For the unaware, Gomez was once a pitcher for the Wolves for a brief span in '32 and '33. After the '33 season, the Wolves had to get creative with some trades and contracts to make cap room for Gomez who was to be a free agent that winter. After trading off Dusty Rhodes to Rockville, the team seemed to have cleared the cap space to make an offer and keep Gomez. The Wolves were fresh off back to back trips to the post-season including a trip to the Cartright Series in 2032 behind the addition of Gomez. The club seemed to be set up for a sustained run at Frick League success. But then it happened.
With just days left before free agents filed, the Wolves submitted an offer to Gomez to stay with the Wolves. However, Gomez and his agent dragged their feet and failed to agree to the extension before the deadline which mean Pedro was a free agent. He promptly signed a huge deal with Rockville and the rest, as they say, is history. Gomez, along with Rhodes, led the PIkemen to 99 regular season wins in 2034 and was one win shy of making it to the Landis Series. Rhodes would leave that off-season, but Gomez would stay on in Rockville and has since been to the Landis Series 3 times, capturing consecutive Landis Titles the last two seasons. The Wolves, on the other hand, bottomed out in 2034, winning only 73 games. It got worse in 2036 when the club only won 69 games. Most of the downfall has been due to a lack of pitching, a problem having Gomez would have surely solved.
Fast forward to 2038. Gomez, now 37, is on the back end of a hall of fame career. Madison meanwhile has rebounded somewhat and made it to the post-season last season. Still needing pitching, the two were meant to reconnect I suppose.
"I'm glad to be back in Madison" said Gomez after the signing was announced. "The team had a good run last season. Hopefully I can help the team get over the hump somewhat and we can make a run. And hopefully, the fans don't get on me too much" Gomez chuckled.
The deal is a 3 year deal with loads of options embedded. Gomez will make $12.5 million over each of those 3 contracted years. However, only year 1 is guaranteed. Gomez can opt out after this season and return to free agency. If he accepts the 2039 season, the Wolves have a buyout clause in place for 2040. All in all, it appears the Wolves have put the past, in the past. But not everyone has forgotten.
"I don't forget" said General Manager Chris Wilson. "I turned this one over to Bopper and Millard Davis. They both thought adding Gomez could help the pitching. I think the bastard is too old and past his prime. Yeah, we have no pitching. I'm not sure we still have any. If I had anything to say about it, we'd sacrifice Gomez up to the baseball gods and see if that creates any boost in some of our other guys. Yeah, you could say I hold grudges" Wilson concluded before storming out of the press conference."
So yeah, let bygones be bygones. Fuck that!