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gehrig38 · 12-05-2025, 02:16 AM

I received an "Urgent" phone call around 1am this morning.
It was Mike Stowell, my boss, and while it was 1am he sounded extremely awake.
"What on Gods green earth is happening down there? I went to bed and in a span of 15 minutes got over 100 text messages from my friends and fantasy baseball owners about the fire sale you just had. I am usually one to be informed during ANY trade but certainly NOT after you make 4 of them."
I was calm...
"Mr Stowell you gave me a mandate. You stated you wanted this team to be a contender inside of 5 years. I promise you that's exactly what will happen and if I know baseball I can tell you we will be more than that, sooner. Every single move we made today made us better tomorrow. Maybe not tomorrow, but a tomorrow not too far off. We acquired 9 draft picks ALL inside the first 5 rounds. We moved players who either had no business being in the ABL or would not be near a roster spot when we start getting good. We got young talent, good young talent but just as important we got young men with solid makeup and great character. I am building something long lasting, something that will make you proud of the legacy you leave. If you trust me you'll let me do what you're paying me to do."
A long, and I mean long pause....
"Well then, ok. But hey, I'd prefer a phone call when trading my players next time?"
"Sure thing sir".

I took note of one very important point amongst the many on this call. He said "My players". Ok, I needed to know that. There's a personal thing here and I like that. I want my owner invested that way. It also makes his mandate of dealing Aaron Knight a priority BEFORE 2010 begins.

So what does it all mean? How does it shake out? Well after day 1 of the winter meetings here's what the roster looks like.
Players dealt
SP DJ Manfredi
OF Ernesto Martinez
OF Orlando Barron
SS Aaron Vanderslice
The top 3 players were all 25 man roster guys and Vanderslice was dealt within an hour of being acquired.

These players were all added to the 42 man roster
RP Jay Piette (29) 1 year 141 days making 200K. Back end bullpen guy with years of club control. Out of options but should be in the mix for late high leverage innings. Guys motor is always at max.

C Ed Peterson (27) RHH 2 years 200K salary. Elite defensive catcher with a bottom of the order bat. Decent pop but lots of swings and misses. Clubhouse leader.

1B/OF Brent Hofferber (25) LHH All our guys think his best is yet to come. 79 days service, 200K. A bat that is still progressing. Hit .276/.345/.456 in 433 AAA at bats with 22 2B and 15 HR's. Will compete for a starting spot in left or at 1B. Big time baseball IQ, smart kid.

SP Mike Gonzalez (26) LHP 102 days service 200K salary. 8-9 4.50 in AAA last year over 158 innings. 115 K's 154 H and 58 walks. Gopher ball was an issue, giving up 31. Quick cup of coffee that didnt't go well in September. But in a hunt for younger quality arms this was a good move.

Mike Burkholder (26) RHP 17 days service time minor league contract. Potential mid-rotation arm. 7-5 3.69 in 14 AAA starts last year. Doesn't get many swings and misses but commands well and keeps the ball down. He'll most likely start in Fresno.

Robby Salazar (26) RHP Another potential mid rotation arm. Still developing, needs more command of the strike zone. Another arm for the Fresno rotation.

The last 2 names on the list above were acquired via the final deal. I went in with knowledge of Vanderslice and his temper and knew Denver had him high on their list. Ended up working out a deal within an hour of acquiring the young SS.

SS Aaron Vanderslice (24) one of the better young players in the game. Comes with immense baggage. Apparently, he has a legendary temper. So much so that multiple players came to me after the deal and mentioned how bad of a “fit” this guy would be with what I've stated we're trying to build here.

End result of draft picks dealt/acquired.
As of now I am picking
1st round #3
2nd round #32
2nd round #49 (from FW)
3rd round #55 (from Anch)
4th round #77
5th round #105
5th round #112 (from Phi)
6th round no pick
7th round 139th pick
8th round no pick

Picks Dealt
3rd round #57 to Anchorage
6th round to Denver
8th round to Philadelphia

12-05-2025, 02:16 AM	#20
gehrig38 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Medfield, Mass Posts: 5,992	Backroom chatter I received an "Urgent" phone call around 1am this morning. It was Mike Stowell, my boss, and while it was 1am he sounded extremely awake. "What on Gods green earth is happening down there? I went to bed and in a span of 15 minutes got over 100 text messages from my friends and fantasy baseball owners about the fire sale you just had. I am usually one to be informed during ANY trade but certainly NOT after you make 4 of them." I was calm... "Mr Stowell you gave me a mandate. You stated you wanted this team to be a contender inside of 5 years. I promise you that's exactly what will happen and if I know baseball I can tell you we will be more than that, sooner. Every single move we made today made us better tomorrow. Maybe not tomorrow, but a tomorrow not too far off. We acquired 9 draft picks ALL inside the first 5 rounds. We moved players who either had no business being in the ABL or would not be near a roster spot when we start getting good. We got young talent, good young talent but just as important we got young men with solid makeup and great character. I am building something long lasting, something that will make you proud of the legacy you leave. If you trust me you'll let me do what you're paying me to do." A long, and I mean long pause.... "Well then, ok. But hey, I'd prefer a phone call when trading my players next time?" "Sure thing sir". I took note of one very important point amongst the many on this call. He said "My players". Ok, I needed to know that. There's a personal thing here and I like that. I want my owner invested that way. It also makes his mandate of dealing Aaron Knight a priority BEFORE 2010 begins. So what does it all mean? How does it shake out? Well after day 1 of the winter meetings here's what the roster looks like. Players dealt SP DJ Manfredi OF Ernesto Martinez OF Orlando Barron SS Aaron Vanderslice The top 3 players were all 25 man roster guys and Vanderslice was dealt within an hour of being acquired. These players were all added to the 42 man roster RP Jay Piette (29) 1 year 141 days making 200K. Back end bullpen guy with years of club control. Out of options but should be in the mix for late high leverage innings. Guys motor is always at max. C Ed Peterson (27) RHH 2 years 200K salary. Elite defensive catcher with a bottom of the order bat. Decent pop but lots of swings and misses. Clubhouse leader. 1B/OF Brent Hofferber (25) LHH All our guys think his best is yet to come. 79 days service, 200K. A bat that is still progressing. Hit .276/.345/.456 in 433 AAA at bats with 22 2B and 15 HR's. Will compete for a starting spot in left or at 1B. Big time baseball IQ, smart kid. SP Mike Gonzalez (26) LHP 102 days service 200K salary. 8-9 4.50 in AAA last year over 158 innings. 115 K's 154 H and 58 walks. Gopher ball was an issue, giving up 31. Quick cup of coffee that didnt't go well in September. But in a hunt for younger quality arms this was a good move. Mike Burkholder (26) RHP 17 days service time minor league contract. Potential mid-rotation arm. 7-5 3.69 in 14 AAA starts last year. Doesn't get many swings and misses but commands well and keeps the ball down. He'll most likely start in Fresno. Robby Salazar (26) RHP Another potential mid rotation arm. Still developing, needs more command of the strike zone. Another arm for the Fresno rotation. The last 2 names on the list above were acquired via the final deal. I went in with knowledge of Vanderslice and his temper and knew Denver had him high on their list. Ended up working out a deal within an hour of acquiring the young SS. SS Aaron Vanderslice (24) one of the better young players in the game. Comes with immense baggage. Apparently, he has a legendary temper. So much so that multiple players came to me after the deal and mentioned how bad of a “fit” this guy would be with what I've stated we're trying to build here. End result of draft picks dealt/acquired. As of now I am picking 1st round #3 2nd round #32 2nd round #49 (from FW) 3rd round #55 (from Anch) 4th round #77 5th round #105 5th round #112 (from Phi) 6th round no pick 7th round 139th pick 8th round no pick Picks Dealt 3rd round #57 to Anchorage 6th round to Denver 8th round to Philadelphia __________________ The Chicago Iron Pigs 2012-2024 The IBL's first 13 years The Alaska Avalanche 2024-2030 Moving on to my birthplace The San Antonio Silver Stars 2030-2034 From one big state, Alaska, to another, Texas!