SIM COMPLETE - 1989 - Free Agency 3

[Andrew]

Next sim: Friday (noon)

I will be updating the minor leagues with their new realignment in the next sim.

[Lintyfresh85]

Another top prospect drops two rating point.

Blah.

[BradZ]

FYI - Scouting budgets are open for edit, boys.

[Delandis]

You guys got Soto asking for over 16 mil/per. Gotdamn, I should've taken his option.

[Jistic]

Got my big signing. This should put us over the top!

[Pat]

Signed SP D.T. Fitts and INF Mark Steward, both to one-year $500k contracts. If anyone noticed, these are the two players that Pittsburgh signed before we were able to offer free-agents contracts. I waited for a few sims before I made an offer because I figured that was fair to Z (Pitt). When a couple sims went by and he hadn't offered them, I figured it was "ok" to send them a contract offer.

I've always been a fan of Fitts. Used to be employed by the Bats organization. Had a great year in Triple-A before being traded to California. Great control, great groundball. I'm not sure how much he has left in the tank but I'm planning on using a 6-man rotation and spots #4-#6 are up for grabs. These are the types of pitchers that flourish in D.C. Fitts, Emerson (the Rule V draft choice), Joe Rodriguez are the three favorites as of right now, but there are a few players in Triple-A that look good too.

Steward isn't the player he once was, but I think he can still hit a little and is a very versatile infielder. He grades out as a "6" at 2B, 3B and SS. I haven't had a fielder like that since Jack Dynes. Thirdbase is a wide-open competition this Spring between him and Whiteley at this point.

[Carlos]

I did the same, Pat. I did not offer anything at them (or even take a look) because I wanted to see if Z was going to attempt to sign them. He might have gotten an unfair jump, but I had no problem giving him the chance to start up the official talks.

Not sure why he did not.

I signed one of the relievers I was interested in bringing on to the bullpen. I have some reasonably signed guys down there (ie: Maraoles and Alonzo) that have done good for me over the years and may end up getting Designated for Assignment and/or granted their outright release (I can eat $1 MM - their combined total dollars in salary) depending on how McDonald, Greene, Williamson and Marciano fare in Spring Training.

[Carlos]

Got my big signing. This should put us over the top!

Good thing you can just put him at DH...oh, wait.

[Pat]

I did the same, Pat. I did not offer anything at them (or even take a look) because I wanted to see if Z was going to attempt to sign them. He might have gotten an unfair jump, but I had no problem giving him the chance to start up the official talks.

Not sure why he did not.

I was suprised too that no offers were made.

Good thing you can just put him at DH...oh, wait.

Yeah...I actually looked into signing him but that poor defensive rating swayed me a different direction.

[Pat]

Also...the '89 schedules were announced...from what I can tell, it's the exact same schedule as last year, except different interleague match-ups....which I'm ok with. If you guys don't remember, last year I had the best record in the BLB and won the title on that schedule...so no need to change on my end.

[BradZ]

Also...the '89 schedules were announced...from what I can tell, it's the exact same schedule as last year, except different interleague match-ups....which I'm ok with. If you guys don't remember, last year I had the best record in the BLB and won the title on that schedule...so no need to change on my end.

Not terribly thrilled by that if our final schedule is a copy of last year's (with the interleague changes). If so, that means we play roughly 60% of our home games in the first half leaving a lot of road games in the second half.

[Pat]

Not terribly thrilled by that if our final schedule is a copy of last year's (with the interleague changes). If so, that means we play roughly 60% of our home games in the first half leaving a lot of road games in the second half.

I finish the year on 10 straight away games.

[BradZ]

I finish the year on 10 straight away games.

If I've counted correctly, after the All-Star break we have 28 home games and 52 road games. That's 65% on the road after the break. Tough slate to work our way through, but we've done it before.

[Lintyfresh85]

I thought we always used the same schedule.

[Gyrodork]

FYI - Scouting budgets are open for edit, boys.

Oooh! Thanks!