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2017 Off-Season
In a busy offseason several of the NABL’s top stars moved to new homes, first ex-Detroit ace and Outstanding Pitcher Award winner Lou Murphy struck a lucrative 2-year deal with Los Angeles. Indianapolis lost star SS Vicente Padilla to Washington when the former wouldn’t meet his contract demands, his new employers were more than willing to pay what he was asking for, signing him to a 2 year $39M deal. The Generals said goodbye to star RF Ben Douglas who left Washington to head to Denver, signing with the Wildcats on a four year $82M deal whilst Minneapolis also made a splash, signing former Cleveland star Alberto Ortiz to a lucrative 6-year $130M contract. The biggest move by far involved Los Angeles again, this time losing Outstanding Hitter Award Winner and star shortstop Kevin Jones to free agency. Four teams soon emerged as serious suitors for his services, Chicago, Denver, New York and Phoenix. Eventually the choice for Jones came down to New York and Phoenix, he chose to stay in the Western League foregoing the bright lights of New York to sign a 4 year $88M deal with the Eagles.
The managerial merry-go-round was in full swing as well, with both Cleveland and San Jose once again looking for new managers. Cleveland struck first by hiring former Detroit bench coach Al Henderson to be their new Field Manager, not to be outdone, the Spartans raided the Atlanta Flames coaching tree, tabbing hitting coach Hector Luna as the replacement for outgoing boss Allen McGuire. Atlanta manager Will Harris, the 2015 Manager of the Year, had also surprisingly quit after the teams disappointing 2016 campaign, meaning the club was looking to fill two coaching positions with the loss of Luna. Rather than going the re-tread manager route, the Flames valued continuity and promoted from within. Bench coach Jeff Taylor was appointed as Will Harris’s replacement while AAA hitting coach Matt Hunt moved up to fulfil the same role with the major league club.
Heading into the draft there were three SEC players expected to be drafted early, Slick fielding shortstop Michael Matthews from Alabama, Slugging first baseman Michael “Boomer” Jennings from Tennessee and hard throwing pitcher Matt McKeochan from LSU.
On Draft night the first player picked was high school pitcher Bill Hilliard by San Jose, another questionable pick by Ted Garneau, Cleveland made fellow pitcher Ron Barnes the second pick before another high school pitcher Daniel Samuels was taken 3rd by Memphis, McKeochan heard his name called fourth by New York, Matthews was next, drafted by Tampa Bay fifth while Jennings had to wait until the 14th pick where Kansas City tabbed him. The Tornadoes also drafted second baseman Jack Underwood from New Orleans College in the 7th round, he had fallen down the draft because of injury concerns and KC took a chance on him. Many scouts believed they had got a huge steal if he could just stay healthy which was a big if, as this had always been his problem.
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