Awards season:
Gold Gloves: Amazingly we won what has to be a team-record 3 of them, although two went to players who are or will no longer be on the team. Rookie David Morales won it at catcher to cap his outstanding freshman year, and Juan Viatoro (1B) and Beau Bonczek (LF) also took the nods. Bonczek was a shock since he had a -4.0 ZR and only 2.67 range factor.
Reliever of the Year: LA's Jake Cid was a near-unanimous (31 of 32) winner in the AL after a 8-2, 1.63, 3.2 WAR, 49-save season with our Steve Talbott finishing second and collecting the other first-place vote (not mine). Sam Roberson of Colorado took the NL award unanimously, going 11-5, 2.12 with 31 saves and 132 whiffs in 117 IP. He did make 7 starts early in the season.
Silver Sluggers: As usual we're well-represented here with Juan Davila (2B), Luis Barela (3B) and Jon Morales (RF) winning. Definitely the first time we had as many Gold Gloves as Silver Sluggers for sure.
Rookie of the Year: Austin's Jayden Campbell was the unanimous AL winner thanks to a .339-17-64, 6.4 WAR season. Our David Morales did place a clear second. The NL winner was Orlando Gallegos of Arizona as the 2B took 26 first-place votes after a .306-10-66 year.
Cy Young: Oakland's David Gonzalez was the clear winner, netting 26 first-place votes with his 16-6, 2.65 year, leading the league in whiffs (222) and pitcher WAR (5.6). Reliever of the Year Jake Cid actually finished second, getting the other six first-place votes and our Dave Rose finished 5th. In the NL Colorado's Ted Vanegas won after a 15-8, 3.23 that saw him lead the majors in strikeouts (235) and pitcher WAR (8.0!).
MVP: He did it again.
That makes it two MVPs in three seasons since being called up to start 2049 for Morales and he'll be getting a big payday in arbitration. In addition to Davila finishing 2nd Beau Bonczek was 6th in the voting. Over in the NL the MVP was Dave Schamp of Columbus, unanimously chosen after a massive .323-57-152 year with 7.7 WAR.
November 27: As expected Juan Davila turned down our qualifying offer so we'll pocket a supplemental 1st-round pick when he signs elsewhere. The international free agents were unveiled and we have a couple of minor league offers out. There were three 2B in the pool but unfortunately two of them were terrible and the other was too good as he wants $23M/year for 10 years whereas I'm just looking for a stopgap for next season. I also have an offer out to a free agent lefty reliever.
December 10: And there he goes - Davila signs with the Phillies on a 7/240 deal. It's a bit back-loaded but in a few years they'll be paying him $39M/year. He's a great hitter but he really shouldn't be playing 2B - as it is, he's a 1B/DH really. He had a -14.1 ZR at the keystone last year. Oof.
December 12: Signed Japanese 1B Takayuki Tsujimura to a minor league contract.
The details:
If get can that 45 contact up closer to his 60 potential he'll make a great replacement for Ruben Ramirez next year as my RH 1B when Ramirez gets too expensive in arbitration to keep on the short end of a platoon.
Also former Rays star Mario Saro, whom we traded to Boston last year, joined the Angels on a 7/168 deal. LA was his original organization before we acquired him from them as a prospect.
December 14: Another former Ray finds a new home as starter Gordie Ager is a Met for 3/34.
December 15: Rex Bransington will get paid as the Rays free agent signed a 4/57 deal with the Tigers.
December 21: Added OFs Bob Sanchez and David Alba, 3B Kang-Cheol Lee and P Chris O'Brien to the 42-man roster.
Rule 5 time and Sanchez and Alba are potential CFs of the future, Lee is a useful IF with power and patience signed as a MiLB free agent last year and O'Brien of course is a former pitcher of ours whom we re-signed to an MiLB deal and could help us as a lefty reliever this season. Even with these moves we only have 36 of the 42 spots filled so if something excites us in the draft we may make a selection.
December 22: The Rule 5 draft was pretty active (33 players were taken including 7 by Indianapolis) but nobody I deemed worth picking was in the pool nor did we lose anyone.
December 28: Signed our lefty reliever:
He sports 75 stuff, 65 movement and 45 control.
December 29: Another of our free agents has signed as lefty starter Chad Winger joined Oklahoma City on a 3/37 deal.
December 31: Another former Ray has a new home as OF Alex Duran, whom we traded midseason last year to St. Louis, joins former teammate Mario Saro in heading to the Angels. Duran got a sizable 6/141 contract.