Some national media outlets were "confused" by what we were trying to do in free agency this past offseason. The fact is we were not trying to address our needs in free agency but we used trades as our primary avenue for improving our team. That doesn't mean we didn't sign any free agents, we just didn't make the big "Kondo" splash that other teams did. We brought in a lot of minor leaguers to fill up the ranks and field complete teams which is important for competition at all levels. We also brought in five guys that made our opening day roster and a few more that may help us down the road should we have any injury issues.
Made the Team:
25 year old William Drew(3 years, $9 million per)
He was a guy we identified early in the process and we never took our eyes off of him. We got into a bit of a bidding war with some other teams and spent a bit more than we initially thought it would take but we got him on our team. Drew is a high motor guy and his personality rubs off on those around him. He posted a 3.6 WAR in his age 21 season for Cham City but has been in decline since. We plan to start him in the OF against lefties and he can also spell Aldo at second base if needed.
27 year old OF John Noble(3 years $3.1 million per)
Noble, like Drew, was brought in for his personality as much as his ability. He's a natural leader in the clubhouse. He cost about a third of what Drew did maybe because he only plays the outfield. He's never really succeeded in the BBA but we are hoping this is his time. He hits equally good against both lefties and righties but he'll start the season in a platoon that will see him playing left field against lefties and we hope he plays well enough that we are forced to give him more at bats.
33 year old IF Luis Gonzalez(2 years, $2 million per)
Luis spent parts of six seasons in Montreal and was more than happy to return. He'll get a chance to play some short against lefties to start the season but he can play anywhere on the infield. He'll be a safety net in case injuries occur and he should provide a steady presence in the club house. He's a career .312 hitter against southpaws.
26 year old Bastian Lino and 27 year old Constantino Teixeira were brought in on low money deals to help the bullpen. Both had very good springs in middle relief while the team's setup men struggled. This could mean more innings in the regular season for these two. Both are low risk due to the money owed, if they don't perform as needed they can be easily released.
