Pilots Try to Take Flight: 6 May 2057

[Jess64]

The Pilots Try to Take Flight (Sao Paulo, Brazil) Pilots GM Jesse Stollings has given his first press conference since his short initial briefing that announced his hiring of the Sao Paulo Pilots baseball organization. Stollings, flanked by Pilots owner Abdul-Hadi Masruq and Manager Wadi bin Sadaqat. Stollings started the press conference by addressing the massive number of Free Agent signings for the Pilots during the off-season.

"The reality of the situation was we faced a dire situation. 60-70% of the rosters were empty. The vast majority of the remaining were angry at a variety of things. Many of the things they were angry about we could not fix until the new season started. So the biggest issue was that we needed to fill the roster. As anyone who has spent time around the GBC (Global Baseball Consortium) knows that the majority of the available Free Agents have no interest whatsoever in signing for a GBC team. So the teams of the GBC find themselves fighting over the limited pool of players who will consider playing at this level. Overall, I am pleased with the number and quality of players we signed. I mean, we are 16-16 so I feel that is an improvement over last season, well, at least so far."

Contract Extensions and Shakeups
Stollings next addressed the major contract moves the Pilots made. As Stollings explained that even though the Pilots financially could afford to sign even more players, the GBC hard salary cap of $45 million limited what could be done.

The Pilots were able to sign some players to contract extensions to try to provide some stability for the team.

30-year old Pitcher Mick Joo signed a 1-year extension of his current salary of $1.1M. Joo is hoping to see a repeat of the 2055 season where he recorded a 12-4 record for London.

25-year old Pitcher Abdul-Muhaimin Saleem signed a 2-year extension that sees his contract increase $100,000 per year to $1.4M with the second year as a player option.

30-year old Pitcher Jason Lee signed a 2-year extension of his current salary of $1.4M.

When asked if there would be any more extensions this season, Stollings replied, "I am always looking to lock players in. For us to know what the roster will look like for next season provides stability not only for the management, but also for the players. So yes, we will always be looking for those opportunities."

Stollings also clarified the circumstances surrounding the release of 3B Ron Paul "It was a financial decision, plain and simple. His contract of $7.5 million was just too much for the club. We have a hard salary cap of $45 million and cant allocate that much money to one player." Stollings was asked if he would re-sign Paul if he could. "Absolutely! But the question is would he be interested in coming back to Sao Paulo? It would require him to take a massive pay cut and I am not sure he would do that."

Breaking News
As Stollings was wrapping up the press conference on a positive note about the roster moves and the improved team record, he was handed a note which brought an instant scowl to his face. As he gripped the podium he announced that last night Dale (Woods, Team Trainer) confirmed that Mick Joo had suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament and was going to be out of service for 10-11 months.

Stollings faced a flurry of questions as he stated that he would not be taking any questions about this situation until he had a chance to evaluate all of his options.

The reality is managing an organization can present numerous challenges. So far Stollings seems to be holding his own, but the proof will be whether or not he can sustain the positive attitude and to keep the team at its .500 record, which would keep the owner and the fans very happy.

[Dington]

Awesome article!