NALB - 2014 Offseason

There were some notable roster moves before spring training began for the 2014 NALB season.

The Brooklyn Knights made several offseason moves:

• The Knights extended the contracts of ten players through salary arbitration: Alexis Schmidt, Hsiao-lou Yeh, Bruce MacOmish, Tony Tamayo, Lonnie Bennett, Alvino Flores, Rigo Hurtado, Ángel Santago, Rico Haros, and Rikiya Kiyomizu.
• Arbitration was offered to Bob Wiesner and Craig Bella. Both declined and opted to file for free agency.
• Arbitration was not offered to Carl Gwinn, Ron Deluna, Francisco Jimenez, and Zhu-Ian Xian.
• The Knights traded minor league starting pitcher Ronald Parker and minor league reliever Nub Aranda to the Sky Chiefs for 27 year old center fielder Romeo Usquiano.

Rule 5 Draft:

• The Stade Maples drafted C James Wetzel from the Las Vegas Luck.
• The Cornfield Axemen drafted MR Javier Rodríguez from the Dayton Grizzlies.
• The Stade Maples drafted SP Doug Reynolds from the Luisville Beasts.

Notable offseason signings:

• Richmond kept its closer, Benny Alazardo, with a $4,400,000 one year extension.
• The Crusaders extended starter Cory Gregory’s contract for a year. He will be paid $3.45 million.
• Axmen starting pitcher Hartman Ivers inked a $2,390,000 extension to play in Cornfield for another year.
• Star shortstop Hsiao-lou Yuan agreed to a one year $6.85 million extension with St. James.
• The Beasts and superstar closer Jesús Montufar agreed to a one year extension worth $3,320,000.
• The Rattlers signed 27 year old free agent reliver Francisco Jimenez to a three year $2,790,000 contract.
• Free agent slugger Paul Lyons found a new home. The powerful first baseman will play in Nashville thanks to a two year deal worth $8,620,000.
• Vancouver tapped free agency to land lefty reliever Angel Mandujano. Mandujano will pocket $3,960,000 over three years.
• Jeffrey Hallman agreed to play for the Richmond Slam for another year. He signed a one year extension for $1,240,000.
• The Richmond Slam signed a new shortstop. Former Mudcat Gary Cooper agreed to a three year deal, which will pay him $4,686,666 per year.
• Quebeck signed free agent reliever Carl Hatton to a $4.4 million, two year deal. The Sky Chiefs intend to make Hatton the team’s closer.
• The Beasts aggressively pursued starting pitcher Te Li in free agency. After several seasons in Quebeck, he chose Luisville as his new home. His contract is a four year deal worth $8,370,000.
• Luisville landed another prized free agent when they signed Pete Chavez to a five year, $58.05 million deal. Chavez is expected to play third base for the Beasts.
• The Phoenix Rattlers came to terms with the most coveted pitcher on the free agent market. After posting a 55-21 record over the past three seasons, starter Robert Givens had many teams desiring his services. Thanks to his new contract, Givens will pocket $61.94 million over the next five seasons.
• Richmond has a new third baseman in Carlos Galicia. Galicia was the postseason hero for the World Champion Corals last season. He hit .481 in the playoffs, which raised his stock as he headed into free agency. The Slam may have gotten a steal when Galicia agreed to a two year contract at $2,910,000 a year.
• The Allies improved its starting rotation by signing Kid Wilson. Wilson had spent his entire 13 year career with the St. James Crusaders. A $25.74 million deal over three years persuaded him to move to Washington.
• Nashville added a quality lefty to its bullpen. The Firecats signed former Brooklyn reliever Craig Bella to a $10.1 million two year deal.
• Relief pitcher Ezra Demello agreed to a new contract with the Quebeck Sky Chiefs worth $5,840,000 over two years.
• Dayton will have another proven reliever this season. Hugh Rossiter joined the Grizzlies after agreeing to a $4 million single season contract.
• Another big name starter found a new home. On the first day of spring training, Bob Wiesner became the newest member of the Dunedin Otters. The Otters showed faith in the former two time NALB Outstanding Pitcher by offering him $9,150,000 a year for the next four years.
• Roy “Firecracker” Dabbs was the top outfielder on the market. He had spent his entire seven year NALB career with Key West. Testing free agency paid off well for Dobbs, however. He agreed to a $26.8 million four year contract with the Washington Allies.

Notable offseason trades:

• The Beasts sent 26 year old outfielder Damien O’Halloran and 20 year old minor league shortstop Morgan Kittle to the Axemen in exchange for 26 year old shortstop Rodrigo Gómez.
• Quebeck and Luisville agreed to a swap that sent 27 year old first baseman to the Beasts with 19 year old minor league catcher Nick Koche joining the Sky Chiefs.

• Key West sent 31 year old right fielder Alex Sestiaga to Cornfield. In return, the Corals got 25 year old third baseman Kurt Johnson from the Axemen.
• Vancouver traded 30 year old third baseman Ace Burd to Las Vegas in exchange for 26 year old reliever Johan Gaier. Burd is expected to play shortstop for the Luck.
• Boris Crookshanks found a new home in Quebeck. Las Vegas traded him for a pair of minor leaguers, first baseman Jorge Morales and left fielder Clive Thoma.
• 27 year old catcher Urbano Romero is now with the Dayton Grizzlies. The Grizzlies traded minor league starting pitcher Shane McSweeny and minor league left fielder Ricardo Oliveira to the Sky Chiefs to get him.
• Cornfield sent 25 year old starter Juan Rodríguez to the Luck. The Axemen received 23 year old minor league starter Martin Bayley in return.
• The Luck dealt 29 year old right fielder Alfred Struthers to the Otters for 28 year old minor league reliever Tulio Efores.
• St. James and Key West agreed to a one for one swap. 26 year old center fielder Ricardo Gonazález goes to the Corals while 27 year old reliever Andrew Hulsey goes to the Crusaders.