Omaha 1996-1 Off-Season notes

[Fat Nige]

1995 was a disappointment to the Omaha organisation but the Barnstormers have worked hard all off-season to improve the squad. The offense wasn’t too shabby with six players getting into double figures with homers and only two regular batters hitting below .250, it was the pitching staff that were well below par. Russell Vanness justified his Staff Ace rating by being the only rotation member to have a winning record (14-11, 3.06) and Shawn Hillegas suvived a brief demotion to Triple A Halifax to came back stronger and lift his record to 10-10, 3.39 ERA. The other three sadly combined for a 22-46 record with ERA's around five.

Departed for 1996 will be Rex Hudler who retired, the popular second baseman Kevin Greene who couldn’t do enough after an injury-hit season to convince management he was worth the bucks he was demanding. Regretfully leftfielder Michael Malkowski turned down several very reasonable contract offers to become a free agent while catcher Jason McMillon was another who was demanding more than Barnstormers felt he was worth.

Omaha was very active in the free agent market, having some considerable cap room, and as we approach spring training Barnstormers are reasonably pleased that they acquired nearly all of their targeted players. Stud catcher 29-year-old Pedro Cruz who in nine years at Louisville has a .265 average and has only one season in the last six where he has failed to hit at least 20 homers was signed to a five-year $45,850,000 contract and 30-year-old outfielder Sean Bockus was handed a three-year $11,764,560 contract to replace Malkowski in left field. Bockus is approaching 2000 ORB2 games with a career .291 playing for Louisville and Las Vegas as well as 349 stolen bases and while not the power hitter Malkowski was, he should be a good fit in the Barnstormers outfield. Top of the free agent class, starting pitcher Hank Daniels was pursued vigorously but chose to go to Baltimore for $16M, leaving Omaha without a major upgrade in the pitching staff. Three new arms were added though, 29-year-old reliever, Vincent Worthington (18-18, 20 saves, 246K’s and a 4.27 ERA in 303 appearances with Calgary & Montreal) and 31-year-old Luke Oughtwright (41-56, 27 saves, 641K’s and a 4.87 ERA in 453 MBBA appearances) were added on two-year contracts paying just over the million each and in a tremendous coup, 22-year-old starter Louis Furst signed a two-year contract for only $1M. Last year Furst started 27 games at Single A and Double A levels in the Phoenix organisation, going 4-13; while he might get a look at spring training he is expected to start in Parker or Halifax but both Worthington and Oughtwright should prove to be an upgrade to Barnstormers' weak bullpen.

[lynchy34]

You had a pretty nice offseason replacing those big pieces you let walk.

[recte44]

Bockus is a nice player but he was asking too much coin from me.

[Fat Nige]

I think the lack of a new pitching ace will probably hurt me but isn't everyone looking for ace pitchers

[aaronweiner]

Not really...I'm looking for things that are not ace pitchers and have been offering two since the beginning of my tenure.