[JetsIn06]

The 1956-57 Offseason

It's time for bed, but let's get the random number rolls out of the way so we know what kind of options we have. This is our first year without a losing record, so instead of rolling 0-2, we'll roll 0-3:

FA roll (0-3): 2
Trade roll (0-3): 3

Carryover from last season: 0
Profit ($28M): +1 to both
Worst record penalty: N/A

Total:

45+ rated FA: 3
Trades: 4

I love to see it. And we're going to need it, I think, because our team is getting significantly more expensive and I'd love to at least explore the idea of locking up a bat to a long-term deal, which means we may need to explore moving an expensive piece like SP Nick Moody ($25M) or SP Mario Moreno ($13.8M). We also have a team option on C Yasutaka Yamashiro ($8M). He's a captain on our team, and is incredibly good defensively with a great eye at the plate. We accept it, and we'll do whatever we need to do otherwise to make it work, financially.

Just two relievers are pending FA, and we'll let them walk with the massive depth we have. Eight players are in our arbitration class, and the big jump is from DH Guillermo Rodriguez, who had an incredible season (.272/.355/.520, 39 HR) and is now estimated to make $11.8M this upcoming season.

Extension news: 3B Dave Magby is listed as the #80 prospect heading into the offseason. He had 146 PA last year, and he struggled a bit in his limited time, slashing .187/.228/.381. But his defensive versatility is amazing, and we like his overall offensive profile a lot (5/6/6). We offer him a deal to buy out his arbitration years and the first of his FA seasons; it's a team-friendly deal ($15M guaranteed over five years, with two ~$5M team options for another two seasons), but he'll still be able to enter FA at age 31 and guarantees himself a bunch of money.

OF Tony Serna also gets an offer; he's got two years of service, and had a great year in 1956, slashing .272/.346/.462 with 25 HR. It's a six-year offer, which will buy out two of his FA years. The last two years are team options, and if we do pick those up, the deal will total six years and $47.5M.

SP Nick Moody, who we signed prior to 1955 to a big FA deal, wins the 1956 Pitcher of the Year Award. He made 33 starts, going 225 innings with a 3.08 ERA, 235 Ks, and just 7 HR allowed, contributing 7 WAR. He has an opt-out after this upcoming season.

Magby and Serna both sign their extensions, which each use up one of our choice of allowances. I don't have any money to add new players, so we'll take both from our FA allowance and keep the flexibility that the trades allow.

45+ rated FA: 1
Trades: 4

And we're going to use one of those trade allowances now. OF Mike Gruver is in his final year of team control, and will earn around $6M this upcoming season. We're sending him to Pittsburgh along with SP Amir Lewis, a 2nd-round pick from the 1953 draft, and getting a return headlined by 3B Ruben Perez. He hasn't hit a full year of service time, so we have six years of control with him. He's got a nice bat profile (5/6/6) and plays excellent defense at the hot corner. We also take advantage of their roster crunch by bringing back three decent relievers who need to be added to the 40-man, all who have six years of control left. Pittsburgh sends $5M as well.

Gruver was great in his time here. We took him in the 2nd round back in 1947, and after making a strong debut in limited time in 1951, he struggled in '52 but had an amazing year in 1953, hitting .291 with 20 HR. In total, he slashed .268/.305/.430 in just under 3000 PA's with us.

45+ rated FA: 1
Trades: 3

Free Agency

When Free Agency begins, we're estimated to finish about $7M in the green, but due to cash received in the Gruver deal and our starting balance, our budget is technically $17M. Ticket prices are going up a bit this year, and maybe we can even pull in some extra revenue from the playoffs. I'd prefer to make money, but the $17M figure is the hard limit if we want to go beyond the $7M we're predicted to finish with.

We have two SP's, Nick Moody and Mario Moreno, who could be entering the final years of their time here. Moody has an opt-out after this year, and Moreno's contract expires, so we're going to have to think about moving at least one of them. Moody is due $25M this year, and Moreno is due $13.8M.

Well, we end up going in a different direction. SP Joey Parrish, who I was so sad to trade away, is on the trade block; he's due $30M and in the final year of his deal, and New York had a horrible year last year.

Interestingly, SP Jason Fuchs, who we received in that deal, is about to make $9M for the next two seasons; and after struggling a bit in 1956, we were already looking into moving him. We negotiate a deal with New York to send Fuchs back to New York, with two solid OF prospects, Kevin Mulhern (55 POT) and Monfre Imaginrio (50 POT, #51 prospect). Neither are elite in CF which is really what I need, and moving Fuchs contract is beneficial for this year and next and will help us absorb the $30M owed to Parrish. They'll pay for 10% of his deal, and also send RP Brian Yocum, a 55-rated former 2nd-round pick who's nothing too special.

45+ rated FA: 1
Trades: 2

We find a buyer for SP Mario Moreno, who's in his final year, and package SS John Faiella who can never stay on the field for SP Tom Brown, a 60-rated SP with two years of service. He's a RHP with an elite changeup and great stuff. We also get 3B Justin Chandler, who adds a power/speed option to our lineup. We've got some options at the corner now, but him and 3B Ruben Perez, who we picked up earlier this offseason, both have options. Chandler is definitely a better option I think, so Perez may start the year in AAA. RP Miguel Perez also joins our squad; he's 23 and in AA, but could be an elite reliever as our scout sees him as an 80.

45+ rated FA: 1
Trades: 1

We're holding here. We'll keep these moves in our back pocket to make a splash at the deadline or extend one of our young guys.