Despite financial restraints, Omaha front office teases a big free agent signing.(2051.3)

[niles08]

Omaha was up against the salary cap basically all of last season, and opened up just enough cap space this season to make the big signing of Juan Medrano to fill their well-known deficit at shortstop. After releasing Kyle Smallwood seemingly out of the blue last week, despite owing him $13,000,000 in total over the next 2 seasons, the Omaha front office has given a hint towards the reasoning.

“We’re still active in free agency. We have to be careful obviously as right now we’re scheduled to be about $24,000,000 over the cap in 2052, but right now we have about $4,000,000 to play with. We fully intend to spend it, and we’re hopeful an announcement is coming in the next week on where that money is allotted.” Said Omaha GM Justin Niles.

Omaha announced a major league contract for 1B Tommy Cochran yesterday that will pay him $1,900,000 to likely play first base against left-handed pitching. Wilson Estrada, the normal everyday first baseman, has a history of struggling against left-handed pitching with an OPS+ of just 73 against lefties in 651 plate appearances, compared to a 156 career OPS+ against right-handed pitching. The team did shelter him last season, with Estrada only facing lefties 52 times.

Otherwise, besides the Juan Medrano signing and the release of Kyle Smallwood, things have been relatively quiet for a team that won just their 2nd least amount of games in nearly 20 seasons.

[ae37jr]

$4 million should be enough to get you something decent. Still a lot of talent and not so many suiters. I'm just afraid of YS9 swooping in last minute and signing ALL the free agents.

[GoldenOne]

$4 million should be enough to get you something decent. Still a lot of talent and not so many suiters. I'm just afraid of YS9 swooping in last minute and signing ALL the free agents.

Not Ron's style.