S60 Fat Cats

Jessica Fletcher - contributing reporter

Fat Cat - noun
/ˈfat ˌkat/ 

1. A player whose contract outweighs their performance. 
2. A Canadian whose downed too many Tim Horton timbits.

Let's see who makes that phat pay check but giving the team diet production. We've gotten a little stricter on what accounts for a Fat Cat but it's a salary above $5M (increase from $4.5M last Fat Cat article), a wOBA below .290, and then taken into account HR, SB, R, and RBI totals. We have also included minor leaguers who have salaries north of $1.5M. Lastly we took a look at their defensive measures, as plenty of Shortstops carry some value for what they offer on the field rather than the plate. For pitchers we've gone with an ERA+ below 85; which is still 115% worse than league average and then taken into account a pitchers W, SV, and K. For pitchers we've upped the salary to $5.5M. 

• Positions Players
• Catchers
• None
• First Basemen
• Turner Pryor (MC Staring Frogs - 32 yr old - $5.2M) - Was back and forth from AAA this season, acting more of an injury replacement it seems. Saw only 28 games worth 71 ABs before a final demotion back to the minors. I'd venture to guess his $6.6M mutual option gets decline this off-season. 
• Drew Ducati (CLB Corgis - 35 yr old - $4.8M) - The long time Corgis (13 seasons) has finally come to an end with a shift as both his power and speed drops. The Columbus fans are hoping he turns into a Minor league coach after his current contract ends; which won't be until S62 due to his $4.8M S61 salary staying on the books. 
• Geronimo Trinidad (Jax Lizard Kings - 28 yr old - $4.1M) - A slow start through 70 games saw a demotion to AAA where he spent the rest of the season. Surely he'll be given another chance as she's signed for $4.5M next year (S61), $6.1M the following year (S62), and a mutual option $6.2M in S63. His replacement at the ML level actually performed worse, so definitely a questionable move that leaves the player association watching Jacksonville closely. 
• Don Hernandez (Phi Harpers - 33 yr old - $6.9M) - Not your typical 1B he offers more speed than power, hitting only 1 HR while stealing 18 bases...but you can't steal if you can't get on base. His .282 wOBA is near league worst. Luckily next year's $6.9M contract is a mutual option that he will surely accept, but will the team? Not likely. 
• Nomar Rodgers (Dov Hazmats - 35 yr old - $6M) - Last year on his currently contract and just barely makes the cut, $6M and a .290 wOBA. Also only had 194 ABs through 111 games. 
• Second Basemen
• Santiago Duran (Pitt Yinzers - 26 yr old - $2.8M) - A head scratcher for sure, with 0 ML ABs or even outs played you have to wonder if he was signed and someone included an extra 0 before the decimal. The kid was paid nearly $30K per AAA at-bat. 
• Orlando Tomas (SFE Surf Riders VIII - 32 yr old - $2M) - Add to the list of questionable signings - his 2/$4M deal signed prior to S59 saw a total of 0 ML games played. He'll retire this offseason. 
• Anibal Castillo (Clb Corgies - 36 yr old - $8M) - his OPS+ of 61 is lowest amongst everyone on this list with ML at-bats. 2 HR, 1 SB over 238 at-bats. And sadly his $7.5M will be on the books for Columbus next season too. 
• Shortstops
• John Costello (SFE Surf Riders VIII - 30 yr old - $5M) - Not a single game this year at the ML level, but thankfully SFE has him off the books next year. You know they'll spend that extra $5M on another FA for what is looking like the NL favorites for the pennant. But his contract combined with Tomas' leaves $7M to spend in FA next season. Imagine Douglas Laxton rejoining Gregorio Cordero in hitter friendly Santa Fe for the next few seasons. It could happen....pokey, make it happen!
• Third Basemen
• Carl Conine (NO Hurricane Dodgers - 31 yr old - $5.4M) - What makes this Fat Cat harder to understand is the fact that he DFA'd by Austin, released and then claimed off waivers by NOHD who immediately sent him to the minors for 100 games before being placed on the inactive list where he finished the season. Even worse, his $5.4M S61 salary is guaranteed. 
• Zach Fussell (Clb Corgis - 27 yr old - $6.5M) - .274 wOBA but offers fantastic speed. If he could get on base more, the guy might steal 70-80 bases. Had a bit of a down year and ended it on the injuried list. Bump his AVG a bit closer to his career norms and he likely gets off this list; which is good because he's signed through S64 - all of it guaranteed at $6.5M per. 
• Left Fielders
• Bengie Bonilla (Jax LIzard Kings - 30 yr old - $3.6M) - Acquired via trade from Vancouver this season and DFA'd barely over a month later. Placed on the inactive list days after that. Just two seasons ago he hit 43 HR on a .259 average but was having a career low season, hitting just .202 through the first 52 games with only 4 HR. No room for slow starts in Jacksonville!
• Ernest Clements (Aus Son's of Odin - 30 yr old - $5.8M) - Signed through S62 so hopefully he improves but his .286 wOBA isn't looking like good spending, 5 HR, 11 SB. 
• Center Fielders
• None
• Right Fielders
• Daniel Lindor (Jax Lizard Kings - 27 yr old - $5.1M) - Does Jacksonville have the most expensive AAA team? Likely. Lindor faked an injury a few days after his demotion. Reality is, he hoped on a plane looking for work since his agent wasn't doing the job. Enters Arb3 next season but will he be dropped or extended? Nobody in Jacksonville seems to know at the moment. 
• Cooper Monzon (Clb Corgis - 30 yr old - $2.4M) - Hasn't seen an ML at-bat since 38 games into S59. But he CRUSHED 42 HR on a .280 average in AAA this year. He's also a FA next season, so there's that. 
• Designated Hitters
• None
• Pitchers
• Starters - It's understandable that some teams need a body to fill but what exactly is the value of a back of the rotation arm; which is likely where most of these guys fall. 
• Avisail Mujica (OKC Barons - 37 yr old - $7.8M) - Received Mujica in a S59 trade with NOHD and thankfully only gave up an AAA pitcher but he's on the books for $7.8M next season, $6.8M the following season, and then he has a mutual option on the $8M S63 deal. OUCH! Anybody know if we can do deferred payments in HBD? Asking for a friend. What an awful contract by NOHD but genius for getting out of it when he did. His control dropped 7 points, vL - 6 points, vR - 5 points, and lost 5 points off his 4-seam. He might actually be looking at another demotion to AA if the ratings continue to drop. 
• Julio Alomar (Buf Bisons - 33 yr old - $5.6M) - Career low numbers in Buffalo as they've had their worst season in ages. Some blame the inflated IFA market, others blame the scouting department for not bringing in more talent, and yet others blame Alomar's handlebar mustache. He's a 1920s villain who just tied your girl to the train tracks. I'd assume he at least signs with a rebuilding team on a short contract...maybe even reupping with Buffalo as they rebuild. 
• Eli Moreno (Phi Harpers - 37 yr old - $3.4M) - The contact is fun on this one, Philly paid Moreno upfront so only thing left is $1.7M next year and a mutual $1.7M in S62. But...will he get another ML start? Unsure after the year he had. 1-9, 1.54 WHIP, 6.12 ERA. 
• Gabe Brown (Hou Space Cowboys - 31 yr old - $3.2M) - Brown was the black sheep of the Space Cowboys pitching staff who sent him down to AAA to stretch him out? He was nearly lights out in AAA but nothing more than a SuB at the ML level. FA next season - $3.2M to cover a potential injury is how I see this signing. 
• Felipe Canseco (Buf Bisons - 34 yr old - $4.7M) - 24 starts at the ML level this season with a 1.44 WHIP, 5.00 ERA and then sentenced to the minors as a bullpen piece. Contact is up, I'd expect him to retire next year. 
• Mike Karsay (Jax Lizard Kings - 31 yr old - $6M) - The worst of the group, a 71 ERA+ is nearly 130% worse than league average. He went 6-13, not sure how he got 6 wins but I guess everybody gets lucky every once in a while. His 1.49 WHIP and 5.74 ERA hurt a good bit. Let's hope for a better S61!
• Mike Sappelt (Dov Hazmats - 33 yr old - $6M) - This one's signed through S62 so another 2 years of $6M per. His 84 ERA+, 1.53 WHIP, and 5.33 ERA won't help win many games, which shows with his 6-16 record this season. Likely could have landed this kind of "talent" for $2M tops if he had wanted. 
• Rolando DeRojas (Ana Diablos - 31 yr old - $5.8M) - 79 ERA+, 1.44 WHIP, 5.15 ERA. Though just a 6-9 record isn't awful. 
• Pedro Bazardo (Vc Canucks - 34 yr old - $6.5M) - Leave it to Canada to not know how to spend American money. 82 ERA+, 1.66 WHIP, 5.36 ERA. Watch, he'll be resigned this off-season. Why? Canada. 
• Relief Pitchers
• Alex Kuo (Aus Son's of Odin - 32 yr old - $5.4M) - 0 ML innings pitched and still contracted through next season. That's a lot to pay for a AAA bullpen piece. 
• Danny Bridges (LAA Diablos - 33 yr old - $3.6M) - Another 0 ML innings, but at least this one isn't signed beyond this season. 
• Lou Walker (Pit Yinzers - 30 yr old - $3.2M) - Pittsburgh extended him this past off-season on a one year deal and after 21 bullpen sessions he was demoted to the minors. 2.32 WHIP, 14.11 ERA. Blowing nearly 50% of his save chance, he was signed for the #1 pick. 
• Cristobal Molina (SFE Surf Riders VIII - 28 yr old - $2.9M) - Yet another 0 ML innings, but no surprise for Santa Fe's big budgets. They typically have some bad ones resting in the minors for that second chance at the ML. His contract is also off the books this season. 
• Tim Simmons (CLB Corgis - 27 yr old - $2M) - The funny one about this one is, he was signed with 0 ML innings to his career, in which he continued the trend and stayed in AAA all season. He's signed for one more year, so maybe he'll finally get that first pitch at the ML level in S61.
• Jose Romano (Sal Bourbon Makers - 32 yr old - $1.6M) - Made $1.4M with 0 ML innings, and got a pay raise this year, still without an ML inning pitched. Think of the 1.5M as injury insurance for a replacement starter that can go 1-3 games and I imagine quite a few teams would write this off; though most might let them ride out the bullpen as a long reliever. 
• Bernard Montas (Aus Son's of Odin - 34 yr old - $5.4M) - Continued to pitch in the majors with similar career results, 1.56 WHIP matches his career, and a 5.48 ERA was 0.20 lower than the career numbers. That's a lot of money for bad production. Luckily his contact is up after this season and he can retire in peace. 

I'm seeing quite a few Columbus, Santa Fe, Austin, and Jacksonville players here, that money will definitely go back into the FA market as soon as those contracts are up. 

There you have it folks, the Fat Cats of S60!