LONG BEACH (AP) - Despite coming up just one game short to the Rio de Janerio Capybaras in 2010, Long Beach management had a busy off-season, re-tooling the Lobsters for the 2011 campaign.

"We had to make some real tough choices", said Lobster GM Byron Russell, "but we did what we thought was best for the franchise and the city, both in the short term and the long term."

Pitching Coach and Assistant GM Christy Matthewson is ecstatic with the team's latest aquisition. Cy Young Award winner Mike Castro joins the Lobster staff in a blockbuster deal with the new Bora Bora franchise. In additon, BL MVP Ed Santos joins the Lobsters to anchor the infield. The deal cost the team its top two pitching prospects in Johnny Hubbell and Larry Brower, plus good young shortstop Joey Monk. "One helluva deal for all involved" says Russell. "We lose long term potential, but to add a Cy Young Award winner and an MVP without ripping apart our nucleus, that was something we could not pass up."

Reigning staff aces Jason Schmidt and Russ Ford are both ecstatic to have Castro aboard. Matthewson is absolutely thrilled with a rotation of Castro, Ford, Schmidt, Englund, Andujar and Wagner. "I wish I could return to pitching" says Matthewson. "This group will be fun."

The team lost closer Manny Barrios to free agency, but quickly signed closer Ed Walsh from Bombay to fill the cloer role. Says Walsh, "Long Beach is an exciting city to be in, a great team to sign with. I will do whatever is asked of me."

New hitting coach Sting says Santos will inject some much needed offense to the lineup.

Upon their arrival to Long Beach, owner Ken Paplanus presented Castro and Santos with new lifetime contracts with the Lobsters. Says Ken, "They will both play a large role on and off the field for the Lobsters for a long, long time."

Manager Lucious Harris is excited about the upcoming season. "This franchise has come along way. I can't wait for opening day."

The team was not done yet. In another deal, this time with division rival Havana, disgruntled hurler Ismael Valdes and third baseman Brad Stewart were dealt for Havana's #1 pick in the 2011 draft and center fielder Kelvin Thomas. Says Russell, "We are thankful for the contributions that Valdes and Stewart made, but to add a young bat like Thomas who was signed to a new 4 yr deal to keep him in Long Beach was again too good to pass up. Ismael Valdes has expressed his displeasure in being demoted to the bullpen and so he honored his request form last season and dealt him to a quality team. Attempts to sign Stewart to a long term deal failed in the off-season failed, and so we dealt him for fear of losing him in the off season."

The two deals also netted Long Beach two additional 1st round picks, and Russell is thrilled to be able to restock the system with three of the top 23 picks in the draft. Russell adds, "We are done with 'major' deals this season, but we are still looking at several minor deals to upgrade the current roster and the farm system. We were a lot busier than I planned to be this off-season, but these were win-win situations for our team. We will never stop looking to improve our roster."

"Expectations are high in Long Beach in 2011," says Ken Paplanus, "and we will try our best to meet these lofty expectations. But what is most important to me is that we stay the course, continue to solidify this franchise, and continue to establish a tradition of Weaver League baseball so that some day Long Beach can be mentioned in the same breath as some of the other storied Weaver franchises."