January 3: Some big free agent news:
Welcome back Jake Cid! The veteran is in the fold for two more years and gives us the power lefty we were lacking in the pen. He doesn't come cheap and we're committed for two years to a 36-year-old so there's some risk but sometimes you have to take it.
January 4: The Hall of Fame voting is in:
Congrats to Lozada, Padilla and Erickson! Lozada and Padilla were both very similar players - the former had 2985 hits, batted .314 and stole 728 bases while the latter had a massive 3610 hits, batted .309 and stole 739 bases, being the pre-eminent leadoff hitters of their generation. Erickson was one of the game's best all-around players, putting up a career 90 WAR with 410 homers and an MVP season in 2041 in which he earned 9.8 WAR. He also won 4 Gold Gloves for his superior defense. We say goodbye to Bo Bichette but hello to former Rays superstar Omar Rodriguez, who made a good first-year showing. Other former Rays stars Kikuo Kawase, Victor de Jesus and Bo Angeac have kind of stagnated, with Angeac a true longshot at this point.
January 7: The last of our big-name free agent relievers has signed elsewhere as Adan Guardado joined the Mets for 3/27.
February 4: Made our big international amateur free agent signing, adding 16-year-old Venezuelan catcher Angel Gomez. He has potential 75 power and a 75 eye but only 40 contact. Also he may not end up behind the plate as he only has 45 potential defensively.
February 14: Tim Johnson, a swingman with us the last few years, signed a modest 1-year, $1.2M deal with Houston.