[Westheim]

November 28 – 28-year-old OF/2B Alfonso Cedillo (.295, 142 HR, 528 RBI), who played for the Scorpions and Thunder in 2045, returns to the Federal League with a 4-yr, $16.16M contract handed out by the Pacifics.
November 29 – The Raccoons re-sign 29-yr old INF Al Martell (.258, 50 HR, 356 RBI) to a 2-yr, $1.2M contract.
November 30 – And the Raccoons re-sign another former player, coming to terms with 31-year-old OF/1B/3B Jesus Maldonado (.298, 121 HR, 686 RBI), who inks a new 7-year, $38.5M contract.
December 1 – Rule 5 Draft: 12 players are selected in a single round. The Raccoons lose OF Steve Petersen to the Wolves. The Raccoons further lose MR Adam Bates to the Pacifics.
December 2 – The Miners sign 37-yr old ex-SFB SP Eric Weitz (212-143, 3.43 ERA, 2 SV) to a 2-yr, $5.08M contract.
December 2 – The Raccoons sign 28-year-old Japanese free agent 2B Ryohei Hiraoka to a $400k contract for 2046.
December 3 – The Critters acquire 31-yr old C Tony Morales (.269, 86 HR, 472 RBI), who already played for them from 2035 through 2041, from the Falcons for AA INF/RF Adam Byrnes. The Falcons also cover $500k of Morales’ 2046 salary.
December 3 – The Falcons trade outfielder Seth Case (.261, 53 HR, 248 RBI) to the Scorpions for right-hander Steve McKeny (9-9, 4.62 ERA, 2 SV) and a prospect.
December 4 – The Capitals ink ex-SFB LF/CF Jamie McGuigan (.281, 76 HR, 448 RBI) to a 6-yr, $19.24M contract.
December 4 – The Rebels send 2B/1B Thomas Gould (.265, 26 HR, 212 RBI) to the Scorpions for SP/MR Luis Castillo (1-3, 2.21 ERA) and a prospect.
December 4 – Boston trades OF Matt Watt (.237, 2 HR, 81 RBI) and a prospect to the Buffaloes for INF Tony Batista (.251, 27 HR, 177 RBI).
December 5 – Sacramento picks up CF Jayden Sutton (.247, 8 HR, 35 RBI) from the Capitals for C Jason Lindblom (.296, 1 HR, 23 RBI) and a prospect.
December 6 – The Bayhawks add a ringbearer in OF/1B Alex Marquez (.298, 79 HR, 367 RBI), while the Rebels receive SP Paul Medvec (60-49, 3.94 ERA) and a third-rate prospect.
December 7 – The Raccoons swap OF Jonathan Dustal (.263, 31 HR, 155 RBI) to the Crusaders for 30-year-old right-hander Aaron Hickey (36-31, 3.36 ERA, 3 SV).
December 7 – The Canadiens trade for the Aces’ SP Mario de Anda (11-7, 3.73 ERA), while Vegas receives a prospect.

+++

Because the baseball gods have a sense of humor, everywhere I go, I now have $1 notes falling out of my pants. Unfortunately, they all have the same serial number ending in 123-HAH-HAH, and can't be used to buy anything useful.

Well okay, I already bought seven chocolate bars at the corner store with them, and so far the old lady there hasn't noticed yet.

The deal with Maldonado is flat, $5.5M per season. The last year, ******* 2052, is a player option, like he’s gonna get a better offer at 38. There are not many better offers in the league. In fact, there is only ONE player in the league, as of the signing of this deal, that is compensated more handsomely than Maldonado, and it’s definitely not who you think it is. No, Jerry Outram makes $5.3M a year from the damn Elks. Somehow, nobody knows quite how, the league’s top earner is Boston’s Joe Ritchey, making $5.6M per season. He hit .217 with 15 homers last season. Yeah, I think it’s safe to say that they’re gonna be stuck with that deal through 2048.

Maud, Maldo’s such a bum. Signing for less than what Ritchey gets. (Maldonado looks up from his plus-sized, golden food bowl that was part of the small print and stops chewing)

Hiraoka is more of an option compared to Carreno if he keeps struggling. He’ll be assigned to AAA initially.

Tony Morales meanwhile is back as the left-handed catcher – I think this will work VERY well with Ruben Gonzalez.

But over there is the pile of dimes, one of which I have received for every time I have been wrong on this job, and that pile of dimes will pay for Maldonado through 20-*******-48.

The Hickey trade does not seem to make a lot of sense, but we’re upgrading on Sean Marucci in the bullpen there, add a more experienced starting pitcher (97 of his 220 major league appearances were starts, though none in 2045), even though it means sacrificing a switch-hitting bat. Then again, where has Dustal been for most of the last two years? On the DL. With the trade, Adam Capone (grumble grumble) and Brad Barnes were reassigned to AAA, too.

Other former Raccoons? Mostly just Jon Craig signing up with the Miners for $660k in this period.