January 26, 2038
When the calendar year flipped to 2038, the Las Vegas Hustlers had still not made a major move in free agency despite clearing massive cap space to do just that.
By the time the official start of "Preseason" arrived, things looked a lot different.
The first signing came on January 7th, when the Hustlers signed catcher Antonio Robles to a three year deal. The deal pays him $1.5 million this year and then offers the club two subsequent team option seasons at the same price. At first glance the signing is a major surprise considering the Hustlers traded for Robles last year, and then after an abysmal performance for them (.113/.145/.226 slash in 16 games) he was released. "Obviously he didn't perform for us last year, but his past performance suggests that was an anomaly," explained GM Matt Rectenwald. "He has decent defense, and should make a decent platoon along with Robinson Lopez behind the dish at a minimal investment."
The long expected big splash happened on January 14th, when Las Vegas and veteran righty Mauro Flores agreed to terms on a complex five year contract that gives both the player and club flexibility. Flores receives two guaranteed years at $26.52 million for 2038 and $25.52 million in 2039, and then has a player opt-out available. If he stays, he is then guaranteed $25.52 for 2040, and then both 2041 and 2042 are at the same number but are vesting options in which Flores has to start 25 games for those options to vest. Vegas also provides several incentives for Flores, including bonuses for pitching 200 innings, winning the Nebraska Award, and making the All-Star team. All told Flores could potentially earn $128,600,000 in base salaries with at least another $42 million in potential incentives. It's the richest contract the franchise has ever issued. "We needed an ace starter more than anything else," said Rectenwald. "Flores can be that guy." Brooklyn GM Alan Ehlers, who has employed Flores for the last one and a half season, expressed concern of a potential injury forthcoming. "I abused the hell out of him down the stretch. Ruptured ulnar collateral ligament in April. You heard it here first," quipped Ehlers.
Signing a player the caliber of Flores is a tough act to follow, but the Hustlers still needed to address a couple more areas on the club. Their biggest remaining need was to find a utility player who could also serve as the center fielder against left-handed pitching, and they found a nearly perfect match in Carlos Camacho. He signed a three year contract with two guaranteed years of $2.8m and $3.2m and a vesting year of $3.8m. While Camacho can offer some pop at the plate and positional versatility that makes him an ideal fit for the Hustlers needs, he doesn't come without risk. Over the years he has earned a reputation as a bad clubhouse guy, and the Hustlers players immediately notified the front office that they were "leery" of the acquisition. Not only that, he simply hasn't produced at all throughout his career, with a grand total of NEGATIVE 1.1 WAR over his seven year career. "We're aware of his warts," said Rectenwald. "I have all the faith in Edward (Allen, Hustlers manager) to keep him happy and coax some of that untapped potential out of him." If nothing else, his contract is small enough that they could get out of it easily enough.
Last but not least, the Hustlers added more depth to their pitching staff by signing veteran right-hander Matt Mills to a minor league deal. "Frankly, we were shocked that Millsy took our offer," a visibly excited Rectenwald said. "This dude is a major league pitcher all the way." Indeed he has been, and a durable one at that. Starting with a cup of coffee start in September 2030 he has started 226 turns in a row- the definition of a workhorse. Mills has had the misfortune of playing for non-contenders his whole career (Hawaii 2030-2036 and a bad Charm City team in 2037) and that may have played a part in his decision to take a minor league deal with the Hustlers. With a 4.25 career ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 17.6 career WAR, his 59-101 win-loss record simply doesn't make sense without taking the teams he played for into consideration. Mills understands that he's going to have to pitch his way onto the Las Vegas roster in Spring. "That's why I'm here," said Mills. "I'm here to win- and I'm ready to pitch whenever and wherever they ask me to."