[Westheim]

February 3 – Veteran outfielder Jesus Martinez (.251, 139 HR, 545 RBI) signs a 3-year deal with the Condors worth $4.92M after spending last season with the Falcons.
February 10 – Former Knights closer Erik Swain (37-32, 3.14 ERA, 227 SV) inks a 3-year, $19.26M contract with the Thunder.
February 10 – Dallas snaps up former Pacifics CL Roberto Ramirez (63-64, 3.47 ERA, 329 SV) to a 2-year, $3.24M contract.
February 14 – The Buffaloes prop up their rotation with ex-NYC/IND SP Josh Barcellona (82-72, 3.95 ERA) on a 4-year, $21.2M deal.
March 9 – 42-year-old SP Kodai Koga (238-240, 3.73 ERA) adds another season to his storied career by resigning with the Knights for $3.56M.
March 9 – The Raccoons splurge $555k for the services of ex-OCT INF Jorge Caballero (.276, 8 HR, 96 RBI).

+++

Half a million for a career backup was as good as it was gonna get for the Raccoons at this point. His throwing arm wasn’t much, so he was best kept on the right side of the infield, but he offered an option to spot Joel Starr against southpaws.

Apart from that the Raccoons only picked up a couple of minor league free agents on minor league deals, like f.e. Pete Bartlett, age 26, a former sixth-rounder by the Blue Sox with excellent defensive qualities, who had never seen the majors before; the type of personnel that was nice to have *off* the 40-man roster.

And the rest of the former miserable bunches? Bruce Burkart signed with the Stars for $1.48M (which is a rate for which we would have kept him); Dave Blackshire signed with New York for $590k; the Thunder got Juan Carrillo for $810k; the Gold Sox grabbed Malik Crumble for $530k; the Titans got Sansao Tyson for $760k; Angel Perez (out of the majors for two full seasons) hangs on to the Aces for $442k; the Cyclones signed Nick Fowler for $590k; New York signed James Murdock for $620k; Ryan Sullivan was going to steal $640k from the Aces; the Bayhawks were giving $570k to Alex Rios; Ryan Harmer found himself a Crusader for $560k; the Gold Sox went for Josh Carlisle for $550k;