Omaha signs 178 free agents.(44.21)

[niles08]

Just as reporters at the Omaha World Herald were gathering to play their weekly newsroom tournament of Tecmo Bowl, the emails began to trickle in. The first few emails seemed basic enough with the Omaha Cyclone organization signing a few minor league fillers. Similar to the iconic scene out of Disney’s 101 Dalmatians, 2 hours later, reporters not only had not started the first round of the tournament, but were shuffling through pages and pages of minor league free agent signings by the Cyclones.

When it was all said and done, Omaha announced it had agreed to contracts with 178 free agents!, Not including the big news shuffled in the middle that they had also agreed to a contract with several selections in the draft, including first round selection Jeff Pamauate (whose name we don't care if we spell right until he deserves the respect and is playing at the big league level).

While Twin Cities pulled a similar move a few months back, that appeared to be an accident. This one doesn’t appear to be the same reasoning. When reached for comment, Omaha front office GM Justin Niles was brief in his statement, about as brief as you can be. His response when asked about the mass signings?

“So what”.

An odd and puzzling response at a time when the club now must decide who stays and who goes during the “roster purge”. Not only does Omaha’s current minor league rosters only have room for a total of 154 in all of their minor league system, of which 154 was already taken, essentially Omaha could release every current member of their minor league organizations, which obviously they wouldn’t do with a good majority of their prospects, but even with that still would not have enough space for all of these free agents.

The weekly newsroom tournament has already been cancelled for next week as the World Herald prepares for another scene in which at least 178 players are removed from their contracts in Omaha.

Wow.

[usnspecialist]

You could give each of those guys more than a min sal contract (533k to be exact) from the 95m you have no intention of paying Aki Kondo.

[niles08]

You could give each of those guys more than a min sal contract (533k to be exact) from the 95m you have no intention of paying Aki Kondo.

Sure could.

[Dington]

We're gonna need links for each player, please.

[jleddy]

Death by 178 cuts. That should keep the human resources department busy over the weekend.