Evening News Staff Writer
2028-11-03
Edinburgh – It had been nearly a week since the final out of the Imperial League Championship series had been recorded. Nearly a week since Claymores had listened in silence to the West Virginia players and crowd celebrate their title.
Nearly a week since the dream of 2028 had died.
There had been a subdued flight home to Scotland, a day or two of players clearing out their lockers and saying their goodbyes, a day or two to mourn the loss.
Now, Manager Hayato Sasaki was facing his first hometown news conference since the series elimination - and facing the future with hope.
Did he consider this season a success?
“Of course, I do,” Sasaki said. “We fell short of our ultimate goal of winning the Rodriguez Cup, but we achieved much as a team and as individuals. So, yes, our season was a success.”
The numbers, of course, back him up. The Claymores won a franchise record 96 games, made the post-season for the first time in a decade, and for the first time since leaving the League of the Rising Sun for the Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance.
Hayato Sasaki
And yet, falling short of the Rodriguez Cup tourney left both players and fans hungry for more.
Does Sasaki feel the Claymores can compete for the postseason again next year?
“Yes, I do,” he said. “There are, of course, no guarantees. We play in a difficult division, the Trans Atlantic, and in a highly competitive league, but we feel we are positioned to compete with anyone.”
Any news yet on whether slugger Don Mercer, acquired by trade after the All-Star break, will re-up his $34 million contract?
“We have had some discussions with Don and they were very positive, but he has not given us a definitive answer yet,” Sasaki said. “There is time, and the disappointment of the championship series has not yet worn off, but Don has said repeatedly that he enjoyed our clubhouse and especially enjoyed playing meaningful October baseball. We have no reason to believe that he will choose to exercise his option.”
“Jasper,” as his teammates call him, struggled at first with the trade that brought him to Edinburgh and got off to a slow start with the team. But as he settled in and the Claymores mounted their late-season surge to the Wild Card spot and the playoffs, he caught fire: in September, he slashed .339/.374/.670 with 10 home runs and 36 RBIs.
Don "Jasper" Mercer
The trade, which for awhile looked like a costly blunder, suddenly looked like a stroke of genius by reclusive general manager Vic Caleca.
“I do not know if Vic is a genius or not, but he did make a very good trade, and of course he hired me,” Sasaki said with a grin. “So, perhaps yes. I do know that he tried to get the Claymores what they would need to make the playoffs, and he did do that.”
What, Sasaki was asked, will the Claymores need next season to get back to the playoffs?
“Well, we must address our pitching, both our starting rotation and our bullpen. Our initial discussions with Francisco Robles have been discouraging, so it is doubtful that he will return. That means we are in the market for a high-quality starter – or starters.”
Robles, of course, has had a legendary career and was off to an excellent start with the Scottish (a 6-2 record, 2.78 ERA, 38 K’s and just 10 walks) before he went down with a season-ending shoulder injury in May. The 38-year-old had signed a one-year contract for $7.5 million, which will soon expire. Sources say he now is asking for a three-year pact worth $16 million per year, which the Claymores undoubtedly will not grant.
“You would have to ask Vic about the particulars, but the Mercer trade – well worth it on every level, mind you – limits what more the team can do in terms of big, long-term contracts,” Sasaki said. “I understand that, and I am confident that Vic and our scouting staff will find adequate pitching help. They have already started.”
Francisco Robles
Indeed, even as the playoffs were ending, the team quietly signed several key players to one-year extensions, thus avoiding potentially costly arbitration decisions. Among them:
• Starters Allen Guthrie and Roger Keller, who came in mid-season as injury replacements and pitched well.
• Starter Soichiro Ogawa, who won 18 games in a remarkable breakout season.
• Relievers William Talley and Ángelo Gonzáles, who were bullpen anchors much of the season.
• Closer Ken Fisher, who established himself in 2028 as one of the best at his position in the league.
• Outfielder Vince Powell, who hit 33 homers and collected 89 RBIs in an effective season.
In addition to Robles, other members of the Scottish unlikely to return include:
• Third baseman Bob Swift, who missed the end of the season and the playoffs with a shoulder injury, and is asking more than $7 million to re-sign.
• Longtime Claymore Sixto Dueñas, who lost his position as second baseman José Escobido enjoyed a breakout season. Dueñas has told management he will enter free agency.
• Catcher/DH Yosuke Imai, 36, who is seeking a 3-year contract at more than $8 million per year. The Claymores believe that while Imai still wields an effective bat (.299/.374/.458 slashline), his defensive limitations make him a net liability.
Sasaki nodded as reporters reeled off the list of players who likely would not be attending spring training with the Scottish next year.
“All of this I have heard,” he said. “But if there is one constant in baseball, it is change. We will greet our returning players with open arms, and we will wish those who move on to other opportunities the best.
“But make no mistake. We have tasted what it is like to win now, and we intend to do whatever it takes to keep winning. This past season was a bright spot – but our future is even brighter.”
That, of course, remains to be seen – but there is no doubt the Claymores are in better position at the end of 2028 than they were last year.
There is much work to be done. But there is also much reason for hope.