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Today the assistant editor of the DK takes a look back at the last two months of free agency! Let’s take a closer look at the Top 5 Winners and Top 5 Losers as the season gets ready to start tomorrow! We count down from #5, finishing at the #1 winner (or loser) in this year's list!
Let's start by taking a look at this year's winners!
Winner #5 – Montreal Exports
The Exports currently boast the #2 system in the entire BLB, and still likely are a year or two away form serious competition, but this off season they used their war chest to secure what just might be a 0.500 season in the Lager Division. The signed slugging RF Ricky Pizarro, and CL AJ Ingle to very friendly team deals, while trading for SP Dave Payette in hopes that he is able to help down the stretch. With these three short term moves, they are able to compete in 2037 without mortgaging any of their very promising future talent!
Winner #4 – New Orleans Voodoo
One giant winning checkmark for the great jersey makeover to start this preseason off on the right foot, and it only got better from there. New Orleans did suffer a small departure when SP JP Rountree signed with Toronto, but more than made up for his loss with the addition of two offensive weapons in outfielders Jimmy Jeffs and Omar Nichols. These two will certainly help out an offence last year that hit a paltry 141 home runs in this era of offensive explosion!
Winner #3 – New York Knights
Knights fans suffered through a very disappointing 100 loss season last year, but after this off season they could find themselves fighting for a Wild Card. Still boasting a very formidable rotation centred around ace SP Pat Schick the New Yorkers added one of the league’s premier two infielders in SS Dave Davis, slugging 1B Colin Bailey to help provide offence in a DL that is loaded with teams that love to hit the long ball. A final acquisition of SP Joey Schultz to the group, should more than make up for the loss of C Alpha McCormick and SP Keon Conteh.
Winner #2 – Philadelphia Freedom
What a year and a bit it has been for the Freedom Franchise after the league having to run out long time GM BradZ for running a Ponzi scheme with the BLB’s Player Retirement Funds. New GM Mike quickly turned over the roster last year and added a much needed youth movement to the minor leagues. This off season may have proved even better as a bunch of adept signings leave Philly fans thinking Wild Card! The Freedom rebuilt their pitching staff by adding SPs Valentim Tafar, Dave Jeffers, and RP Kevin Hurley. It didn’t stop there, as C Micah Gordon, CF Manny Padilla, and LF Norm Hustus were added to an offence that at times struggled to keep up with a pitching staff that allowed a whopping 248 home runs last year!
Winner #1 – Seattle Pilots
After getting soundly taken to the mat last year by division laughing stocks, California, Seattle’s GM pulled no punches this off season in completely rebuilding the division stalwart, Pilots. Gone are two big names in CF Tom Stark, and team leader and captain, RF Jimmy Jeffs, but they hardly compare to the additions that were carried out. The Pilots quietly rebuilt a pitching staff that was built on smoke and mirrors last year with the addition of ace SP Micah Laird, SPs Zion Jackson and Erik Harrell. If overhauling the starting staff wasn’t enough, they added CL Ernie Wood and two supreme set up guys in Zach Rigsbee and Liam Thomas. Oh yeah, they also added the game’s premier offensive weapon, the day before Spring Training, in 1B Johnny Swope, who also happened to anchor the lineup of defending World Champion California. It’s easy to see how we settled on Seattle as this year’s clear winner of the 2037 BLB Free Agent Frenzy!
Now, let's take a closer look at this year's losers.
Loser #5 – Sluggers
Although some big names received big paydays, hitting the long ball in this era of offense doesn’t guarantee getting the mega deal anymore in the BLB. Generational talent, Johnny Swope received two years, RF Ricky Pizarro only received a one-year deal. And let’s not forgot Turell Morris and his 53 home runs are sitting in Free Agency still. In fact, there are still seven sluggers on the market that cracked the 20 home run mark last year!
Loser #4 – Miami Sharks
Miami fought tooth and nail last year to sneak into the playoffs as a Wild Card team. Fans hoping for a big off season were left wondering what could have been. Miami did add a broken down Dave Wagner to their offence, to make up for the loss of make up for the loss of 1B Xavier Mitchell, but it may not be enough to make up for the free agent departures that gutted their starting staff. SPs Dave Jeffers (PHI) and CJ Bruno (TOR) take with them 26 wins and a whole lot of questions for a team that usually prides itself on pitching and defence, and may find itself on the outside looking in come playoff time this year!
Loser #3 – Hartford Whalers
Hartford came agonizingly close to getting into the playoffs last year, as they failed to qualify on the last day. Like Miami, this off season held a lot of promise for a team that still boasts an in his prime, Ron Hutchison. There is some promise as the Whalers shored up their suspect catching with the addition of Josh Allen. However, GB BDub may have to answer with the loss of SPs Kristopher Ball and Johnny Martin. Perhaps the signing of SP Casper Schmidt will help out a pitching staff that is average at best. But the real losses come with future HOF, 2B Javy Gudino and RF Brendan Matson that will put even more pressure on Vampire to carry the offensive load as the Whalers battle for their playoff lives!
Loser #2 – California Kodiaks
The Kodiaks are coming off a high of winning their first Championship in 50 years. As usual the fans approached the off season with the same ho hum attitude as they have in years passed. The Kodiaks did shore up a huge need as they let team captain, C Jayden Dean walk in FA, and signed C Alex Santiago to platoon with entrenched starter Jimmy Welborn. The real problem is who they lost in free agency, and more importantly, where they all ended up. California’s incredible pitching depth took a real blow, when SPs Zion Jackson and CJ McVicker both signed with rival Seattle. Unfortunately, the death blow for the franchise came when team cornerstone, 1B Johnny Swope, took his lineup anchoring 48 home runs to the dreaded Seattle Pilots as well. Unless GM PaulECee can save the day on the free agent market with the odds and ends that are left over, it may be a short run atop the division for the Kodiak franchise!
Loser #1 – Syracuse Snappers
What an incredible crash it has been for a franchise that has finished first the last two years in the Ale Division and had fans dreaming of Seth Blankenship carrying the BLB Championship Trophy in a duck boat on parade. It appears as though, that is not to be, as the short window appears to be closed with a mass exodus of great players this off season. The Snappers’ starting rotation was decimated by the loss of Micah Laird (SEA), Javier Rueda (TOR), and Hoon Park (WC). Not only was their bullpen gashed, but their lineup lost RF Dave Wagner (MIA), SS Antonio Melendez (SDR), 1B Turell Morris (FA), 3B Joey Pearson (FA), and CF Riley Thomas (SEA). To make matters worse, every other good player they have left, is either in the last year of his contract, or on the Syracuse Trade Block. It looks like it’s going to be a very long year for Snappers’ fans! With that loss of 94 home runs and 34 pitching wins, it’s easy to see how we settled on Syracuse as this year’s big loser in the BLB’s 2037 Free Agent Frenzy!
Let's start by taking a look at this year's winners!
Winner #5 – Montreal Exports
The Exports currently boast the #2 system in the entire BLB, and still likely are a year or two away form serious competition, but this off season they used their war chest to secure what just might be a 0.500 season in the Lager Division. The signed slugging RF Ricky Pizarro, and CL AJ Ingle to very friendly team deals, while trading for SP Dave Payette in hopes that he is able to help down the stretch. With these three short term moves, they are able to compete in 2037 without mortgaging any of their very promising future talent!
Winner #4 – New Orleans Voodoo
One giant winning checkmark for the great jersey makeover to start this preseason off on the right foot, and it only got better from there. New Orleans did suffer a small departure when SP JP Rountree signed with Toronto, but more than made up for his loss with the addition of two offensive weapons in outfielders Jimmy Jeffs and Omar Nichols. These two will certainly help out an offence last year that hit a paltry 141 home runs in this era of offensive explosion!
Winner #3 – New York Knights
Knights fans suffered through a very disappointing 100 loss season last year, but after this off season they could find themselves fighting for a Wild Card. Still boasting a very formidable rotation centred around ace SP Pat Schick the New Yorkers added one of the league’s premier two infielders in SS Dave Davis, slugging 1B Colin Bailey to help provide offence in a DL that is loaded with teams that love to hit the long ball. A final acquisition of SP Joey Schultz to the group, should more than make up for the loss of C Alpha McCormick and SP Keon Conteh.
Winner #2 – Philadelphia Freedom
What a year and a bit it has been for the Freedom Franchise after the league having to run out long time GM BradZ for running a Ponzi scheme with the BLB’s Player Retirement Funds. New GM Mike quickly turned over the roster last year and added a much needed youth movement to the minor leagues. This off season may have proved even better as a bunch of adept signings leave Philly fans thinking Wild Card! The Freedom rebuilt their pitching staff by adding SPs Valentim Tafar, Dave Jeffers, and RP Kevin Hurley. It didn’t stop there, as C Micah Gordon, CF Manny Padilla, and LF Norm Hustus were added to an offence that at times struggled to keep up with a pitching staff that allowed a whopping 248 home runs last year!
Winner #1 – Seattle Pilots
After getting soundly taken to the mat last year by division laughing stocks, California, Seattle’s GM pulled no punches this off season in completely rebuilding the division stalwart, Pilots. Gone are two big names in CF Tom Stark, and team leader and captain, RF Jimmy Jeffs, but they hardly compare to the additions that were carried out. The Pilots quietly rebuilt a pitching staff that was built on smoke and mirrors last year with the addition of ace SP Micah Laird, SPs Zion Jackson and Erik Harrell. If overhauling the starting staff wasn’t enough, they added CL Ernie Wood and two supreme set up guys in Zach Rigsbee and Liam Thomas. Oh yeah, they also added the game’s premier offensive weapon, the day before Spring Training, in 1B Johnny Swope, who also happened to anchor the lineup of defending World Champion California. It’s easy to see how we settled on Seattle as this year’s clear winner of the 2037 BLB Free Agent Frenzy!
Now, let's take a closer look at this year's losers.
Loser #5 – Sluggers
Although some big names received big paydays, hitting the long ball in this era of offense doesn’t guarantee getting the mega deal anymore in the BLB. Generational talent, Johnny Swope received two years, RF Ricky Pizarro only received a one-year deal. And let’s not forgot Turell Morris and his 53 home runs are sitting in Free Agency still. In fact, there are still seven sluggers on the market that cracked the 20 home run mark last year!
Loser #4 – Miami Sharks
Miami fought tooth and nail last year to sneak into the playoffs as a Wild Card team. Fans hoping for a big off season were left wondering what could have been. Miami did add a broken down Dave Wagner to their offence, to make up for the loss of make up for the loss of 1B Xavier Mitchell, but it may not be enough to make up for the free agent departures that gutted their starting staff. SPs Dave Jeffers (PHI) and CJ Bruno (TOR) take with them 26 wins and a whole lot of questions for a team that usually prides itself on pitching and defence, and may find itself on the outside looking in come playoff time this year!
Loser #3 – Hartford Whalers
Hartford came agonizingly close to getting into the playoffs last year, as they failed to qualify on the last day. Like Miami, this off season held a lot of promise for a team that still boasts an in his prime, Ron Hutchison. There is some promise as the Whalers shored up their suspect catching with the addition of Josh Allen. However, GB BDub may have to answer with the loss of SPs Kristopher Ball and Johnny Martin. Perhaps the signing of SP Casper Schmidt will help out a pitching staff that is average at best. But the real losses come with future HOF, 2B Javy Gudino and RF Brendan Matson that will put even more pressure on Vampire to carry the offensive load as the Whalers battle for their playoff lives!
Loser #2 – California Kodiaks
The Kodiaks are coming off a high of winning their first Championship in 50 years. As usual the fans approached the off season with the same ho hum attitude as they have in years passed. The Kodiaks did shore up a huge need as they let team captain, C Jayden Dean walk in FA, and signed C Alex Santiago to platoon with entrenched starter Jimmy Welborn. The real problem is who they lost in free agency, and more importantly, where they all ended up. California’s incredible pitching depth took a real blow, when SPs Zion Jackson and CJ McVicker both signed with rival Seattle. Unfortunately, the death blow for the franchise came when team cornerstone, 1B Johnny Swope, took his lineup anchoring 48 home runs to the dreaded Seattle Pilots as well. Unless GM PaulECee can save the day on the free agent market with the odds and ends that are left over, it may be a short run atop the division for the Kodiak franchise!
Loser #1 – Syracuse Snappers
What an incredible crash it has been for a franchise that has finished first the last two years in the Ale Division and had fans dreaming of Seth Blankenship carrying the BLB Championship Trophy in a duck boat on parade. It appears as though, that is not to be, as the short window appears to be closed with a mass exodus of great players this off season. The Snappers’ starting rotation was decimated by the loss of Micah Laird (SEA), Javier Rueda (TOR), and Hoon Park (WC). Not only was their bullpen gashed, but their lineup lost RF Dave Wagner (MIA), SS Antonio Melendez (SDR), 1B Turell Morris (FA), 3B Joey Pearson (FA), and CF Riley Thomas (SEA). To make matters worse, every other good player they have left, is either in the last year of his contract, or on the Syracuse Trade Block. It looks like it’s going to be a very long year for Snappers’ fans! With that loss of 94 home runs and 34 pitching wins, it’s easy to see how we settled on Syracuse as this year’s big loser in the BLB’s 2037 Free Agent Frenzy!
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