Greinke was a guy with a ton of talent who almost lost it all because of a social anxiety disorder that threatened his career. Tracy wasn't even a manager, squarely in retread territory as the bench coach with the Colorado Rockies after two terrible seasons as the Pittsburgh Pirates' manager and a last-place finish with the Dodgers in 2005.

Greinke, the AL Cy Young Award winner, starred for a last-place team in Kansas City, but it certainly wasn't his fault with a 2.16 ERA. He won 16 games - the lowest for a Cy Young-winning starter ever - but voters took a lack of run support into consideration in picking the 26-year-old righty for the AL's top pitching reward.

He went 5-17 at age 21 for the Royals in 2005, and missed almost the entire 2006 season with the disorder and depression. He came back and gradually reconstructed his career. The Royals showed a lot of faith last offseason with a four-year, $38 million deal - huge for the small-market club - and they were rewarded.

"I think what doesn't get talked about enough, whether he went back and pitched in the big leagues again or not, is how he dealt with these issues as a young man,"said  Red Sox assistant Allard Baird, who drafted Greinke as the Royals' GM, to the Boston Herald. "He had to go through this private matter publicly, he had to open himself up. Just in life, in everyday living, to take some very private and personal issues that he had at a young age and work through it in the public eye is all to his credit."

Tracy took over a last-place team after Clint Hurdle was fired on May 29, and the Rockies turned around immediately. They were 74-42 under Tracy and won the NL wild-card spot before losing to the pennant-winning Phillies in the first round. And he received a three-year contract extension on the same day he won the award.

Mike Scioscia of the Angels won the award as the AL's top manager.

Comeback theme to AL Cy Young, manager awards originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 23:44:29.

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It's also just as likely they'll become Bob Hamelin, Joe Charboneau, Pat Listach or Butch Metzger.

All of the above, now including Bailey and Coghlan, were selected Rookies of the Year in their respective leagues. It means a lot, or a very little. Sometimes we see the brilliance early. Other times, it fades away as quickly as it seems to arrive.

And I could be very wrong here, but at this point I'm leaning toward the latter camp with Bailey, who was a solid closer for the A's (26 saves, 1.84 ERA), and Coghlan, a left fielder who had decent stats (.321, 9 HR) for the Marlins in 2009.

Looking at the rest of the rookies in this class, there are a couple of players who received votes from the writers who have much better potential. Center fielder Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates already makes highlight-reel plays in center field and could be great if he makes better contact. Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus was only 20 and should have won a Gold Glove while showing plenty of pop at the plate. The Braves and Phillies have aces in the making with Tommy Hanson and J.A. Happ.

So congrats to Bailey and Coghlan. But I have a feeling we'll look at these winners in a few years and think the writers didn't get this right.

List: Rookies of the Year from history from the AL and the NL.

Star potential resides further down the rookie ballots in 2009 originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 02:25:16.

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The agent for Aroldis Chapman is drumming up buzz for his client, a Cuban defector who pitched in the World Baseball Classic. He actually didn't throw all that well, but he's a 21-year-old lefty who throws 100 mph. Those don't exactly grow on trees.

He's making the media rounds, telling his story about how he defected (there weren't any motorboats - he just left a hotel during a tournament and got in a car at a predetermined time). He left behind a family, a girlfriend and a baby daughter.

He also has to watch out about coming off a little arrogant. He was "blinged out" in an interview with the AP, wearing a very expensive watch (especially for a guy coming from Cuba who has yet to sign a contract.) He attended a playoff game at Yankee Stadium last month.

"I would think of what pitch would I throw this batter and things of that sort," Chapman said. "There were many that were the same as what I was thinking. There were a few that weren't, but not all pitchers are the same and some think differently. I can maybe depend on my fastball a little more than some other pitchers."

The Yankees are among the suitors for Chapman (of course), along with the Mets and Red Sox. Only big markets apply, as this contract will be a big one, even though Chapman will probably have to spend time in the minors.

Chapman is the first big-name Cuban defector since pitcher Jose Contreras (2002). Chapman's agent believes he's a lot better.

Said Chapman's agent:  "He's a once-every-40-years player."

Big markets bidding for Cuban lefty originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Saturday, November 14th, 2009 at 23:34:00.

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The new stat used to measure fielding is the UZR (ultimate zone rating). It factors in range, arm, and fielding percentage in a form of  runs saved or cost, in comparison to an average fielder. (Click here for a more detailed explanation.)

How well do the managers and coaches do compared to the stats? Not well at all. Just two players, Placido Polanco (2B) and Evan Longoria (3B), were the leaders in UZR at their positions. And in the NL? Three: Ryan Zimmerman (3B), Yadier Molina (C) and Jimmy Rollins (SS).

Why is this flawed? A lot of times, it's a popularity contest. Derek Jeter won a Gold Glove this week, but is he really the best fielder? He's a solid one who is popular within the game and outside the game. But he's 35 and doesn't have great range. In fact, his range might be the worst at shortstop in the majors.

Some snickered when Jeter won his first Gold Glove in 2004. Now he has four, thanks to only committing eight errors in 2009. He makes all the routine plays - does that constitute a Gold Glove winner?

Jeter became the oldest to win a Gold Glove at shortstop since Luis Aparicio, who was 36 when awarded the last of his nine Gold Gloves in 1970. He had a very good year.

That doesn't mean Jeter really deserves a Gold Glove.

List: 2009 Gold Glove winners.

Gold Gloves can be fool's gold originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 01:18:53.

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The draft each June seems to take on more importance every year as salaries escalate for the top picks. Scouting has never been better; few prospects fall through the cracks. A first-round pick is now more valuable in many cases than a decent free agent, especially to a rebuilding team. And there's the rub in the current free agent/draft pick system.

Any team that picks a Type A free agent - defined as a player in the top 20 percent of players at his position - loses its first-round draft pick next season. So being defined as a Type A free agent is not as good as it sounds for a player - it means teams that treasure their draft picks are going to think twice about getting involved in free agent bidding.

It only affects half of the teams. Those that finished in the bottom half of the major league standings can't surrender their first-round selection. And a team must offer arbitration to a free agent in order to receive compensation for him.

Now for the top free agents - guys this offseason such as Matt Holliday, Jason Bay and John Lackey - this won't matter much at all. They're legitimate star players, guys who are worth losing the pick. But for some reason, the Elias rankings have a flaw, and middle relievers are overvalued, especially this year.

Juan Cruz was hurt by this last season. He was inexplicably a Type A last year and wasn't signed until after spring training started, agreeing to a two-year deal with the Royals, who as a bottom-feeder didn't have to yield a first-rounder.

Players on that list this year: Rafael Betancourt (Rockies), John Grabow (Cubs), Kevin Gregg (Cubs), Darren Oliver (Angels), LaTroy Hawkins (Astros). Decent middle/setup relievers? Sure. Worth giving up a first-round pick? No way.

Check out: Free agent list - with Type A/Type B breakdowns.

Free-agent system is no relief to bullpen dwellers originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 21:35:31.

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It's not a T-shirt printer working a lot of overtime, either. Hundreds of shirts and hats are pressed well ahead of time, and there's no guesswork involved. They do them well in advance for all of the teams still alive in the playoffs.

But while actress Alyssa Milano - a huge Dodgers fan - has her own clothing line on MLB.com, she can't get her hands on any Dodgers World Series Champions 2009 T-shirts. (Nor would she want any - she certainly would want the Dodgers to earn it.) The gear is on its way to Indonesia, Zambia, El Salvador, Nicaragua or Romania. There would be a black market for them if they stayed in the United States, and sending the shirts and hats abroad is the best for both the leagues and for World Vision, a humanitarian organization.

"Most people who receive these jerseys and T-shirts would not know who the Yankees and the Phillies are," Rich Stearns of World Vision told the Associated Press. "They are just looking at these as new clothes."

Where do the "losing" T-shirts go? originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 11:41:45.

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The Angels outfielder, who waited all offseason for offers that never came before the 2009 season, agreed to a one-year, $5 million bargain deal just before spring training. After a good season (.293, 15 HR, 103 RBI, 30 SB) in Anaheim, and seeing that it likely will be no better this year, Abreu stayed with the Angels for two years and $19 million. Sure, it's a raise, but he wasn't going to re-live last offseason. He made $16 million with the Yankees in 2008.

Manny Ramirez did the same, agreeing to his one-year, $20 million option. That's a no-brainer - no player will sign a deal for a bigger one-year salary this offseason, and Ramirez did not have a great season in 2009 (.290, 19 HR, 63 RBI).

"Money is tight all over the world and certainly on the South Side," Chicago general manager Ken Williams told the AP after trading for the Royals' Mark Teahen and declining the $12 million option on outfielder Jermaine Dye. "We're going to spend whatever we have available, but it's not much."

Who else is on the market? Check out the updated free agent scorecard.

Ominous start to free agent season originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 15:25:07.

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Matsui, the Japanese star whose nickname is "Godzilla," trampled on the Phillies. He was 8 for 13 in the World Series. On Wednesday at Yankee Stadium, he hit a two-run homer into the second deck in right field in the second inning and a bases-loaded single in the third against Phillies starter Pedro Martinez, who only lasted four innings. He had a two-run double against J.A. Happ in the fifth. Matsui was named MVP of the series despite not starting in any of the three games in Philadelphia. His six RBI tied a World Series game record set in 1960 by the Yankees' Bobby Richardson.

The Yankees' Andy Pettitte pitched well on three days' rest and is 6-2 in games that the Yankees can clinch a postseason series in his career. It was the 18th win of his postseason career, extending his own record, and it was his fifth World Series win, his second in this World Series. He's also a free agent after the season, but it's very unlikely he'll end up in another uniform at age 37. He could opt to retire, however - going out on top.

Mariano Rivera came on in the eighth and finished off the game in the ninth, retiring the Phillies' Shane Victorino for the final out on a ground ball to second baseman Robinson Cano as the Yankees won a championship in their first year in the new Yankee Stadium. The Yankees also won a title in the first year of the old Yankee Stadium, way back in 1923. They also won that World Series in six games, over the New York Giants.

It was the fifth championship for Pettitte, Rivera, shortstop Derek Jeter and catcher Jorge Posada, all with the Yankees, and the first title for many of their high-priced free agents, such as Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, A.J. Burnett and Matsui. And Johnny Damon became the first player to win championships with the Red Sox and Yankees since Babe Ruth.

Also: List of World Series champions.

Go, go Godzilla: Yankees win World Series originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 01:07:00.

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Glad that's over.

As Ryan Madson recorded the last out, the Phillies congratulated each other like they just had knocked off the Nationals in May. Perhaps that's what it's like when a six-run lead almost evaporates in two innings, turning what could have been a momentum-turning event in the World Series into another white-knuckle evening at Citizens Bank Park.

There were a lot of interesting moments in Game 5. Cliff Lee was great in the middle innings, but shaky at the beginning and end this time out. (But he's still 4-0 this postseason.) The Yankees' A.J. Burnett, so good in Game 2, was positively awful on three days' rest. He was so bad that he'll be available in long relief if Andy Pettitte pulls a similar act on Wednesday in Game 6.

And the Phillies never went to Brad Lidge, opting for Madson in the ninth inning, who was every bit as shaky as Lidge was on Sunday night until he struck out Mark Teixeira with Johnny Damon on base and Alex Rodriguez looming on deck.

With Chase Utley swinging one of the hottest bats in postseason history - he tied Reggie Jackson for the most home runs in one World Series with two more long balls on Monday - the Phillies should have a lot more momentum heading back to Yankee Stadium. The Yankees might have to throw two more pitchers on three days' rest - a point that really could hurt in a day or two. But this series still feels like the Yankees are in total control, because their hitters are always pesky and aren't conceding a thing. They're putting all the pressure on the Phillies, and they came very close to cracking like the Liberty Bell again.

It will be a throwback night in the first World Series Game 6 in six years - Pettitte vs. Pedro. Think the New York fans will be on their game for this one?

Game 5 didn't turn much momentum originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 03:18:19.

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It was a riveting sequence. Tie game, two on, two out, closer vs. clean-up hitter. And it was Rodriguez who erased all the doubts.

His line-shot double off the wall in left scored Johnny Damon with the go-ahead run, and Jorge Posada's two-run single gave Mariano Rivera two more insurance runs as the Yankees stand on the doorstep of their 27th title after beating the Phillies 7-4, taking a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven World Series.

Sunday's Game 4 was the kind of game that defines a series and a season. The Phillies needed to win more, and when Pedro Feliz hit a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game against Joba Chamberlain, they had life. (That straight-as-an-arrow fastball is the reason Chamberlain would not be a good closer long-term. It just took three Phillies batters to time it.)

And then Lidge comes on in the ninth and blows away Hideki Matsui and Derek Jeter, the same way he did the Rockies and the Dodgers in the first two rounds, bringing Johnny Damon to the plate.

Damon strokes a clean single to left in a nine-pitch battle with Lidge, then steals second with an infield shift on. When Damon realizes that nobody is covering third, he just keeps running - Lidge's first breakdown - and an alert Damon ratchets the pressure on Lidge even higher. Lidge then hits Mark Teixeira with a pitch, and A-Rod comes through with the game on the line again, just as he didn't do in so many past postseasons that Yankees fans had lost count.

If Damon or Teixeira or Rodriguez is retired, the Phillies have the top of the order at the plate against a Yankees middle reliever in a tie game. Trailing, they have to face Mariano Rivera. Game over.

Rivera got his lead, and the two runs that Posada provided with his gap shot made it academic. Rivera threw a few cutters - everybody in the ballpark knows it's coming, but can't do a thing about it - and the Phillies succumbed to the inevitable.

The Phillies' fatal flaw against the Yankees is that their lineup is too left-handed to be consistently effective. Aside from Chase Utley, they don't hit Sabathia well. Andy Pettitte is left-handed. Lefty Damaso Marte has been effective out of the bullpen. And then there's Rivera, who is death to lefties with the cut fastball that rides in on the bat's handle. He now throws it every single pitch to lefties. Every single pitch. Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez - they all bat left-handed. Feliz, Carlos Ruiz and Jayson Werth are all hitting better in the clutch than those lefties.

Game 5 is tonight, and Cliff Lee must come through again just to send the series back to New York. As Joe Girardi noted after Game 1, Lee can't pitch every day. And that's why they should be planning for a parade in New York.

Rodriguez delivers a knockout blow in the season's key moment originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 02:40:25.

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The wonderful part of being a fan at this time of year is the speculation that comes with rumors, whispers, and just throwing junk at the wall to see what sticks.

In the spirit of discussion, I present to you an idea for discussion: the Cubs should explore trading third baseman Aramis Ramirez to the Phillies.

First, let's walk through the foundation of why this deal would even be a consideration for either side.

From the Phillies perspective, this could be a bold gamble to get them back to a third consecutive World Series. Adding Ramirez to a predominantly left-handed lineup would give the Phillies a batting order that rivals the best of all-time. With Jimmy Rollins leading, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Raul Ibanez are the heart of the order. Putting a consistent 100-RBI guy like Ramirez in the middle of that from the right side of the plate would be incredible.

The Phillies are actively entering the market for a new third baseman after not renewing ties with Pedro Feliz. However, the free agent market at third is soft and could force a team like the Phillies to over pay. Adrian Beltre leads a class that includes Mark DeRosa, Feliz, and not much else.

The Phillies showed a willingness to trade aggressively by bringing in the right players in the blockbuster deal to acquire Cliff Lee this past summer. A trade for a marquee player like Ramirez isn't out of their imagination.

Other trade options for Philadelphia could include Colorado's Garrett Atkins, but Ramirez is a former Silver Slugger who undoubtedly brings an elite bat to the plate.

From the Cubs perspective, it would be naive to not begin looking into the future. This coming season is the last year that Derrek Lee and Ted Lilly are under contract, and the new ownership group has not committed to GM Jim Hendry. It's also the final year of manager Lou Piniella's contract.

Another reality the Cubs need to deal with is that Ramirez has a player option after the 2010 season. If he feels that his services are worth more than $16 million on the open market, he could opt out and become a free agent in another weak class. If Lee, Lilly, and Piniella are on their way out, Ramirez might see the changing clubhouse dynamic as enough of a catalyst to try the market and leave Chicago.

There's a very real possibility that Ramirez could be gone after the coming season.

The Cubs are also trying to keep up with the Cardinals, who continue to push the envelope in the division. With a soft farm system and some awful contracts weighing down the major league club, the Cubs would have to be open to adding some younger, less expensive talent to the mix.

With those factors in mind, let's make a deal!

The Phillies are such a deep organization. There are a number of routes the Cubs could pursue if they wanted to explore a trade with Philadelphia. One would be to explore a deal that centers around a major league player or two, while the other would be an effort for the Cubs to stockpile prospects.

If the Cubs were to make an offer centering around major league players, there are two players I think the Cubs could, and should target. One is left-hander Cole Hamels, the other is outfielder Jayson Werth.

Hamels had a rough season after being named the World Series MVP in 2008, and lost some favor with the fickle fans of Philadelphia when he made a comment about wanting the World Series to be over. He's still young, and has great experience on his resume.

Werth will need a new deal after 2010, but would bring a legitimate 30 homer, 30 steal guy to the Chicago order.

Remember when Hendry sold Chicago on Soriano being "that guy" in the Cubs' order? Yeah... about that...

Werth could come in and replace Milton Bradley in right field for significantly less money and, with a long-term extension, could be a corner outfielder for the Cubs for the better part of the next decade.

The other route the Cubs could pursue in a trade of Ramirez would be a bounty of prospects. Obviously, the top tier of the Phillies farm system has been fairly well documented since the rumors began swirling around a potential Roy Halladay deal in July.

Back then, the Phillies weren't apparently willing to move Kyle Drabek as part of a package for the former Cy Young winner. If the Cubs didn't ask for Hamels, Drabek would likely be part of the equation.

Other possibilities would include pitching prospect Jason Knapp or outfielder Domonic Brown.

It would be a bold step for the Cubs to consider moving Ramirez, but bringing in a package of top prospects, or younger major leaguers with small contracts, could be another step in changing the organization's culture from huge contracts to the right mix of players.

Disclaimer: I'm not saying I would dump Ramirez for nothing, or that I'm even a fan of the idea of moving the best offensive player on the team. However, there is historical precedent for trades between Philadelphia and Chicago changing the history of the two franchises.

The young third baseman the Cubs picked up named Ryne Sandberg turned out pretty well.

I look forward to the discussion this idea brings.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Good management in any business or sports organization dictates that personnel are slotted in where they have the best chance to succeed.

At the same time, the Peter Principle—as individuals are promoted or given more responsibility within an organization, each will eventually reach a level of incompetence—applies equally to sport as it does to business.

Keeping this dynamic in mind, the Blue Jays' front office people have reached a sticky crossroads. They have to consider both the short-term and long-term repercussions of decisions they must make prior to the onset of the 2010 season.

The main issue is what to do about Harry Leroy “Doc” Halladay.

So much conjecture has already been written about this subject that I won't dwell on it. There is no point flailing a dead horse. But without Doc and Shaun Marcum—combined with even a modicum of improvement in Baltimore's pitching—Toronto could easily end up in last place in the AL East.

The smart move would seem to be trading Halladay now, when his value is highest. However, there are a number of financial factors involved with this deal that many fans may not have considered.

For instance, trading Halladay now would give the perception of giving up on the 2010 season before it ever gets underway. Fans could stay away in record numbers if the Jays get off to a bad start. Over time this could lead to a Pittsburgh scenario. Worse yet, Canada could eventually lose its only Major League Baseball team.

Still, if all the players play up to “form” (last year's numbers loosely combined with those of the previous three years) and the team remains free of serious injury, they have a chance to win 95 games.

Key second-year players like Travis Snider, Ricky Romero, Marc Rzepczynski, and Brett Cecil have yet to establish form at the major league level. The assumption is that each of them will show at least a modest improvement over his 2009 rookie performance.

Commonly advanced theories about how to make the Blue Jays a contender run the gamut from adding a big bat like Jason Bay to the middle of the order, to trading Halladay for two top young pitchers and another bat, or goosing up the salary budget to $120 million. None of these eventualities are likely to happen.

To have any chance at all of remaining in contention in the AL East, the Jays have to keep Halladay and Rod Barajas, but can let Marco Scutaro and John McDonald walk.

Strangely enough, the Jays can contend in 2010 without adding 10 cents to last season's payroll.

The departure of Alex Rios and Scott Rolen frees up about $20 million, which is more than enough to pay for: (a) their replacements, Edwin Encarnacion and Snider; (b) the salary increases in multi-year contracts; (c) keeping Barajas (four for two); (d) giving appropriate increases to the arbitration-eligible players; and (e) getting a reasonably effective free agent closer ($5-7 million).

The biggest “IF” for the upcoming season is the performance of Shaun Marcum. Marcum's won-lost record in 50 starts over 2007-08 was 20-11 with an ERA in the mid threes.

If he can return to form with 15-plus wins the Jays may contend. If he can't, and he has fewer than five wins in 2010, the team doesn't have much of a chance.

The next biggest question mark is the production of three Latino players—Encarnacion, Randy Ruiz, and Jose Bautista—who may all be on the verge of a breakout year. This belief is based on their performance last season, especially during the last five or six weeks.

Following is the proposed batting order for the upcoming season. Based on form, and my direct pipeline to a couple of minor baseball gods, each player's 2010 basic production—batting average, HR, and RBI—is included. Numbers are based on 150-plus games played and 600 AB.

Numbers for platoon players include the other half of the platoon. For example, the Lyle Overbay/Kevin Millar 1B platoon in 2009 had 23 HR, 93 RBI, and a .251 average in 674 AB. Decent numbers. Who said “Overpay?” C'mon, fess up now.

CF: Vernon Wells        .275/15/75

2B: Jose Bautista        .260/20/75

LF: Adam Lind            .310/28/100

SS: Aaron Hill             .280/30/100

RF: Travis Snider         .265/25/85

3B: Edwin Encarnacion  .260/27/80

1B: Lyle Overbay         .275/22/90

DH: Randy Ruiz           .260/25/75

C: Rod Barajas          .230/20/75

Notice the preponderance of home runs. Although the Jays generally have ranked 10th to 12th in home runs in the AL for the last five or six years, the team ranked fourth in 2009. The Blue Jays could easily end up second this year just behind the Yankees.

The power hitting isn't by any means a perfect substitute for the team's inability to hit with runners in scoring position, but it will go a long way toward allaying that shortcoming.     

Here are some thoughts on the proposed batting order.

Vernon Wells: Leadoff

Jays fans are stuck with Wells, whether they like it or not. But how to maximize his value, especially in light of his wrist injury and recent operation? He will be able to hit, but it may be a full year before his power stroke returns to what it was a few years ago.

Wells is the club's best base stealer. To reach more often, Wells will have to concentrate on taking outer-half pitches to right field. The additional focus should improve his walk/strikeout ratio, too.

Wells is mature beyond his years, a gifted athlete, very intelligent, and a good team man. It shouldn't surprise anybody if Wells, as a leadoff hitter, raises his on-base percentage from .311 last year to the .360 range and scores over 100 runs in 2010.

Jose Bautista: No. 2 Slot

Bautista finally got to start just about every day last September. He responded by tearing the cover off the ball with 10 HR for the month. At 29, he is in his prime.

He does a lot of little things well, like laying down a bunt, hitting behind the runner, and stealing a base when it's really vital to do so. With 600 AB last year, he would have had exactly 100 walks. His OBP was .349, and he should improve on that playing every day.

Bautista has played over 300 games at third base. Although he has just started a handful at second base, he has yet to make an error. Teamed with Aaron Hill, Bautista could give the Jays one of the very best offensive middle infields in baseball.

Adam Lind: No. 3 Slot

Lind is the team's most consistent hitter. Batting him anywhere other than third would be just plain wrong. It only took Cito Gaston 50 to 60 games to figure that out last year. Apparently, Gaston's main concern was not shaking Alex Rios' confidence.

Aaron Hill: Cleanup

Although Hill doesn't have the stature of a typical cleanup hitter, he certainly has the instincts. In 2010, he will be most valuable to the team returning to the shortstop position and batting cleanup. Hill likes a challenge, so he should do more than all right at both.

Travis Snider: No. 5 Slot

One of these times, Snider is going to have a breakout year. It could be next season. He has more raw power than any Jays hitter since Carlos Delgado.

Edwin Encarnacion: No. 6 Slot

Encarnacion had an injury-plagued year in 2009. Despite that, his 13 HR and 39 RBI in 293 AB extend out to 27 HR and 80 RBI over a full season.

Encarnacion is a young player (a year younger than Hill) just entering his prime. His recent wrist surgery isn't the type that should adversely affect his power numbers in 2010. He could have a huge season. One of J.P. Ricciardi's best trades.

Lyle Overbay: No. 7 Slot

In 2010, Overbay could have his best season as a Jay, because he's entering the last year of his contract. If he continues to have trouble with left-handed pitching, he will probably be platooned with rookie power hitter Brian Dopirak. The numbers these two put up should be more than adequate for the No. 7 hole.

Randy Ruiz: No. 8 Slot

Ruiz could become a major favorite with Blue Jays fans—a great, big bear of a man with a massive uppercut swing who hustles flat-out around the bases.

He had a .313 batting average and hit 10 home runs in 115 AB after his call-up last season. If he can hit his weight (250 lbs.) and pound out 20 to 25 HR, the bottom of the Blue Jays' batting order could outproduce any other team's.

Although Ruiz is a 32-year-old “rookie,” he appears to be a late bloomer who could give the Jays another big bat at an economy price for the next three or four years.

Rod Barajas: No. 9 Slot

Last season, Jays catchers hit 22 home runs and batted in 90. Barajas was responsible for 80 percent of that output. No other team's No. 9 hole can match those numbers.

Next time: Commentary on the Jays' pitching potential in 2010.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

“I figure I am no stranger to trade rumors,” Lowell said. “I understand the team’s desire to always look to upgrade.”

The Red Sox third baseman was in a similar situation a year ago when the club was looking to acquire All-Star first baseman Mark Teixeira.

The difference between now and then is that Lowell, for the most part, is healthy.

A year ago, Lowell was recovering from hip surgery, and it was likely that he would spend spring training rehabbing with Boston, simply to showcase himself for potential suitors.

Lowell is now a full year removed from surgery and figures to head into spring training healthier than he has been in two seasons.

He was used sparingly down the stretch last year to rest his hip and because the additions of Victor Martinez and Casey Kotchman created a logjam for playing time.

If the Sox are able to acquire Cabrera or Gonzalez, Lowell would have considerable value on the trade market.

He is still an above average defender at third base, despite hip-related limitations on his range, and he can still hit.

Despite struggling through lingering pain, Lowell posted a solid .290/.337/.474 line with 17 home runs and 73 RBI in 419 at-bats last season.

If inserted into a lineup that can get runners on in front of him consistently, Lowell could be a major offensive force.

He did much of his damage in 2009 with runners in scoring position, posting an outstanding .313/.359/.516 line with seven home runs and 57 RBI coming in those situations.

Lowell will be 36 next season and has one year at $12 million remaining on his contract.

That number may be too steep for many teams to take on, but the Red Sox could easily absorb some of the monetary hit to facilitate a deal.

There are a number of teams with a vacancy at third, and Lowell could be just the man to fill that hole.

Personally, Lowell has made it clear that his preference is to remain in Boston, but he also understands the nature of the business and would not combat a potential trade.

“I treat this offseason like any other and maintain how much I like Boston, but this is a business and there are certain things I cannot control,” Lowell said. “I am focused on enjoying my family, working hard, and getting ready for a successful 2010 season.”

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Dismissive of people’s ability to rule themselves, yet similarly wary of totalitarianism, they champion a government run exclusively by the most enlightened members of society.

As in any democratic system, the health of the Republic hinges on the electorate’s ability to keep itself informed and think logically. If the voters—however many or few—become incapable of comprehensively analyzing issues or are blinded by irrationality, the whole system goes down the toilet.

Of course, I speak not of Congress (though the shoe certainly fits), but of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. When the results for the NL Cy Young Award were released yesterday, the tallies revealed that the BBWAA voters are criminally incapable of performing their duties.

My problem is not so much with the winner (though the best man did not win), but with third-place finisher Adam Wainwright.

While he ended up with only the bronze, Wainwright actually got more first-place votes (12) than winner Tim Lincecum (11) or runner-up Chris Carpenter (nine). Seventeen out of 32 voters picked Wainwright ahead of at least one of his main competitors.

Why is that such a big deal? Wainwright had a breakout season in 2009, and undeniably emerged as one of the best pitchers in the game.

It’s a problem because those 17 voters implicitly declared that wins are the most important statistic in the game.

It doesn’t take a sabermetrician to see that wins is an incredibly stupid way to measure pitching. And yet, the pitchers’ records played an enormous factor in how the Cy Young voting turned out.

While Wainwright’s 19 victories paced the rest of the National League, he ranked behind Lincecum and Carpenter in just about every other category.

ERA. WHIP. K/BB ratio. Complete Games. Shutouts. Quality Start percentage. Home runs allowed. Opponents’ batting average, OBP, SLG, and OPS. Defense-Independent ERA. Win Percentage Added. Wins Above Replacement.

All are categories in which Wainwright finished behind Lincecum and Carpenter—not to mention other pitchers throughout the league. And all, according to a majority of voters in the BBWAA, are less important than wins.

This isn’t the All-Star Game, not just anyone can vote. These are (supposedly) 32 of the brightest baseball analysts and writers in the country. Any one of them could sneeze into a piece of paper and more people would read their snot than will see this article.

But are these people really credible judges of players’ skill? Given the voters’ apparent inability to determine which statistics are actually useful, how can anyone say that these results—or any other BBWAA decisions—are accurate assessments of the best players in the game?

The Republic has clearly failed us. With the media just as enamored with arbitrary numbers as the voters, who can right the ship?

The first answer to pop into your head will probably be Major League Baseball itself. Unfortunately, they won’t be of much help.

As it happens, MLB is even more infatuated with wins than the BBWAA. A preview article published hours before the results were announced offered a comically foolish assessment of who deserved to win.

While Carpenter (the rightful winner) was named as one of the front-runners, his primary opponent was supposedly Wainwright. Lincecum was pushed to the second tier.

In the third tier (“Darkhorses”), things got even more interesting. While Javier Vazquez (2.87 ERA, 238 strikeouts) was an understandable choice, the other name made my jaw drop. The last potential candidate listed was not Dan Haren, or Josh Johnson, or Matt Cain.

It was Jorge De La Rosa.

Yes, De La Rosa. With a 1.38 WHIP and 4.0 BB/9 rate to go along with his 4.38 ERA (“solid,” MLB.com said), his numbers don’t exactly scream “Cy Young.”

But none of that mattered, because he had 16 wins.

Doesn’t anyone else see a problem with this? As Will Ferrell’s Jacobim Mugatu from Zoolander once exclaimed, “I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!”

Is this the baseball traditionalists’ extreme counterattack to the sabermetric revolution? Or is it possible that these people, who spend their lives working with, discussing, and thinking about baseball, genuinely have no concept of statistical accuracy?

I’m not saying that Wainwright should have been cut out of the discussion. If I were a voter, I would probably have listed him on my ballot.

But I simply cannot comprehend why anyone—let alone people who eat, sleep, and breathe baseball—would put him higher than third place.

May the Republic rest in peace.

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Vizquel would reportedly join the White Sox in a reserve role.

The White Sox have already made some changes to their infield this winter. Sox GM Kenny Williams dealt young second baseman Chris Getz and third baseman Josh Fields to Kansas City for Mark Teahen, and said he plans to play Teahen at third base in 2010.

At third in 2009 was Sporting News Rookie of the Year Gordon Beckham, who will now reportedly move to second base, vacated when Getz was dealt.

Vizquel appeared in only 63 games for the Texas Rangers in 2009, playing second, shortstop, and third. The switch-hitter batted just .266, but his leadership and still-stellar defense would be the assets for which the Sox would be paying.

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It may sound like the ultimate contradiction, but it’s merely a sign of the times in Major League Baseball.

Many teams are currently at a tipping point with overpriced, underperforming veterans.

It is becoming more common for big league clubs to non-tender players who have become too pricey, rather than risk overpaying them in arbitration.

Garrett Atkins and the Colorado Rockies are the latest example of this situation.

Atkins, 29, is still with the Rockies, but only as a formality.

On Friday, the Rockies announced that Atkins would remain on the club’s 40-man roster.

This move serves only to delay the inevitable, as Atkins has undoubtedly played his last game for Colorado.

Thanks to arbitration, the Rockies paid Atkins more than $7 million last season.

That was $3 million more than he’d made in 2008, despite posting a second-consecutive year of declining numbers.

Many in the Colorado front office were hoping for a bounce-back performance in 2009; unfortunately, they didn’t get one.

For their $7 million investment, Atkins gave the club a dismal .226/.308/.342 line with nine home runs and 48 RBI. By midseason, he’d become a backup infielder after losing his job to rising star Ian Stewart.

As such, Colorado is only keeping Atkins on the 40-man roster to allow more time for general manager Dan O’Dowd to try and facilitate a trade before the Dec. 12 non-tender date.

O’Dowd has been actively trying to move the slumping slugger since last offseason.

A year ago, most clubs were wary about pulling the trigger, as Atkins’ numbers suggested that his success had been more a product of Coors Field than his actual talent.

This offseason, the interest has been even more tepid given Atkins’ continued downward spiral at the plate.

His numbers have been in steady decline since his breakout campaign in 2006, when he posted an astounding.329/.409/.556 line with 29 home runs, 120 RBI, 117 runs scored, and 48 doubles.

His below-average defense at third could be put up with when he was posting mammoth power numbers, but a no-hit, no-field third baseman simply won’t do. At this point he projects as a first baseman rather than a third sacker.

A small handful of teams have reportedly shown some interest, including the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers.

Both clubs could use him at either corner or in a designated hitter role, and Atkins could benefit from playing in another renowned hitter's park.

Neither club, however, wants to give the Rockies anything in return, nor should they.

O’Dowd has three weeks until the non-tender deadline. In that time he will make a strong push to move Atkins, for anything he can get in return.

If he is unable to do so, he will undoubtedly have to cut Atkins loose and be left with nothing to show for the former fifth-round draft pick.

In these economic times, this situation is becoming more and more common.

Clubs like the Rockies can’t afford to throw $7 million at underperforming players as other clubs refuse to trade their young, cheap talent for reclamation projects.

And why should they when, in three weeks' time, Atkins figures to be available on a minor-league deal?

If Atkins had posted better numbers, it would make far more sense for a club to make a trade, rather than risk another club beating them to the punch.

Atkins’ wretched season has torpedoed his value, both to himself and to Colorado.

In three weeks, he’ll be a free agent just hoping to catch on with a club for the Major League minimum.

The Rockies will be off the hook for more than $7 million, but they’ll have nothing to show for all of the time and effort they spent developing Atkins.

It's a lose-lose situation, but it's also business as usual in the new baseball economy.

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His hitting is better than average, which should be expected for a .284 lifetime hitter. He didn't exhibit the power that I was so hopeful he would. Three home runs in a quarter of the season make it elementary enough to do the math; 12 home runs would not cut it for a corner infielder. He had a decent OBP as well at .364.

With the leather, we saw precisely what everyone in baseball has been accustomed to witnessing. He played error-free ball while with the Reds, as well as making a few very nice gems.

Rolen is a good presence in the clubhouse and an intangible source of guidance to this squad. He is in the twilight of his career, so hopefully he will have a few good years left and will be able to hang up the spikes while still close to home (Jasper, IN).

He is an asset to an infield that is one shortstop away from being comparable to any other team. We had to mortgage the house in order to find room on the payroll to welcome him to the Queen City. We gave up on a couple pitchers with possible stars on their horizon.

A good solid job for a brief stint. His final mark for 2009 is a B+.

Next up: Jonny Gomes

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Fearing that Dunn was going to become a free agent at the end of the year in 2008, the Cincinnati Reds traded their all-star slugger to Arizona for prospects. And fearing that Dunn would accept arbitration and the team would be stuck with his $15 million contract for 2009, the Diamondbacks declined arbitration, making Dunn was a free man.

He sat back in his easy chair and waited for his phone to ring. It never did.

Dunn and his agent fully expected to be offered several multi-year deals worth $50 million or more. But by February 2009, they had received no substantive offers and were forced to accept the Nationals’ bargain-basement offer of two years, $20 million.  Dunn was willing to sign a three year deal, but the Nationals said no.

They assumed, as I did, that contract values would continue to decline until the economy rebounded, which could take several years. If they waited, perhaps they could sign Dunn—or someone like him—for even less money.

But just a year later, the players believe that their recession is over.

Matt Holliday has indicated he has no desire to resign with the St. Louis Cardinals and will become a free agent. His agent, Scott Boras, has said he expects “[Alfonso] Soriano-type money” for his client.

In the winter of 2006, Washington free agent Alfonso Soriano signed an eight year, $136 million contract with the Cubs. Three years later, Soriano, now 33, batted just .241-20-55 and Chicago is stuck with him through 2014.

Now, Boras usually asks for the moon, but he usually gets what he wants. No, Holliday isn’t getting $17 million a year, but he might come close.

If Holliday were the only slugger expecting to hit a Las Vegas-style jackpot this year, I’d call him an anomaly. But he’s not the only one.

Jason Bay, the low-key, high-octane outfielder for the Red Sox turned down Boston’s four-year contract that would have paid him $15 million per season. He too enters the jet stream that is the free agent market.

If Jason Bay thinks he’s worth more than $15 million per year, and Matt Holliday thinks he’s worth even more than that, what is Adam Dunn worth in this new market?

Let’s compare the three players' career averages:

BA—HR—RBI

Dunn: .250-40-101

Bay: .280-33-107

Holliday: .318-29-112

Runs Scored

Dunn: 100

Bay: 102

Holliday: 109

Doubles

Dunn: 29

Bay: 34

Holliday: 43

Triples

Dunn: 1

Bay: 4

Holliday: 5

Walks:

Dunn: 115

Bay: 86

Holliday: 61

Strikeouts

Dunn: 180

Bay: 157

Holliday: 115

OPS

Dunn: .903

Bay: .896

Holliday: .833

Clearly, there are some differences. Holliday provides a much higher batting average but is not as powerful. Dunn and Bay strike out far more often than Holliday. All three average more than 100 runs scored and more than 100 runs driven in.

A team would be no better with one of those players in their lineup as opposed to the other two. Defensively, Bay and Holliday are adequate while Dunn is a sub-par outfielder, but will become an adequate first baseman.

So, really, they all bring roughly the same amount of ability to a team. Sure, Holliday will get more base hits but Adam Dunn will hit more home runs.

Bill James has an abstract statistic called “runs created per game,” the number of runs a player produces for his team every 27 outs.

Holliday creates 7.8 runs per game, Dunn 7.5, and Bay 7.3.

So let’s assume that both Bay and Holliday get their $15 million contracts this winter. Where does that leave the Nationals and Adam Dunn?

If Dunn doesn’t get his extension and he reenters the free agent market next fall, he would likely earn at least $13 million, perhaps more. Remember, Dunn earned $13 million in his last season with the Reds, before the market collapsed.

Knowing this, Dunn wouldn’t agree to an extension for the same $10 million per year he’s earning now; it will probably take $12.5 million to get him to extend through 2012.

It was Adam Dunn who protected Ryan Zimmerman in the lineup, allowing him to have his career year in 2009. It was Adam Dunn whose long home runs gave the Nationals some badly needed national recognition. It was Adam Dunn who gave the Nationals their first household name.

Nothing the Nationals do this year or next will matter much if Adam Dunn plays just two years in Washington. No longer can the team be sellers; they must continue to sign new players while retaining their own.

Can you imagine the outcry if the Nationals win 75 or 85 games in 2010 only to lose Dunn to free agency? No free agent signing could salve that wound.

Ryan Zimmerman notwithstanding, Adam Dunn is the linchpin of the Washington Nationals. Without him, stories written about the team in the coming years would be about what could have been if the Nationals had only been able to resign the team’s modern-day Frank Howard.

It won’t be pretty, that’s for sure.

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Major League baseball has been asking fans this same question in an effort to choose each team's best-ever collection of stars.

They are calling it MLB 9s.

Scroll down to find out why Lance Berkman doesn't make the cut, why Dickie Thon should be remembered as a Hall-of-Famer whose career got cut short, and why Craig Biggio was so much more than just "Mr. Hit By Pitch".

Here I have separated the contenders from the pretenders in an effort to pick my dream Astros lineup, based on their one career year. Have your say by commenting below or by voting on the MLB site here .

My other MLB 9s you might want to check out are:

Diamondbacks , Braves , Orioles , Red Sox , Cubs , White Sox , Reds , Indians , Rockies , Tigers , and Marlins.

Catcher: Alan Ashby (1987)

Ashby may seem a strange choice considering he never had a single season where he got 400 at-bats, but his contributions were solid regardless of the fact that he gave up almost a third of his playing time to backups Ronn Reynolds and Mark Bailey.

Ashby hit 14 home runs in the 1987 season, batting .288 with 63 runs batted in, and 53 walks.

Only two other Houston catchers have hit more home runs in one season (John Bateman, 17; Joe Ferguson, 16), while Ashby’s 63 RBI rank third all-time.

Highlight Game: June 10, 1987 vs. San Diego. Ashby snapped a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with a grand slam off Padres starter Storm Davis.

Ashby finished 2-for-3 with a pair of runs and five RBI, and the Astros won 10-1. It was Ashby’s third and final grand slam of his career.

Competition: There’s not really a right or wrong answer here, because of the apparent parity between Astros’ backstops through the decades.

Sure, there are better or worse catchers in terms of their contributions to the team over their career, but in terms of single-season efforts, there is really little to separate them.

Bateman’s 1966 season was comparable—17 home runs, 70 RBI, 39 runs—and more recently Mitch Meluskey was serviceable with 14 bombs, 69 batted in, and a .300 average.

First Base: Jeff Bagwell (1994)

Bagwell stormed to the 1994 National League MVP, leading all batters in runs (104), runs batted in (116), total bases (300), and slugging percentage (.750).

His .368 batting average was second only to Tony Gwynn and his 39 home runs was bettered only by Matt Williams of the Giants.

Just three years after winning the Rookie-of-the-Year award, Bagwell won his first Silver Slugger award and was also selected for the All-Star team.

His .368 batting average and .750 slugging percentage is the most by any Houston first baseman.

Highlight Game: June 24, 1994 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers. Bagwell hit three home runs in an impressive 4-for-5 showing which saw him drive in six runs.

In the sixth inning, Bagwell pulled Ramon Martinez deep for a solo shot to deep left field. Later in the inning after the Astros had batted around, Bagwell tagged Rudy Seanez for a three-run blast the opposite way, lining a ball to right field.

Competition: Bagwell had a number of fine seasons, so this is more about him than anyone else. He hit 47 home runs in 2000, walked 149 times in 1999, and stole 31 bases in 1997.

Even in the six years between 1994 and 2000 though, the game had changed, as shown in his OPS+ statistics (a measure of on-base and slugging percentages which take into account league averages). The 213 OPS+ he recorded in 1994 is the best of his career and comfortably the most by any Houston first baseman ever.

Lance Berkman hit 45 home runs and batted .315 in 2006, but other than him, there is very little real competition. Glenn Davis? Bob Watson? Not likely.

Second Base: Craig Biggio (1998)

A life-long Astro, Biggio had a number of stellar seasons in Texas. None were better than his 1998 campaign when he batted .325, hit 20 home runs and stole 50 bases.

Biggio led the NL with 51 doubles and he was selected to his fifth consecutive All-Star Game.

He ranked fourth in the National League for runs scored (123), second in hits (210) and stolen bases, and fourth in runs created (142).

Highlight Game: May 22, 1998 vs. San Diego. In one of just two multi-home run games of his ’98 season, Biggio went deep twice against the Padres.

He hit a lead-off home run against Pete Smith to tie the game at 1, and he snapped a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning with a two-run shot down the left-field line off Donne Wall.

Biggio finished the game 3-for-5 with four RBI.

Competition: Both Joe Morgan and Bill Doran were mere batting average points away from seriously challenging Biggio.

Morgan’s .256 average destroys the fact that he swiped 40 bags or scored 87 runs, while Doran’s 1987 season just fell short with a .283 average, 16 homers, 31 steals, and 79 batted in.

Jeff Kent’s power season of 2004 was right in the mix too, but I decided to go with Biggio’s more rounded production.

Third Base: Morgan Ensberg (2005)

Remember when Morgan Ensberg was good? Yeah, I know, it’s hard for me too.

2005 was the best season of Ensberg’s relatively short career which saw him play four full seasons for the Astros.

He shone in ’05 though, hitting 36 home runs, recording 101 runs batted in, and a .557 slugging percentage.

He finished fourth in the NL MVP race, won his one and only Silver Slugger award, and was named an All Star.

He ranked in the top 10 in several offensive categories, including home runs, slugging percentage, walks, and total bases.

Highlight Game: May 15, 2005 vs. San Francisco. Proof that Ensberg was a dangerous hitter, the third baseman took the Giants yard three times.

Jeff Fassero, Jeremy Accardo, and Jason Christiansen all saw pitches to Ensberg leave Minute Maid, as the slugger finished 4-for-4 with five RBI. The Astros won the game 9-0.

Competition: Enos Cabell’s 1977 season stands out to me because of the threat he represented on the base paths. Sure, guys like Ken Caminiti and Sean Berry batted in the .280s with 16 or 17 home runs, but none of them could match the speed Cabell had.

His 42 steals is the most by any Astros third baseman ever.

Shortstop: Dickie Thon (1983)

1983 was Thon’s real breakout year. Having hit just three home runs in his previous 300 at bats over the course of his first four seasons, Thon exploded with 20 long balls and 79 RBI.

His 20 home runs are still a franchise record for a shortstop.

He batted a respectable .286 and stole 34 bases, ranked inside the National League top 10 in hits (177, seventh), total bases (283, fourth), triples (nine, fifth), and extra-base hits (57, eighth).

He was selected to the All-Star Game as Ozzie Smith’s backup, won his first Silver Slugger award, and finished seventh in the MVP voting.

Seen by some as a future Hall-of-Famer, Thon’s career was cruelly blindsided just five games into the ’84 season when he was hit in the face by a Mike Torrez fastball.

Highlight Game: Aug. 10, 1983 vs. San Diego. Dickie Thon sent the 12,605 fans in the Astrodome home happy, snapping a 3-3 deadlock with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 14th inning.

The home run off Luis DeLeon was the first walk-off of his career, giving the Astros a 4-3 victory.

Competition: Denis Menke supplies the competition to Thon with his 1970 season.

All Star Menke drove in 92 runs and batted .304, hitting 13 home runs and scoring 82 times. His RBI tally is the most by any Astros shortstop ever.

Outfield: Jimmy Wynn (1969)

Wynn was never a megastar by today’s standards, or even by 1960s standards, but his 1969 season is the best ever by any Astros’ outfielder in my opinion.

Wynn was a fierce hitter with a great eye and above-average speed, making him a threat both at the plate and on the base paths.

He hit 33 home runs, scored 113 times, and swiped 23 bases, all while leading the National League with 148 walks.

Wynn was one of what is known today as a “three true outcomes” hitter—he would hit a home run, walk, or strikeout, as can be seen by his 33-148-142 line.

Not a gap hitter—he recorded just 17 doubles—his .436 on-base percentage and .943 OPS more than made up for a rather pedestrian .269 batting average.

Highlight Game: July 8, 1969 @ San Francisco. Wynn had his third multi-home run game of the ’69 season, going 2-for-3 with two home runs, two walks, an intentional walk, and three runs scored.

Richard Hidalgo (2000)

Hidalgo had a career year at the turn of the millennium, setting career highs in home runs (44), RBI (122), and stolen bases (13).

He ranked second in the National League with 89 extra-base hits and fifth in the NL with 355 total bases.

His 44 home runs and .636 slugging percentage are highs by any Astros’ outfielder, while his 122 runs batted in rank fourth behind Lance Berkman and Moises Alou.

Highlight Game: April 4, 2000 @ Pittsburgh. On Opening Day at Three Rivers Stadium, Hidalgo hit a grand slam off Jason Schmidt in the sixth inning to give the Astros a commanding 5-0 lead.

Schmidt walked the bases loaded, offering free passes to Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and Moises Alou. Hidalgo—sitting dead red on a 3-1 count— took his fastball yard.

Carl Everett (1999)

Everett may lose some votes based entirely on his short tenure in Houston, but his final year playing in the NL is worthy of mention.

He hit 25 home runs, stole 27 bases, and batted .325. His .587 slugging percentage was eighth best in the National league, and his 14.6 at bats per home run was good enough for a spot inside the top 10.

His 108 RBI was also a career high. Not bad considering he only played 123 games.

Highlight Game: June 20, 1999 vs. Montreal. Everett went 2-for-4 with six RBI and two home runs, including a grand slam off Ugueth Urbina.

The Astros won 11-3. extending their lead in the NL Central to 6.5 games ahead of the Reds.

Competition: The two ‘big’ outfield names that I chose to leave off this list were Lance Berkman and Moises Alou.

Both had fantastic seasons in their own right, but the depth of talent within the Houston outfield was just too great.

Take Alou’s 2000 season as an example. He had five more runs and six more RBI than Everett. He batted 30 points higher, but had 24 fewer steals and four fewer runs.

They are obviously just different batters. The 30-point average difference is not as great as it sounds though. If Everett had recorded just one more hit—one infield hit or bloop single—each week, he would have batted .357—two points more than Alou.

As for Berkman, as important as he has been to the Astros during his 11 years at the club, I honestly don’t think you can argue that he has had a substantially better year than any of the three guys I chose.

Pitcher: Tom Griffin (1974)

Griffin was about as good as they get for Houston pitchers swinging the bat. He leads all Astros’ pitchers with more than 30 at-bats in a season for slugging percentage (.456)

In 1974 he hit two home runs and five doubles, going 20-for-68 on the year, with eight RBI and 11 runs. He only grounded into one double play.

Highlight Game: July 14, 1974 vs. Chicago Cubs. Very minor but I’ll mention it anyway, because Griffin went 2-for-2 with a home run and a double, helping Houston beat the Cubbies 7-6.

Competition: Astros’ pitchers can’t hit. It’s simple. Very few pitchers can post solid numbers against even the lower tier of Major League hurlers, even if they were a position player in college.

Dave Giusti is the only pitcher with three home runs in a season, while Mike Scott is the only one to record double-digit runs batted in more than once.

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Today, Friday, Nov. 20, marks the first day of the most exciting part of winter: free-agent season. As of 12:01 am this morning, teams no longer have exclusive signing rights to their free-agents from 2009, and so the Hot Stove frenzy begins. Big names and big bucks will be flying around the news wire over the next few months, and keep your browsers right here for all the Rays' transactions.

As of today, the Rays have yet to re-sign any of their free-agents (major leaguers RP Chad Bradford, RP Jason Isringhausen, RP Troy Percival, RP Brian Shouse, RP Russ Springer, and C Gregg Zaun and minor leaguer RP Winston Abreu) but they have expressed interest in keeping Zaun on the team.

Also, expect news of more bullpen help being brought in and at least one new catcher, with Dioner Navarro on the mend and slumping and Gregg Zaun testing the market, the backstop is the number one priority on the Rays' front office's mind.

But for now, let's recap the moves of the past week.

Nov. 14, 2009: Signed RP R.J. Swindle to a minor league deal with Spring Training invitation.

R.J. Swindle had been claimed by the Rays in August 2009 from the Brewers after they designated him for assignment, and he never threw a pitch; the Rays DFA'd him less than 24 hours later, where he was scooped up by the Cleveland Indians. Skipper Joe Maddon and the front office liked what they saw, however, and now he's back in Rays blue.

Swindle throws five pitches: a fastball, slider, change, cutter, and a Casey Fossum-esque 55 mph curve with a sidearm delivery. He will most likely compete with RP Randy Choate in Spring Training as a lefty specialist out of the bullpen in 2010.

Nov. 15, 2009: 11 Minor Leaguers apply for free-agency.

Nothing too soul-crushing came from this news, but some fan favorites did elect for free agency, including AAA Durham's RHP Joe Bateman, RHP Jason Childers, RHP Winston Abreu, LF Rashad Eldridge, and LHP Jason Cromer and A Charlotte's RHP Richard de los Santos. 

As of today, none of them have been offered new contracts with the Rays, and with the Rule V Draft coming up next month, expect to see some other minor league names leave town for other teams.

Nov. 16, 2009: SP Jeff Niemann finishes fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Niemann, 26, went 13-6 with a 3.94 ERA, two complete-game shutouts, and 125 strikeouts over 31 games in his rookie season after beating David Price, Mitch Talbot, and now-Rockies SP Jason Hammel for the fifth spot in the rotation. Niemann's winning percentage of .684 was the second-highest for a rookie since 1969, second only to 2001's CC Sabathia.

Niemann finished with 21 points, behind Tiger SP Rick Porcello's 64, Ranger SS Elvis Andrus' 65, and the AL ROY, Oakland RP Andrew Bailey's 88, as decided by the Baseball Writers Association of America. 

Nov. 19, 2009: OF Desmond Jennings, RHP Jeremy Hellickson, and LHP Alexander Torres added to the 40-man roster; 1B Carlos Peña recalled from 60-day DL.

Peña is no surprise, but adding the three minor leaguers not only protects them from being signed in the Rule V Draft come December (where teams from last place to first can sign a minor leaguer from any other team not on the 40-man roster, but must have that player on their 25-man roster and in the majors for the remainder of the season), but also greatly increases the chances that these young fan favorites see time at Tropicana Field in 2010.

Hellickson, 22, was named Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the Rays, going a combined 9-2 with a 2.45 ERA as a starter for both AA Montgomery and AAA Durham in 2009. Overall, "Hellboy" struck out 10.42 batters per nine innings, and held opponents to a .178 batting average.

Jennings (pictured above at the Futures Game), who turned 23 after the season, was named Rays Minor League Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player of both Montgomery and the Southern League, despite being sent to AAA Durham in late July.

Overall, he hit .318 with 11 home runs, 52 out of 59 stolen bases, 62 RBI, 92 runs scored, and an .881 OPS. Baseball America named him the No. 18 prospect in baseball in their mid-season rankings.

Torres, 21, was acquired (along with fellow 40-manner IF Sean Rodriguez) on August 28 as part of the trade that sent Scott Kazmir to the Los Angeles Angels. Between A Cucamonga, AA Arkansas (both Angels organization) and AAA Montgomery, he went 13-6 with a 2.77 ERA in 28 appearances and 26 starts.

That wraps up this week in Rays baseball, but keep checking back each week Dear Reader; there's a lot of Hot Stove madness to come.

Only 91 days until pitchers and catchers report. Stay strong, friends.

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Armed with a fastball that can touch the mid-90s, as well as a slider (which mlb.com called his best pitch) and changeup, that would’ve been a fair assessment after he was selected ninth overall by the Washington Nationals.

That’s not how things played out, however.  Coming off a junior season at Missouri that saw him dominate, going 13-0 with a 2.35 ERA and 127 Ks, he was regarded as one of the top two college pitchers entering the draft (along with Brian Matusz). 

The team and Crow’s representatives failed to come to an agreement, however, leaving Crow to spend the year pitching for the Fort Worth Cats of the Independent League.

While he didn’t make many starts for the team, he was dominant when he did take the mound.  In three starts (17 innings), he went 3-0 with a 1.06 ERA and 17 Ks.  Additionally, he allowed very few baserunners, allowing 11 hits and 5 walks.

He reentered the draft in 2009, once again going in the first round.  The Nationals actually had a chance to redraft him (at No. 10, but they instead took Drew Storen), leaving Crow to drop to the Kansas City Royals at No. 12, who gladly scooped him up.

He didn’t make an appearance in the Royals minor league system, but got a chance to show his value in the Arizona Fall League.  He has not been lights out, going 0-2 with a 5.87 ERA over 15.1 innings, but there have been a few positives to point out.

While his control is a concern for some, he has walked just two batters.  In addition, he ended his time in the AFL by tossing four brilliant, shutout innings.  During that start, he allowed one hit and no walks, striking out four in the process.

Crow said he was up in the zone in his first few starts, which led to his problems.  He was quoted as saying, “Being out there and being on a scheduled routine and facing hitters every [start] and every week and focusing on keeping the ball down, it’s been a lot easier to do when you’re in a routine”.

We all know that the Royals are a team that is constantly looking for pitching help and it is possible that Crow could be on the fast track in 2009. 

While he may start the year in Single or Double-A, depending on how much of a challenge the Royals want to give him, it would not be surprising to see him get a start or two in the majors at some point.

Of course, a potential innings limit could affect him, having barely pitched against professional hitters in 2009.  He had just 15 starts in his junior year and between the Independent League and AFL, has just 32.1 innings under his belt.

While the team is said to be willing to be very active in the trade front (which they already have been when they sent Mark Teahen to the White Sox for Josh Fields & Chris Getz ), at this point their rotation appears to be a black hole behind Zack Greinke.

Yes, Robinson Tejeda showed potential and there is still hope for Luke Hochevar, but they need all the help they can get.

While yearly league owners would be smart to keep an eye on him, yet not take the gamble quite yet, he is a must-own for all dynasty leaguers.  While a 2010 appearance may only be a cameo, he’s ticketed to be a mainstay for the Royals as soon as 2011.

What are your thoughts on Crow?  How good can he be?  When will he make his Major League debut?

You can read other recent Prospect Reports including:

• Kyle Drabek
• Todd Frazier

To read the previous article, click here .

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

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However, baseball is a game that is largely random. The year-to-year player variations are staggering, and nobody, no matter their expertise, gets them all right.

To me, that's a big part of what makes the game great. No matter how much you know, or what approach you take, several players a year will always surprise you. Who thought Michael Bourn would be an excellent player in 2009? Who thought Chien-Ming Wang would be terrible?

And hey, I'm man enough to admit when I'm wrong. And Andrew Bailey has certainly proved me wrong.

Even I, a follower of the minors, had no real enthusiasm about Bailey coming into 2009. I knew who the guy was—don't get me wrong—but he was coming off a season where he put up a 4.42 FIP in Double-A. Wow , I thought.

In 2007, he had a mildly interesting year, putting up solid numbers in the Cal League and shutting down the opposing team in one end-of-year Triple-A start, but he was 23, so I projected him as a possible fifth starter or middle reliever. The poor year in Double-A the next year pretty much sealed his fate, I thought. He'd be lucky to ever throw a big league pitch.

Then, all of a sudden, it was mid-March, and Athletics Nation was penciling the guy into a major league bullpen spot.

I found this ridiculous. Why on earth would we give a bullpen spot to Andrew freakin' Bailey? Okay, it's nice that he had a nice run to close 2008 in the bullpen, and he's looked nice in the spring, but he's never even seen Triple-A (save the one start in '07) and he's only a few months removed from being one of the worst starting pitchers in the Texas League!

It made sense at the time—the don't-trust-a-guy-with-small-sample-spring-success argument is right more often than not—but what I didn't realize is that Bailey the reliever was a much different pitcher than Bailey the starter.

Upon converting to relief in mid-08, Bailey was taught a cutter by Gil Patterson, the A's minor league pitching coordinator. It's Patterson's favorite pitch, and he teaches it to many of the A's farmhands. The pitch gave Bailey a reliable offering to set up his plus curveball and keep lefties at bay, and his career took off.

It was the effectiveness of this pitch that made it an easy decision to put Bailey in the majors, rather than any small-sample stats stuff.

Now that I've explained Bailey's journey and my own journey of analyzing him, I can finally get to the (ostensible) point of this post, which is his, you know, Rookie of the Year season.

It was great.

Bailey struck out 9.83 batters per nine innings while walking only 2.59. That epitomizes getting the job done. His cutter-curveball combination was simply unhittable all year. Batters made contact on only 69.8% of their swings against the righty, far below the 80.5% league average.

When they did get lucky enough to hit the ball, they couldn't square it up—Bailey had a ridiculously low 12.9% line drive rate for the year. Statheads who yell about his .234 BABIP need to realize that the low liner rate explains it. Bailey allowed just 49 hits in 83 1/3 innings and had just a 0.88 WHIP for the year.

Statistically, it's tough to do much better in relief, and Bailey's two plus pitches prove he's got substance, not smoke and mirrors.

Did he deserve the award, though?

I think Rookie of the Year awards are a matter of taste in some respects. It all depends how you weigh the value of certain positions. For example, in MVP voting, hitters are traditionally valued higher than starters, who are valued higher than relievers. 

I can say with confidence that Bailey should win Rookie Reliever of the Year, but after that, it all depends on what someone likes.

Personally, I would find it tough to give it to second-place guy Elvis Andrus, though. It's not that I don't think Andrus has a chance to be a good player; it's that I just don't see a .702 OPS year as a true impact year, even when combined with the good speed and defense. There are holes in Andrus' game he must improve, whereas Bailey is an All-Star caliber, elite reliever already.

Rick Porcello's 4.77 FIP didn't impress me. Well, I shouldn't say that. Actually, it's quite impressive, given that he was straight out of High-A. But there's no difficulty curve in these awards, and if there was, then Bailey's would be pretty high too.

Porcello's low strikeout rate is worrisome, and he allows far too many homers for a groundball guy in a pitcher's park. I have a sneaking suspicion the guy might just turn out to be Aaron Cook 2.0, not an ace. Again, plenty of room for improvement.

Jeff Niemann presents an interesting case. He was solid across the board rather than exceptional, but he pitched for a better team in a more important role. I'd still probably pick Bailey, but I like Niemann's '09 more than Andrus' or Porcello's.

It gets tricky with Gordon Beckham as well. He was a more complete player than Andrus, and again, it depends if you value position players over pitchers. He only played in 103 games, though, so I think Bailey beats him too.

That brings me to the final (and ultimately sixth-place) candidate, the other Athletic in the running, Brett Anderson. I'm a huge Anderson fan, and I'm an A's fan, so perhaps I'm biased, but I honestly think he and Bailey were the top two rookies in the AL this year.

Anderson's season was way better than Porcello's and a little better than Niemann's. Like Bailey, he had a K/BB ratio over three, and he also did a nice job keeping the ball on the ground. Honestly, I think he has more star potential than any of the other five candidates, and the Bailey-Anderson decision comes down a simple question.

What's better, a very good starter or shutdown reliever?

I'm going to say Bailey is the rightful winner by just a small amount, with Anderson second, Niemann third, Beckham fourth, and then Andrus, and Porcello. I think that Anderson is ultimately going to be the best player out of the bunch, though.

Congratulations, Andrew Bailey, on the award, and proving that spring training success does sometimes carry over to the regular season.

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No, it wasn't Milton Bradley talking about how racist the fans were. And it wasn't Geovany Soto talking about the proper way to pack a bong during the World Baseball Classic.

This time, it was closer-to-be Carlos Marmol. And he was jumping all over the hot stove.

Marmol first stated the obvious, telling the AP that the Cubs plan to use him as their closer in 2010. While logic hasn't always been the Cubs' operating philosophy, it appears it will finally win out at the back end of the bullpen.

But then Marmol decided to wander onto the topic of free agents. He told the AP that the Cubs plan to pursue fellow Dominican Pedro Martinez to fill out the back end of their rotation.

My reaction sounds like it was pretty consistent with Jim Hendry's to the news: WHAT?

A Cubs' official told Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that the team wasn't interested in Martinez, who threw only 44.2 innings in a 2009 season cut short by injury.

In his nine starts with the Phillies, Pedro allowed seven home runs and struck out only 37; no longer did Martinez carry the Pedro Prestige that he did in Boston. His 5-1 record, and hair "style," were the only intriguing parts of Martinez's return.

So while Marmol might think adding Martinez is a great idea, as a fan I hope Hendry looks at this the same way I did: at least he didn't talk about how white Sammy Sosa has become.

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Those steps were preliminary, though, and general manager Jim Hendry knows that in order to make more drastic and necessary changes, he must first resolve the single most dauntingly enigmatic question that faces Chicago during this offseason: To whom will Hendry send outfielder Milton Bradley?

USA Today reports that the most likely answer is the same one it might have been this time last year, when Bradley was a free agent being courted by a half-dozen teams: Tampa Bay.

Tampa, led by supremely confident manager Joe Maddon, fits for multiple reasons. Firstly, they offer a relatively low-pressure environment, in which Bradley can rest assured he won't be turned upon at the first sign of failure. 

Second, Bradley fits the team's philosophy, which focuses on batters getting on base and staying patient. Even during his ostensibly awful 2009, he managed 66 walks and a .378 on-base percentage in 473 plate appearances. 

Thirdly, Tampa has a bad contract to exchange with Chicago. Pat Burrell, the erstwhile Phillies slugger who in 2009 fell short of 20 home runs (he had 14) for the first time since his rookie season in 2000, has played left field almost exclusively during his 10-year career. 

However, Burrell (who is owed $9 million for 2010, the same figure as Bradley, though his contract expires thereafter while Bradley's goes for another season at $12 million) has the kind of hitting profile Hendry has said he wants as protection for Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez. Burrell and Bradley would be about a dead-even exchange, with the Cubs likely paying the Rays most of Bradley's 2011 salary.

Other options exist: Tampa may not have the money to vie for free-agent closers but need a relief ace to shore up a bullpen that went from among the best in the league in 2008 to among the worst in 2009. Chicago could try to package Bradley with incumbent closer Carlos Marmol in order to acquire Carl Crawford (owed $10.5 million in 2010) as a leadoff hitter and center fielder.

In all likelihood, though, a trade to the Rays would have to involve Burrell. That can be good or bad for Chicago; it would, or will, depend upon what else Hendry does. Slotting Burrell into right field and keeping Kosuke Fukudome in center is not an option; it's defensively untenable. Someone would have to slide somewhere else on the diamond.

Burrell is the best candidate. He played 58 games at first base in his rookie year, though he has so far not returned. Chicago could look to trade first baseman Lee, who is owed $13 million for next season and whom they would then have to convince to waive his no-trade clause.

Lee, however, has sky-high market value this winter, especially to a team like the New York Mets, who need a first baseman but won't find a satisfactory one in the free agent pool.

If that second move went off, the Cubs could afford to shop the free agent and trade markets for a center fielder who could hit anywhere from first to fifth in the lineup, opening up Detroit's Curtis Granderson and free agents Mike Cameron and Chone Figgins as options.

Most importantly, though, if the Cubs can get rid of Bradley with as little of Bradley's 2010 salary on their books, Hendry will have succeeded in getting the offseason going in the right direction for the North Siders.

If it hasn't happened by then, keep an eye on this story around the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis Dec. 7-10.

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The MLB Free Agency season is upon us, and after the New York Yankees' excessive spending led to a World Series title, will another season of open piggy banks arise?

Probably not, but there are still quite a few players that could break the bank and teams that will shell the dough for their services. Let’s take a look at 10 free agents and what they bring to the table.

Please note: this is not an order of who is the best free agent, just a focus on 10 players.

1. Jason Bay, OF

Bay has experience in both the National and American leagues, increasing his ability to play in either. He’s 30 and still has many good years left, enough to grab possibly a five or six-year contract before possibly moving to the AL as a DH in the future.

Last season was his first full season in Boston and he shined, hitting .267. His 36 home runs were good enough for third in the AL, and his 119 RBI took second. He also earned his first Silver Slugger award and third All-Star nomination.

Bay is arguably the hottest free agent on the market and will command at least $100 million on the market, requiring some teams to really break the bank on him.

2. Matt Holliday, OF

At 29, Holliday has an extra year in him, leading some to believe he is the hottest outfielder on the market. He spent the first half of the year in Oakland before being traded to St. Louis for the stretch run.

While in Colorado he was a three-time All-Star and a three-time Silver Slugger. Even though he was traded, he still finished with a .313 batting average, 24 home runs and 109 RBI. He also brings postseason experience, including a World Series appearance in 2007.

Holliday will also be looking for a six or possibly seven-year deal, well in excess of $100 million. Look for teams to offer both Bay and Holliday, with the two using each other’s potential deals as leverage.

3. Hideki Matsui, OF

Godzilla lives, but for how many more seasons? A combination of age (35) and injuries in previous years moved the outfielder to the DH role for the New York Yankees. He still played in 116 games in 2009, hitting .274 with 28 home runs and 90 RBI. The 28 home runs were the most since he hit 31 in 2004, his second season.

Matsui might not have gotten as much attention without his phenomenal showing in the 2009 playoffs, specifically the World Series. In the six-game series, Matsui hit .615 with three home runs and eight RBI to earn World Series MVP honors.

Due to his injury history and age, it is highly unlikely anyone from the National League will take a look. Rumors have floated of Matsui’s retirement, but I believe it will depend on whether or not he gets an offer he likes.

4. John Lackey, SP

Lackey is being touted as the top pitcher in free agency this season, with his youth and experience being key factors. Lackey is 30 years old, but already has five years of postseason play under his belt.

His strikeouts have tapered since his career high of 199 in 2005, and while he’s a far cry from his 2007 All-Star campaign (19-9, 3.01 ERA), he still gets batters out. His last two seasons have seen career lows in hits, runs, earned runs, and innings pitched since his rookie campaign.

Lackey has the experience and ability to be a solid No. 2 or No. 3 pitcher, depending on the team. If he is looking for ace money, he might scare away a few, but could still pull a big contract with the right team.

5. Adam LaRoche, 1B

LaRoche is another young player (29) who has many years left. He's played mostly in the NL for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves, with the exception of a short stint in Boston. Despite that, he still managed to hit .277 with 25 home runs and 83 RBI.

He has yet to break .300 in a season, has toppled 30 home runs once, and has yet to break 100 RBI in a season, but it his defensive skills that truly stand out. LaRoche had two errors last year, a career low, just a year after having eight, a career high.

He is still young and can improve on his power, and should grab somewhere in the six-year, $80 million range unless some team decides to make a leap for him.

6. Jose Molina, C

Molina isn’t the best offensive bat in the free agency market, but he is arguably the top defensive catcher available. Used by the New York Yankees the past two seasons as a backup to starter Jorge Posada, Molina performed admirably in his backup role despite missing half of 2009 with an injury.

His value really shined in the playoffs as he caught AJ Burnett primarily in his two World Series starts, including the Game Six clinching win. Defensively, he had a .997 fielding average, committing only one error in 2009. For his career, he has thrown out 40 percent of baserunners attempting steals.

Molina will get another look as a backup catcher, potentially in the AL where the starter can still perform as a DH. Molina’s bat leaves questions, but his defensive value is still worth something.

7. Vladimir Guerrero, OF

Guerrero has started to slip, mainly due to an injury in 2009, but the 34-year-old slugger can still put it up there.

Not counting last season’s injury where he hit .295 with 15 home runs and 50 RBI, Guerrero had a streak of 11 seasons with a .300 average (1997-2008). He also hit more than 30 home runs in a season eight times and had 100+ RBI nine times. He is an eight-time All-Star, the 2004 AL MVP, and a seven-time Silver Slugger.

His injury will scare some prospective teams, but he should still find work, most likely in the AL, where he can DH on an off day.

8. Chone Figgins, 3B

In his eight-year career the utility speedster has spent time at every position except pitcher, catcher, and first base and is a nice find for any team.

Since 2004, he has had over 30 steals per season, with a career high 62 in 2005. He is developing more patience, shown in the 101 walks he had—almost twice his previous career high. His batting average hovers right under .300 for the most part.

He was a 2009 All-Star, and has playoff experience as part of the Los Angeles Angels. At 31, he still has wheels and the ability to get on base and put his team in a position to score. I foresee quite a few teams shelling out some decent dollars at a speed demon that can play multiple positions.

9. Adrian Beltre, 3B

The two-time Gold Glove winner (2007-08) already has 12 seasons under his belt at the age of 31.

He played in 111 games, hitting only .265 with eight home runs and 44 RBI, his lowest since his rookie campaign. This was due to a groin injury that occurred, shelving the 2004 Silver Slugger since August. Despite this, he was looking to be on pace with his past performance since his breakout 2004 season.

The injury risk is there, especially considering Beltre doesn’t wear a cup, but if he can get back to form, a team could steal him for two or three years.

10. Andy Pettitte, P

Is there anything left in the tank for the 37-year-old?

After a stellar 14-8 campaign, not including his 4-0 2009 postseason, Pettitte is back on the market. He has spent time on both National and American Leagues. Considering his age, moving back to the NL might be easier on his arm.

He is a far cry from the 20-win season in 2003, and rumors have been floating of his retirement. I wouldn’t see more than a one-year contract for Pettite, but if he wants to return, I’m sure a team will give him a shot.

The crop isn’t as thick as last season, but there are still some decent prospects to help improve your favorite squad.

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The Cleveland Indians principal owner Larry Dolan and Kia Motors have agreed in principal to a 250 Million cash and stock swap deal. The Tigers gain a 35 percent share of the Indians for 180 Million in cash and a 70 Million common stock. The Indians gain a 51 percent controlling interest in the Kia Tigers. 

The Kia Tigers play in Moodeung Stadium. They are charter (1982) members of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and are the most successful team in KBO history. They claimed nine of the first sixteen KBO titles with pennants in '83, '86-'89, '91, '93 and '96-'97. Based in Gwangju, they were formerly known as the Haitai Tigers.

When asked if the Kia Tigers are in for a name change, Mark Shapiro was evasive, “We have not yet considered any name changes. Obviously all the stakeholders and our marketing initiatives would have to be aligned before we made a name change.”

The Tigers supplied three players to the 2008 Gold medal winning South Korean Olympic squad: Han Ki-Joo (3 G, 1-0; 19.29 ERA, 2.1 IP), Yoon Suk-Min (5 G, 2-0, 1 SV, 2.34 ERA, 6 Ks, 7.2 IP ) and center fielder Lee Yong-Kyu. (.481 AVG). Baseball is hotter than ever in South Korea right now and Shin-Soo Choo is the best Korean in Major League Baseball (MLB).

“This is an exciting time for Korean baseball and the people of Gwangju,” said Shin-Soo Choo the Tribe's lone South Korean player.

Cleveland is the first MLB team to invest in a KBO franchise. In a related deal, SportsTime Ohio is partnering with Direct TV and Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) to create Korean sports programming here in the USA. KBS is working with the SportsTime Ohio to broadcast Cleveland games in South Korea. 

It is speculated that with the new cash, Cleveland will become very active in the free agent market this offseason. Cleveland is also said to be discussing opportunities with MLB to schedule half of the Indian's April home games in South Korea. The west coast teams, Seattle, Anaheim, Arizona and Oakland are the most likely opponents for such games.

Jim Bertsch, a lifetime Tribe fan and syndicated writer for Bleacher Report said, “Its about time the  Indians took the initiative. New York, Boston, Los Angeles and a few other major league teams have been taking the cream off the top of the MLB talent pool for years. It is obvious that we needed to expand our fan base beyond the shores of Lake Erie.”

This is a big win for South Korea, because they now have a MLB team willing to showcase their top talent. The 2008 Olympic gold medal certainly indicates a wealth of undiscovered baseball talent in South Korea. With their strong showing on the international level, the South Korean program is at a world class level. 

Bertsch commented, “It is reminiscent of Bill Veeck making Larry Doby the first African American player in the American League.” Bill Veeck knew that talent doesn't have a race or a color. If you can PLAY, then we need you on our team. Larry Dolan has been taking heat for creating a fiscally responsible baseball franchise. Unfortunately for Cleveland, being fiscally responsible means being anti-competitive. This move places the Indians in the center of the competitive picture for the foreseeable future.”

With significant Cleveland Cavaliers ownership in China and 35 percent ownership of the Indians in South Korea, The City of Cleveland is leading the charge for creating international leagues in basketball and baseball. Give credit to Dan Gilbert and  Larry Dolan for being the innovators who are ushering us into a new era of international professional sports.

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He has also claimed:

Sporting News AL Pitcher of the Year

Bullet Logan Award—Negro Leagues

AL's Outstanding Pitcher—Player's Choice Award

KC Royals Pitcher of the Year

Cool.

What does all of this mean for me?

As Chris Rock might say: "I got home from work and looked in the mailbox for my Greinke Prize, NOTHIN'!"

But that's not true.  Every Royals fan won something today. Hope .

The idea of trading Greinke now is ludicrous; it reeks of a desperate attempt to identify "sell high" candidates, and illustrates an overall lack of baseball insight.

He just turned in one of the best seasons a pitcher has EVER had, he says he likes it in Kansas City, he's signed for the next three years at a reasonable rate and he just turned 26 years old.

You do not trade a "sure thing" for a bunch of maybe's; especially with the Royals track record of scouting talent.

Additionally, Greinke possesses the type of talent that can attract other ball players to Kansas City.  Just as he makes management and the fan base drool, he has impressed his peers; as evidenced in the AL's Outstanding Pitcher—Player's Choice Award he won.

An optimal Greinke is a happy Greinke—we have experienced both in KC—and these accolades mean something in the grand scheme of things.

Greinke has previously stated that he wants to win .  That is what motivates him, not individual achievement.  He proves this time and time again in interviews *.

*Side Note: During this interview, Greinke revealed his ability to scout when he stated, "Davies thinks he's good at everything but he's not really good at anything."

Greinke wants to win everything he participates in.  Playing for the Royals must be killing him.

Individual achievement doesn't resolve that, but losing out on achievement due to team ineptness perpetuates displeasure.

We can't afford to get too far ahead of ourselves and before last season Dayton Moore did sign Greinke through 2012, but he'll be under 30 and at his theoretical peak when his contract expires...will he be willing to re-sign?

Who knows?  At least this years individual achievements give the franchise a stay of further negativity, possibility for improvement and doesn't add to the dog-pile of failure mounting on the lawn.

Greinke is the franchises best selling point in connecting with both free agents and fans.

If he comes close to replicating this years gem in 2010, he will legitimize his fans infatuations and prove he is the cornerstone player essential for a Royal turnaround.

That will assist in bringing coveted free agents to Kansas City without breaking the bank.

Which will lead to a more balanced ball club.

Which will assist the Royals in re-signing Greinke when the time comes and changing  the overall culture of the franchise.

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That is better than the story the day before, where a source said that Mark DeRosa could land on the Phillies to fill the shoes of Pedro Feliz.

According to MLB.com, DeRosa hit .250 with 23 home runs and 78 RBIs last season with the Cleveland Indians and St. Louis Cardinals. He hit .285 with 21 homers and 87 RBIs in 2008 with the Chicago Cubs. He had wrist surgery on Oct. 26, but his representatives said Tuesday that DeRosa should resume baseball activities before Spring Training.

According to the story by Todd Zolecki, there are reasons why DeRosa would make sense.

He is from the Northeast. He grew up in New Jersey and attended Penn. He has a reputation as a hard worker and good teammate, which the Phillies consider important attributes.

Ryan Howard is from St. Louis, Mo. Chase Utley and Cole Hamels are from California.

Former Phillie Doug Glanville, shown above, went to the University of Pennsylvania, too. He had a nice career for some pretty bad Phillies teams of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Hard work is an attribute that Phillies fans love. That much is true.

And guess what else? DeRosa made $5.5 million last year. That is the same money the Phillies would have paid Pedro Feliz if they picked up his option.

DeRosa is a nice player, but is he that much better than Feliz?

Their fielding abilities are about even. DeRosa has a better average than Feliz in the last two years.

But DeRosa is not an impact player. There are doubts whether he is an every day player.

So while the Phillies backed off from signing anyone Friday, they left the door open for future signings in the next few weeks or months.

They are probably waiting to see what the Angels offer Chone Figgins.

Figgins could well be off the board by Friday. The Phillies are willing to take that chance.

Or are they just posturing?

If they don't sign Figgins on Friday, then look for them to go after Adrian Beltre or DeRosa.

But don't cry poor.

While the Phillies paid $106.75 million for 12 players, which included arbitration-eligible players like Shane Victorino, Joe Blanton, and Carlos Ruiz, they need help at third base, in the bullpen, and on the bench.

The Yankees? The 2009 World Champions? Their payroll is $192.35 million.

I don't mind if the Phillies wait, even if it mean they miss out on Figgins.

Just step up to the plate financially when the time comes, Phillies.

I don't care what region of the country the player comes from.

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According to MILB.com , they will be honored along with the other award winners at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Indianapolis from Dec. 7–10.

The Bender Award is presented to an individual who has shown exceptional skills in player development.

Lieppman, over his 18-year career in the Oakland Athletics’ system, has been responsible for assigning, developing, and evaluating their minor league players as their Director of Player Development.

“I am humbled and appreciative for being selected for this award,” said Lieppman. “I had the privilege of knowing and working with Chief Bender and respect all that he presented and brought to the game. It is an honor to be associated through this award with such a man of integrity and the numerous accomplishments he has achieved.”

“We are extremely proud that Minor League Baseball is recognizing Keith Lieppman as this year’s recipient of the Chief Bender Award,” said A’s vice president & general manager, Billy Beane. “His consummate professionalism and dedication to the development of young baseball players has been a cornerstone of this organization for nearly four decades. Receiving this much deserved award, named for a highly respected figure in our business, is a testament to Keith’s unparalleled record of service with the A’s.”

Lieppman spent nine years as a player until moving on to a managerial role at every level in the A’s system for the next eight seasons.

The Mike Coolbaugh Award is awarded to an individual who has shown exceptional knowledge of the game concerning the education, and training of the players in the organization’s minor league system.

Montoyo has been a manager in the Tampa Bay Rays’ system for the past 13 seasons, and has spent the previous three campaigns with the Durham Bulls, their Triple-A affiliate.  His tenure with the Bulls has been a success to say the least;  three straight South Division crowns and a Triple-A National Championship this past season, having defeated the Pacific Coast League champion Memphis Redbirds.

“I am very humbled and honored to win this award because of what [Mike Coolbaugh] represents,” said Montoyo.

“Charlie has been a hard working, loyal staff member for the Rays since 1996,” said Tampa Bay director of Minor League operations, Mitch Lukevics. “He is a dedicated teacher of our game with a passion to help players both on and off the field. Charlie exemplifies everything that the Mike Coolbaugh Award stands for. We are proud and thrilled that he is receiving this award.”

His managerial career began with the Princeton Rays in the Appalachian League in 1997.  Stints with the Montogomery Biscuits, Bakersfield Blaze, and Hudson Valley Renegades all concluded with a playoff berth.

This article can also be found on The GM's Perspective.

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After a career-best season in 2009, Kubel, 27, proved to be one of baseball’s premier designated hitters, while working at a considerably lower rate than many of his contemporaries.

At this point, however, Kubel isn’t worried about getting a big payday.

That will come in time. He’s still young and has plenty of time to earn David Ortiz or Travis Hafner money.

For now, he seems content to be healthy and guaranteed a spot on the roster.

That may seem odd, but it hasn’t always been this way for Kubel.

In 2004 he was named the Twins Minor League Player of the Year after posting an impressive .352/.414/.590 line with 22 home runs, 100 RBIs, 42 doubles, and 16 stolen bases.

He destroyed minor league pitching all-year long, working his way up from Double-A to Triple-A, and eventually earning a September call-up.

In the majors he put up an impressive .300/.358/.433 line in 23 games and continued to establish himself as one of baseball’s most promising young hitters.

Kubel was so highly-regarded within the organization that he was placed on Minnesota’s postseason roster for the club’s first-round clash with the New York Yankees.

Kubel saw limited action in the postseason, but showed the poise and demeanor of a player who belonged in the big leagues.

After the Twins were eliminated, Kubel went to play in the Arizona Fall League to prepare for Spring Training where it was believed he would compete for the right field job.

It was during an AFL game that an outfield collision with AFL teammate Ryan Raburn changed Kubel’s career trajectory forever.

The collision caused severe ligament damage , including a torn ACL and meniscus. It was described in some reports that Kubel’s knee had “exploded” in the collision.

Then-general manager Terry Ryan didn’t try to cut any corners when describing the injury to the media.

“It's a bad deal,” Ryan said. “It's going to be a long ordeal.”

Those pointed comments led many to question whether or not Kubel would ever make it back from the injury, let alone play at anywhere near the level he had before.

Kubel underwent major reconstructive surgery on his knee and missed all of the 2005 season while recovering from the career-threatening injury.

He showed some improvement by Spring Training and was named the club’s Opening Day right fielder in 2006, but struggles relegated him Triple-A by mid-April.

Back in the minors he put up good—but not great—numbers and appeared to regain his once-vaunted stroke at the plate.

Kubel returned re-joined the Twins in May and put up solid numbers, hitting .291/.324/.485 in the first-half. It appeared as though he’d taken the express lane on the road to recovery.

Unfortunately, his surgically-repaired knee proved it couldn’t handle the strain in the second-half as his numbers slipped badly, to .163/.209/.233

In the end he was limited to just 235 at-bats, as a result of lingering knee pain.

He finished the season with a disappointing .241/.279/.386 line and just eight home runs and 26 RBIs.

Kubel knew as well as anyone that 2007 would be an important year.

After fading down the stretch the year before, he showed up with the intention of proving himself healthy and capable of playing every day.

Early in the 2007 season, his performance, or lack thereof, left many wondering if the knee injury had completely destroyed his career.

After his weak finish in 2006, Kubel hit just .237/.287/.301 through his first 100 at-bats in 2007, however, he seemed to finally get things on track in mid-May and hit an astounding .283/.349/.492 over his final 100 games.

By season’s end, Kubel had appeared in 128 games and garnered 418 at-bats, bouncing between designated hitter and left field.

Despite the shaky start to the year, he put up a solid .273/.335/.450 line with 13 home runs, 65 RBI, 31 doubles, and even managed to swipe five bases.

It appeared that he was well on his way back to the top.

In 2008, Kubel became the club’s permanent DH after Minnesota acquired left fielder Delmon Young from Tampa Bay in the offseason.

It was in that role that Kubel began to thrive. With less pressure on his knee from not playing the field he appeared in 141 games and received 463 at-bats.

Kubel made the most of those at-bats by posted a career-best .272/.335/.471 line with 20 home runs and 78 RBIs.

His big 2008, prompted the club to sign him to a two-year, $7.2 million deal that bought out his remaining arbitration years and contains a $5.25 million option for the 2011 campaign.

Kubel showed his gratitude for the investment by busting out in a big way in last season.

He set career-highs across the board by appearing in 146 games, tallying 578 at-bats and posting an imposing .300/.369/.539 line with 28 home runs, 35 doubles, and 103 runs batted in.

He was ranked among the top designated hitters in all of baseball last year. In fact, he was statistically neck-and-neck with Toronto’s Adam Lind for the best in all of baseball.

Kubel finished third in total runs behind Lind and Boston’s David Ortiz. He finished just behind Lind in nearly every other category including home runs, RBIs, doubles, total bases, batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.

Five years ago, it looked like Jason Kubel’s career was over before it had ever really begun.

Today, he’s finally reached the end of the long road back and can look forward.

And rumor has it the view is pretty good from the top.

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It appears as though the Blue Jays aren’t winning over very many fans these days.

After the infamous Boston Red Sox ticket stunt, Jerseygate , and other numerous public relations blunders, the most recent development seems to have irked quite a few fans of both the faithful and fairweather kind.

Unearthed by Drunk Jays Fans earlier today , the latest debacle surrounds the purposed ticket increases for certain season ticket holders and possible single game tickets as well. Initial knee-jerk reactions have been pretty harsh, so before we get our panties in a knot, let’s stop and consider the following:

99.2 percent of season ticket prices will remain the same in 2010. That’s less than one percent of ticket holders that are affected by this increase, about 24 people in total. Frankly, if more fans aren’t coming out to the ballpark (as all numbers indicated in 2009) then you have to charge more for tickets if you want to make more money.

It hasn’t been confirmed yet, but single-game-ticket prices are almost certainly going to go up in price. If you take a look at the 2010 Rogers Centre seating map , they have done away with the separate pricing for the field level sections in 113 and 130, and they are now all one price.

The Toronto Star featured an article on how one fan in particular will see a 56 percent increase in the price of his season tickets. I’m not really feeling that empathetic in this situation because if you’re willing to pay over $3000 to see your favourite team, then you should be willing to pay $6000.

And if not, then just downgrade your tickets to a different section. Not to mention that this guy is a lawyer—come on, he can obviously afford the increase.

After this past year’s lackluster season, I would love to see the Toronto Blue Jays lower their ticket prices. Unfortunately, sports business doesn't work that way—ticket prices are not reflective on the team's performance. Lowering or freezing ticket prices benefits fans in the long term, however bumping up prices increases the revenue which hopefully leads to more team payroll and eventually a winning team.

A couple bucks more at the ticket booth might seem like a lot, but if it’s for the greater good of this team and the future of the franchise, frankly...I’ll give a toonie now if it will bring a playoff run later.

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On the same day that reports out of both major Chicago newspapers said Hendry will ink middling middle-reliever John Grabow to a two-year extension, he redeemed himself from that gaffe (as I saw it ), by trading reliever Aaron Heilman to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

For more on the deal itself, check out the first B/R article to break this news , or the mlb.com story by Carrie Muskat. Instead of duplicating those efforts, I want to take a moment and assess the talent Hendry procured in return.

The better of the two young Minor Leaguers the Cubs acquired is named Scott Maine. A left-handed pitcher, Maine went to the Diamondbacks in the sixth round of the 2007 draft. 

He throws from a low three-quarter arm slot, but still can crank his heater up to the mid-90s on the radar gun, making him a prime candidate for future work as a specialist out of the bullpen. Such a motion could help him neutralize tough left-handed hitters late in the game. 

Exclusively a reliever over the past two seasons, Maine has 114 strikeouts against just 43 walks in 80 appearances and 110 innings. He also uses that low arm angle to force batters to beat the ball into the ground: his groundball/flyball ratios at three stops over the last two years are as follows: 1.63, 1.12, 1.42. 

Maine is 25 years old, has three seasons of pro ball under his belt since graduating college, and sparkled at Triple-A Reno (not an easy place to pitch, even for a sinker-baller) last season in the Arizona system. Maine not only has a future here, but may be a very real contributor out of the bullpen for the 2010 Cubs. His arrival could also signal another potential trade around the corner, making either Sean Marshall or Tom Gorzelanny (both of whom have been talked about as potential trade bait) expendable. 

Ryne White, a 23-year-old first baseman (and native Chicagoan; an unconfirmed rumor says he was named after Ryne Sandberg), went in the fourth round to Arizona in 2008. Already 23, White nonetheless has room to improve. But he knows how to take a walk, a key consideration for a man who lacks much ability to hit average or speed with his hulking frame.

He projects to have power, but will have to actually show some before he becomes a legitimate Major League prospect. Although his only defensive position is first base, he could find his way to the show sooner or later, given his left-handed power. Again, maintaining his thus-far keen eye will be key to future success. Guys like White bloom late; he could well contribute down the road.

To get anything for Heilman, I believed, would be a significant win for Hendry. This represents a coup. Hopefully, this move will give the Cubs momentum as they look toward the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis Dec. 7-10.

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Free agency basically ends everything from the 2009 season and begins the 2010 season.

For the 2009 World Series champion New York Yankees, it too begins their journey of defending their new championship that they worked hard to win.

Most people are probably wondering, where do the Yankees start in the offseason?

They have their own free agents to decide whether or not to bring back.

Most feel confident that Andy Pettitte will be brought back as long as he doesn't want to retire. In last year's offseason, Pettitte didn't sign with the Yankees until January 26, but that was only because the Yankees didn't see him as a priority in that offseason. They will now after he won four postseason games, including World Series Game Six, clinching the win.

Also, many feel that Pettitte is due for a pay raise from the $5.5 million he got in 2009, and because of what he did for the Yankees in 2009, a raise is absolutely necessary.

The other two free agents the Yankees have to make a decision on are Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui.

Many feel that the Yankees want to bring Damon back after a strong 2009 season, but it all determines on what Damon and agent Scott Boras are looking for in a contract from the Yankees.

Some have said the Yankees are willing to go one year with an option or even two years. Anything else might be pushing it for Damon, but we all know how much of a greedy agent Boras can be. In the end, people still think Damon will be back in pinstripes for 2010.

As far as Matsui goes, nobody knows. He doesn't want to return to Japan, but nobody is sure if the Yankees want him back because of his inability to play the outfield due to his knees. If Damon needs to be moved to the designated hitter role where Matsui spent 2008-2009, Matsui doesn't figure into the plans.

However, nobody expected Matsui to go on the tear he did in the 2009 World Series, batting .615 with three gigantic home runs. He won the World Series MVP Award, so maybe the Yankees rethink their strategy on Matsui in 2010.

If the Yankees decide not to pursue Damon or Matsui for whatever reason, there are other options out there for left field and designated hitter.

At left field, the two biggest names out there are Jason Bay and Matt Holliday.

Both are looking for big paydays and are probably the two best position players on the open market for 2010.

Bay was traded from the Pirates to the Red Sox in 2008 and did a great job taking over for Manny Ramirez, but he rejected Boston's initial four year, $60 million dollar deal.

Bay played very well in one of the toughest divisions in all of baseball, but is also looking for a big time contract. No word has been given if the Yankees will be interested, but anything is possible with former Red Sox players. Just look at Damon before the 2006 season.

Holliday is another Boras client and supposedly is looking for at least $100-plus million. The Cardinals would love to re-sign him, but they have said they will only stay in it for a certain period. Again, nobody knows if the Yankees are interested, but he's another big name, and every big name is tied into the Yankees.

As far as the DH spot goes, just in case Matsui doesn't come back and if the other players aren't moved there, one player that has been rumored to be interested in coming to the Yankees is Jim Thome.

Thome, a former first basemen/designated hitter with the Indians, Phillies, White Sox and Dodgers. He is a first-ballot hall of famer with 564 home runs and is still a dangerous hitter from the left side.

He's almost 40 now and towards the end of his career that began in 1991, but he's been one of the classiest and likeable players in all of baseball and with his home run ability and leadership, could end up fitting in nicely with the Yankees clubhouse that has become a family.

Thome does strike out a lot, especially against left handed pitching, but when he does connect, the ball travels a long way. Plus, Thome has never won a World Series in his 18 year career and is looking for that one ring. The Yankees could be an attractive place for Thome to end his career.

Aside from offense, pitching is still going to be a question with the Yankees going into the 2010 season.

In the 2009 playoffs, the Yankees only used three starters in CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Pettitte, so their rotation beyond that is in question.

Especially with young hurlers Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. Both started out in the rotation, but Hughes became the set-up man and Chamberlain ended up in the bullpen for the playoffs.

Many feel that Chamberlain should be back in the bullpen because he's more dominant in that role and if Pettitte returns in 2010, more than likely, Joba will go back to the bullpen.

As far as Hughes, many still feel that he can be an effective starter if he uses his other pitches well aside from a blazing fastball and deadly curveball. But again, he was significantly more dominant as a reliever than he was as a starter, so the Yankees have to figure out where Hughes belongs in 2010 and beyond.

Aside from Sabathia, Burnett and with the possibility of Pettite returning, the Yankees have to figure out the rest of the rotation if Hughes and Chamberlain are not a part of it.

They could go after free agents like John Lackey, who is the top starting pitcher on the market and might not be back with the Angels. He could be a great front of the line starter for someone like the Yankees, who could add on to their rotation and get even stronger in 2010.

Aside from Lackey, Ben Sheets, Rich Harden, Randy Wolf and Jason Marquis are all available through free agency and could be other options if Lackey is signed by another team. Sheets missed the entire 2009 season with surgery to his arm, but had said he is all healed and ready to go for 2010. The only question with Sheets is, do teams give him a big contract, or do they steer away from his arm problems?

He might remain on the open market for a while if teams are not willing to take a risk. With the Yankees payroll, they can afford to take a risk on someone like Sheets, who could be a low-risk, high-reward type player.

The big name on the trading market for starting pitchers is Blue Jays Roy Halladay. Halladay is the big prized pitcher who will more than likely be traded before the 2010 season and the big market teams are all involved. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has contacted Toronto about getting Halladay.

One of Halladay's best friends, Burnett, could even influence Halladay to come to New York and have him compete for a championship. Playing with close friends like that can only increase a team's probability in trading and signing someone.

With the new general manager in Toronto, one can only wonder what the Blue Jays are expecting to ask for in return for Halladay. Plus, if traded for, the Yankees could give Halladay an extension on his contract that others might not be able to afford.

The other need the Yankees can try to address in the offseason is the bullpen. During the playoffs, Hughes struggled, as did Alfredo Aceves, and Phil Coke. Brian Bruney hardly pitched, so it was mostly Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson and Damaso Marte pitching before Mariano Rivera.

Two names on the market have been linked to the Yankees interest; Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano.

Both have closing capability and could also be setup men if needed. Gonzalez is a lefty who has had arm issues, but seems to be fully recovered. Soriano is a hard throwing, power right-hander who could draw interest from other teams looking for a closer.

These names are just some of the options the Yankees will weigh once Friday begins. It's been two weeks since the World Series concluded for the Yankees, and now, they are prepared to start over again for the next run.

The minutes are ticking away, so are those seconds.

The Blackberries and iPhone's will be working. Those frequent flier miles will be used. Free agency is upon is.

At midnight, it all begins. Enjoy!

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It was spring of 1990 and there I was, five years old and ready to face the world of tee-ball. Where I lived in California, the teams were not green or orange, but actual baseball teams like the Yankees and the Dodgers.

As it turned out, I was destined to be on the Mets with my dad as coach. From then on, I was a Mets fan. There really are not a lot of memories from that age I can recollect, but this always stuck out in my mind

When I moved to New York two years later, it was a dream come true. Even though my Mets were stinking up a storm, I was still a die-hard fan. During each game I sat nervously, inches from of the TV, writhing in emotional pain with every passing loss.

Consequently, I hated the Yankees for their free spending, competitive-balance-destroying ways. For years I spent my time convincing my Yankee-loving friends that they were pure evil, that the Yankees were going to ruin the game, etc.

My love of the Mets stayed true until one day when the Mets started trying to emulate the Yankees. They started to embody the very values that I so very much detested.

How could I root for a team that I had essentially been bad-mouthing for so many years?

For a while, I still said I was a Mets fan. But in my heart I knew it wasn’t true. One day I just stopped saying it. Soon our break-up was official.

I toyed with the idea of being an Oakland fan for a while. Despite my love of the Mets, Rickey Henderson was always my favorite player so it made sense to root for his long-time club, especially considering they had Billy Beane, the wonder kid who knew ways to win without spending $140 million.

For a few years, life was pretty good. The A’s didn’t make any real deep runs, but they made the playoffs and I enjoyed watching the young club play. Giambi, Hudson, Mulder, Zito and company were fun to watch.

And then it all went to crap again. Their stars wanted to be paid star money, so they traded them away for rebuilding chips and still haven’t seen the return.

Which brings me to this:

I don’t have a favorite baseball team anymore.

Every year now, I root for the underdog, the David, the Rudy.

Tampa Bay? Sign me up for the bandwagon.

San Francisco having a good year? I'm all over it.

Now don't get me wrong, I love baseball. It's just that I love it as a hater, not as a fan. It's just too demoralizing for me to root for a specific team every year when their payroll prohibits them from contending most years.

What I do love is watching the Yankees lose. Most years it seems that I come out ahead in that battle. This year would have been especially sweet since they paid an enormous fortune to get the two best free agents available. But if they didn’t win every once in a while, it wouldn’t be interesting. So I’m not too upset.

I even have a list of teams I hate:

1. Yankees.

2. Red Sox. (How can a fan base so accustomed to losing become such trash-talkers in just a few short years?)

3. Mets. (Because they broke my heart.)

In the NBA and NFL, I am a true fan. Sure, there are a few teams I hate (stupid Lakers), but overall I'm very content to love my teams and just root for them. Straight baseball loving just doesn't do it for me anymore. I need to hate in order to love.

*Are you a hater or a fan? I think that many of us, upon internal review will come to the conclusion that at least part of our fandom in one sport or another is based on being a hater.

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It could be that V-Mart is at the crossroads of his career as the injury bug hit him during 2008. If he can remain relatively healthy, then Martinez should put up decent numbers in '09. He's 30; given his track record, I expect Martinez to steal playing time from Kelly Shoppach. He is 1B-eligible, as well.

He managed to flourish even without Barry Bonds in the lineup and put up career-best numbers (33 doubles, 95 RBIs) and hit .292. The question remains whether he can duplicate that success or not. I think not as the Giants went free-agent shopping so he may get some protection in that respect. His numbers should be pretty good but don't expect '08 numbers from Molina.

If he can remain healthy during the '09 campaign, then he can jump into the elite pack of catchers; as it were, he had decent stats for a perennially underachieving Pirates squad (.318, 15 HRs, 69 RBIs). Again, he needs to stay healthy.

8. Mike Napoli, Los Angeles Angels

Good power obviously (20 HRs, 49 HRs), but can he stay healthy? He should play more than 78 games this coming season and you can expect at least 25 HRs from Napoli. If he can hang on to the starting catching gig from Jeff Mathis, he will flourish.

An intriguing player. It helped that he played in the thin air of Colorado, but he hit just as well as he did in Denver (.897 OPS on road, .893 OPS at home). He hit 18 HRs in only 333 at-bats, so that should give you an idea of what his potential is. If the elites are gone when your turn comes up, grab Ianetta.

He is the benefactor of having a decent Rays lineup batting ahead of him, so the pressure wasn't as pronounced. Don't look for true power from him as he is more a contact hitter (.295 BA in '08). But he is only 25 years old, so his numbers can only get better. A good catcher to have on your squad if you're not looking to be overly dependent on catcher production.

Sleepers: Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants (1B and 3B-eligible); John Baker, Florida Marlins; Taylor Teagarden, Texas Rangers; A.J. Pierzynski, Chicago White Sox

Tomorrow: First Base