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What's going on in the front office during the off season? Welllllll...
Time for some payroll cuts. Several players have several years to go on escalating contracts.
Freddie Patek age 29 is due $170k in 1974 and has a player option at $200k in 1975. Get something for him now instead of waiting a year and maybe get nothing. Traded for 34 year old All Star RP Ramon Hernandez.
Who will play short? Second basemen Dave Cash and Rennie Stennett will get a chance to learn the position in spring training. If one can learn the position cool. If not, back to Gene Michael.
RF Frank Robinson was a bargain in 73 at $130k and an option for 74 for the same amount is still a bargain. But Richie Zisk or a platoon of Zisk and Jim Northrup can do as well for $85k less so Robinson's option year was bought out.
I don't know if OOTP has this right. Northup has 7 years MLB experience, signed a minor league contract last year, and spent the year in AAA. If on a MLB contract he would be a free agent. But he's not a free agent on a minor league contract. He is Rule 5 eligible though. Putting him on the 40 man means he can be promoted to the bigs and paid minimum wage.
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