BIG NAMES

		Your Junk my Happy Zone
		by Brandon Corbett

The 2012-2013 offseason saw a surprising amount of movement in free agency. That was awesome! Some of the moves were groundbreaking. Others just settling. Now, with the introduction the talent cap for 2014, as well as two new franchises, we are expecting an even more active offseason. Listed below are six of the players who I think are the BIGGEST NAMES in 2013-14 free agency, and the reasons why I think they fit there. Obviously, there may be more than these names floating around, and I hope to be blindsided by a few big moves, too! But, let this be an appetizer for the main course coming up on October 1st. Let's look at some of the early BIG NAMES!

	22 HR	★	DENNIS PEARSON Pearson ran away with the Country Strong HR King title in 2013. The closest player to him was 9 behind and nearly doubled up on. 22 of Dennis' 38 hits on the season were home runs. That's 58%! Putting more numbers to that, it was once every 4.7 at bats that Pearson hit a home run! Spurred by his home run totals, Dennis also led the league in RBI (45) and slugging (1.038). The latter of which was over .100 better than his closest competitor! Also, his 38 hits see him tied for fourth, while at 36 runs scored he came in sixth. Pearson is gold standard of offensive production, and a quintessential 5-star played based on that alone. The fact he can rack up 130 K on the mound in a season, which is tied for second, is just the cherry on top. Teams linked to:  El Diablos were hard after Dennis, but affording him would prove tricky. Holy Balls and Pearson were reportedly in talks a couple weeks back, although those appear to have stalled. Squirrels brass has mentioned Pearson's name, though it is unknown if any talks have occurred.
	1.038 SLG	★
	45 RBI	★
	38 H	★
	130 K PITCHING	★

	.426 AVG	★	DAVID CASTLE The big noise Castle made in 2013 was with his 22 stolen bases en route to the first-ever Great Lakes Stealer handy. Really, though, that sideshow just distracts from the incredible season he had offensively. His 13 home runs were second in the league, as were his 47 runs scored. His .861 slugging percentage was third best in the league. His .426 average was good enough for fourth, while David led the league with 49 hits, including 9 doubles and a triple. Castle's impact after signing with Holy Balls in 2013 was huge. His production led a team projected to finish near .500 to 8 games over that at the end of the season, easily in possession of the third seed. In addition to his stout offensive numbers, David also provides teams with a solid option as a number two or three pitcher. Likely landing spots: Castle was excited to test the market, so it may be a long list of suitors. He will most likely remain downriver, though. So, with El Diablos unable to bring in high star talent, a return to a former team - Belgian or Balls - could be in the cards. Although, do not rule out David possibly forming part of a solid core with Hollister's new team, either.
	.821 SLG	★
	47 R	★
	22 SB	★
	13 HR	★

	.796 SLG	★	Evan Bortmas Perennial All-Star. 2012 MVP, and in the discussion again in 2013. If he had thrown more innings with the Aces in 2013, Evan would also have been in the running for Clown Shu both years, as well. Bortmas may be the most well-rounded player in WSEM: hitting for average, hitting for power, pitching, speed, and defense are all strengths of his. In 2013, Bortmas finished sixth, fourth, fifth, and third respectively in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and RBI. His career numbers are a .397 AVG, .545 OBP, and .835 SLG. Teams linked to: The Aces could hold onto him and pay a luxury tax, but inquiries made to the front office make it seem like they will not head in that direction. More rumors about where Evan may be residing have spurred lots of talks. Hearing he may live in Detroit has the Islanders pursuing the opportunity to sign him and form a dynamite 1-2 combination in their rotation. Reports indicate the Warriors have similarly been trying to work out an arrangement to reunite the elite tandem of Bortmas and Hatt.
	.591 OBP	★
	10 HR	★
	45 R	★
	39 RBI	★

	.686 SLG	★	Dakota LaDouceur An unconfirmed, but likely, cap casualty of El Diablos, Dakota is a great pickup for any team. He has hit over .325 in both of his seasons in the league, slugged over .685, and gotten on base better than fifty percent of the time. He was a co-Country Strong HR King in 2012, and his accomplishments seem to only ever be overshadowed by teammates. Think Prince Fielder to Miguel Cabrera. He is still a beast. In 2013, LaDouceur was eighth in slugging percentage (.686), sixth in on-base percentage (.557), and tied for eighth in home runs (9). Teams linked to: Belgian are reportedly offering Dakota free breakfast at IHOP for the duration of the season. The Squirrels also seem to be angling to lure LaDouceur in, although no terms have yet leaked out from Sessions' camp. It is assumed their incentives are not be breakfast-based, however. The Islanders are also rumored to be poking around, citing that Dakota would make a great pirate.
	.557 OBP	★
	40 R	★
	38 RBI	★

			Josh Nagorski Josh was underutilized in 2013. Still, he managed a top seven finish in batting average. He also had an extra base hit once every thirteen at bats, including a home run hit in every twenty six. When able to play a full season, Nagorski has proven to provide competitive numbers at the plate. Nagorski also has the humor to keep a bench loose in tense situations, which is an invaluable trait. On his career Josh has a batting average of .348, an on-base percentage of .412, and a slugging percentage of .483. Simply stated: get him to the field and he will come through. Teams interested: At three stars Nagorski is a good pick-up for most teams. He will likely be another downriver leaning player, though. Not much talk has come up with his name yet, but if Belgian continues to play in his backyard, that could be a potential fit. Hollister's expansion team is again a potential fit, as could be a team like Holy Balls looking for an offensive spark.
	.404 AVG	★
	.456 OBP	★
	.556 SLG	★

			Ryan Alexia Hear me out. Alexia is Billy Beane's wet dream. He was tied for third in walks for the 2013 season with 46, and was sixth in on-base percentage (.567). He was also second in steals, with 14. Alexia may not hit for power or drive in a ton of runs, but to restate what was said two sentences ago: he gets on base. If you put Ryan in front of quality hitters in a lineup, his presence will create many runs scored. Additionally, he is a very solid defensive shortstop. Teams linked to: The Squirrels have made a strong push for signing Alexia. Sessions is a big fan of sabermetrics, after all, so it makes perfect sense. The Balls could also be a good fit with Bullard and Alexia being close friends, as well as it also being rumored the Balls made a play for Alexia before the 2013 season began. We should not rule out the possibility of Alexia returning to Belgian, either, heading over to the team's facebook page still shows the team featuring Ryan as the face of the franchise.
	.567 OBP	★
	46 BB	★
	14 SB	★