It’s time to put all the flowery rhetoric and false optimism aside, roll up the sleeves, and figure out the most efficient way to make Mildenhall a contender again.  Logically that assumes everyone accepts the hard fact that Mildenhall no longer is a contender.  Fans and supporters have been spoiled for two decades.  Oh there have been a few down years.  2006-2007, 2013-2014, and 2020 all come to mind.  But the club managed to retool itself into a contender every time in two seasons or less.  The harsh reality is this time around the turnaround is unlikely to be so swift.  And if management believes it can spend itself into contention things may only get worse.

Early indications are the team realizes the scope of its problems and is prepared to make unpopular decisions for the sake of best preparing the club for future success.  Indeed stallwart veteran Freddie Urbano was told his $12M option for 2027 will not be picked up by the club.  That’s 83 career wins allowed to walk, but importantly allowed to walk unpaid.  So that trims next seasons payroll down to a smidge under 70 mil.

Now comes the really hard part.  What to do about Michael Wootton and Mike Saffold.  Combined the two all-stars are due over $30M next season with Wootton owed an additional $15M the following season.  That’s nearly 50% of next season’s payroll tied up in two players.  While Saffold appears to still be an all-star caliber player, Wootton seems to have little to nothing left in his tank after last season’s horrible injury.  His astounding sub-.700 OPS gives ample evidence the 29-year old has seen better days.

On the positive side the club netted over $6M this season.  Considering the team already has maxed out its cash reserves as mandated by OTBA rules, that’s $6M the team will hold until the end of the World Series.  Then anything still left above and beyond the cash reserve max is reinvested into league coffers.  The Mildenhall club has shown altruistic tendencies to the community, however it seems unlikely such courtesies will be so readily granted to the league offices.  So there’s a $6M discount on any buyout that must be exercised in the next couple of weeks.

So Saffold could be let go to the tune of $10M or Wootton could be gone for $24M.  $10M would be a pretty easy blow to absorb for the sake of freeing cap room, but $24M would be a big hit to cash reserves, taking the club down below the $15M mark.  The franchise hasn’t been so poor in 20 years.  But for a 20% discount can they really dismiss the idea?  Saffold still hit over .300, scored 92 runs, and drew 76 walks.  He’s still a productive player.  He’d make a great DH in that other league.  Wootton though, is a pale shadow of his former self.  Sentimentality needs to go out the door.  John Burks stepped in and played very well as a rookie leadoff hitter.  His production certainly rated a grade or two higher than Wootton.

Buying out Wootton or Saffold reduces the team’s salary cap to under $55M next season.  Saffold is in his last year so will not count against a 2028 cap, Wootton still will.  The club is running out of pitching.  Urbano is gone, Cels Hermosillo and Ray Holliday appear headed for free agency.  The team has needs, and needs to shed payroll to fill them.  But losing a once certain hall of fame player and paying so much money up front makes an seemingly obvious decision not quite so obvious.  One thing is for sure, the team is not going to be good in 2027, and it’s probably not going so great in 2028 either.  But perhaps the time to trim some overpaid fat is better spent now when the course can be righted early than later, when the barrel may have already run over the falls.  The choice is actually pretty simple.  Suck it up and pay $24M now or pay $30M over the course of the next two years.