[Westheim]

Trades I do, Episode #Umpteenthousand:

We acquired Mark Allen (and Marvin Ingall) from Salem for SP Robert Vázquez and MR Roberto Carrillo, who had had a very down year in 1992. While Vázquez was injured and only started 16 games, Carrillo recovered to his former level. For that, we ate “Icon” Allen’s salary and little production.

Also, Matt Brown. He batted .200 in his Raccoon days, never getting into the starting lineup for any period of time. Last year, he batted for 2.6 WAR for the Indians. Yes, positive WAR. We got Sixto Moreno for him, who was invisible for five months, but I will admit he had some big hits in September and October.

I got both Carrillo and Brown offered back when I shopped Juan Martinez. Glenn Johnston does not yield positive results.

When I shopped Mark Allen, I was offered back a total of FOUR players, fascinatingly including ex-Coon Cameron Green, who is now 37 and will make $600k next year. I also was offered soon-to-be-37-years-old Luis Barrera, who batted .208 between Atlanta and Sioux Falls last season and will make $1.1M in ’94. (The Warriors probably took him back for emotional reasons, since he started his career there, and was very successful for them in the mid-80s) The Capitals offered another ex-Coon in Alejandro Venegas and a starting pitcher in Alejandro Pena.

Pena is 24 and throws right-handed. He has made one start for the Capitals in the Bigs, taking a W for allowing three runs in seven innings. His stuff is run of the mill. He has two option years. He would fit that job description for depth in SP’s stunningly well. But am I giving up too much if I trade Allen for him?

And what if Allen recovers and hits .310 with 28 dingers for the Capitals, leads them to the World Series, which will be a quadruple-rematch between us and them, and he walks off the Capitals with a grand slam off Jackie Lagarde in game 7?

THE HORROR!

You don’t trade such a high-profile player to the team that you faced in three straight World Series. You could describe the Capitals as our worst enemies (after the Canadiens, of course), although personally I don’t have any negative emotions against them. They have never done me harm. The 1991 Series, which we lost, they were a so much better team, winning against them was utopic. But you don’t usually do big trades with your biggest enemies. (And I know that I violated this principle at least once, in 1984, when I traded Matt Workman and two scrubs to the Canadiens for Tetsu Osanai!)

I made an offer to CL Matt Sims on November 19. His demands were actually very reasonable, a 4-yr escalating deal starting in the $300k-ish range! I got him down to three years, and $1.2M in total, escalating. Unless some other team jumps in, he will be a steal for that price!!

November 22 – The Aces find a replacement for recently-departed Royce Green and trade for the Indians’ Carlos Quintela (.288, 33 HR, 212 RBI), who is 27, and a minor leaguer. The Indians receive 36-yr old MR Joe Roberts (63-57, 2.50 ERA, 230 SV).
November 25 – Former Indian RF/LF Raúl Vázquez (.279, 157 HR, 553 RBI) signs a 4-yr, $3.4M contract with the Rebels. Not a bad deal for a 27-year old. Vázquez’ career year so far was 1992, when he set a new record for home runs with 42 and hit for 1.037 OPS.
November 30 – The Warriors secure the services of 34-yr old SP Ricardo Torres (153-146, 3.78 ERA) for 2-yr, $1.44M.
November 30 – OF Antonio Rodriguez (.294, 62 HR, 695 RBI), last with the Aces, gets his pay day. The 28-yr old will make $4.83M over six years.
December 1 – Rule 5 draft: 15 players are taken over three rounds. The Raccoons are not affected.

After the rule 5 draft, for which we added two players to the 40-man roster, and with our outstanding offer to Matt Sims, we are now some $170k over-budget once you add the minor league 40-man roster players. That can be compensated with a 10% cut to scouting. The question is, are we set with the signing of Sims and the addition of Royce Green?