The Edinburgh News
August may have been kind, but September … well, September and October were cruel to the Scottish Claymores.
From a heady 22-7 in August to a pedestrian 12-15 in September to getting swept out of the playoffs in October, the Claymores went ecstasy to agony in a hurry.
Now, with a curiously disappointing season behind it, Scotland moves into an offseason that promises significant change.
The Scottish will be moving on from several high-priced players who were significant players in the team’s success over the past two seasons. Gone from the roster will be:
- LF José Guillén, a talented hitter who can’t stay healthy. He played in just 66 games in 2029, and finished the season on the disabled list.
- 3B Bob Swift, an expensive ($12.4 million per year) player who spent most of his year on the bench.
- SP Roger Keller, a talented pitcher who, like Guillén, spends too much time on the IL to justify continued investment.
- DH Yosuke Imai, a talented hitter who’s 37 years old and wants a long-term contract at prices the Scottish don’t want to afford.
The team is facing something of a budget crunch as it enters 2030, so its offseason moves may be somewhat limited. Its primary mission will be rebuilding a starting rotation that was decimated by injuries at the end of the year. Among those who went down for extended periods: Keller, Clark Snow, Allen Guthrie, and Terry Dumont.
“Whatever we do, we need to find some pitchers who spend at least as much time on the mound as they do in the emergency room,” said General Manager Vic Caleca. “The end of the year was just plain silly.”
Whatever happens, Scotland figures to look like a different team in 2030 than it did in 2029.
Whether it will be better or worse, though, is seriously open question.
Top Hitter of September
Orlando Barrón: .350/.385/.456; 11 SB; 1 CS; .842 OPS; 1.2 WAR
Top Pitcher of September
RP Sadakuno Nakagawa: 1.86 ERA; 2-0-1; 13 G; 19.1 IP; 9 Ks; 3 W; 0.2 WAR
News and Notes: After missing 7 weeks with a strained hamstring earlier in the season, SP Roger Keller strained it again on Sept. 19 to go on the IL for 2-3 months. Then, on Oct. 27, he suffered a setback that put him on the IL for another 7 weeks. Scottish brass have had enough, and all indications are that they’ll let him leave in free agency … The Scottish also will move on from several players in the salary arbitration process. They have declined to make offers to SP Jorge Vázquez; RP Spencer Cox; AAA reliever Ángelo Gonzáles; and SS Kenny Morrison … The Claymores also will part ways with RP William Talley and RP Luis Puente, who will leave the team for free agency ... 1B Orlando Barrón was named to the Imperial League's All-Leather team for 2029, recognizing his outstanding year in the field. He is the first Claymore named to the team since 2025, when Sixto Duenas was honored for his play at second base.
IL Trans Atlantic Division Standings
As of the morning of Nov. 26, 2029
|Team...........|W | L | W % |GB |RD |
|Havana|.......|99|63|.611| -- |+144|
|Scotland|.....|94|68|.580| 4.0 |+130|
|San Juan......|86|76|.531| 10.3|+24|
|Amsterdam..|79|83|.488|20.0|-1|
|London........|73|89|.451|26.0|-47|
IL Wild Card Standings
As of the morning of Nov. 26, 2029
|Team...........|W | L | W % |GB |
|Scotland|.....|94|68|.580|+5.0|
|Kentucky.....|89|73|.549|---|
|San Juan|.....|86|76|.531|3.0|
|New Orleans|80|82|.494|9.0|
|Hartford........|80|82|.494|9.0|
Fresh From The Farm
AAA Aberdeen finished the season at 70-70, in a 3-way tie for second with Santo Domingo and Camaguey in the AML Europe and Islands Division … CF Orlando Rubio was the Golden Sands’ MVP, finishing at .270/.322/.397 with 4.6 WAR … Aberdeen’s top pitcher was RP Ken Seymour, who went 7-1 with a 3.72 ERA, 103 Ks and 34 walks in 72.2 IP. He led the staff with 1.8 WAR … AA Inverness had a winning year, going 76-64, finishing in third place in the ATAL Euro-Caribbean Division, 8 games behind Port-au-Prince … CF Dale Cooper was the team’s MVP, slashing .247/.319/.406 with 18 HR, 54 RBIs and 4.8 WAR … SP Jorge Garcia was the team’s Pitcher of the Year, going 9-7 with a 2.48 ERA, 145 Ks and 52 walks in 163 IP. He finished with 3.4 WAR … Even so, the franchise gave Highlanders RP Keiji Honda its overall Minor League Pitcher of the Year for his outstanding performance after bouncing back from injury. He had a 1.25 ERA and 46 Ks and 22 walks in 57.2 IP … Single A Govan had a difficult season, going 59-69 and finishing fourth in the AWL Intercontinental Division, 27 games behind Kingston … 3B Derek Groves was the team MVP, with a .249/.352/.386 slash line and 3.7 WAR … SP Andrew Smith was the most valuable pitcher, going 10-8 with a 2.53 ERA, 151 Ks and 62 walks in 174.1 IP. He finished with 3.4 WAR … Short Season A Affiliate Maui came on strong late in its season to finish 50-40, in fourth place 19 games behind Kauai in the HL Archipelago Division … CF Tony Barrón was the team MVP, slashing .282/.346/.499 with 17 HRs and 64 RBIs … SP Raúl Méndez was the Mahi-Mahi Pitcher of the Year, going 10-2 with 2.35 ERA, 89 Ks and 49 walks in 115 IP. He had 1.6 WAR.