San Francisco rotation that tilts heavily to the left. Carlson will replace free agent closer Vic Staten, and Sanderson projects to be a lefty specialist. Allen becomes the heir apparent to 35-year-old 1B John Wright.

Springer is 27 years old and bats left. He appeared in 144 games last season with a slash line of .299/.391/.502, 21 HR, 100 RBI, 101 runs scored, and 22 stolen bases. Springer has a great eye and typically draws 80-90 walks. He has also won three Gold Gloves in center field. Springer is very durable, having only missed two weeks with a sprained ankle in five years of major league experience.

Springer avoided arbitration in his final year of eligibility by signing a one-year contract for $9.5 million. Orcin said that he fully expects to reach an agreement with Springer on a long-term contract before the star outfielder reaches free agency a year from now.

Fan reaction in Louisville to the trade for the extremely popular Springer was amazing. Overnight polling suggests that Springer is now the most popular player on the roster. Springer is known nationally as a hard-worker and a student of the game. He is a leader in the clubhouse with a burning desire to win.

Orcin said that current center fielder Jose Diaz would move to right field with Ed Harris playing left field next season. He also commented that the Colonels would be looking for right-handed bench depth. Louisville was defeated by the Seals in the first-round of the playoffs, in part because of their inability to cope with a trio of left-handed starters.

[dynaboyj]

Thank God you've finally gotten rid of Ricky Allen. That pest gave you a huge dilemma for years and then turned out to be ridiculously underwhelming. Hope he finds a role with San Francisco.