[Westheim]

As January progressed, the Raccoons kept looking or their new owner as well as an experienced backup outfielder, preferably for cheap and for a short time.

I was originally after Luis Leija, who had batted .247 with two homers with the Condors last year after having been on the Capitals and Aces earlier. He had not been a regular with a qualifying amount of plate appearances since 2024, then batting .255 with eight homers with Washington. He was not quite the Eddie Jackson type that my heart had been yearning for for such a long time. He also was somewhat unrealistic about the contract he could extract from the Raccoons, being pretty much insisting on a 2-yr, $2.4M contract that I wouldn't give him.

We would eventually stay in the same category, settling for longtime Indians outfielder Danny Morales. Like Leija, he hadn't been a regular since 2024 with the Indians, then had split the last three seasons with five different teams. In '27, he had batted only .214 with one homer for Cincy. The thing was, our new Puerto Rican friend would sign for little more than meal money, which fit well into my plans…

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January 12 – The Loggers snatch up former division rival, ex-BOS SP Morgan Shepherd (81-64, 3.68 ERA) on a 4-yr, $12.12M contract. The 32-year-old right-hander won 18 games for the Titans in 2027.
January 21 – The Miners acquire SP Mike Lake (97-103, 3.92 ERA) from the Cyclones, sending two prospects to Cincinnati.
January 22 – The Raccoons sign 33-year-old ex-CIN Danny Morales (.273, 63 HR, 422 RBI) to a 1-yr, $360k contract.
February 6 – Left-hander Danny Arguello (67-53, 3.68 ERA) signs a 2-year, $5.24M contract with the Pacifics. The 31-year-old swingman pitched for the Bayhawks and Capitals in 2027.
February 6 – The Titans get reinforcement in person of ex-TOP 3B/SS Stephen Williams (.258, 78 HR, 497 RBI), who signs a 3-yr, $5.3M contract.
February 9 – The Raccoons and Loggers exchange a whole host of disappointing players; 29-year-old OF Greg Borg (.218, 4 HR, 31 RBI) and 27-year-old AAA INF/LF John Kelley are sent to Milwaukee, while the Raccoons receive two pitchers in 29-year-old MR Yoo-chul Kim (28-40, 4.38 ERA, 7 SV) and 24-year-old SP/MR Billy Ramm (0-0, 1.74 ERA).
February 13 – The Miners ink ex-BOS SP/MR Julio San Pedro (97-74, 3.60 ERA, 62 SV). The 33-year-old right-hander will make $7.36M over three years.

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Yeah, Morales is a right-handed outfielder with no power, and no real position, but the Raccoons would have to make do with that for now. Besides, we really only need two backup outfielders, but really might have three around with the way leftfield will regularly be manned by an infielder with no room on the infield. Besides – assume we face a right-handed pitcher, so Matt Nunley starts the game at third, and Rich Hereford in left. If a left-handed reliever comes up at some point, Morales can bat for Nunley and then stay in the game in leftfield, while Rich Hereford zooms onto the dirt part of the field.

In my dreams, Greg Borg was a slugging outfielder that would make opposing pitchers wet themselves when he wasn't even in the on-deck circle yet. He sure had the right name for it. Alas, that never happened. After five seasons and less than a full season's worth of at-bats, him out of options, and Magallanes also still around, we had no more time to worry about him.

The Loggers were the only team remotely interested in a 29-year-old career nothing on minimum salary, and had a keen interest to rid themselves of Yoo-chul Kim, who was due $600k this season. Since Kim had no place on our 25-man roster and was also out of options, it was a bit of a waste deal until I came up with Billy Ramm, a rookie left-hander with ill control that could plausibly still be called a borderline second-rate prospect. The Loggers demanded a throw-in, and John Kelley had batted .218 in AAA last year, so he was easy to part with.

Ramm's upside is not massive, and I hate paying $600k to Kim, but then again, he looks sort of sick to begin with. I will have the Druid evaluate whether he will even live to Opening Day…

Will Mark Roberts start on Opening Day? – Druid says, still on the edge. Who will start if Roberts can't go? Probably Rin Nomura, who won 19 games (which tied for the league lead) and put up a 2.86 ERA last season.

Still waiting on news from the ownership front.

And here comes the ex-Coon department: Ruben Pelles signed for $550k with the Buffaloes; Adam St. Germaine joined the Wolves for $660k; and Joel Davis signed with the Capitals for $336k;