The Brooklyn Knights finished spring training a division-leading 17-13. The Cornfield Axemen were an NALB best 19-11. In League 2, the defending champion Stade Maples (18-12) and Richmond Slam (16-14) led their respective divisions in spring training.

The Knights are very healthy heading into the regular season. John Vance is on the 15-day injured list with some back stiffness. Single A Kawanari Suzuki reliever is on the IL with a sprained elbow.

Other key injuries in spring training:

• Cornfield Axemen: RP Juan Vidals has shoulder inflammation, which should keep him on the IL until mid-July.
• Dunedin Otters: Kearney Snipes ruptured his UCL (ulnar collateral ligament). That injury will require over a year of surgery and rehabilitation before he can return.
• Key West Corals: LF Bruno Payton is expected to miss two months with forearm inflammation.
• Phoenix Rattlers: RP Edison Torrefiel has an arthritic elbow and will be out four to five months.
• Quebeck Sky Chiefs: CF Derain Haile ruptured his Achilles tendon. He is projected to return to action in late August.
• St. James Crusaders: RP Thornton Peters has a torn triceps and will be out for three months.
• St. James Crusaders: SP António Soriel has a strained hamstring, which should keep him out of the rotation for five weeks.
• Vancouver Wild: LF Greg Webb tore the flexor tendon in his elbow. That is a season ending injury.
• Vancouver Wild: SP Maureo Frederick's elbow suffered a torn flexor tendon. The projection is a lengthy 15 to 16 months of recovery.

Here were some notable roster moves prior to the 2025 NALB season.

The Brooklyn Knights had the following offseason/preseason activity:

• Extended the contracts of nine players through salary arbitration: RF Dick Gosden, SP Takanobu Kishita, SS Frank Brunson, 2B Estevan Portillo, 3B Dave Crayton, RP Armando Alfaro, RP Niklaus Durante, CF Clement Barrows, and 2B Don Hartz
• RP Norman Forbes, RP Jesús Montufar, 1B Ramon Alconer, and LF Milburn Hutchison filed for free agency.
• Signed international amateur CF John Parham out of Mexico to a minor league contract.
• Lost SS Mike O'Cannahan in the Rule 5 Draft to the Dayton Grizzlies.
• Signed international amateur C Regis Vanali out of Venezuela to a minor league contract.
• Signed international amateur CF Elliott Ekdar out of Canada to a minor league contract.
• Signed international amateur SS Juan Montóñez out of Mexico to a minor league contract with a $212,000 signing bonus.
• Signed international amateur CL Tajo Durán out of Puerto Rico to a minor league contract with a $153,000 signing bonus.
• Signed international amateur SP Jamal Linje out of South Africa to a minor league contract.

Notable contract extensions:

• Richmond Slam: Signed SP Lyndon Coulombe to a 3-year contract extension worth a total of $7,600,000.
• Stade Maples: Signed CL Berto Sarzoza to a 3-year contract extension worth a total of $20,100,000.
• St. James Crusaders: Signed CL Javier Soto to a 3-year contract extension worth a total of $7,360,000.
• Vancouver Wild: Signed RP Matt Genge to a 3-year contract extension worth a total of $10,800,000.

Notable offseason free agent signings:

• Cornfield Axemen: Signed free agent 3B Lariel Gómez to a 2-year contract worth a total of $12,900,000.
• Cornfield Axemen: Signed free agent RP Jesús Montufar to a 2-year contract worth a total of $3,680,000.
• Key West Corals: Signed free agent C Pedro González to a 6-year contract worth a total of $25,800,000.
• Key West Corals: Signed free agent 3B Rich Andrews to a 4-year contract worth a total of $36,400,000.
• Nashville Firecats: Signed free agent LF Chris Lee to a 5-year contract worth a total of $32,000,000.
• Nashville Firecats: Signed free agent SP Heath MacKissock to a 3-year contract worth a total of $10,720,000.
• Nashville Firecats: Signed free agent LF Oscar Barrientes to a 3-year contract worth a total of $16,900,000.
• Nashville Firecats: Signed free agent 2B Dave Groot to a 4-year contract worth a total of $47,600,000.
• Phoenix Rattlers: Signed free agent SP Dave Kirby to a 4-year contract worth a total of $21,620,000.
• Quebeck Sky Chiefs: Signed free agent LF Sancho Malclonado to a 5-year contract worth a total of $41,200,000.
• Quebeck Sky Chiefs: Signed free agent RF Sozen Shimizu to a 6-year contract worth a total of $55,800,000.
• Stade Maples: Signed free agent 1B Kurt Johnson to a 2-year contract worth a total of $10,400,000.
• St. Rock Mudcats: Signed free agent RP Daniel Doble to a 3-year contract worth a total of $16,200,000.
• Vancouver Wild: Signed free agent RP Ximen Palmeiro to a 3-year contract worth a total of $52,800,000.
• Washington Allies: Signed free agent RF Pat West to a 5-year contract worth a total of $15,880,000.

Notable offseason trades:

• The Nashville Firecats traded 22-year old RHP Ralph Lindner, 21-year old minor league 1B Adrian Debaga, 21-year old minor league RHP Tim Andrade, 24-year old RF Michael Burgess, and a 3rd round draft pick to the Quebeck Sky Chiefs, getting 26-year old LHP Bryan Murphy in return.
• The Richmond Slam traded 23-year old minor league RF Durant Watson and 21-year old minor league C Danny Blair to the Dunedin Otters, getting 30-year old RHP Tim Sanders in return.
• The Richmond Slam traded 20-year old minor league LF Ichiro Yamakura and 24-year old minor league C Tommy Boggis to the Dunedin Otters, getting 28-year old RHP Erasmo Glade and $20,000 in cash in return.
• The Luisville Beasts traded 19-year old minor league LHP Donzel García and 24-year old minor league 1B Collin Picklesimer to the Key West Corals, getting 38-year old C Matthew Loy in return.
• The Nashville Firecats traded 24-year old minor league 2B Cayden Killingsworth, 23-year old minor league LHP Mark Willing, and a 4th round draft pick to the Washington Allies, getting 36-year old RHP David Bracy (retaining 10%) and $90,000 in cash in return.
• The Key West Corals traded 32-year old RHP Matt Genge (retaining 50%) and $60,000 in cash to the Vancouver Wild, getting 20-year old minor league LHP Glendon López and 21-year old minor league LHP Bruno Costello in return.
• The Dunedin Otters traded 23-year old minor league 1B José Quintanilla and 19-year old minor league 2B Palbán Valle to the Dayton Grizzlies, getting 29-year old LHP Jade Pradia in return.
• The St. James Crusaders traded 19-year old minor league RHP Álex Arciliares, 21-year old minor league RF Amado Cruz, and 23-year old minor league RHP Ben Verde to the Vancouver Wild, getting 36-year old RHP Thornton Peters (retaining 40%) and $120,000 in cash in return.

It's been a few years since I played a 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate) turn-based strategy game. I think the last two were Master of Magic and Civilization V. The drought is over as I just completed my first game of Warlock - Master of the Arcane. Most of these games are in some way inspired by Sid Meier's Civilization series. Warlock - Master of the Arcane puts a fantasy twist on it as did Master of Magic. In this case, the setting is Ardania, the world of Majesty and Majesty 2. I wasn't familiar with Ardania but that wasn't an impediment.

As with many 4X games, there is a bit of customization to decide on before starting a game. I stuck with most of the defaults and ended up with a total of four great mages vying for control of a medium sized world on normal difficulty. For my character, I selected the Grand Librarian, a human with an interest in magical research who had the favor of Dauros, god of law and order. The computer controlled great mages were the two-headed dragon Tendral, Son of Vendral, rat leader King Rrat XLII, and the Elven Dragon Queen.

The first great mage I discovered was King Rrat XLII. Our relationship was friendly for quite some time building up to a non-aggression pact and later a full alliance. I encountered some hostility from Tendral, the next great mage I found. King Rrat went to war with Tendral. As Rrat's ally, I was dragged into the war as well. There were periods of peace with Tendral but inevitably the conflict would resume. Eventually, I crossed paths with the Dragon Queen. We formed a very cordial relationship early on, which eventually blossomed into a stronger alliance than what I had with King Rrat.

After defeating Tendral by capturing his capital city, tensions with King Rrat began to break down. We shared too many borders and I expected an attack from him was imminent. I was right and he declared war against me. I eventually conquered him as well, leaving just the Dragon Queen as my only great mage competition. Things followed a similar path with her as she broke our alliance and then canceled our non-aggression pact. She started a war with me but I was able to capture city after city from her until only her capital was left. I could have easily have won the game at that point but I decided to contain her and keep playing. I wanted to research more spells, explore the last unvisited lands, and investigate the magic portals. The magic portals lead to other worlds but I never had I chance to use them up to that point. I went through two portals and found Princeland, a desert world, and Hellplains, a volcanic world. The terrain in those worlds were harsh and the monsters were much more challenging than on Ardania. After another twenty turns or so, I decided to capture the Dragon Queen's capital city and claim victory.

This was a really fun 4X game. I had as much fun with it as any of the Civilization games I've played.


Victory for the Grand Librarian