Offseaon Preview 39.2

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handaspencer
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Offseaon Preview 39.2

Post by handaspencer » Fri Jun 07, 2019 2:28 pm

We are going to take a few minutes and give a state of the union on the Blazers and a possible glimpse into the 2039 offseason for the Blazers.

1. Who is leaving?

Rupert Grant acquired from Calgary last offseason his contract has expired and will not be extended. He was never part of the Blazers plans and was acquired to provide the Blazers with some prospects.

Hank Brewer In a surprising move Brewer declined his player option after being injured for 2 consecutive seasons. He has opened up contract negotiations with the Blazers on a reduced price but the Blazers are only willing to go 1 season. His status will be decided shortly.

Dan Norman a stop gap for the Blazers in 2038 just simply was not productive. The Blazers will be looking for a new option at 3B.

Roberto Lopez A light hitting CF was exactly what the Blazers needed on defense last season but will not return. With his expected arbitration number being around 3 mill and Vincente Chavez on the books with an unmovable deal at 12 mill per year we are going to let Chavez play CF. I don't want to pay 15 mill total for the CF position with limited production. We would rather save 3 mill and allocate to another position of need. Look for the Blazers to try to find a backup multi position OF who can also play CF.

Jermaine Clayton SP who started 31 games for the Blazers won't return.


2. Who will the Blazers acquire?
Look for Montreal to focus on trying to get some arms in the rotation as priority #1. The Blazers also need bullpen help, in addition to C, 3B, SS, and OF. With so many positions of need the Blazers will be looking for value to maximize their funds.

3. What kind of payroll with the Blazers have for 2039?
Ownership has made cuts with the budget once again. The Blazers budget will be dropping from 128 mill to 114 mill for the 2039 season. With attendance being down and profits dropping ownership had to make cuts. The Blazers are reducing ticket prices to better align with league average and are hoping this can increase attendance and become a source of revenue. Look for the Blazers to be in the bottom 1/3 of the league with a payroll in the 80-90 mill range. With (2) 1st round picks needing signed this season and an interest in international spending a lower payroll will be needed to be active in those areas. Expect the Blazers to use a good portion of their budget but remain profitable.

4. Will any prospects emerge in 2039?
Don't expect much help down on the farm in 2039 for the Blazers other than Jim Antolin.. Look for Antolin to debut at some point in 2039 but the Blazers want to make sure he is 100% ready and with Juan Santana holding down the fort in LF there is no need to rush. Once Antolin emerges look for Santana to be moved to DH and could be expendable if Antolin succeeds. Most of the prospects in the Blazers system are at least 2 years away. The Blazers did see moderate improvement in their farm in comparison to the previous year. Due to an honest and unforgivable mistake I accidently signed 2 impossible 1st round picks last year which didn't show the growth in the system that I wanted. We had an outstanding season for development with our top guys so that's a step in the right direction.

5. What can we expect the Blazers to do this offseason?
The Blazers have been handcuffed with limited flexibility and have not been able to get into the action like we would like. We are starting to shake off those restrictions and getting some flexibility back. We want the Blazers to be a mystery this offseason and show some unpredictability. You might see the Blazers making some trades or talking to FA or they might do very little and strike later in the season. We are not going to force anything that would negatively affect the next few years.

6. What is the Blazers Mission
The focus continues to build this organization from the bottom up and not the top down. We understand this is a 3-5 year process and in order to win in the BBA you need a sustainable organization. We are very happy with the financial improvements we made last season and this season we are focusing on development and continuing to get the books right for when our window opens we will be able to strike. We have been successful before in rebuilding organizations and I believe in our process. At times it might appear as the Blazers are sitting on their hands doing nothing but we have been doing a lot of observing and just being patient. I don't want to do a complete teardown of this organization from past experience because its so hard to recover from a depleted budget when nobody comes to your games. We are balancing that at the moment and that can certainly be a challenge. With powerhouses in our division this thing is going to take some time, the goal is to win divisions and not finished in the dreaded middle of the pack every year. Also look for the Blazers to build a new stadium at some point in the next few years as they have one of the oldest stadiums in the league and can help increase fan interest and attendance during this rough period. We are excited about our direction and being patient is certainly hard but patience is a virtue.

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recte44
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Re: Offseaon Preview 39.2

Post by recte44 » Fri Jun 07, 2019 7:41 pm

Sounds like there's definitely a plan in place here, and I really look forward to seeing how you rebuild the Blazers!

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Re: Offseaon Preview 39.2

Post by sjshaw » Fri Jun 07, 2019 7:46 pm

Thanks for the preview... these really help new owners like me learn about the other teams.
GM, Louisville Sluggers, end of 2038 - current

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