[Westheim]

January 6 – The Condors and CL Jon Butler agree to a 1-yr, $440k extension of Butler’s contract for the 1990 season. Butler (332 SV, 2.06 ERA) will be 43 when that contract ends.
January 9 – The Bayhawks deal INF Alfonso Torres, 25 and a .292 hitter, to Oklahoma City, getting 32-yr old SP Ramon Vargas (22-27, 4.07 ERA) and an outfield prospect.
January 10 – The Indians try to improve their struggling offense by inking ex-SAC 1B Francisco Lopez (.313, 148 HR, 824 RBI at age 29) for 3-yr, $2.07M – should work out for them.
January 10 – Ex-LVA Robert Sawyer (56-48, 3.91 ERA) signs with Oklahoma for 1-yr, $264k.
January 22 – The Gold Sox add a premier reliever in Andres Ramirez, their new closer, who has 336 SV with a 2.59 ERA for his career, mostly with the Warriors. He will earn $700k for one year.
January 26 – The Raccoons acquire 22-year old OF Jeff Martin (.274 in 285 AB) from the Pacifics in exchange for SP Alejandro Venegas (14-20, 4.29 ERA) and MR Emerson MacDonald (5.08 ERA in 39 G).
January 27 – The Indians sign INF Mitsuzaku Ohara, 34, to a 3-yr, $1.56M contract. Ohara, an international free agent before the 1983 season, is a .261 hitter with little in terms of power.
February 1 – The Miners sign 33-yr old OF Armando Sanchez to a 3-yr, $1.68M contract, giving the Raccoons a supplemental round pick for 1989. Sanchez has 1,825 career hits, 146 home runs, and a .367 OBP.
February 2 – Veteran SP Eduardo Jimenez (138-169, 3.92 ERA) signs with Los Angeles for 3-yr, $1.4M.
February 3 – It’s been some time that MR Gary Simmons was a Coon, and now he’s back in the division, signing a 3-yr, $898k contract with the Canadiens. Simmons has a 3.46 career ERA in 402 games (64 starts).
February 8 – SP Billy Robinson, 33, settles on the Rebels for 3-yr, $1.45M. Robinson is 154-105 with a 3.19 ERA and was with the Thunder in 1988.
February 9 – The Rebels also add MR Marvin Newton for 3-yr, $1.65M. Newton is a strong reliever with a 3.32 career ERA in 538 games and has 63 saves, but is vastly overpaid at this rate.
February 9 – The Raccoons claim 21-yr old MR Alonso Villegas off waivers by the Blue Sox.
February 10 – CL Domingo Alonso (313 SV, 2.46 ERA) signs with the Thunder for 1-yr, $484k.
February 13 – CL Juan Miranda (247 SV, 3.33 ERA) joins the Cyclones for 1-yr, $476k.
February 17 – Supplies on relievers are running low, as the Aces ink MR Chris Nelson, who owns a 2.41 career ERA and 112 SV. He will make $282k for one year.
March 5 – The Gold Sox add OF Tom McDonald, who is .284, 113 HR, 704 RBI in his career with the Knights, for 2-yr, $852k.
March 7 – The Raccoons sign free agent SP Carlos Reyes (79-91, 3.84 ERA) to a 1-yr, $230k deal. Reyes spent most of his career with the Wolves, but was with the Capitals late in 1988.

On January 9, we got news from the medical staff that Logan Evans would not be ready for Opening Day under any circumstances. Head trainer Michael Dempsey gave his ETA as up to three months, but he will get the full rehab assignment on top of that, so could join as late as early-to-mid May. For the rotation that meant that we had Saito, Wade, … and then? Berry of course, our rule 5 pick. Then we have Gonzalez, Venegas, and Ackerman still around. We should piece it together. Would Ackerman clear waivers? I started to explore trades.

I eventually found something while looking for an outfielder. The one I wanted turned out to be the Pacifics’ Jeff Martin. They looked for all kind of pitching. I started by offering Jason Bentley, they didn’t bite. I offered Emerson MacDonald, they still didn’t bite. I offered MacDonald and Jerry Ackerman, they didn’t bite, but showed interest in Venegas, who thus got outta Portland. Martin bats left-handed, which gives us three lefties in the outfield. The question is whether I want to go with Quintanilla, and I think overall he is a bit weak as the second righty. Bill Stevens is still in my eye, although he’s 28 and has never cut it. It will come down to these two, I guess. Apart from that, we’re largely set as far as position players are concerned. I will look for help for the rotation. Carlos Gonzalez in his 1988 form is nothing I want to suffer through again.

In February, we were slated to begin the year with Gonzalez, Ackerman, and Berry in our rotation. I mean, we weren't going to compete this year, but this may be begging for 95+ losses… I want to stay at least remotely close to the 78-84 mark of last season.

The Reyes signing is perfect. He's a type B free agent, comes rather cheap, his career ERA is about the league average and his record has suffered from the Wolves never having a decent team. Carlos Reyes should hold the fort to give Jason Turner a bit more time. He is 29 and decent throughout. Not overwhelming, but not a punching bag. I don’t know whether we will try and keep him after this season. Depends on how everybody's pitching, not just him.

Once Logan Evans comes back in May, there will be a squeeze play on in the rotation. Carlos Gonzalez better get his act together. Ackerman will be waived when the season starts.

It’s March 7, less than a month to go until the season starts.