[Westheim]

I tried to trade some excess outfielders for ANYTHING in the latter half of December, but it was like trying to sell snow boots in the Central African Republic. No takers. Not one. I mean, ultimately you can’t blame the other teams, who aren’t run by complete idiots … most of the time.

I really wasn’t looking for much, maybe a backup infielder to replace Gutierrez, or a semi-decent second-rate prospect, preferably in the infield where our system was basically non-existing, but – no. Simply, no.

Don’t even ask about Craig Bowen.

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December 14 – The Bayhawks sign ex-DEN 1B Andrew Simmons (.319, 50 HR, 381 RBI) to a 2-yr, $2.14M contract. Simmons was a type A free agent, and the Bayhawks’ aggressive offseason shopping now has them forfeiting their second, third, and fourth round picks.
December 16 – The Loggers deal 1B/2B Craig Miller (.258, 0 HR, 12 RBI) to the Gold Sox, from whom they receive MR Pat Hanson (4-4, 4.31 ERA, 3 SV) and 22-yr old prospect CL Orlando Valdez, who was once the #53 prospect, bus has dropped out of the top 200 since then.
December 21 – The Loggers sign ex-SFB SP Ramón Jimenez (98-109, 4.54 ERA) to a 1-yr, $1.02M contract.
December 25 – The Raccoons announce the addition of 25-yr old Japanese international free agent SP Shunyo Yano, who signs a 4-yr, $5M contract.
December 25 – 39-yr old ex-NYC SP Takeru Sato (181-164, 4.19 ERA) signs a 2-yr, $3.72M contract with the Pittsburgh Miners.
December 25 – Another veteran adds himself to the Crusaders instead, as 2B/SS Bartolo Hernandez (.308, 63 HR, 904 RBI), who split 2011 between the Cyclones and Titans, signs a 1-yr, $870k contract.
December 26 – The Titans grab 35-yr old ex-CHA LF/RF Jesus Flores (.273, 134 HR, 821 RBI) on a 2-yr, $3.04M agreement.
December 26 – The Buffaloes announce the addition of two free agents in one sweep, adding 31-yr old ex-VAN 2B Jerry Dobson (.261, 82 HR, 509 RBI) for 2-yr, $1.52M as well as 29-yr old ex-DAL OF/3B Joe Cowan (.245, 38 HR, 604 RBI) for 3-yr, $3M.
January 4 – Former Warriors LF/RF Jimmy Bayle (.263, 72 HR, 445 RBI) signs a 2-yr, $2.32M contract with the Indians. Indy will be the 34-yr old Bayle’s third station in the CL North amid seven teams total.
January 7 – Irregular closer and former Warrior Francisco Rodriguez (56-57, 2.76 ERA, 178 SV) will be paid $1.44M to spend his age 32 season with the Pacifics.
January 8 – Another veteran outfielder joins the Indians, as they come to terms with 36-yr old ex-DAL LF/RF Yohan Bonneau (.290, 199 HR, 952 RBI) and will pay him $2.32M over three years.
January 18 – The Stars pick up 29-yr old ex-BOS SP Jesus Cabrera (95-104, 4.30 ERA) for 4-yr, $5.12M.

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The Yano contract starts at $1.1M in 2012 and goes up to $1.4M by 2015. The starting pitcher market for established ABL players was more or less tricky if a team – like the Coons – was weary to surrender their top draft pick. And the Raccoons won’t get any additional picks this year, so they were quite protective of their #18 pick.

Yano was the perfect opportunity then, as he figures to be about comparable to Baldwin and Conway in ability. They’re an indistinguishable mesh for the middle of the rotation. Right now we have Hector Santos penciled in as #5 starter, but nobody quite knows what Santos might be able to do in a full season.

It’s the middle of January, we still have $1.3M (including cash) to spend, and it just doesn’t look like we can get another trade that would make sense done. It’s not *easy* to find an upgrade for this roster, but without intentionally trying to hurt Michael Palmer or Jon Merritt – hey, we might be able to do better! Except that I don’t want Jon Merritt on the bench after all. Imagine him on the bench, and Castro having an off day. With two more players on the bench, along with Bowen, we’d have $5M sitting out there and staring.

The Critters do lead the ABL in offseason WAR gains, but a) I can’t help but feel that this is a useless stat, and b) I also can’t help but feel that we’re stuck regardless in some way.

So what? Swipe up another expensive reliever to pitch the sixth inning to at least get the pen back in line to where it used to be? I don’t know.

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2012 HALL OF FAME VOTING RESULTS

PIT LF Diego Rodriguez – 7th – 78.2 – INDUCTED
TOP SP Arnold McCray – 7th – 68.5
MIL SP Neil Stewart – 5th – 64.7
POR CF Neil Reece – 2nd – 53.8
DAL 2B Rodrigo Morales – 1st – 46.2
IND CL Jim Durden – 9th – 43.7
WAS CL Domingo Rivera – 9th – 29.0
SFB CL William Henderson – 1st – 24.4
BOS LF Jose Martinez – 5th – 11.8
??? CF John Hensley – 2nd – 8.8
POR 3B Ben O’Morrissey – 1st – 8.0
IND 3B Matt Brown – 1st – 6.7
SFB SP Ricardo Sanchez – 1st – 5.9
BOS SP Doug Morrow – 3rd – 5.9
OCT CF Joey Humphrey – 1st – 5.5
WAS SP Ramón Ortíz – 2nd – 5.0
DAL 1B Mac Woods – 1st – 3.4 – DROPPED

I’m a bit shocked that Neil Reece keeps trending upwards, at this pace he might actually make the Hall. He didn’t even reach 2,000 hits, and during the 90s I kept advertising him as “one of the best two centerfielders” in the game – the other being John Hensley, who’s not going anywhere (but who also had a shorter career).