Oh, what a year it was! After stumbling to a 65-97 record in 2040, Boise exceeded all expectations in 2041 by winning the Frontier Division in a Game 163 scenario against Calgary, sending the Spuds to the post-season for the first time in team's short seven-year history. Additionally, the team set a club record with 104 wins, smashing the previous high of 77 set in 2039, as well as a club-record for attendance with over 3.2M, nearly a half-million more than in 2039. In the first three years under general manager Joe Lederer, the Spuds are 246-241, a winning percentage of .505. In the first four years in the club's history, prior to Lederer's arrival, Boise's win percentage was .424.All eyes will be on Boise in 2043 to see what they can do for an encore, and the front office has been busy in the first two weeks of the off-season.
* * * * *
On November 12th, it was announced the Spuds executed starting second baseman Jared Gillstrom's team option. The deal pays the future Hall of Famer nearly $20.5M, with additional bonuses that could total just under $1.4M. In his first year with Boise, Gillstrom, who turned 37 in August, hit 33 HR and stole 25 bases with a slash line of .288/.351/.486. However later that day, as first reported by New Orleans Crawdads beat writer Alex "Scoop" Fayson, Gillstrom had been flipped to the Crawdads in exchange for two minor league prospects.
Boise fans took to social media and local sports radio, many calling the deal "heartless" and "two steps back". Corky Remington, host of the popular Spuds podcast "Twice Baked" (now up to episode 268!) went on one of his trademark rants, questioning the deal and ultimately calling for Lederer's job:
In Lederer's short tenure, he's shown to be risk averse, signing free agents to short-term deals. Is this a case of Lederer making a move too early instead of too late? Maybe Gillstrom's age or injury history was a leading factor, or maybe it was his $4.4M buy-out the club faced if the team option wasn't picked up? Perhaps it was Gillstrom's declining defense at the keystone position that worried team officials? Or it could have been Gillstrom's second-half performance in which he hit .252/.316/.402, signaling a steeper drop-off was coming soon.Great, we made the playoffs only to get dropped in the Doubleday in five games. What else has Lederer done? I'll tell you what he hasn't done...he doesn't have a Hall of Fame career like Gillstrom! We've heard rumors that ownership rewarded the team by bumping up their payroll for next year to $110 million. So what does management decide to do? Oh, just cut one of the most popular players in league history! Is this a joke? Lederer should go back to his computers and spreadsheets in his mom's basement. Or better yet, he can pack his bags and go back to the UMEBA. I hear they have an opening.
Lederer did appear via phone call on Brewster Tonight and when asked about the deal, he didn't go into specifics, but did have this to say:
It was a hard decision, it truly was. We appreciate the leadership Gillie provided us this past season. He came in, worked his tail off every day, led by example in the clubhouse and on the field. We owe him a great deal. I believe he helped put us on this current path of success. But in the end, it was baseball decision and I stand by it.
Coming to Boise in the deal is left-handed reliever Ángel Díaz and infielder José Cortés. Díaz, 26, went 5-4 with 3 saves (6.25 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) in 31.2 innings with the Havana Pelicans (AAA). The club expects Díaz to battle for a spot as a lefty specialist during Spring Training. Left-handed batters hit only .143/.250/.306 against Díaz this past season. Cortés, 24, spent most of the year at shortstop for Double-A Corpus Christi, where he hit .288/.353/.406. Cortés is expected to start 2042 at as a backup third baseman for Boise's Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City.
* * * * *
Several personnel changes also took place in the first week of the off-season, led by the news of Assistant General Manager Barrett Callahan's retirement. Callahan, 61, was Boise's manager from 2038 until mid-2040, when he was promoted to the front office. Callahan spent seven seasons in the minors as a shortstop from 2001 to 2007 before retiring as a player in 2009. In 2021, Callahan was hired by Des Moines as bench coach, where he would hold that position for two years before moving to Seattle in the same capacity. In 2027, Seattle named Callahan their manager, going 88-75. After that, Callahan bounced around as bench coach in the EBA for Belfast and back in the BBA with Yellow Springs and San Antonio. The sabermetric-minded Callahan returned to being manager for Hunstville in 2036, going 169-151 before joining Boise. At the moment, the team has not announced who will be succeeding Callahan as Assistant General Manager.
Also not returning to the Spuds coaching staff is bench coach Johnathan Henry, whose contract was not renewed. Replacing Henry on the staff is Lettel Rosch, who spent the last three seasons managing in the Boise front office. Rosch brings championship experience to the Spuds, as the 57-year-old won two Landis titles guiding the Rockville Pikeman in the '30s. Rosch's promotion sparked a series of promotions within the Boise minor leagues:
| NAME | 2041 ROLE, TEAM | 2042 ROLE, TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| Lettel Rosch | Manager, Weymouth (AA) | Bench Coach, Boise |
| Juan Gomez | Manager, Tulsa (A) | Manager, Weymouth (AA) |
| Kane Wells | Manager, Hot Springs (Short Season) | Manager, Tulsa (A) |
| Joey Gordon | Manager, Tijuana (Rookie) | Manager, Hot Springs (Short Season) |
| Renato Gallina | Hitting Coach, Tijuana (Rookie) | Manager, Tijuana (Rookie) |
* * * * *
The following is the upcoming off-season schedule for Boise players and the front office:
Next week: Start of Florida Prospect League; arbitration deadline and subsequent hearings; announcement of team awards
Two weeks: Free agency begins
Three weeks: Winter Meetings
Additionally, the team scheduled a press conference for next week with national and local media invited. Rumors have been floating on message boards and within baseball insiders, with guesses ranging from a new television network or new ballpark naming rights to a new team logo or new uniforms. Boise officials have declined to comment on details of the event.
