We Got Wood -41.12 - The One Where we Get Reunited

[7teen]

After the big free agent splash that saw the Lumberjacks bring in Felician Rafael at the start of free agency, things have gone rather quiet in Portland since. The club keyed on a few other pitching arms but all chose to sign elsewhere instead of coming to the Pacific Northwest. Well, that was until just before spring training when Portland managed to sign a couple more arms to try and help boost the staff.

The first acquisition was that of last season's top pitcher in Portland Manuel Soliz. Soliz, a rule 5 pick up last year, went 7-14 last season with a 4.33 ERA but his 1.7 WAR was the best on the staff helping him claim the top pitcher's honor. Soliz, who made the league minimum last year, went to free agency hoping to cash in on a decent year in 2040, didn't find any suitors thanks in part to a set of ratings that many didn't find very appealing. Needing more depth, the Lumberjacks decided to offer Soliz a 1-year contract in hopes of catching some of last season's magic in a bottle.

"Honestly, at first glance, Soliz may be a bust in 2041" commented Portland GM Chris Wilson. "But we don't have a whole lot of options right now for depth and he was successful to a degree with us last season so, with some money to spend, we took a flyer on Manuel."

Soliz signed just a 1-year deal paying him $1.25 million in 2041. If he can produce at 1.7 WAR again it won't be a bad addition.

The second signing re-united GM Chris Wilson with one of his former players from Madison. Reliever Hector Diaz signed a 1 year guaranteed deal worth $1.2 million with a team option for a second year worth the same amount. The deal has a buyout at $250,000 if the club decides to let Diaz walk after 2041.

Diaz spent the first 9 years of his career in Madison where he appeared in the 2034 All-Star game. The 9 year veteran has averaged at least 1.0 WAR over his career and has never been a negative pitcher, which includes last season where he had a career worst 6.90 ERA.

Diaz might best be known for being the guy that started the "Low Movement" era of pitchers in Madison. His success, with Wilson at the helm, led the GM to test a theory of signing low movement guys with high stuff and high control ratings. Some of those guys, Diaz included, were successful. Some were not.

"Hector has lost some of his stuff which might be allowing the rest of the league to catch up with him now" commented Wilson. "He used to have electric stuff with outstanding command of his pitches. The fact that he didn't walk very many allowed the homeruns he did surrender to not hurt as bad. He was also a high volume innings reliever. Those days may be behind him, but like Soliz, we felt he was a guy worth taking a low risk flyer on. Hopefully being reunited with his old General Manager will help turn things around for ol' Hector."