35.9. Four Deep in The Five Before Big FA Splashes

[agrudez]

Earlier this month, the Phantoms were the only team to go four rounds deep in the Rule 5 draft (4 other teams tapped out in round 3). In it, they picked up 3 pitchers from Calgary: SP Spencer, RP McPetrie and RP Stuble and a CF from Las Vegas, Condeixeira. Reports are that Stuble was told to not even ever pack his bags and will be returned to Calgary - with further reports speculating that Spencer might not be far behind after his MOV dropped from 6 to 5. McPetrie, on the other hand, has already been promised a role in the big league squad's 'pen next year (albeit a limited one while he finished working on his control) and Condeixeira is the front-runner for the team's utility OFer role (allowing the 19 year old Torres some extra time in the minors to work on his game - namely learning the corner OF positions better).

Following the Rule 5, roughly a week later, news broke that Huntsville signed their 4th FA of the offseason, SS Becker (1 year, 3.6M) whom will take the team's utility IF role for the 2035 season to allow Navarro - like Torres - another year in the minors to work on his positional flexibility. This latest ho hum news was then followed shortly after by the team's first real "exciting" addition of the offseason - LF Parish (4 years, 16M). Coming off back to back seasons with an OPS north of .75 and solid glove play in RF in limited roles, Parish comes to Huntsville with - for the first time in his career since his rookie season - the promise of beating a true starter out of training camp.

Assuming this would be the team's biggest signing of the offseason - despite having copious cap room left - Phantoms fans reacted appropriately with muted excitement, but inner disappointment. And then, on New Years Eve, the big news broke that the team had landed, arguably, the biggest fish of the offseason: CF Leon Sandcastle (3 years, 48M - the last year is a TO with a 1.5M buyout... so potentially [likely] the deal is 2 years, 33.5M). Though 39 years old, Sandcastly has been remarkably consistent - showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. His .858 OPS last season would've been the 2nd best on the team behind Guzman and he still, miraculously, has the legs to play CF even at his age - a position long identified as a need by the team (even after Torres' surging in the offseason). For a team looking for a quick turnaround from dumpster fire to playoff contender, Sandcastle represents a giant stride towards the latter goal - and even with his payroll on the books, the team still has nearly 25M of cap space left to play with... so his salary was essentially just free money. Will it be sad if he breaks down next offseason and we have to pay him 17.5M for nothing (16M salary + 1.5M buyout of the 3rd year)? Certainly - but arguably still worth it since we will be far under the cap next year, too. And, since he hasn't declined at all yet - we're choosing to be positive about next year... and ecstatic about this year.

[Lane]

Sandcastle is a damn machine.

[Ted]

It's tremendously fitting that Sandcastle's playing so well at an advanced age.