[Westheim]

December 6 – The Wolves come to terms with ex-POR Manuel Movonda (161-157, 3.71 ERA). The 34-year old signs a 2-yr, $2.8M contract. The Raccoons receive the Wolves’ second round pick and a supplemental round pick in the 1999 amateur draft.
December 6 – The Cyclones strike three deals as winter meetings start. They acquire World Series hero C Julio Silva (.301, 6 HR, 95 RBI) from the Titans, sending over MR Nobuyoshi Matsui (17-20, 36 SV, 3.11 ERA). 26-yr old LF/RF David Horton (.239, 22 HR, 104 RBI) comes over from the Miners for MR Peter Hughes (7-8, 1 SV, 3.98 ERA), and they send another reliever away in MR Mark Alexander (8-4, 1 SV, 4.86 ERA), whom they trade to the Canadiens for two prospects.
December 6 – The Titans trade 28-yr old OF Tom Walls (.277, 7 HR, 104 RBI) to the Bayhawks for 27-yr old SP Kenny Frye (17-22, 4.32 ERA) and a prospect.
December 6 – The Condors sign ex-VAN 1B Bill Mosley (.286, 172 HR, 783 RBI). The 34-yr old Mosley signs a 3-yr, $4.3M contract.
December 6 – The Buffaloes acquire SP Nick Jacobson (11-18, 4.44 ERA) and a minor leaguer from the Indians for 2B Alberto Burgos (.262, 1 HR, 13 RBI).
December 7 – The Aces trade 39-year old SP Alejandro Venegas (88-89, 3.85 ERA) and a minor leaguer to the Gold Sox for 27-yr old 1B Gabriel Silva (.304, 18 HR, 255 RBI).
December 7 – The Stars add INF Salvador Mendez (.340, 11 HR, 438 RBI), sending MR Jean-Loup David (5-5, 1 SV, 3.97 ERA) to the Scorpions.
December 8 – The Raccoons and Stars close a deal that sends 25-yr old 1B/3B/LF Cesar Gonzalez (.289, 67 HR, 249 RBI) to Portland in exchange for 27-yr old MR Gabriel De La Rosa (23-17, 41 SV, 2.29 ERA).
December 12 – Ex-POR C Werner Turner (.276, 25 HR, 266 RBI) returns to the Federal League, signing a 4-yr, $4.1M contract with the Capitals. The Raccoons receive the Capitals’ first round pick and a supplemental round pick in the 1999 amateur draft.
December 16 – Former Falcon 2B/SS Juan Barrón (.318, 11 HR, 404 RBI), age 26, joins the Condors on a 5-yr, $4.9M contract.
December 17 – The Cyclones continue to load up on star power, adding ex-SFB CL William Henderson (51-48, 316 SV, 2.42 ERA) for 1-yr, $1.16M, as well as ex-PIT OF Alfonso Rojas (.288, 54 HR, 460 RBI) for 3-yr, $1.86M.
December 22 – The Thunder agree to a 2-yr, $3M extension with their superstar 1B/2B Dave Browne. The 37-year old is a career .281 batter with 2,747 hits, as well as 185 HR and 1,186 RBI.
December 24 – The Capitals sign ex-NAS CL Lorenzo Flores (28-39, 161 SV, 2.51 ERA) to a 3-yr, $3.63M contract.
December 26 – Ex-CIN LF/RF Robert Harris (.294, 139 HR, 883 RBI) ends up in Dallas. The 33-yr old signs a 4-yr, $5.6M deal.

Surely we have to talk about the De La Rosa trade.

Well, the market for first basemen or corner outfielders was dire. Corey Patel extended with the Buffaloes in early November, and the price tag on Bill Mosley was prohibitive (plus, he most recently played in the Land of Elks, and I don’t like him). So, punch had to come through a trade. While the need we had was readily identified, I was not able to spot a surplus of anything on the roster, well, except for right-handed relief pitching. As elaborated earlier, we have more than $1M bound in four right-handers in the pen. Wade was a 10/5 guy, and him and Miller were here forever, and I couldn’t possibly trade them. That left De La Rosa and Tamburrino. I shopped both of them at the winter meetings, and Tamburrino didn’t yield anything, with the exception of the Blue Sox, who had a keen interest in him, but really only had other relievers to offer.

So De La Rosa was going out. Apart from the Stars, there was also interest from the Wolves (offering outfielder Jeff MacGruder) and a few others. The Stars offered two corner infielders, in Gonzalez and 1B Mac Woods. Both are defensively adept (but not award contenders), with Gonzalez more versatile. Woods was a year younger. Both were arbitration eligible, but Woods had already signed a 4-yr deal to buy out his arbitration years. He was more expensive than Gonzalez even next year, while Gonzalez had batted for a .922 OPS in 1998, comparing favorably to Woods’ .864 mark. Gonzalez is a switch-hitter, Woods right-handed. The decision was not that hard.

I like De La Rosa a lot, despite some control issues in the last two years, but in the end we had to bleed some pitching to have a chance at contending and to be able to add more offense.

This opened a spot in the bullpen for a right-hander, while most likely squeezing Brent McLaughlin off the roster. The nice thing is that Gonzalez can play either infield corner competently (and has mostly played third base for the Stars), and while I want him at first base as the starter, he could also spell Mike Crowe at third if Crowe should slump at any point. Things are getting tight for Crowe regardless. Steve Caddock is also a threat to him, batting left-handed. Crowe is a right-hander of course. Crowe STILL is the third base starter for next year, but he shouldn’t start batting .146 …

On right-handed relievers, of course Dan Nordahl is in the wings for next year, but that doesn’t help us this year. We have another youngster shooting through the ranks in the minors in 20-yr old Manuel Martinez, our first round pick a year earlier. After a daft first two years as a professional he had a very good season in AA ball last year, and is also at AAA to start 1999. Both could help us in 2000. We still need to find a 1-year filler for the pen now.

The next thought was to get rid of our surplus first baseman in AAA, Harry Jackson, maybe packaged with somebody else on the 40-man roster, for a competent sixth/seventh inning right-hander. Unfortunately, no team had the slightest interest into Jackson, so that plan fell through quickly.

What else have I been up to? I tried to buy out Cesar Gonzalez’ arbitration years at team friendly terms, but he was not really interested after just arriving here.

The Loggers approached me, trying to deal for not-ROTY Randy Farley. Yeah sure, do I look that dumb? They have repeatedly offered me journeyman outfielder John Shea, and now again. The Loggers DO have interesting players, but if they want Farley, I want HOTY Cristo Ramirez. This would be the biggest shakeup at the Willamette since the Scott’s Mills earthquake six years ago.

Yet back THEN the Coons responded by picking through the (admittedly minor) rubble and defended their world championship.

The mind wanders, I have to excuse myself.

I have an offer out to a former Coon to return to our bullpen to fill the open spot. Actually I contacted TWO former Raccoons to fill the open spot, but one, Andres Otero, insisted on a 2-year deal, and we are talking about a 1-year window. The other is still holding out as we have hit 1999 with force.

One more year until 2000, and then all computers will crash and taxes can’t be collected anymore, planes can’t fly anymore, those new things, mobile phones, stop working, and … and in general the world will tumble into chaos, nuclear holocaust, and finally oblivion. Does that mean we have to go from “neutral” (which we are since the off season started) into “win now” mode?

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Btw, my favorite October recluse, the Three Sisters, are featured on Wikipedia's homepage today. Great, now people will find out about the place and go there and disturb the silence and solitude I enjoy when other teams are playing for championships...