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Uncharted Waters: Seattle GM sets new course
SEATTLE, WA-
At the dawn of the off-season, the Pilots are facing a decision that could alter the near future of the franchise and upset an unstable fan base. 1B Andy Ulloa opted out of his $24M salary and is now projected to see a raise upwards of $10M in arbitration. Unable to negotiate an extension, Seattle GM Pat McLaughlin made an announcement that the team will let the slugger test Free-Agency. Rumors around the BLB have claimed the Pilots are more than willing to trade the superstar but the list of suitors appears to be zero.
"We have had discussions with multiple teams but the only teams willing to pay Andy that much money are those who have a bad contract to send back. We are leaving the door open for a return but Andy will almost certainly be a Free-Agent this time tomorrow."
Ulloa hit .302 with 38 homeruns, good enough to tie Batavia 1B Fred Fredrick and Baltimore OF CJ Stripling for the IL crown in 2025. His 3rd IL HR title in only his fourth BLB season. The soon to be 34-year-old Nicaraguan import has shown decline however with the bat and in the field.
"In all my years as a GM, in Washington and Seattle, Andy might be the best hitter I've ever had the pleasure of working with. I think about the list of greats: 1B Joe Sierra, 2B Robert Abbott, OF Michio Nago, OF Nick Latham, OF Pat Ladd, C Mike Murdock, SS Antonio Cardenas, CF Heishu Shirarishi, OF Miguel Angel Padilla, SS Dave Nelson, I'm not sure any of them had the impact Andy has had."
From 2020-2021, the Seattle Pilots had gone a combined 101-223, both the worst seasons in Seattle's history but also the GMs. In the off-season, 1B Ulloa defected and has helped pave the way to two IL Wild Cards and two Bock division Championships.
The 2024 and 2025 Pilots finished with almost identical seasons: 97 wins (1st) and 96 wins (1st), losing the ILCS game 7 after holding an early lead. Some suggest letting Ulloa go is a mistake as in both series the rotation and bullpen are what let the team down and not the veteran slugger. Despite the back to back division titles and deep playoff runs, Seattle owner and porn jazz enthusiast Keung Shui, refuses to raise the teams budget. Therein lies the problem... Ulloa has just gotten too expensive for a team to pay him more than 1/4 of the Pilots budget.
"We know we can't replace his production by just sliding in another 1B. We will explore cheaper Free-Agents, in-house options and always with an ear to the trade market."
The top projected FAs are DJ Gosser of Los Angeles and Fred Ratley of Denver. The two combined to hit 38 homeruns in 2026, the same number as Ulloa. Seattle is projected to go with Triple-A Outstanding Hitter of the Year, Ethan Broadbent, despite his defensive limitations. The former 9th overall pick is 25 now and hit .357/1.042 in 108 games down in Vancouver last season.
With the salary relief from Ulloa's departure Seattle is rumored to be interested in a pair of veteran starting pitchers David Teel and Alex Dominguez. The Pilots also have a long history of making a big splash in the International Market, so don't be surprised to see them shopping for maybe even the next, Andy Ulloa.
"Oh! And we also fired our manager and bench coach, Ivan Roman and Caesar Dore! New leadership!"
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SEATTLE, WA-
At the dawn of the off-season, the Pilots are facing a decision that could alter the near future of the franchise and upset an unstable fan base. 1B Andy Ulloa opted out of his $24M salary and is now projected to see a raise upwards of $10M in arbitration. Unable to negotiate an extension, Seattle GM Pat McLaughlin made an announcement that the team will let the slugger test Free-Agency. Rumors around the BLB have claimed the Pilots are more than willing to trade the superstar but the list of suitors appears to be zero.
"We have had discussions with multiple teams but the only teams willing to pay Andy that much money are those who have a bad contract to send back. We are leaving the door open for a return but Andy will almost certainly be a Free-Agent this time tomorrow."
Ulloa hit .302 with 38 homeruns, good enough to tie Batavia 1B Fred Fredrick and Baltimore OF CJ Stripling for the IL crown in 2025. His 3rd IL HR title in only his fourth BLB season. The soon to be 34-year-old Nicaraguan import has shown decline however with the bat and in the field.
"In all my years as a GM, in Washington and Seattle, Andy might be the best hitter I've ever had the pleasure of working with. I think about the list of greats: 1B Joe Sierra, 2B Robert Abbott, OF Michio Nago, OF Nick Latham, OF Pat Ladd, C Mike Murdock, SS Antonio Cardenas, CF Heishu Shirarishi, OF Miguel Angel Padilla, SS Dave Nelson, I'm not sure any of them had the impact Andy has had."
From 2020-2021, the Seattle Pilots had gone a combined 101-223, both the worst seasons in Seattle's history but also the GMs. In the off-season, 1B Ulloa defected and has helped pave the way to two IL Wild Cards and two Bock division Championships.
The 2024 and 2025 Pilots finished with almost identical seasons: 97 wins (1st) and 96 wins (1st), losing the ILCS game 7 after holding an early lead. Some suggest letting Ulloa go is a mistake as in both series the rotation and bullpen are what let the team down and not the veteran slugger. Despite the back to back division titles and deep playoff runs, Seattle owner and porn jazz enthusiast Keung Shui, refuses to raise the teams budget. Therein lies the problem... Ulloa has just gotten too expensive for a team to pay him more than 1/4 of the Pilots budget.
"We know we can't replace his production by just sliding in another 1B. We will explore cheaper Free-Agents, in-house options and always with an ear to the trade market."
The top projected FAs are DJ Gosser of Los Angeles and Fred Ratley of Denver. The two combined to hit 38 homeruns in 2026, the same number as Ulloa. Seattle is projected to go with Triple-A Outstanding Hitter of the Year, Ethan Broadbent, despite his defensive limitations. The former 9th overall pick is 25 now and hit .357/1.042 in 108 games down in Vancouver last season.
With the salary relief from Ulloa's departure Seattle is rumored to be interested in a pair of veteran starting pitchers David Teel and Alex Dominguez. The Pilots also have a long history of making a big splash in the International Market, so don't be surprised to see them shopping for maybe even the next, Andy Ulloa.
"Oh! And we also fired our manager and bench coach, Ivan Roman and Caesar Dore! New leadership!"
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