The Brewster

It appears over the course of the last several months, since the Landis Series wrapped up and the off-season started, the outlook and goals for the Boise Spuds in the immediate future have changed. Between the expansion draft, free agency and trade market, a lot of familiar faces have said goodbye to Boise, while a lot of new smiling faces have started walking through the door at Spuds headquarters.

Today, general manager Joe Lederer swung his third trade of the off-season -- and second with expansion Portland -- this time to add a battery-mate with newly acquired catcher Hank Brewer. In what is being reported as quick negoiations, the Spuds shipped minor league pitchers Bartolo Morín and Flynn Bernard in return for Brewster veteran starter Celio Marin. Marin, coming off a poor first season in Atlantic City, arrives in Boise with three years and $24 million remaining on his contract, making him easily expendable for the upstart Lumberjacks.

"After losing a few starters during the expansion draft, it left a substantial hole in our pitching staff. Celio's addition addresses that need and immediately makes us better," Assistant General Manager Kyle Banks told reporters at a community fundraiser.

"How much better?," someone shouted from the crowd. Banks, without hesitating, replied with "How does playoff contender sound?" The small group of supporters and attendees loudly clapped and cheered before breaking out into a "Let's Go Boise!" chant.

Celio had a breakout 2038 for the Rockville Pikeman, his first full-season as a converted starter at age 29. It's believed Boise is expecting results more akin to that season, in the more pitcher-friendly Rockville stadium than Atlantic City's. Additionally, the Spuds analytics department feels they will have one of the top defenses in all of the Brewster next year, another reason Marin could bounce-back. Below are Marin's projections pitching for Boise next year compared to his last two seasons, courtesy of the Brewster Register website:

YEAR	TEAM	RUN ENVIROMENT	W-L	ERA+	WHIP	FIP	K/9	BB/9
2038	Rockville	pitchers' ballpark	16-7	112	1.11	3.90	8.8	2.2
2039	Atlantic City	moderate hitters' park	4-12	76	1.49	5.86	8.4	4.2
2040 (proj.)	Boise	slight pitchers' park	13-11	109	1.29	4.21	8.4	3.5

In addition to Celio and Brewer, the Spuds have added third baseman Rob Thomas, a handful of reliever free agency signings, and are expected to call-up prospects Félix Román, Ricardo Ruíz, and Motonobu Yamashita at some point in 2040. "I speak for the entire front office when I say sub-.500 records are no longer acceptable here," Banks said in a follow-up interview with KBOI-TV. "We no longer want to be considered an expansion team. We're a perennial contender now...a new day has arrived in Boise."

Live look-in at all the newly signed and acquired Spuds arriving at team headquarters.

Some of those new Spuds might need a shower ...

I liked Marin. But needed that $8 million off the books.

Can’t wait for when Boise and Portland plays this season and Marin pitches to Brewer in Portland. Broadcasters would have an easy time with storylines to talk about.