FGM-Newsroom

[Dan Wood]

Dayton Daily News

Cincinnati, Ohio - 12/15/11

With the recent acquisitions of David Ortiz and Josh Beckett, the Cincinnati Reds now feel they are in a posistion to make a serious run at the NL central. Despite having solid rosters over the past two years, the Reds have gotten subpar results. The GM of the team, as well as other high ranking front office executives, feel that they have given the team enough talent to be competitive in the tough NL Central. After debating this move for many weeks, the club has decided that it isn't the talent that is the problem but the manager. Effective today, Dusty Baker will no longer be the Reds manager. The front office felt that Dusty lost the clubhouse last season, after a rash of injuries crippled the team early in the season. Also Baker's lack of patience with the younger members of the ball club, has seriously inhabited their growth.

From this moment on, former New Yorks Mets second baseman and minor league manager, Wally Backman will be calling the shots. The front office is happy to have him running the team, and applaud his gritty attitude and fearless approach to the game. Mr. Backman, welcome to the Queen City.

[Flash]

Goleta Gazette

San Francisco (December 22, 2011)

The San Francisco Giants

The 2012 San Francisco Giants will again feature some strong SPs in Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Ryan Vogelsong, and Madison Baumgarner.  Like other teams in the Franchise GM, the Giants will need to acquire a couple of lower tier type starters.  The Giants will also have a decent corp of relievers in closer Brian Wilson and RPs Santiago Casilla and Javier Lopez.  The Giants might get a boost from Bobby Parnell if he can be an effective late inning RP.

The Giants hitting will continue to be a problem unless some bats can be acquired during the free agency period.  The Giants welcomed the return of CI/OF Brandon Belt.  There have been several promising reports from his winter ball stint in the Dominican.  The other CI position will be filled by Carlos Lee.  Once a feared hitter, the Giants need El Caballo to turn back the clock and be productive.  The Giants will need to sign some MIs, as they currently have only Matt Downs and Emmanuel Burris--two part-time players at best.

The Giants are hoping that Roger Bernadina wins a OF starting job so he can fill one OF spot.  Hopefully Nate Schierholz returns to form after battling some late season injuries in 2011 and fills another OF spot.  As with the MI, the Giants are left with OF reserves for the final OF and UT spots.  The Giants also have a need at C now that Ronny Paulino was not tendered a contract.

Again, free agency will be a key for the 2012 Giants. Giants' GM Flash is going to have to be very shrewd during free agency if there is going to be some improvement in 2012.

[Colby]

Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Pirates Winter Report

PITTSBURGH, PA - 12/22/2011 - The Pirates fan base has suffered through 18 consecutive losing seasons from 1993 through 2010.  New management, effective in 2009, has changed the culture around PNC Park.  The team became very aggressive in both free agency and the trade market.  Despite budgetary concerns remaining the same due to the ownership of Bob Nutting's group squatting on the franchise, the new GM decided to pursue big name players with expensive contracts. 

This meant that unfortunate demise of a young core involving McCutchen, Walker, Alvarez, and Tabata had to go.  The return was proven veterans who could hit as well as plenty of cash to support their contracts.  Despite big names like Verlander, Helton and Holliday spending time in Pittsburgh, they were eventually redealt to have a better fiscal situation through 2014.  In came Youkilis, Ethier, Swisher, and Kotchman supporting the young pitching staff and supporting cast of journeymen MI and young OF.

The current model appears to be one that brings in a few big bats, edges their contract with cash exchanges, and then trades them off in their final year of the contract.  If the Pirates are competitive at the deadline then they will hold on to these players and let them go in free agency.  In turn, they would receive compensation in the form of draft picks and use the cash flow to pursue new free agents.  The franchise has an average farm that it uses to fuel its trades of veteran players.  Rumor is that Swisher and prospects could be dealt mid-season to bring in a younger OF.  The team has done this in the past by bringing in players like Gio Gonzalez and Matt Wieters.  Both of those players were signed to affordable long-term deals.

The Pirates cash flow is two-pronged.  Word from the front office is that the team plans on giving at least $40m in contracts to mid-tier free agents at the winter meetings in January.  Many of the big name players go off the books after 2013 opening an additional $30m in annual cash flow in 2014.  Escalating or deferred contracts are not allowed due to the FGM CBA, so this allows the team to utilize a unique strategy focusing on two-year deals.  This will give them plenty of bargaining chips headed into 2014 as well as plenty of cash.

Ultimate goal here is to win a World Series.  The Pirates changed the culture of losing in 2010 by winning over 90 games.  They missed the playoffs due to a very competitive NL Central.  How can the team improve upon last season and make the playoffs?  A lot of luck will be needed as the Nutting ownership situation prevents them from spending too much.  Meanwhile, the Brewers organization is stacked, the Cardinals have plenty of depth, the Reds will be at it again with a talented team, and the young Cubs plan on spending record money in 2011.  The Astros shouldn't be a team to forget about either as they went to the playoffs in 2009 and return with a solid team.  Whatever does happen, Pirates fans should be in for a treat with a much more competitive team then they have seen in the past.  Pittsburgh, your Pirates are back and here to stay.