[Westheim]

The Raccoons, with their assumed holes in the rotation, behind the dish, and on the left side of the green grass started their offseason efforts by attacking the most glaring (the rotation), which would also be the costliest. We would not be shy about chasing the top free agents up trees, either, although we knew it could get very expensive, very fast.

There was, f.e., one of our opponents in the CLCS this year, former Condor Jonas Mejia, who had suffered through years and years of terrible defense in the shoe box in Dallas, posting ERA’s over five at times, but had become a stingy ace in Tijuana. He was a right-hander, which was the preferred handedness for us, given that we already had three southpaws in the rotation with Mark Roberts, Rico Gutierrez, and Rin Nomura (who was assumed to return to the team in late May at this stage). Add Delgadillo because we sorta had to, and then there was a spot open; two for the start of the season, although right now the plan was to cover the gap with Billy Ramm, or if he failed, George James, reluctantly.

The Coons would lose out on Mejia in a hurry though, as the righty signed a deal with the Rebels to become their ace within a week of the free agency period beginning. He was also not very talkative at all when I contacted him. Probably a sore loser! Can’t have that on our team anyway!

There was another righty in Bobby Morris, who had won 27 games between the last two years with the Miners, but was more of a low profile guy, and was also pitching only about six innings per start despite overall good numbers, on account of low stamina. The Raccoons had been through this dilemma before with Antonio Donis primarily, and then Donis had possessed murder stuff (although he would not efficiently employ that until almost a decade later with the Gold Sox). Morris’ stuff was not of the murder sort, and he was not likely to dominate teams. He had not up to this point, either.

There was longtime veteran and 2024 Pitcher of the Year Luis Flores on the market; Flores was a 35-year-old lefty, about whom our scouting department threw up several red flags. His K/9 had been in decline for a few years, and he had missed time with injuries in each of the last four seasons. He was seeking basically all the money we had, and this one smelled like Daniel Dickerson all over again. The Coons signed Dickerson to a 3-yr, $9.6M contract prior to the 2013 season, and had gotten absolutely nothing out of him. 223.1 innings and eight wins … across three seasons. The Critters were well advised to steer well clear of a guy like Flores…

Then there was longtime Indians stalwart and also southpaw Tom Shumway on the market. The Shumster (not an official nickname… YET) had an iron physique and had put up the same numbers more or less for a decade. You knew what you’d get – 230 innings, 2.5 BB/9, 6.5 K/9 … and numerous grounders. He would usually pitch in the high 2’s in terms of ERA, but had suffered a bit of a blip in 2027, posting a 4.25 ERA with the Aces. His career ERA was “only” 3.33, but some of that was the burden of younger years with less experience and fortune. Shumway could basically command any contract he wanted; he was 31 years old and radiating confidence that he’d keep it up for numerous years down the road. Could you even err with him? He was probably also eager to sign with a winner given that he had put up ten seasons’ worth of borderline Hall of Fame numbers (1,537 K and 36.9 WAR f.e.) and wanted some silverware down the road. He was a 5-time All Star, but had not won anything shiny between the Indians and Aces.

There was another stingy veteran available, 33-year-old righty Ian Prevost, but he would miss the first half of the season recovering from a torn flexor tendon and then you never knew how he’d be afterwards. There was also type A compensation attached to him (as was to any other pitcher outlined above), and the overall package just screamed to stay away from at this point. Sorry, Ian?

That left us to worry about the catching situation and the search for a right-handed third baseman or leftfielder, either one of those or both. Right now Daniel Rocha was the #2 catcher in the organization, which was certainly *a* solution, even if it was not a great one. He was a .244 batter in two cups of coffee so small it was hard to put any weight on those numbers (82 AB in total). He had hit a fair bit in a nearly full season in St. Pete last year (.259 with 7 HR) as a 24-year-old, and he was a strong defender, so he had that going for him, besides the fact that he’d make the minimum, which was always a good thing on teams in the process of churning out contracts of $2.5M/y or more.

Also, this silly quirk: there were only six Colombian players that had appeared in the ABL in 2028, and the Raccoons had two of them (Rocha, Magallanes). Notables besides our pair were journeyman reliever Freddy Heredia, who had been with the Capitals but was now a free agent, and the Crusaders’ Nelson Ayala.

As we are on players from weird places, Brazilian Daniel Bullock did not get signed until May when the Aces gave him a minor league deal, used him across all levels, and largely got nothing out of him. I am well informed about his whereabouts since Cristiano Carmona voice-chats with him every ****ing morning while I desperately try to have a little bourbon with a shot of coffee in peace. I would slam the laptop’s screen down on his fingers, but how’s he going to push his wheelchair with broken fingers? See, I am said to be kinda impulsive and mean, but I am not *that* impulsive and mean.

So far.

CRISTIANO, STOP TALKING ABOUT HOW RAMOS CAN’T HOLD A CANDLE TO BULLOCK OR I SWEAR I’LL –

(takes a sip to calm down)

+++

November 22 – The Rebels sign 27-yr old ex-TIJ SP Jonas Mejia (81-90, 4.04 ERA) to a 4-yr, $14.36M contract.
November 22 – The Indians pick up former Capitals reliever Antonio Quintana (32-35, 3.91 ERA, 12 SV) on a 3-yr, $2.43M contract. Quintana is said to be a closer candidate for the 2029 Indians.
November 23 – The Titans trade for Dallas’ RF/LF Dave O’Rourke (.256, 57 HR, 226 RBI), sending 1B Bob Lloyd (.250, 49 HR, 176 RBI) to the Stars.
November 23 – Boston also adds 35-year-old ex-SFB 3B/1B Eddie Moreno (.319, 171 HR, 1,034 RBI) on a 1-yr deal worth $1.26M.
November 23 – Indy adds C Edgar Paiz (.258, 11 HR, 61 RBI) in a trade with the Cyclones that sends INF Izzy Alvarez (.267, 124 HR, 603 RBI) and a prospect to the Cyclones.
November 24 – A trade with the Scorpions sends INF Dan Williams (.270, 6 HR, 66 RBI) to the Condors in exchange for MR Lisuarte Paradela (13-11, 3.56 ERA, 19 SV) and a prospect.
November 26 – The Raccoons announce the addition of 31-year-old ex-LVA SP Tom Shumway (124-96, 3.33 ERA) on a 5-yr, $16.5M contract. The Raccoons forfeit their first-round draft pick to the Aces.
November 28 – Former Aces SP Luis Flores (148-95, 3.35 ERA) signs a 2-year deal with the Pacifics. The contract will see the 35-year old Flores earn $6.36M.
November 29 – The Raccoons trade for 27-year-old TIJ SP/MR Sean Rigg (20-16, 3.86 ERA), parting with 30-year-old 2B/LF/3B Jarod Spencer (.297, 8 HR, 316 RBI) and 23-year-old AA OF John Richard.
November 30 – The Pacifics sign ex-POR LF/RF/1B Jon Correa (.274, 165 HR, 805 RBI) for 3-yr, $6.96M. The Raccoons receive a supplemental round compensation pick.
December 1 – Rule 5 Draft: 17 players are taken across four rounds. The Raccoons draft 24-year-old utility man Chris Baldwin from the Pacifics.
December 1 – The Condors add former Titans utility man Matt Good (.285, 139 HR, 827 RBI) on a 2-yr, $4.56M deal.
December 2 – Veteran SS Andrew Showalter (.307, 263 HR, 1,257 RBI) returns to the Knights after two years with the Condors. The 37-year-old will make $5.52M over two years.

+++

BAM!! SHUMWAY!!

I know, I know, how can I blow all our money on a single stud southpaw when he already had two or three stud southpaws? Well, first, I like southpaws; and second, just look at him! Look at him! He’s in perfect condition…! (lifts each of Shumway’s arms individually, then both at the same time) See, all parts still moving! (squeezes Shumway in the sides of the jaws to reveal his teeth) …aaand… we’ll get that tooth fixed, too, I guess.

Besides, who says we won’t wheel’n’deal a little down the road?

The first deal was however not related to the Shumway signing at all. The Raccoons were in spending mode, but they were also spending on the wrong guys. Jarod Spencer had been quite the flash for a few seasons in the mid-20s, but he had been worth negative WAR in the last two years. As pointed out earlier, he was a singles slapper that was mortally offended by the idea of ball four, had no power, and scouting found his speed and defense to be diminishing at 30. The Coons had been on the hook for $1M on him for the 2029 season when his performance really didn’t merit it. The Condors in turn were tired of Sean Rigg, who had received $322k in arbitration, was certainly not going to crack their rotation (but had made 49 career starts between 2026 and 2027), but had not been amazing in relief for them either in ’28. All it took for the deal was a 2026 12th-round pick that wasn’t cracking it in the minors. Rigg is mainly competing with the likes of Nick Derks for a spot in he shallow end of the pen right now.

Tim Stalker will be the second base starter for the next years, anyway, partnered up with Ramos long time (or at least as long as we can pay Albie … or Berto?). Backups are sketchy though. Rich Hereford is certainly one, and while Butch Gerster would be a sweet alternative on paper, he had absolutely no second base experience, having only been used on the left side of the infield. German Sanchez was an experienced second baseman, but lacked any batting skill at all.

Various former Raccoons finding their parachute to be working: Adam St. Germaine got 2-yr, $700k from the Aces; Armando Leal got $396k for a tour of duty with the Bayhawks;