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gehrig38 · 07-02-2018, 01:22 AM

STARTING ROTATIONWe are quite literally breaking new ground. No team has ever left camp with a 6 man rotation it planned to use all year long. That's the plan. Obviously, Arturo Mendoza's progress on the mound will be watched closely but he's ready to hit in the meat of an ABA lineup and has done nothing but improve on defense. Here is the rotation in order.
PLAYER – Juan Alatorre LHP 6'3” 220
AGE – 29
REPORT – The staffs “elder statesman” coming off a fantastic 2008 in which he went 17-9 1 SV and a 3.07 ERA. The wins and ERA were good enough to rank 5th in the league. He was 9th in innings pitched, 2md in BABIP at .243 and 8th in WHIP at 1.11. Has everything you want in a top of the rotation arm. I wouldn't call him an 'ace' in the sense he's a 1 game do or die guy, but he will handle the opening day assignment that he earned.
LAST YEAR – 17-8 3.07 ERA 226 IP 183 H 151 K 67 BB 1.11 WHIP
ACQUIRED – Signed as an international free agent 1/1/08
CONTRACT – signed through 2012 at 3.675 per year 1-year service
PLAYER – Kody Pollock LHP 5'11” 195
AGE - 25
REPORT – The guy I think assumes the ace mantle this year. He's the team leader in the clubhouse for sure, rare for two reasons. He's just 25 and he's a starting pitcher. Pitchers, with rare exceptions, garner leadership roles in an ABA clubhouse but he has and that speaks volumes. He's not done improving and that's coming off an 18 win season. He stops running games and is a low to mid 90's legitimate 3 pitch guy developing a 4th pitch. He was third in wins (18) 2nd in winning % (.720) 8th in ERA (3.15) 4th in HR/9 (0.52) and tied for 5th with 2 shutouts. All that in his first full ABA season
ACQUIRED – Trade with Las Vegas 7/31/06
LAST YEAR – 18-7 3.15
CONTRACT – 211,000 arbitration contract. His # next year is around 700K which would be an insane steal. I am going to work on an extension this year. 1 year 73 days service
PLAYER – Chad Willoughby RHP 6'3” 205
AGE -27
REPORT – Acquired along with Kody Pollock in the July 2006 deadline deal. Coming off a very good season, one that didn't reflect in his W/L. A horse with 4 + pitches and a knee-buckling curve rated as one of the leagues best. He's a 'young' 27 in that he doesn't have the huge number of innings on his arm others do. Milwaukee made a hard run for him this winter as the fans there love the 'hometown hero'. He's a great kid, never a question about anything off the field and on the field he lets it all hang out every 5th day. He was 2nd in GS (33) 10th in ERA (3.16) 8th in BABIP (.254) 7th in HR/9 (0.56) and 5th in H/9 at 7.37
ACQUIRED – Trade with Las Vegas 7/31/06
LAST YEAR – 11-9 3.16
CONTRACT – 211,200 arbitration contract. Another arm I will work to extend this year. 1 year 102 days service
PLAYER – Luis Samvdio RHP 6'3” 210
AGE - 26
REPORT – A great kid who is still getting better. Has the games best knuckle curve as ranked by the players. Sits low to mid 90's and will be a true innings eater as he matures. Humble, honest and a great teammate he's got a great future ahead of him. He was 5th in HR/9 at 0.53 7th in H/9 at 7.52 10th in K/9 at 6.63 and he's still getting better.
ACQUIRED – Signed as a Free Agent in December of 2006
LAST YEAR – 14-11 3.43
CONTRACT – signed through 2010 with team options at 2.5m in 2011 and 3.5 million in 2012. Buyouts of 470K each year. 3 years 165 days service
PLAYER – Yasushi Sugihara RHP 6'1” 190
AGE - 24
REPORT – A kid with an unlimited ceiling. Ohio abused him by bringing him up far ahead of when he was ready and he ended up toiling in the pen instead of getting innings. Was the games 18th ranked prospect heading into 2006. He's a monster arm, incredible athlete, and a clubhouse presence. Scouts say his curveball is absolutely in the 'games best' discussion today. His fastball is still getting better and his slider, which many expect to be ++ is still a good ways off from the finished product. He struggled in our pen after coming over last year (3-6 6.38) but that was after a 9-3 3.14 beginning of the season in the Generals rotation. While he still has a long way to go from a finished product standpoint getting him for RP Sam Ginn may end up being one of the best deals I've ever made.
ACQUIRED – Trade with Ohio 7/11/08
LAST YEAR – 12-9 4.48 29 G 23 GS 146.2 IP 70 K 77 BB 137 H
CONTRACT – 390K arbitration contract. Has 3 years of service so still under control. Would like to see a solid first half and if so I'd work to get him signed as well.
PLAYER – Arturo Mendoza RHP/3B 6'3” 210
AGE - 25
REPORT – One of three legitimate two-way talents who will give us a dynamic few teams possess if he can handle the pitching side of this. His bat was ready last year and I think his arm may finally be ready. He will allow us to go with a 6 man rotation, a legitimate 6 man rotation, from the opening of the season. An injury or ineffectiveness in a starting role by him or by Sugihara and I have the flexibility to adjust which few teams do. He was my 2nd round draft pick in our initial 2005 amateur draft (30th overall) and I'm excited to see how my manager handles a rare and potentially advantageous situation. He'll be spelled at 3B on a needed basis.
ACQUIRED - 2nd Round 2005 Draft (30th overall pick)
LAST YEAR – 11-11 5.30 in 28 starts and .327/.411/.534 with 26 2B 14 HR 50 RBI in 83 AAA games.
CONTRACT – 211,200 24 days of ABA service
OFFENSE
PLAYER – Giobbe Funicello RH Catcher 6'1” 210
AGE – 33
REPORT – One of the most accomplished catchers in ABA history. An 8-time all-star, 7-time silver slugger winner and a gold glove winner as well. Sits atop or near the top of almost every career offensive category for catchers. Over his 11+ years split evenly between San Antonio (789 games) where he began and Alaska (791 games) where he has been since 2003 he has hit .291/.375/.486 for a career OPS of .861. Up until his career 'low' 110 games last year he had never started less than 125 and never appeared in less than 132. He's a true iron man in every sense of the word. He's one of the faces of the ABA around the world. His hometown of Rome, Italy literally comes to a stop every game day. He was brought in to provide leadership, and stability to a young pitching staff, mentor the organization's crop of young catching talent and hit in the middle of the order.
ACQUIRED – Free agent signing 12/14/08
LAST YEAR - .252/.322/.391 12 HR 44 RBI
CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – 5 years 24.425 million. Signed through 2013 11 years 118 days service
PLAYER - Jeremy Makowski RH Catcher 6' 210
AGE – 25
REPORT – right-handed hitting catcher with gold glove tools. Strongest arm in the game behind the dish. Once we had signed Giobbe Cisco Mendoza became one of the more sought-after players on the team. At 29 and knowing he would not be starting he wanted to move on and we made that happen. He's a legitimate backup who will hold down the fort until some of our younger talent matures. Not a huge fan of his off the field.
ACQUIRED – Trade with New England 12/13/08
LAST YEAR - .266/.321/.490 in 106 games of AAA. He hit 26 HR and drove in 93.
CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – 211,200 arbitration contract 64 days service time
PLAYER – Giomar Cortezo RH 1B 5'11” 200
AGE – 28
REPORT – The 2007 NL MVP. Coming off a 'down year'. He'll anchor this lineup both ways and I expect him to just continue getting better. His ability to get on base along with his speed makes him a rare offensive player at 1B. Was the NL batting champ in 2007. Last year was 10th in the league in 2B (32) 7th in 3B (11) 10th in runs (91) 3rd in extra-base hits (61) 7th in OBP (.371) 6th in slugging (.482) 6th in OPS (.852)
ACQUIRED – Trade with Los Angeles 12/7/07
LAST YEAR - .292/.371/.482 32 2B 11 3B 18 HR 82 RBI 20 SB 51 K 71 BB
CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – Signed through 2010 at 3.88 million per year. 5 years 71 days.
PLAYER – D.J. Adams 1B/DH Switch 5'11” 205
AGE - 24
REPORT – Snagged in the Rule 5 draft he's a 24-year-old with potential 50 HR power. He switch hits and handles RHP very well as well as destroying LHP. His defensive options are limited to 1B and below average at that. He will be part of a 2-headed monster we use at DH.
ACQUIRED – 2008 Rule 5 Draft from Oklahoma
LAST YEAR – AAA .325/.381/.598 with 31 HR 102 RBI
CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – Minor league contract 0 service time.
PLAYER – Juan Flores RH 2B/IF 6'1” 190
AGE - 27
REPORT – The 2nd of 2 big signings this winter. An extremely popular player in the league and in the game with 60+ steal speed and gold glove potential around the infield. He's a top of the order option as he matures but has 2 200+ strikeout seasons in his past which I attribute directly to his early exposure more than talent. Had a down year for Jacksonville at the plate last year but our guys think his best days are to come. Is 203-249 (82%) lifetime in Stolen Bases. He'll hit either 1st, 2nd or 8th.
ACQUIRED – Free agent signing 12/30/08
LAST YEAR - .234/.313/.310 3 HR 43 RBI 47-60 SB.
CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – Signed through 2013 with a player option (2.85M) for 2014 5 years 59 days service time
PLAYER – Ken Hallamore RH SS 6'1” 175
AGE - 22
REPORT – I am predicting he retires with no less than 5 gold gloves. An elite defender who somehow managed to make an astounding 34 errors last year. He was 38-67 in stolen bases last year so that needs addressing but he is a 60+ steal baserunner if managed properly. He hit 29 2B 12 3B and 16 homers last year. Hard worker and great clubhouse guy.
ACQUIRED – Trade with San Diego 2/14/08
LAST YEAR - .277/.350/.454 16 HR 82 RBI 38 SB
CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – 1.615 million 2 years 35 days service time
PLAYER – Harland Daig RH IF 6'2” 195
AGE - 25
REPORT – 2008 AL Rookie of the year and an AL All-star. Had a fantastic season all around. His defensive versatility might make him one of the leagues best 10th men. His offensive season far surpassed what the scouts thought he was capable of but he has not shaken the 'lazy' label even after the great year. There's hope that Juan Flores presence can help change that. Hit 23 2B 10 3B 10 HR and stole 39-58 (67%) bases. Figures to be the go-to guy when Mendoza starts on the mound as well as the guy to spell infielders all year long.
ACQUIRED – Trade with Chicago 7/26/07
LAST YEAR - .301/.345/.458 23 2B 10 3B 10 HR 47 RBI 39 SB AL Rookie of the Year AL All-Star
CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – 211,200 arbitration contract. 145 days service time
PLAYER – Moromao Yamaoka RH IF 6'2” 185
AGE – 25
REPORT – Sort of an emergency option at the end of camp as a backup IF. He can play around the horn and does it well above average. He's not done maturing as a hitter and quite honestly would be better served to start and playing every day at AAA. He brings an enormous amount of intangibles, enough to be a valued and respected guy in the clubhouse. He is regarded as one of the games best bunters.
ACQUIRED – Trade with Buffalo 12/14/08
LAST YEAR – AAA .264/.364/.439 20 2B 14 HR 54 RBI 75 K 61 BB 22-33 SB
CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – Minor league contract 0 service time
PLAYER – Joe Cummings Switch OF/DH 5'10” 180
AGE - 24
REPORT – Acquired in December deal with the Drillers he had a great spring and as a switch hitter who crushes RHP, he will help form our two-headed switch-hitting DH monster. Has outstanding speed and enough of a toolset to play a corner OF spot as he matures. Struggles big time with LHP though. His added tool? He is about as good a bunter as there is in the league. Many folks say he could hit .300 bunting. Add that to 40 HR power and you have a very unique offensive talent.
ACQUIRED – Trade with Oklahoma 12/14/08
LAST YEAR – AAA .326/.408/.587 27 2B 9 3B 28 HR 95 RBI 33-59 SB 58 K 66 BB
CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – Minor League Contract -0 service time
PLAYER – Juan Renovato RH OF 6'3” 220
AGE - 28
REPORT - 4th outfielder with good tools and great intangibles. Has a much higher ceiling at the plate than he showed last year. Does all the things well and is a great teammate. Will be a defensive guy on the corners as well as spelling them every now and then and can play CF (though not real well) if need be.
ACQUIRED – Trade with Milwaukee 11/27/07
LAST YEAR - .238/.290/.313 9 2B 2 3B 2 HR 26 RBI 71 games
CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – 270,000 arbitration contract 2 years 111 days service time
PLAYER – Ismael Saldana LH 1B/LF 6' 190
AGE - 25
REPORT – A guy I fully expect to begin contending for MVP hardware. He is ranked as one of the top 4 or 5 bats in the game. Coming off a down year for sure but I can see a guy who should routinely hit .315+ as well as 40+ HR's annually.
ACQUIRED - 1st overall draft choice 2006 June Draft
LAST YEAR - .259/.340/.432 19 2B 4 3B 23 HR 87 RBI
CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – Signed through 2012 with a 4 million dollar player option for 2013. Making 550,000 this year 1 year 148 days service time
PLAYER – Serge Baud RH OF 6'3” 190
AGE - 23
REPORT – One of the games fastest runners. Will anchor CF for now and likely hit at the bottom of the lineup. Still maturing as a hitter. Showed quite a bit more pop at AA last year than anyone expected.
ACQUIRED – Waiver claim from New York 11/04/08
LAST YEAR – AA .266/.334/.474 21 2B 7 3B 22 HR 13-13 SB 61 RBI 120 games
CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – 211,200 arbitration contract 35 days service time
PLAYER – Makata Hayashi LH OF 6'4” 220
AGE - 24
REPORT – 2006 AL Rookie of the year hit 45 home runs and drove in 132. Slumped last year big time. Great offseason has him showing up ready to go. He's a monster bat who destroys RHP (71 of 84 career homers vs RHP). No speed to speak of but a good baserunner. Fully expect him and Saldana to terrorize right handers all year long
ACQUIRED – Signed as an international free agent 1/3/06
LAST YEAR - .254/.341/.358 14 2B 14 HR 69 RBI 82 K 71 BB
CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – Final year of contract at 2.5 million 3 years service time

07-02-2018, 01:22 AM	#236
gehrig38 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Medfield, Mass Posts: 5,992	2009 florida tarpons STARTING ROTATIONWe are quite literally breaking new ground. No team has ever left camp with a 6 man rotation it planned to use all year long. That's the plan. Obviously, Arturo Mendoza's progress on the mound will be watched closely but he's ready to hit in the meat of an ABA lineup and has done nothing but improve on defense. Here is the rotation in order. PLAYER – Juan Alatorre LHP 6'3” 220 AGE – 29 REPORT – The staffs “elder statesman” coming off a fantastic 2008 in which he went 17-9 1 SV and a 3.07 ERA. The wins and ERA were good enough to rank 5th in the league. He was 9th in innings pitched, 2md in BABIP at .243 and 8th in WHIP at 1.11. Has everything you want in a top of the rotation arm. I wouldn't call him an 'ace' in the sense he's a 1 game do or die guy, but he will handle the opening day assignment that he earned. LAST YEAR – 17-8 3.07 ERA 226 IP 183 H 151 K 67 BB 1.11 WHIP ACQUIRED – Signed as an international free agent 1/1/08 CONTRACT – signed through 2012 at 3.675 per year 1-year service PLAYER – Kody Pollock LHP 5'11” 195 AGE - 25 REPORT – The guy I think assumes the ace mantle this year. He's the team leader in the clubhouse for sure, rare for two reasons. He's just 25 and he's a starting pitcher. Pitchers, with rare exceptions, garner leadership roles in an ABA clubhouse but he has and that speaks volumes. He's not done improving and that's coming off an 18 win season. He stops running games and is a low to mid 90's legitimate 3 pitch guy developing a 4th pitch. He was third in wins (18) 2nd in winning % (.720) 8th in ERA (3.15) 4th in HR/9 (0.52) and tied for 5th with 2 shutouts. All that in his first full ABA season ACQUIRED – Trade with Las Vegas 7/31/06 LAST YEAR – 18-7 3.15 CONTRACT – 211,000 arbitration contract. His # next year is around 700K which would be an insane steal. I am going to work on an extension this year. 1 year 73 days service PLAYER – Chad Willoughby RHP 6'3” 205 AGE -27 REPORT – Acquired along with Kody Pollock in the July 2006 deadline deal. Coming off a very good season, one that didn't reflect in his W/L. A horse with 4 + pitches and a knee-buckling curve rated as one of the leagues best. He's a 'young' 27 in that he doesn't have the huge number of innings on his arm others do. Milwaukee made a hard run for him this winter as the fans there love the 'hometown hero'. He's a great kid, never a question about anything off the field and on the field he lets it all hang out every 5th day. He was 2nd in GS (33) 10th in ERA (3.16) 8th in BABIP (.254) 7th in HR/9 (0.56) and 5th in H/9 at 7.37 ACQUIRED – Trade with Las Vegas 7/31/06 LAST YEAR – 11-9 3.16 CONTRACT – 211,200 arbitration contract. Another arm I will work to extend this year. 1 year 102 days service PLAYER – Luis Samvdio RHP 6'3” 210 AGE - 26 REPORT – A great kid who is still getting better. Has the games best knuckle curve as ranked by the players. Sits low to mid 90's and will be a true innings eater as he matures. Humble, honest and a great teammate he's got a great future ahead of him. He was 5th in HR/9 at 0.53 7th in H/9 at 7.52 10th in K/9 at 6.63 and he's still getting better. ACQUIRED – Signed as a Free Agent in December of 2006 LAST YEAR – 14-11 3.43 CONTRACT – signed through 2010 with team options at 2.5m in 2011 and 3.5 million in 2012. Buyouts of 470K each year. 3 years 165 days service PLAYER – Yasushi Sugihara RHP 6'1” 190 AGE - 24 REPORT – A kid with an unlimited ceiling. Ohio abused him by bringing him up far ahead of when he was ready and he ended up toiling in the pen instead of getting innings. Was the games 18th ranked prospect heading into 2006. He's a monster arm, incredible athlete, and a clubhouse presence. Scouts say his curveball is absolutely in the 'games best' discussion today. His fastball is still getting better and his slider, which many expect to be ++ is still a good ways off from the finished product. He struggled in our pen after coming over last year (3-6 6.38) but that was after a 9-3 3.14 beginning of the season in the Generals rotation. While he still has a long way to go from a finished product standpoint getting him for RP Sam Ginn may end up being one of the best deals I've ever made. ACQUIRED – Trade with Ohio 7/11/08 LAST YEAR – 12-9 4.48 29 G 23 GS 146.2 IP 70 K 77 BB 137 H CONTRACT – 390K arbitration contract. Has 3 years of service so still under control. Would like to see a solid first half and if so I'd work to get him signed as well. PLAYER – Arturo Mendoza RHP/3B 6'3” 210 AGE - 25 REPORT – One of three legitimate two-way talents who will give us a dynamic few teams possess if he can handle the pitching side of this. His bat was ready last year and I think his arm may finally be ready. He will allow us to go with a 6 man rotation, a legitimate 6 man rotation, from the opening of the season. An injury or ineffectiveness in a starting role by him or by Sugihara and I have the flexibility to adjust which few teams do. He was my 2nd round draft pick in our initial 2005 amateur draft (30th overall) and I'm excited to see how my manager handles a rare and potentially advantageous situation. He'll be spelled at 3B on a needed basis. ACQUIRED - 2nd Round 2005 Draft (30th overall pick) LAST YEAR – 11-11 5.30 in 28 starts and .327/.411/.534 with 26 2B 14 HR 50 RBI in 83 AAA games. CONTRACT – 211,200 24 days of ABA service OFFENSE PLAYER – Giobbe Funicello RH Catcher 6'1” 210 AGE – 33 REPORT – One of the most accomplished catchers in ABA history. An 8-time all-star, 7-time silver slugger winner and a gold glove winner as well. Sits atop or near the top of almost every career offensive category for catchers. Over his 11+ years split evenly between San Antonio (789 games) where he began and Alaska (791 games) where he has been since 2003 he has hit .291/.375/.486 for a career OPS of .861. Up until his career 'low' 110 games last year he had never started less than 125 and never appeared in less than 132. He's a true iron man in every sense of the word. He's one of the faces of the ABA around the world. His hometown of Rome, Italy literally comes to a stop every game day. He was brought in to provide leadership, and stability to a young pitching staff, mentor the organization's crop of young catching talent and hit in the middle of the order. ACQUIRED – Free agent signing 12/14/08 LAST YEAR - .252/.322/.391 12 HR 44 RBI CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – 5 years 24.425 million. Signed through 2013 11 years 118 days service PLAYER - Jeremy Makowski RH Catcher 6' 210 AGE – 25 REPORT – right-handed hitting catcher with gold glove tools. Strongest arm in the game behind the dish. Once we had signed Giobbe Cisco Mendoza became one of the more sought-after players on the team. At 29 and knowing he would not be starting he wanted to move on and we made that happen. He's a legitimate backup who will hold down the fort until some of our younger talent matures. Not a huge fan of his off the field. ACQUIRED – Trade with New England 12/13/08 LAST YEAR - .266/.321/.490 in 106 games of AAA. He hit 26 HR and drove in 93. CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – 211,200 arbitration contract 64 days service time PLAYER – Giomar Cortezo RH 1B 5'11” 200 AGE – 28 REPORT – The 2007 NL MVP. Coming off a 'down year'. He'll anchor this lineup both ways and I expect him to just continue getting better. His ability to get on base along with his speed makes him a rare offensive player at 1B. Was the NL batting champ in 2007. Last year was 10th in the league in 2B (32) 7th in 3B (11) 10th in runs (91) 3rd in extra-base hits (61) 7th in OBP (.371) 6th in slugging (.482) 6th in OPS (.852) ACQUIRED – Trade with Los Angeles 12/7/07 LAST YEAR - .292/.371/.482 32 2B 11 3B 18 HR 82 RBI 20 SB 51 K 71 BB CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – Signed through 2010 at 3.88 million per year. 5 years 71 days. PLAYER – D.J. Adams 1B/DH Switch 5'11” 205 AGE - 24 REPORT – Snagged in the Rule 5 draft he's a 24-year-old with potential 50 HR power. He switch hits and handles RHP very well as well as destroying LHP. His defensive options are limited to 1B and below average at that. He will be part of a 2-headed monster we use at DH. ACQUIRED – 2008 Rule 5 Draft from Oklahoma LAST YEAR – AAA .325/.381/.598 with 31 HR 102 RBI CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – Minor league contract 0 service time. PLAYER – Juan Flores RH 2B/IF 6'1” 190 AGE - 27 REPORT – The 2nd of 2 big signings this winter. An extremely popular player in the league and in the game with 60+ steal speed and gold glove potential around the infield. He's a top of the order option as he matures but has 2 200+ strikeout seasons in his past which I attribute directly to his early exposure more than talent. Had a down year for Jacksonville at the plate last year but our guys think his best days are to come. Is 203-249 (82%) lifetime in Stolen Bases. He'll hit either 1st, 2nd or 8th. ACQUIRED – Free agent signing 12/30/08 LAST YEAR - .234/.313/.310 3 HR 43 RBI 47-60 SB. CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – Signed through 2013 with a player option (2.85M) for 2014 5 years 59 days service time PLAYER – Ken Hallamore RH SS 6'1” 175 AGE - 22 REPORT – I am predicting he retires with no less than 5 gold gloves. An elite defender who somehow managed to make an astounding 34 errors last year. He was 38-67 in stolen bases last year so that needs addressing but he is a 60+ steal baserunner if managed properly. He hit 29 2B 12 3B and 16 homers last year. Hard worker and great clubhouse guy. ACQUIRED – Trade with San Diego 2/14/08 LAST YEAR - .277/.350/.454 16 HR 82 RBI 38 SB CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – 1.615 million 2 years 35 days service time PLAYER – Harland Daig RH IF 6'2” 195 AGE - 25 REPORT – 2008 AL Rookie of the year and an AL All-star. Had a fantastic season all around. His defensive versatility might make him one of the leagues best 10th men. His offensive season far surpassed what the scouts thought he was capable of but he has not shaken the 'lazy' label even after the great year. There's hope that Juan Flores presence can help change that. Hit 23 2B 10 3B 10 HR and stole 39-58 (67%) bases. Figures to be the go-to guy when Mendoza starts on the mound as well as the guy to spell infielders all year long. ACQUIRED – Trade with Chicago 7/26/07 LAST YEAR - .301/.345/.458 23 2B 10 3B 10 HR 47 RBI 39 SB AL Rookie of the Year AL All-Star CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – 211,200 arbitration contract. 145 days service time PLAYER – Moromao Yamaoka RH IF 6'2” 185 AGE – 25 REPORT – Sort of an emergency option at the end of camp as a backup IF. He can play around the horn and does it well above average. He's not done maturing as a hitter and quite honestly would be better served to start and playing every day at AAA. He brings an enormous amount of intangibles, enough to be a valued and respected guy in the clubhouse. He is regarded as one of the games best bunters. ACQUIRED – Trade with Buffalo 12/14/08 LAST YEAR – AAA .264/.364/.439 20 2B 14 HR 54 RBI 75 K 61 BB 22-33 SB CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – Minor league contract 0 service time PLAYER – Joe Cummings Switch OF/DH 5'10” 180 AGE - 24 REPORT – Acquired in December deal with the Drillers he had a great spring and as a switch hitter who crushes RHP, he will help form our two-headed switch-hitting DH monster. Has outstanding speed and enough of a toolset to play a corner OF spot as he matures. Struggles big time with LHP though. His added tool? He is about as good a bunter as there is in the league. Many folks say he could hit .300 bunting. Add that to 40 HR power and you have a very unique offensive talent. ACQUIRED – Trade with Oklahoma 12/14/08 LAST YEAR – AAA .326/.408/.587 27 2B 9 3B 28 HR 95 RBI 33-59 SB 58 K 66 BB CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – Minor League Contract -0 service time PLAYER – Juan Renovato RH OF 6'3” 220 AGE - 28 REPORT - 4th outfielder with good tools and great intangibles. Has a much higher ceiling at the plate than he showed last year. Does all the things well and is a great teammate. Will be a defensive guy on the corners as well as spelling them every now and then and can play CF (though not real well) if need be. ACQUIRED – Trade with Milwaukee 11/27/07 LAST YEAR - .238/.290/.313 9 2B 2 3B 2 HR 26 RBI 71 games CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – 270,000 arbitration contract 2 years 111 days service time PLAYER – Ismael Saldana LH 1B/LF 6' 190 AGE - 25 REPORT – A guy I fully expect to begin contending for MVP hardware. He is ranked as one of the top 4 or 5 bats in the game. Coming off a down year for sure but I can see a guy who should routinely hit .315+ as well as 40+ HR's annually. ACQUIRED - 1st overall draft choice 2006 June Draft LAST YEAR - .259/.340/.432 19 2B 4 3B 23 HR 87 RBI CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – Signed through 2012 with a 4 million dollar player option for 2013. Making 550,000 this year 1 year 148 days service time PLAYER – Serge Baud RH OF 6'3” 190 AGE - 23 REPORT – One of the games fastest runners. Will anchor CF for now and likely hit at the bottom of the lineup. Still maturing as a hitter. Showed quite a bit more pop at AA last year than anyone expected. ACQUIRED – Waiver claim from New York 11/04/08 LAST YEAR – AA .266/.334/.474 21 2B 7 3B 22 HR 13-13 SB 61 RBI 120 games CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – 211,200 arbitration contract 35 days service time PLAYER – Makata Hayashi LH OF 6'4” 220 AGE - 24 REPORT – 2006 AL Rookie of the year hit 45 home runs and drove in 132. Slumped last year big time. Great offseason has him showing up ready to go. He's a monster bat who destroys RHP (71 of 84 career homers vs RHP). No speed to speak of but a good baserunner. Fully expect him and Saldana to terrorize right handers all year long ACQUIRED – Signed as an international free agent 1/3/06 LAST YEAR - .254/.341/.358 14 2B 14 HR 69 RBI 82 K 71 BB CONTRACT/SERVICE TIME – Final year of contract at 2.5 million 3 years service time __________________ The Chicago Iron Pigs 2012-2024 The IBL's first 13 years The Alaska Avalanche 2024-2030 Moving on to my birthplace The San Antonio Silver Stars 2030-2034 From one big state, Alaska, to another, Texas!