Last off-season in Boise marked the hiring of new general manager Joe Lederer, who stressed early on that fiscal responsibility and salary cap flexibility would be one of his most important ethea. Lederer's two big free agent signings last year were two-year deals at over-market price for pitcher Egbert Behner and outfielder Alfredo Salazar. Fast forward twelve months and Salazar is no longer on the roster, becoming a free agent after not reaching enough at-bats for his option to vest. Instead, Boise may receive a Type B compensation pick due to Salazar's 3.0 WAR season. As for Behner, his $23M salary for 2040 is no longer owed by the Spuds after being selected by Portland in last month's expansion draft. In the end, the two big signings earned 5.5 total WAR in 2039, netted one potential compensation pick and are both off the books one year earlier than expected at the time of their signings.Lederer has picked up where he left off, signing no players beyond 2040 thus far, not including vesting or team options. Four of the deals were extended to pitchers in the form of major league contracts:
- Bill Carter (1-year, $980,000) finds himself on his third team in nearly exactly one calendar year. Carter, a 25-year-old righty, was taken first overall in the 2038 Rule 5 Draft by Brooklyn, struggling in 78 innings of relief -- his first taste of the BBA -- before being returned back to Long Beach in July. Spuds pitchers ranked dead last in strikeouts in the Frick League last year, so Carter's minor league career 10.3 K/9 will be greeted with open arms. Look for Carter to fill a multi-inning role this season out of Boise's bullpen.
- Thomas Crane (1-year, $900,000 with 2041 vesting option for $2,000,000) was likely miscast as a starting pitching in Wichita last season, as evidence by his 8.01 ERA and 1.85 WHIP. The 6'8" hard-thrower will return back to the bullpen as a member of the Spuds and his new club will hope to get the 2037 version of Crane (2.70 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 9.6 K/9 in 46 IP).
- Francisco Barrera (1-year, $1,234,567) is a 6'7" lefty who's built a reputation as a popular teammate, which has carried over to being a fan favorite after spending five seasons in Atlantic City. Barrera spent last season pitching out of the Gamblers' bullpen and it resulted in his worst season in the majors. The Boise front office believes Barrera can transition back into a starter and will likely slot in the back of the Spuds' rotation as a much needed southpaw to compliment the rest of the staff.
- Will Franklin (1-year, $1,400,000) is a ten-year veteran of the BBA and brings championship experience after winning a ring as a member of the Jacksonville Hurricanes last season. Franklin, who spent all of 2038 in the minors, returned to the majors as a member of Hurricanes' relief corps. The 35-year-old righty put up an incredible 10.4 K/9 to 1.6 BB/9 ratio in 50 innings, but was hurt by the long ball (2.3 HR/9) and an unusually high BABIP (.375). Boise hopes luck is on Franklin's side this season as he likely will see playing time in mop-up duty.
| CATCHER | 2039 vs. RHP | 2039 vs. LHP |
|---|---|---|
| Hank Brewer | .305/.388/.497 (.885 OPS) | .245/.291/.424 (.716 OPS) |
| Ignacio Marrero | .178/.274/.264 (.539 OPS) | .265/.346/.513 (.859 OPS) |
To round out the early December signings, non-guaranteed minor league contracts were agreed to by César Barrón, Juan Gonsáles, Manuel Ramírez, José Burgos, and Felipe Rosado. Boise roving pitching instructor Andy Belluride mentioned in a recent interview that Rosado will be given every chance to pitch out of the rotation in the Spuds' minors, however he will likely be convert into a reliever at some point. None of these players are expected to reach Boise in 2040, instead acting as organizational depth and will be asked to push younger players during spring training.
Lederer has hinted that the team is not yet done assembling the roster for spring training, as the team is reportedly in several talks with multiple former All-Stars on the free agent market.
NEWS AND NOTES: Félix Alvarado was placed on waivers to create room heading into the Rule 5 Draft, however the 35-year-old righty has received several claims and will likely find himself on a new team by next week...rumors are swirling that Lederer has been shopping names like Jim Des Jardien, Ken Gerhart III, and Carlos Muñóz in attempts to address the open position at third base...southpaw Flynn Bernard has spent the off-season at the Golden Arms Training Center in Southern California in an attempt to transition into a full-time reliever...social media posts have shown Bernard's fastball sitting at 100.8 MPH, up from his 98.5 average velocity as a starting pitcher in 2039, along with increased movement and spin
