[Westheim]

The first days of December were spent with getting a few things announced to the media as far as 2035 was concerned. First, of course, and foremost was a media day with Justin Fowler and Colt Willes at the ballpark, and we also pushed out the first few promotions for the season that was going to dawn a few months from now.

One of the promotions that would be dear to everybody’s heart would come right away in April, where the Raccoons would honor the live and achievements of Portland legend Bob Duffner, who in 1982 broke the color barrier in this town. He was the first baker to sell donuts with blue glazing – a radical new concept at the time that did not make him only friends back then! Duffner, now 78 years old, would throw out the first pitch at a game.

Then it was right into the winter meetings. There were a few things that could be done with the roster; we needed a fifth outfielder (Houston wasn’t gonna be it), a new left-handed alternative on the right side of the infield with Ross Sibley gone, who would have been perfectly fine if he could have gotten a hit at least occasionally, the first base situation was wholly unfortunate, and then you could always make tweaks to the pen, but that was really at the very bottom of the list.

As usual the market for left-handed infielders was not that huge, especially for second basemen. We quickly focused on the services of Edgar Barrios, a 28-year-old Dominican who had less than 500 at-bats in the majors, but part of that was due to having been stuck in Los Reyes, the Condors’ AAA affiliate, for a bunch of years. The problem was that Barrios was on the Elks now and as usual I didn’t want to give the damn Elks anything of value.

Oh, they want Travis Coffee? That’s not anything of value in my eyes!

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December 2 – Former Indians SP Jose Lerma (200-171, 3.40 ERA) joins the Bayhawks on a 3-year deal that will see the 35-year-old southpaw pocket $11.52M.
December 3 – Ex-DEN OF Nate Nelson (.249, 99 HR, 456 RBI) joins the Pacifics on a 2-yr, $3.16M contract.
December 5 – The Pacifics do more shopping, inking ex-ATL C/1B Steve Garcia (.269, 25 HR, 303 RBI) to a 6-yr, $11.76M deal.
December 6 – The Gold Sox acquire 25-yr old RF/LF Kyle Beard (.322, 22 HR, 233 RBI) and a prospect from the Stars, parting with 33-year-old LF Abel Madsen (.278, 168 HR, 626 RBI) in the deal.
December 6 – After seven years away, ex-WAS 1B Jay Elder (.250, 78 HR, 556 RBI) returns to Boston on a 1-yr, $950k contract.
December 7 – The Crusaders trade 25-yr old SP Mark Holliday (16-16, 4.34 ERA) to the Stars for 29-yr old career fringe infielder Daniel Leeder (.271, 5 HR, 49 RBI) and #84 prospect 2B Manuel Reynoza.
December 7 – New York also signs ex-RIC RF/LF Keith Damron (.245, 101 HR, 437 RBI) in free agency, committing to 2-yr, $3.24M for the player.
December 8 – The Raccoons pick up 28-yr old 2B Edgar Barrios (.284, 9 HR, 65 RBI) from the Canadiens in exchange for 26-yr old MR Carlos Contreras (0-0, 6.00 ERA) and 27-yr old AAA SP Travis Coffee (6-7, 4.33 ERA).
December 8 – The Pacifics select experience with the addition of 38-year-old ex-NYC 3B Ryan Czachor (.238, 104 HR, 624 RBI), who receives a 1-yr, $1.04M contract.
December 8 – In a second deal with the Stars, the Crusaders pick up RF Vinny Chavira (.268, 149 HR, 677 RBI) and cash for MR Rin Nomura (83-61, 3.56 ERA, 1 SV) and a prospect.

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With the Barrios trade we have piled up nine infielders on the extended roster, and we really *want* about four of them to be there. I just can’t suffer through another summer like Travis Zitzner had…!

I’m not saying there aren’t any options to trade for a first baseman capable of substantially upgrading the lineup to the point where we may not even hit Justin Fowler in the cleanup spot. For example I got some signals that Adam Avakian, who hit 25 bombs for the Knights this season, with 63 XBH and an .832 OPS, would be available for a certain prospect on my “over my dead body” list. The Blue Sox’ corner infielder Chance Bossert was not a power source, but could add to the top of the lineup’s boa constrictor division with a career .371 OBP (and much higher the last two years) and legs quick enough to out-run Berto Ramos. That certain “over my dead body” prospect was not quite enough, but there is a thing on the table where they would take on Zitzner and would receive a reliever of some sort to complete the deal.

But that “over my dead body” prospect, a certain AA outfielder and top 5 prospect, is an absolute requirement to complete either deal.

One more ex-Critter snuck into some warm spot to spend the next year: Giovanni James gets $1.36M from the Stars;

…aaaand there’s a Hall of Fame ballot out, too!