Santa Clarita Valley Journal (49.01) Stars 2048 Review: Part 1, The Offseason

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Stars 2048 Review: Part 1, The Offseason

Santa Clarita Valley Journal
Vicente Lamb, Stars Reporter
December 11, 2048

VALENCIA – The past Brewster season saw the Stars continue their slow and steady rise from the depths of '45, finishing with a record of 78-84, eight wins better than the year prior. This was the first full year under a new management team, led by club president Morris Ragland (who came to Valencia from UMEBA's Beirut Cedars).

Offseason moves were a mixed bag, with the team making what would be its biggest moves via trade and the Rule 5 draft. In December, the team chose Lee Stone with the ninth pick of the Rule 5 draft. A low-key addition that was met with some skepticism. Stone had hit well in AAA the year before, though his performance against right handed pitching wasn't that great, and he had no big league experience. The team planned to play him at DH.

Also in December, the club would acquire journeyman second baseman Carlos Martínez in a trade with Calgary and come to terms with “all glove, no bat” free agent shortstop Reynante Alvero. Both moves pointed toward the club's stated intent of improving team defense, and were also an acknowledgment that the team felt that high-profile middle infield prospects Tom Jefferson and Yodo Sato weren't quite ready for big league play.

In January, Valencia added free agent outfielder Fernando Archuleta, late of the Bucharest club in the UMEBA, a defensive specialist. This addition gave the team one of the rangier outfields in the Frick.

The biggest move of the offseason would come later, on January 27, when the Stars traded beloved center fielder Aaron Haney to Mexico City. In return, Valencia received veteran outfielder Dennis French, starting pitcher prospects Harold Newbold and Carlton Day (both on the cusp of big league careers), and catcher prospect Gani Birdal. This trade, coupled with a poorly timed ticket price increase, would result in a hit to goodwill for the club among the fanbase that would cast a pall over the Stars' season. The need to trade Haney, and his substantial salary, is still a hotly debated topic among Valencia fans. The team couched the move as necessary financially, though most observers would point out that the club's financial predicament was both temporary and entirely self-inflicted.

In February, the team would attempt to fill the hole at first base, signing veteran Tony Hernandez (three years removed from his all-star turn at El Paso) and living legend David Noboru (three years removed from making a positive contribution to a big league club).

In the second part of this series, we'll look at the team's on-field performance in the first half of the season.