London, UK –

The London Underground set out to make a statement this offseason. Looking to shed their psuedo-rebuilding mediocrity of the last six seasons, General Manager Cyan Winters set into motion his plan to turn this team into not just something more than a bottom feeder but a legitimate playoff contender unable to be overlooked. Much needed to be done.

London’s pitching has been their strength for several seasons now, where the team has struggled has been at the plate. Additionally, several bloated contracts on aging or otherwise ineffective players were holding the team back. The key as Winters saw it was to get younger, faster, and cheaper without sacrificing core talent.

The Charity of Others

In truth, the wheels were set in motion well before the season ended. The blockbuster trade that saw Luis Cervantes sent to the Evas brought Barry Wallace, the 2026 Wunderkid to London. Though many would agree that Cervantes is the better player today, Winters was wary of his upcoming contract expiration and that his best years were probably behind him as a 28 year old who was just a career .258 hitter. Wallace meanwhile was younger at 27 and was signed to a long term contract at a much lower rate than Cervantes was looking for. Though not as flashy of a hitter as Cervantes, Wallace actually sported a higher career BA, although in much fewer games. Nonetheless, Wallace rewarded Mr. Winters as he proceeded to hit .286 with 14Hr, 39RBI, and a 2.9 WAR in 68 games with the Underground. Cervates hit just .261 for Shin Seiki.

The accelerated rebuild continued in the offseason as trading re-opened. The first trade hit the wire on November 7th when London brought Jose Aguilera over from Kentucky. The 28 year old was everything Winters was looking for. He was fast; in 2028 he led the league in stolen bases and in 2029 he swiped 76 bags. He got on base, with a career BA of .280 and an OBP of .326. He was versatile, able to play each outfield position at least adequately, as well as first base. He’s loyal, works hard, and is sharp as a tack. In summation, he is the ideal Undergrounder.

A week to the day later, on November 14th Winters brought in the team’s second former Wunderkid, first baseman Bob Gorman. Gorman replaced the AAA level talent the Underground were trotting out on their 1B depth chart instantly. Gorman brought a big stick, having hit 28 dingers in his rookie campaign and nearly 50 doubles in his first two seasons. Power is something the Underground have especially lacked in recent years, but with the breakout success of Antonio Garcia last season and the addition of Gorman, Winters expects the middle of his lineup to threaten the long ball each and every game.

Deep(er) Pockets

In free agency, the Underground continued their torrid pace. On December 16th they announced the signing of third baseman Francisco Murillo as the team continued to shore up their weak corner infield positions. Murillo brings solid hitting, a nose for getting on base, and high leadership to the clubhouse. It doesn’t hurt than he can also swipe a bag from time to time. The Underground took a bit of a risk signing Murillo to a 4 year deal at age 30, but felt it was at a low enough price point ($5,000,000 annually) to not ultimately hurt the team.

The Underground also signed Reynaldo Garcia, who they had actually traded for earlier in the offseason. Due to an, uh…….clerical error, Mr. Garcia did not re-sign with the Underground, instead heading to free agency. However, London was able to secure the now “free agent” catcher to a two year contract to retain his services. The catcher position was an offensive black hole last season for the team, and Garcia simply matching his career average of .251 would be a huge improvement.

The crown jewel of London’s offseason however was relief pitcher Ricardo Montoya, the 26 year old Costa Rican deciding to make his PEBA debut. Montoya throws two pitches, both of them at an elite level. His stuff is some of the best on the entire market, and Winters knew he needed him to shore up the back of his bullpen. London signed Montoya to a 4 year deal worth $9,400,000. The contract is rich for a player who has not thrown a single pitch in the PEBA, but Winters put his trust in his scout and signed on the dotted line. Early results are good, as Montoya gave up 0 runs in 8.1 innings of spring training, earning 6 saves in the process.

Home Grown

Last but not least, the opening day London roster will feature some new faces from the team’s minor leagues. 21 year old Norm Batstone, who went 17-3 last season in AA as a starter, will begin the season out of the London bullpen. Like Montoya, Batstone features two very high quality pitches. He is also a sneaky good hitter, and may get some pinch hit opportunities throughout the season. Joining him in the bullpen will be Koshiro Sugahara, one of few bright spots from the disasterous 2029 Leeds Rhinos’ season, Sugahara will hopefully be an effective middle reliever.

One surprise decision was Arturo Rodriguez winning the major league DH spot. Rodriguez was an all star in AA last season and won a platinum stick award after crushing a league leading 41 home runs and 105 RBI. He also walked an incredible 105 times, finishing the season with an 8.2 WAR. Winters planned to take it slow with Rodriguez and promote him to AAA to begin the season. Rodriguez had another idea though, and finished spring training with a .323 batting average, good for second best on the team. His 3 home runs tied him for first on the team, and his OBP was 4th. Among players who played all 24 games, he was even more impressive. Having shown the ability to succeed against major league level pitching, Winters decided that Rodriguez’s tryout will continue into April and he will bring his big bat in alongside Gorman and Garcia hoping to make opposition pitchers sweat.

The 2030 season dawns…

Time will tell whether all of these changes will pay off. General Managers around the league have largely given lip service to them, while still predicting the Underground to finish at or near the bottom of their division. Spring Training certainly raised Winters hopes, as the team went 17-7, good enough to not just top the Trans Atlantic, but the entire IL. In fact, only the Toyoma Wind Dancers managed more wins (18) in spring training. Certainly Winters is not expecting those results to stick through an entire PEBA season, but it hopefully shows that this is a team that will be sticking around late into the season.