Sticking Points 2056.1: Pikemen Sign Dixon for the Express Purpose of Not Being Able to Trade Him at the Deadline
Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2023 12:07 am
The Rockville Pikemen are bringing back veteran third baseman Brian Dixon back on a heavily protected 2-year deal. Only the first year, at $4 million, is guaranteed. The second year is a vesting option, and Dixon has an opt-out clause after year 1. General Manager Jim Slade, in his chat with the local media today, said the team is doing so, as he put it, "for the express purpose of not being able to trade him at the deadline." Oh, and that's right: the contract includes a no-trade clause, which will limit potential trading partners.
Consider the an act of spite. Or self-flagellation. "I've had it with the haters," Slade said. "Last season there were a few teams in need of a third baseman at the trading deadline. One or two, in fact, advertised their need. When we reached out to the GMs seeking a third base upgrade, they turned their nose up at us. In record time. They wouldn't even entertain a swap for a tools-y longshot in Rookie ball. Was a tools-y longshot teenager too much to ask for a half-decent veteran corner infielder with some pop and leader of men?"
Dixon, at 34 last season, had a thoroughly mediocre season, slashing .269/.291/.430 with 17 HR and a WAR only a few tenths of a percentage point better than league average WAR. "You can't measure Brian's value by conventional metrics," Slade continued, when pressed about the wisdom of this signing. "The way he kept our team together during a barrage of 9-6 losses was off the charts."
With no offseason pitching acquisitions, the Pikemen could be looking at more of the same, so maybe Dixon's intangibles will help keep his teammates focused and allow for the continued growth of players entering their prime, like Eric Wagner and Cam Whitten.
However, it's that "We'll show the haters!" mentality that is difficult to see happening. As one rival GM put it, "Slade's got another thing coming if he thinks he can feel a sense of twisted vindication for not being able to trade Dixon at this season's trade deadline. Great guy. One of the best in the game. Decent ballplayer. Teams in contention crap decent ballplayers."
Consider the an act of spite. Or self-flagellation. "I've had it with the haters," Slade said. "Last season there were a few teams in need of a third baseman at the trading deadline. One or two, in fact, advertised their need. When we reached out to the GMs seeking a third base upgrade, they turned their nose up at us. In record time. They wouldn't even entertain a swap for a tools-y longshot in Rookie ball. Was a tools-y longshot teenager too much to ask for a half-decent veteran corner infielder with some pop and leader of men?"
Dixon, at 34 last season, had a thoroughly mediocre season, slashing .269/.291/.430 with 17 HR and a WAR only a few tenths of a percentage point better than league average WAR. "You can't measure Brian's value by conventional metrics," Slade continued, when pressed about the wisdom of this signing. "The way he kept our team together during a barrage of 9-6 losses was off the charts."
With no offseason pitching acquisitions, the Pikemen could be looking at more of the same, so maybe Dixon's intangibles will help keep his teammates focused and allow for the continued growth of players entering their prime, like Eric Wagner and Cam Whitten.
However, it's that "We'll show the haters!" mentality that is difficult to see happening. As one rival GM put it, "Slade's got another thing coming if he thinks he can feel a sense of twisted vindication for not being able to trade Dixon at this season's trade deadline. Great guy. One of the best in the game. Decent ballplayer. Teams in contention crap decent ballplayers."
