Juan Pablo, the Face of the Aztecs
It's September, and the Aztecs are well out of the playoff hunt. The casual fan could be forgiven for glazing over news out of Mexico City, with nothing relevant to be reported outside of September callups and the organization's AAA team in Los Cabos charging hard for the playoffs. Lurking beneath the surface of quagmire of nonsense news about a team that has had a very disappointing season is what might be the biggest story out of Mexico City this season.
Aztec/Barnstormer great Juan Pablo has had a poor season. In a season where a young offense is surging, he has been all but an anchor occupying the DH spot, posting a .252/.320/.406 slash line with 22 doubles, 15 HR, and 42 RBI. The usually consistent Pablo has also posted a -0.4 WAR. Pablo, a career .297/.353/.454 hitter, has looked all of his 37 years in 2034 and it's causing the team to consider its options. Insiders report that the team has discussed potentially taking one of 4 directions with its all time hits leader:
Option 1: Bask in the Majesty of JuanPab
Pablo is in the conversation for the best hitter in franchise history. He is the last true "Barnstormer," the player that links past to present in the eyes of the organization. He is wildly popular around the league, in the front office, and amongst the fans. Sources report that Pablo's agent has reached out to the team about a 2 year extension at his current pay rate. Such an extension would guarantee his team option for 2035, and tack on two more years putting him in an Aztec uniform through his age 40 season in 2037. There is no doubt that everyone in the Aztec organization would choose this option in a heartbeat if Pablo could continue to be productive and earn a roster spot for the next three seasons, but with declining production since a career year in 2032 and a glut of young guys coming up is it wise to tie up $8.3M on a player who may not carry his weight when a team is trying to be competitive? Complicating the decision is the fact that Pablo currently sits at 2697 hits, ranking him 26th all time. Three more years would give him a chance at the 3000 hit club, a milestone that only 14 other BBA hitters have accomplished.
Option 2A: The Farewell Tour
The team holds an option on Pablo for 2035. If it so chooses, the team could pick up that option with the intention of making it Pablo's last season as a full-time player. This would also require using a protection spot in the expansion draft on Juan. Promotions, merchandise, events, the whole nine yards. Sentimentally, the team is loathe to make its most beloved player a cash cow but economically it makes sense. Who doesn't want to catch Juan Pablo's last homerun ball? Who doesn't want to grab an autograph at his last home game? The team has struggled to keep the fans interested over the last few seasons and ticket sales have fallen, this would seem to be a quick fix. The team could also make an attempt to move assets to make a Landis push next season, trying to pick up a ring for the beloved Pablo.
Option 2B: Bait on the Hook
With the expansion draft looming, the team could opt to pick up Pablo's option, then leave him unprotected in the expansion draft. His experience and popularity could be a boon for an expansion team trying to gain a footing in the BBA and with a max of 3 players to be poached from each organization, sacrificing Pablo to protect a younger player could make sense logistically. This would, however, essentially doom Pablo to never again being able to compete for a Landis (post expansion draft moves notwithstanding) as an expansion team would have a hard time competing in the current BBA landscape.
Option 3: Fly and be Free
If the team chooses to shift gears, it could simply decline Pablo's option for 2035, making him a free agent for the first time in his career. It's hard to argue the merit of this from an organizational standpoint, as the team has several young and talented bats coming up and could pivot and bestow the 'Face of the Franchise' title on Jose Estrada. Reports from the Aztec front office indicate that the team has no desire to see Pablo wearing another team's colors but are also concerned about the roster spot that the venerable one is holding down. It would be an uncomfortable press conference for GM Fred Holmes, as the Mexico City fans are already pretty dissatisfied with the team performance since they arrived, but if an upswing in performance follows over the next few years it could be the best move in the long run.
In an ideal world, the team would like to have the Barnstormer and Aztec uniforms be the only ones that Pablo wears throughout his career. The question of how best to achieve this goal is an easy one to answer but is still a difficult decision to make. With the season running down and the expansion draft looming, a difficult decision is in the works for the Aztec brass.
I guess that's why we earn the big bucks as BBA GMs, eh?
