Best Free Agent Acquisition

In continuing our look at the CFCL Post Season Awards we come to Best Free Agent Acquisition. This award was also established back in our inaugural season and had a lot to do with the fact that all Original 6 owners were Cub fans. 1984 was magical beyond the fact that the CFCL was born. That was the year that the Cubs finally made the post-season for the first time since 1945.

A common thread among CFCL owners and real life GMs life Dallas Green is that we are constantly trying to improve our team during the season. One way for a CFCL owner to do that is by acquiring a National League player that isn't currently on a CFCL roster. That can come about a couple of ways. One is that the player was never selected at the draft or in the reserve rounds. It's also possible that the player became available when they were traded from the American League to the National League.

As we have gone to great lengths to point out, the CFCL is very deep in talent with our owners. A lot of guys know a lot of stuff. Even with all that knowledge, we miss things. We don't anticipate who the next break out star will be who is languishing on the bench as of Draft Day. We realize Giancarlo Stanton (Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg) is supposed to be the Rookie of the Year but we miss the Chris Coghlan's of the world. Here is a list of past winners and the team that chose them.

As you look at the list some guys seem obvious. Rick Sutcliffe is famous for joining the Cubs mid-season and going 16-1. He wasn't available at the draft so that's why he could be picked up during the season. Some other guys (Tom Browning, Tom Glavine, David Cone, Gene Garber) were either not the player they eventually came to be OR were available in all their glory on Draft Day but weren't needed. Remember the CFCL didn't start out playing with 17 man reserve lists from the beginning. If we had seven CFCL teams and only needed nine pitchers (total of 63), that left A LOT of talent out there just waiting to be scooped up.

1984		Rick Sutcliffe		Fred's Friars
1985		Tom Browning		Dem Rebels
1986		Gene Garber		Bald Eagles
1987		Greg Dunne		David's Copperfields
1988		David Cone		Bald Eagles
1989		Mark Langston		Six Packs
1990		Hal Morris		David's Copperfields
1991		Tom Glavine		Mr. Paul's Swordfish
1992		Moises Alou		David's Ruffins
1993		Kirk Rueter		David's Copperfields
1994		John Hudek		David's Copperfields
1995		Mark Whiten		David's Copperfields
1996		Jermaine Dye		David's Ruffins
1997		Rich Loiselle		DoorMatts
1998		Kerry Ligtenberg		Eric's Lambchops
1999		Todd Ritchie		DoorMatts
2000		Jeff D'Amico		David's Copperfields
2001		Vinnie Castilla		Steve's Stones
2002		Scott Stewart		David's Copperfields
2003		Scott Podsednick		Dem Rebels
2004		Milton Bradley		Steve's Stones
2005		Randy Winn		Reservoir Dogs
2006		Brandon Phillips		David's Ruffins
2007		Brad Hennessey		David's Ruffins
2008		CC Sabathia		Mo's Red Hots

2009     Chris Coghlan           Revenge
2010     John Axford              DoorMatts
2011     Antonio Bastardo      DoorMatts
2012     Jason Grilli                Beatniks