Aroldis Chapman is set to become a household name in 2010.

As a dual member of baseball’s brain trust and the sportswriting community, I am often approached by strangers on sidewalks or in stores who ask questions like: Why do you use so many commas in your writing? What are your thoughts on Cliff Floyd’s Hall-of-Fame candidacy? Did you ever take any courses on grammar or the English language? Why do people think Dane Cook is funny? And of course, which ten players are you most looking forward to watching in 2010? Well, I can provide little insight on most of their queries (Floyd did hit 34 HR’s 2005 for what it’s worth), so here is a look at Bud’s Top Ten Players for 2010 in some particular order:  

10.) Aroldis Chapman: Genetically engineered by Cuban scientists (think Ivan Drago or Yao Ming) to become the greatest left-handed pitcher of the 21st century and beyond, the 21-year-old Chapman might not throw a pitch in the majors next season, but the hype surrounding him is reaching New Moon levels. As a lefty who consistently throws in the high-90’s, Chapman could be a long-term impact arm for whatever team (Blue Jays, A’s, Angels, Red Sox or Yankees) ponies up the cash for him. How Chapman fairs in the minors in 2010 will go a long way in determining whether he’s worth the $20-25 million he’s likely to get (which he will of course mail back to Castro to support the resistance) or if he’s just another overpriced bust.  

9.) Alex Rodriguez: With Kate Hudson by his side in 2009, A-Rod captured his first World Series title and performed like a king in the postseason despite a nagging hip injury–but now she’s gone. While his body might be fully healthy in time for 2010 his heart will likely still be on the mend, and many baseball pundits wonder if he will be able to perform at last year’s high level without the flaxen-haired feline by his side. He’s on pace to reach 600 HR’s next season and could make a legitimate push for his fourth MVP with an absolutely stacked Yankees lineup, but can Alex do it with a heavy heart? I just don’t know. 

You've Gotta Love This Guy!

8.) Ken Griffey Jr:  My Seattle Mariners bias aside, Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the greatest all around players in the history of baseball and should receive a fond farewell everywhere the M’s play this year, ala Cal Ripken Jr. in 2001. This is the last time fans will be able to see the sweetest swing in baseball and the smile so big and bright that it brought joy to millions around the world. Is that a bit of an exaggeration? Not if you are from the Pacific Northwest it isn’t, the “Kid” will always have a special place in our hearts. Hopefully the Mariners can send Junior out on a high note…perhaps with a trip to their first World Series ever?  

7.) Joe Mauer: Coming off the greatest offensive season ever by a catcher last year, Joe Mauer is poised for even bigger things in 2010 (like dating Scarlett Johansson, curing polio and signing a billion dollar contract—seriously, pay him whatever he wants Minnesota). Mauer captured the AL MVP award last year despite missing a month of the season and the sky is the limit for Minnesota’s 26-year-old savior as the Twins move into their brand spankin’ new stadium. With Justin Morneau protecting him in the lineup and having all of this offseason to recover from nagging injuries, will Mauer make another run at hitting .400 in 2010? If he can stay healthy and continue to hit home runs in bunches, Mauer needs to be mentioned in the same breath as Albert Pujols and Adam Everett as one of the best hitters in baseball. Yeah, he’s that good.  

Will 2010 be Felix's last season in Seattle?

6.) Felix Hernandez: Though it seems like he’s been around longer than Methuselah, Felix Hernandez won’t turn 24 until April and has already established himself as one of the top right-handed pitchers in baseball. Hernandez narrowly missed out on capturing the Cy Young award last year (19-5, 2.49 ERA, 217 K’s) and will have even more incentive to perform in 2010 with free agency looming. If the Mariners aren’t able to sign King Felix to a long-term contract sometime soon the team may be forced to move him at the trade deadline in order to recoup their losses. Can you imagine the bidding war for Felix between the Yankees and Red Sox? I think New York would throw in the Statue of Liberty if it brought Hernandez to the Big Apple. Please don’t go Felix, please! 

Coming Soon: Players 5 through 1!

Will Vazquez's second go-round in pinstripes end better?

After the Cliff Lee-Roy Halladay megadeal and Boston’s signings of Jon Lackey and Mike Cameron, the New York Yankees were relegated to the back-page of baseball’s offseason news. Well, that was short-lived. In a move made to bolster a rotation that dropped off significantly after C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettite last year, the Yankees sent outfielder Melky Cabrera and two pitching prospects to the Atlanta Braves for Javier Vazquez and lefty reliever Boone Logan.  

Vazquez, who pitched for New York in 2004, is coming off the best season of his career after finishing 4th in the National League Cy Young Award voting. Vazquez is eligible for free agency after the season, and the Braves had a surplus of starting pitching that made him expendable, especially considering the $11.5 million he was due to make in 2010. Arguably the most underrated pitched in the N.L. last year, Vazquez compiled a 15-10 record to go along with a 2.87 ERA and 238 strikeouts. While it’s unrealistic to expect him to pitch that well next season, Vazquez is still going to be the best fourth starter in any rotation in baseball, and will allow the Yankees to shift either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain to the bullpen. New York proved last season that it’s possible to win a World Series with a three-man rotation, but the addition of Vazquez is worth at least a few wins in the regular season and that’s something that can’t be overlooked with the Red Sox continuing to wheel and deal in free agency.  

The Yankees are hoping that Javier Vasquez enjoys more success than in his first tour of duty with the team in 2004, a season in which he struggled with injuries (14-10, 4.91 ERA) and ultimately ended with him allowing two home runs to Johnny Damon in the 7th game of the ALCS, giving Boston all the momentum they would need to complete their epic comeback from a 3-0 series deficit. Vazquez has been less than stellar in his limited postseason appearances (1-1, 10.34 ERA in four games) and his manager with the White Sox, Ozzie Guillen, famously stated that Vazquez wasn’t a big game pitcher. Obviously the Yankees are familiar with Vazquez’s track record but this move was made for the 162-game regular season, not the playoffs, as the team will likely lean heavily on their big three (Sabathia, Burnett, Pettite) in October once again. 

The Braves hope that "The Milkman" will help them challenge the Phils in the NL East.

The Braves acquired a talented switch-hitting outfielder in Melky Cabrera with this deal, and also shed nearly $9 million from their payroll, money which can be used to go after a corner infielder (hello Troy Glaus). The 25-year-old Cabrera performed well last season for the Yankees (.274-13 HR’s-68 RBI’s-10 SB’s) but never quite lived up to his potential and didn’t seem to be a part of the team’s long-term plans. Still, he’s a cheap and solid option for Atlanta’s outfield, and there is some optimism that he can continue to improve. The Braves also received two young pitchers from New York, lefty Mike Dunn and hard throwing right-hander Arodys Vizcaino. Dunn is a solid reliever who could fill the role of the departed Boone Logan, and Vizcaino showed promise as a 19-year-old last season, registering a 2.13 ERA and striking out 52 in 42 1/3 innings. With a rotation that includes Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson, Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami, Atlanta could afford to part with Vazquez and the team got a good haul in return. 

Another day and another domino falls in what has become one of the most exciting offseasons in recent memory. If the Red Sox felt content after signing Lackey and Cameron last week, they don’t anymore, as New York filled out their rotation with a quality arm and continue to look like the team to beat in 2010. Atlanta adds a solid bat to their outfield and free up cash to pursue another player as they try to build a team capable of challenging the Phillies for NL East supremacy. With plenty of quality free agents still available (Jason Bay, Matt Holliday, Johnny Damon) the hot stove will continue to sizzle and make these cold winter months a little more bearable. 

Baseball: the gift that keeps on giving.

How will Milton Bradley's temperament fit in with the Mariners' good mojo?

In what is becoming almost a daily occurence in the Emerald City, the Seattle Mariners have acquired yet another player in hopes of capturing the AL West in 2010, though this deal is anything but a sure thing. According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the Mariners have finalized a trade that will send pitcher Carlos Silva to the Chicago Cubs in return for outfielder Milton Bradley. Both players had long since worn out their welcomes in Seattle and Chicago respectively, and with each being slated to make around $25 million dollars over the next two years, this trade was the only real option for two teams looking to get rid of their constant source of headaches.

The Carlos Silva experiment was an absolute disaster for the Mariners. After signing a four-year/$48 million dollar contract in 2007 (a move which was widely mocked throughout the league) Silva went 5-18 over the past two seasons, including a 1-3 mark with an ungodly 8.60 ERA in 2009. In fact, about the only positive thing Silva accomplished during his time in Seattle was getting hurt last season, allowing the Mariners to develop young arms in their rotation. One of the last painful reminders of the Bill Bavasi era in Seattle, the fact that the Mariners were able to get anything for Silva is a miracle, and while Bradley does come with his baggage, he also offers tremendous upside at the plate.

It didn’t take long for the Cubs to figure out that Bradley wasn’t a good fit for them. In fact, it didn’t even take a full season (he was suspended on September 20th). Plagued by injuries throughout the year and serving as a constant distraction to the team with his outbursts and tirades, Chicago was dead-set on moving Bradley this offseason but couldn’t find any suitors other than the Mariners. Signed to play in the outfield last year, Bradley struggled defensively and only hit .257 with 12 HR’s and 40 RBI’s. Still, his keen batting eye allowed him to post a .378 OBP (which would have been second on the M’s last season), and Bradley has constantly shown himself to be an adept hitter—when he’s healthy and happy. Long regarded as a clubhouse cancer, Bradley seems to create controversey wherever he plays, and may prove to be more trouble than he is worth for Seattle if they can’t find a way to keep him under control.

The Mariners needed to find a designated hitter after the news that one of their primary targets, Nick Johnson, planned to sign with the New York Yankees. Keeping Bradley off the field will help neutralize the risk for an injury, but will his disruptive presence ruin a clubhouse that was one of the best in all of baseball last season? Seattle is gambling that veterans like Ken Griffey Jr. and manager Don Wakamatsu’s zen-like personality will be able to keep Bradley in line, and if that works, they’ve acquired a top-flight hitter who will be a welcome addition to their lineup. There’s no debating Bradley’s talent (career .371 OBP) but his off the field problems are a very real issue. Jack Zduriencik has certainly earned the benefit of the doubt thus far, and Mariners’ fans hope that Bradley will be a key factor in the team returning to the playoffs…and not just Carl Everett part two.

The acquisition of Lee gives Mariners' fans plenty of reasons for optimism in 2010.

While the dust has yet to settle on the biggest deal of the offseason, it’s evident that Seattle’s acquisition of Cliff Lee will have some dramatic effects on the Mariner’s franchise for next year and beyond. Long an afterthought in the baseball landscape due to an incompetent front office’s baffling signings and trades, Seattle has put themselves back on the map by becoming a major player in the free-agent market for the first time since getting burned on the acquisitions of Richie Sexson and Carlos Silva (the team overpaid for Adrian Beltre too, but he wasn’t nearly as bad as Sexson and Silva). Under the guidance of new general manager Jack Zduriencik the Mariners are suddenly a chic pick to win the AL West in 2010 and possibly to make some noise in the playoffs if the team can acquire a few more bats for their lineup. Though there is much work left to be done, Seattle is certainly making their presence felt this offseason, and the Lee deal is a major step towards redemption for the Mariners’ franchise. 

By trading for Cliff Lee the Mariners create the most dynamic starting duo in all of baseball, pairing the left-hander with righty Felix Hernandez (fresh off a second place finish in the 2009 Cy Young balloting). Lee, a pitch-to-contact type hurler, should thrive in the spacious confines of Safeco Field and will also benefit from having one of the best outfield defenses in the league (depending on who fills out leftfield). The left-hander has primarily been a fly-ball pitcher throughout his career, but in recent seasons has induced more groundballs and will rely heavily on a strong left-side of the Mariners infield anchored by Jack Wilson and Chone Figgins. Though not overpowering, Lee has a solid fastball and an above-average curveball, which should allow him to average six to seven strikeouts per start. The fact that Lee is lefthanded will also pay dividends for the Mariners if they reach the playoffs, allowing them to neutralize some of baseball’s best hitters, many of whom struggle against southpaws (Ryan Howard, Curtis Granderson, Chase Utley, Andre Ethier, Raul Ibanez, etc). Additionally, Lee does a stellar job of neutralizing opposing team’s running games, having never allowed more than nine stolen bases in any one season, which will take pressure off Seattle’s young catchers. Cliff Lee is a certified staff ace in every since of the word, and his addition alone significantly closes the gap between the Angels and the Mariners in the AL West. 

Cliff Lee and King Felix give the Mariners the best 1-2 combo in baseball.

The one caveat to this trade is the fact that Cliff Lee is only signed through 2010 and there are rumors that he is looking for C.C. Sabathia type money (7 years/$161 million). While it’s clear that the Mariners won’t have the necessary funds to sign both Lee and Hernandez to long-term deals, Seattle’s commitment to winning will give the franchise leverage when (if) they decide to resign one of these two pitchers. If somehow the Mariners find themselves out of contention at the trade deadline Lee will be the best pitcher available once again, and would allow Seattle to recoup prospects for their farm system. The other scenario, Lee leaving at the end of the season and testing the market, would also net the Mariners two draft picks (a first round pick from the team that signed him plus a sandwich pick) because Lee would be a Type-A free-agent. Zduriencik really covered all the bases with this trade; however you slice it, the Mariners are going to come out winners. 

It wasn’t all that long ago that the Seattle Mariners traded away a package of prospects for another left-handed pitcher, and it’s painfully obvious now that the Erik Bedard deal was doomed from the start (except for the Baltimore Orioles). This time around though, the Mariners are acquiring a pitcher with a much stronger track record for success and durability, and they aren’t selling the farm in order to bring him aboard. It appears that Seattle will be sending three prospects to Philadelphia; pitchers Phillipe Aumont and Juan Ramirez, as well as outfielder Tyson Gillies. While all three players have some upside none of them are labeled as “can’t-miss” prospects, and they presumably won’t haunt the Mariners like Adam Jones and Chris Tillman. 

Can Griffey and the Mariners get to their first ever World Series in 2010?

Aumont was Seattle’s first round choice in the 2007 draft, a long, lean right-hander who was originally a starter but since has been converted to the bullpen. The 20-year-old was good but not great between Single and Double-A in 2009, struggling with control at times while walking 11 batters in only 17 innings for the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx. Ramirez projects as a number two starter, a right-hander with a hard fastball and developing off-speed pitches. If he is unable to handle the strain of starting, Ramirez has the stuff to be a quality arm at the end of the bullpen, possibly even as a closer. Gillies is one of the fastest players in the minor leagues (he has 96 speed on a scale of 100) who stole 44 bases for the Mariners’ High Class-A affiliate. He had an outstanding season at the plate in 2009, hitting .341 with 9 HR’s and 42 RBI’s, though it should be noted that the High Desert Mavericks play in the hitters’ friendly California League. Out of all the prospects involved in the deal, Gillies has the best chance to become an impact player at the next level, but Seattle already has a long-term answer in centerfield with Franklin Gutierrez.

Thanks to an aggressive general manager and some key offseason moves the Seattle Mariners are once again relevant to the baseball world. It’s hard to believe that just two years ago this team lost 101 games, but the franchise has clearly turned over a new page in their history, and GM Jack Zduriencik has the team poised for a return to the postseason for the first time since 2001. With King Felix and Lee anchoring the rotation, and Ichiro and Figgins setting the table, Seattle is a very dangerous team on mission to win and win now. Next stop, the 2010 World Series?

MLB Offseason Breakdown:

Continuing today, I’m going break down the AL West.

The AL West doesn’t get the same respect or attention as other divisions though it can be hypercompetitive or an all out embarrassment. The Angels have set the bar though have yet to match their World Series success in 2002. The Mariners have yet to reach the post season since 2001 and winning a remarkable 116 games. Recently Oakland has started to head south in terms of performance the Athletics took the Western Title four times this past decade though not once since 2006. The Lone Star State has yet to put together any kind of consistency while producing only two winning seasons since 2000.

Angels:

Ever since Disney Co. sold the team, the baseball gods have been favorable to the Angels. Mike Scioscia has risen to become one of the elite managers and one of the most tenured in the game. The team is committed to win every year and hasn’t finished below .500 since ’03, and the front office has consistently had a winning mix of in house talent and free agent veterans, though the Angels have been bitten by the bad contract bug by signing Gary Matthews Jr. and Torii Hunter to bloated contracts; however this can be balanced by good signings such as OF Bobby Abreu last year and their ability to draft well and grow in-house talent. The Angels’ folly since their World Series win has been their utter lack of offensive pop in the postseason. The White Sox, Yankees, and Red Sox have all dissected and made the Angels’ look inept when stepping up to the plate. While their rotation was solid one through five, this can cushion the pressure felt during the post-season, however without a reliable offense, the Angels’ will never able to use that to their advantage.

The Angels have lost six players to free agency. Chone Figgins has been signed for $36M by the Seattle Mariners. While the average age of their lost free agents is over 33, most could be considered past their prime like: Kelvim Escobar, Vlad Guerrero, Darren Oliver and Robb Quinlan. None of these players have had outstanding years but have been consistent. Guerrero is considered a pure hitter with no strike zone, with one of the best outfield arms in the game however his consistently poor post-season performance will make teams with plans for the post-season to think twice before signing him.  Unfortunately John Lackey has been signed by the Red Sox today (December 14^th.) effectively eliminating the Angels from resigning him.

Update: The Angels have signed Hideki Matsui to a deal worth $6.5M and will DH. He will be used primarily as a designated hitter though will provide a back up to the outfield. Since the Angel’s have their eyes on the post-season, this signing gives them a better option than Vlad Guerrero. Matsui has great postseason experience and if the Angels bring back Abreu, this will be a tough middle of the lineup for their rivals.

Mariners:

The decade started off in grand fashion for the Mariners by making the ALCS in 2000 and 2001, losing to the Yankees in both years followed by two seasons with the same record of 90+ wins only to finish in third and last place in the division both of those years. To finish off the decade, the M’s have finished below .500 for four of the six years and have been hurt flat out bad personnel decisions and poor managing, This trend has been similar to their franchise history in not consistently putting together or keeping a contending product.

The problem with the AL West, is similar to the NL West, it’s a division that can win with good pitching. All of the ballparks favor pitching except for the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, so no team is going to slug their way into the post-season. I was surprised that the Mariners went strongly after Chone Figgins, in signing him to a four year, $36M deal, while offering arbitration to would-be free agent Adrian Beltre. If Beltre agrees to terms, Figgins has already agreed to move and play second base. In offering Beltre arbitration, this means that he M’s put a great amount of consideration in the importance of defense, and can be a wise move but not a popular move because Beltre has been disappointing to say the least when it comes to offensive production. With Figgins coming into an anemic lineup, the team would be wise to go after, either in a signing or a trade for a hitter similar to Vlad Guerrero, he’ll hit for occasional power but his true talent is in putting the ball in play and moving runners along. Maybe that move will exorcise Vlad’s postseason demons.

None of the team’s free agent losses are death blows the team going into next year. The ones that should come at the lowest cost to bring back would be Beltre because of his lack of offensive production and pitcher Erik Bedard who is coming back from an injury and surgery. The M’s bought high to bring Bedard to Seattle and have seen little payoff from that deal because he only pitched in the first half of 2009. Their rotation is their strongest asset going into next year and if they can offer Bedard a fair contract, considering the market, Bedard would help any already contending rotation.

Update: As of 19:45, -6 GMT, the Mariners are part of a three team deal that would send Cliff Lee to the Mariners in exchange for prospects to Philadelphia that would then go to Toronto for Roy Halladay. Currently the Phillies are working on signing Halladay to an extension for the next three years. This could/will give the M’s a formidable top of the rotation, that could be made more dangerous if they sign Bedard. ESPN foolishly believes that Halladay could command a six or seven year deal. This hasn’t happened in over a decade and pitchers are not as reliable as hitters and much more susceptible to injury. No team will give a pitcher that amount of time on a contract entering at age of 34.

Athletics:

The Athletics have become one of the most mercurial teams in the AL. They can compete and win a division or can be a flat out bad team. Billy Beane, the media proclaimed new genius of the baseball for the new century has seen his “Moneyball” theory come and go. His idea of looking and signing players based purely off of statistics was seen as a success in the early 2000 teams, and the “money” stat that was under-rated was “on-base-percentage.” In the last three years, the A’s have suffered below .500 seasons. The A’s have stalled and appears to have lost its touch in finding cheap talent and also has lost so many talented and would be “franchise caliber” players to trades. The players that the A’s brought back in return are going through “on-the-job” training and that doesn’t always produce a winning combination.

Oakland has lost five players to free agency and one has already been signed, Bobby Crosby. He didn’t play for the second half of August and missed time in September due to an injury. None of their lost free agents will be missed, and can be filled within the organization or from a better free agent at a lower price. A cheap option that is available is Khalil Greene; he’s not going to provide a lot of offense but will provide an adequate glove for the time being.  Oakland’s group of young talent offers a lot to build however their “rag-tag” mentality leaves much to be desired when it comes to leadership, offensive production and won’t bring them to post season next year.

Texas

Since the end of the “Steroid Era” the Texas Rangers have little to show in terms of success. Last year, they put together only their second winning season in the past decade though have been able to find and produce some quality talent like Mark Teixeira (now a Yankee), Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, and 2009 Rookie of the Year candidate Elvis Andrus. Their team can be one of the most potent offenses in the division but their pitching staff leaves much to be desired. Ron Washington has settled in as their manager and he looks to be on the same page as GM Jon Daniels in what direction they want to take the team, especially under the tutelage of Nolan Ryan.

The Rangers have lost 7 players to free agency and only one is of any consequence – that being Marlon Byrd. Byrd’s best asset is his reliable offensive production. He’s hit above .280 his past three years, and last year played the most games of his career. Texas would be wise to resign him, though they’d have a log jam in the outfield if Josh Hamilton comes back healthy. The Rangers traded starting pitcher Kevin Millwood to Baltimore, while replaced him with Rich Harden. I think that the Rangers over paid for Harden because of consistent history of injury issues. Harden is coming from a weak NL into a formidable AL West. Their pitching has improved though their ballpark is their biggest obstacle to overcome.

The AL West is a division that doesn’t get enough attention though is ripe with parity and competition. Going into next year there is no clear favorite and each team has its own problems and positives. Whatever team gets the most consistent offensive production and pitching will be favored to win the West. A lot of questions remained to be answered and two teams look to rival the division leader and should make for an interesting hunt for October.

The star of last year's postseason, Cliff Lee is heading to Seattle after today's mega deal.

In the biggest surprise of the offseason thus far the Mariners, Phillies and Blue Jays have laid the groundwork for a stunning deal that would send Roy Halladay to Philadelphia, Cliff Lee to Seattle and prospects from both teams to Toronto. The Phillies actively pursued Halladay at last season’s trade deadline, but reached an impasse with Toronto regarding which players the Blue Jays would receive in compensation, and the deal was never completed. Philadelphia eventually worked out a trade with Cleveland to acquire Lee who was instrumental in guiding the Phillies to their second straight World Series-berth. Toronto has been shopping Halladay since his agent released a statement asking for a deal before Spring Training with New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Philadelphia listed as possible trade destinations. The Mariners have been an active player all offseason, with the team linked to numerous free-agents, and the signing of third baseman Chone Figgins. If this deal is finalized, it will have major ramifications for all three teams, and could dramatically alter the power structure of both the AL West and NL East.

In this trade, the Mariners gain a certified staff ace to pair with Felix Hernandez, giving Seattle one of the most potent 1-2 combinations in baseball. The move also strongly indicates that GM Jack Zdurinciek is looking to build a team capable of not only winning the division, but also a World Series title. Seattle led the AL in numerous pitching categories last year, but needed to bolster their rotation with the departures of Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn. Enter Cliff Lee, the 2008 AL Cy Young award winner, who went a combined 14-13 with a 3.22 ERA and 181 strikeouts between Cleveland and Philadelphia. The 31-year-old lefty was even more impressive in the postseason, going 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA, including a 2-0 mark against the Yankees in the World Series. The Mariners still have work to do offensively in order to have dreams of a pennant, but this move certainly makes them an early favorite to capture the AL West.

The Phillies hope Roy Halladay is the right player to lead them to a third straight World Series.

The Phillies finally acquired the pitcher they had long coveted in this deal and are likely to negotiate a long-term contract with Halladay in the next few days or weeks (somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 years/$100 million dollars). Halladay continued his run as one of the game’s best pitchers in 2009, posting a 17-10 record with a 2.79 ERA and 208 strikeouts. The 32-year-old right hander is baseball’s most durable and consistent starting pitcher, having topped 220 innings in each of the past four seasons. Already the favorite to capture the NL East in 2010, this move solidifies the Phillies as a perennial contender in the National League. Lee was outstanding for Philadelphia last-season but the team was having trouble working out a long-term contract with the lefty, and decided to pursue Halladay as their frontline starter moving forward. Barring any significant injuries next season, this move gives the Phillies a strong shot at another trip to the World Series in 2010.

Toronto really had no choice except to trade Roy Halladay as their star pitcher planned to leave via free agency after the season. The Blue Jays will receive a package of top prospects from both the Mariners and Phillies, but it has not yet been announced which players are involved in the deal (early reports indicate that Seattle’s Phillipe Aumont and Philadelphia’s Travis d’Arnaud are headed to the Blue Jays). Toronto has a solid young core of position players (Aaron Hill, Adam Lind, Travis Snider) and starting pitchers (Ricky Romero, Dustin McGowan, Brad Mills), and this trade will allow them to stockpile talent for a run at the division in a few years. As with all trades involving prospects it won’t be clear for a couple of seasons whether Toronto received a fair haul for Halladay, but the team’s hands were tied in this particular situation, and they made the move that they believed will give the Blue Jays the best shot to win in the near future.

It’s not often that a sport’s offseason is more exciting than the actual play on the field, but that’s been the case for baseball in 2009. Another blockbuster deal has two teams eyeing a World Series trophy and the other hoping it can overcome the loss of its franchise player. The Mariners and Phillies both made major strides with today’s trade, now how will the rest of baseball respond?

Jason Bay has ties to the Pacific Northwest, but is he a good fit for the Seattle Mariners?

Though the Mariners signing of free-agent third baseman Chone Figgins  shows that they are serious about competing for the division, baseball’s Winter Meetings have come and gone and the team still has plenty of holes left to fill if they want to have a realistic shot at winning the AL West. Texas has been busy all week, signing free-agent Rich Harden and acquiring Chris Ray and Mike Lowell (still pending) through trades, turning up the heat on Seattle to keep pace. The Oakland Athletics were one of the most improved teams in all of baseball during last season’s second half, and figure to be even better in 2010 with all the experience their young players gained down the stretch. Los Angeles lost Figgins and may be unable to resign their ace Jon Lackey, but the Angels are still dangerous after winning the division by 10 games last year despite battling injuries to key players the entire season. All four teams in the AL West have a legitimate shot at winning the division next year, with no clear front-runner at this point in the offseason; what will it take for the Mariners to come out on top in 2010?      

The addition of Figgins fills Seattle’s need for a third-baseman, but the Mariners still need help at first-base, catcher, left-field, designated hitter and in their rotation (more on this in a later post). Statistically one of the worst offensive teams in the American League last season, Seattle’s superb pitching staff carried the team all year, leading the AL with a 3.87 team ERA. While the pitching will likely regress a bit next year due to the losses of Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn, it’s clear that the Mariners main focus this offseason needs to be on adding offensive firepower; this may prove to be an expensive proposition with four positions yet to be filled.      

Will high-flying Mike Cameron return to Seattle next season?

After Endy Chavez’s season-ending injury the Mariners got virtually no production out of leftfield, with the trio of Bill Hall, Michael Saunders and Ryan Langerhans performing well below replacement level. Jason Bay is imminently available after being unable to come to terms with the Red Sox and has strong ties to the Pacific Northwest, but is seeking a contract in the range of 4-5 years and $60+ million dollars, a deal that would leave the Mariners out of cash and still needing a first baseman, catcher and right-handed DH. Additionally, there are concerns about whether a one-dimensional player like Bay, who hits for power but provides little else, would be worth a long-term investment in a park like Safeco Field that caters towards pitching. Free-agent outfielder Matt Holliday offers more versatility than Bay but would need a similarly hand-cuffing contract to come aboard (he is represented by Scott Boras after all). A more budget friendly option is former Seattle Mariner Mike Cameron, who despite turning 36 last season, is still a plus defender in the outfield who offers good power and patience at the plate. The Mariners could probably ink Cameron to a one-year deal, limiting the risk if he performs poorly, which would also give Saunders another year to develop in Triple-A Tacoma. Other players to consider in left-field include Randy Winn, Jonny Gomes or Josh Willingham.   

A breakout performer last year, Seattle would be happy to bring Branyan back at first base in 2010.

The Mariners got surprising production out of first base last season, with Russell Branyan taking advantage of his first chance to play full-time by slugging 31 HR’s and driving in 76 runs. The early indications seem to suggest that Seattle plans on bringing Branyan back for at least one more year, although he would probably be due a substantial raise over the $1.4 million dollars he earned in 2009. Branyan stated all season long that he owed it to the Mariners to resign with the club because they were the only team willing to give him a full-time role, but it remains to be seen whether that will hold true if another team offers him a lucrative deal. If Seattle loses Branyan to another team they could replace him internally with Mike Carp, who performed admirably in a short trial last season (.315 in 54 AB’s), or they could pursue free-agent Nick Johnson. Though injury prone, the 31-year-old Johnson has one of the best batting eyes in the game (.426 OBP in 2009) and is a solid defensive first baseman who could fit comfortably into the Mariner’s lineup as their number three hitter. There has also been some speculation that Seattle would consider shifting second baseman Jose Lopez (a defensive liability up the middle) to first base and moving Matt Tuiasosopo (a third baseman in the minors) to second, a possibility now that the hot corner has been filled by Figgins.   

Catcher was another gaping hole for the Mariners in 2009, with a disappointing season from Kenji Johjima and young catchers Rob Johnson and Adam Moore struggling to adjust to big league pitching. With Johjima back in Japan, the battle for starting catcher in 2010 will boil down to Johnson and Moore unless the Mariners try to acquire a catcher via free agency or trade. Johnson received praise from the pitching staff for his game-calling abilities but he hit only .213 with 2 HR’s and 27 RBI’s. Moore saw limited action with the Mariners, spending the majority of the season in the minor leagues, hitting a combined .287-13 HR’s-56 RBI’s between Double and Triple-A. Seattle has been mentioned as a possible destination for free-agent catcher Miguel Olivo, a defensively-challenged backstop who hit 23 HR’s in only 390 AB’s last season. While Olivo has never shown the ability to draw a walk, he has consistently produced good power numbers and is the best player available in a very thin catching market. If the M’s could sign him to an incetive-laden one-year deal, Olivo is probably a worthwhile gamble; if he wants a multi-year deal Seattle is better off allowing Johnson and Moore to develop in the majors.  

Could the former Mariner killer become a killer Mariner?

Designated hitter may have been the most popular position for Seattle in 2009, with clubhouse favorites Mike Sweeney and Ken Griffey Jr. manning the post, but it certainly wasn’t the most productive. Griffey’s back and figures to get the majority of at-bats against right-handed pitching; the Mariners hope he can rebound from a sub par return to the Emerald City last year (.214-19 HR’s-57 RBI’s). Seattle needs to find a player who hits left-handed pitching well to platoon with Griffey, but this year’s free agent crop is very thin in terms of quality hitters. The M’s might have to take a flier on someone coming off an injury or a bad season. Some possible candidates include Xavier Nady, Olivo, Carlos Delgado or even longtime thorn-in-the-side Vladimir Guerrero. While Guerrero’s power has dipped in recent years, he would still be a significant upgrade over Sweeney as a part-time DH, and could become a solid run producer with Ichiro and Figgins at the top of the lineup. 

As of today there are still 266 free agents available for the Mariners to sign, so despite the team’s need to fill multiple holes in their lineup, there’s no need to panic–yet. The Rangers’ lastest moves have upped the ante, but Jack Zduriencik has shown himself to be a very capable baseball man, and will work tirelessly to make Seattle a frontrunner for the 2010 AL West title. The Mariners certainly have issues to address, but the pieces to build a title contender are out there; now it’s just up to the Mariners and their front office to fit them all together.

Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings have officially come to a close.

What we saw this week was a lot of talking and very little action from most teams, but a few intrepid general managers forged headlong into the free agent market, essentially setting the bar for all free agent signings that will follow.

Additionally, we saw a handful of teams able to strike deals with the intent of improving their fortunes heading into next season.

As is often the case, much of the winter’s action will happen in the weeks between the Winter Meetings’ conclusion and the opening days of Spring Training.

Whatever happened or—in some cases—didn’t happen in Indianapolis figures to lay the framework for the rest of the offseason.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the five biggest winners and losers of this year’s Winter Meetings.

Check out the slideshow at BleacherReport.com.

The (AL) West just got wilder.

Rich Harden has reportedly signed a one-year deal, worth a guaranteed $7.5 million, with the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers will pay him $6.5 million in a base salary for 2010, plus $2.5 million in incentives. He gets $500,000 more if he pitches 155 innings and another $500,000 each at 165, 175, 185 and 195 innings.

There is a mutual option for 2011 worth $11 million with a $1 million buyout. Both the Rangers and Harden have the right to turn down the option for 2011 and have him become a free agent.

The deal is currently pending a physical.

The timing of the deal is no surprise as the Rangers traded incumbent staff ace, Kevin Millwood to Baltimore earlier today in exchange for reliever Chris Ray.

The swap netted the Rangers roughly $5-7 million worth of savings, leaving them with enough money to add one of the three big “risk vs. reward” pitchers on the market.

The club showed no real interest in lefty Erik Bedard, but did seem intrigued by Harden and the player they coveted—and nearly signed—a year ago, Ben Sheets.

Sheets priced himself out of the Rangers plans—and likely limited his overall market—when he announced that he was seeking a deal worth $12 million, the same figure he earned when he last pitched in 2008.

As such, Harden immediately became the most attractive option for Texas.

Harden, 28, was not offered arbitration by the Chicago Cubs, but was a Type B free agent and would not have cost the Rangers a draft pick either way.

The right-hander went 9-9 with a 4.09 ERA in 26 games last season with Chicago.

Overall he has a career record of 50-29 with a cumulative 3.39 ERA and 783 strikeouts in 753.2 innings pitched.

All of that work, however, comes in just 127 career starts spread over seven seasons.

Harden has a checked health history, there’s no denying that fact. He’s never pitched more than 190 innings in a season and he’s only surpassed last season’s mark of 26 starts once, back in 2004 as a 22-year old.

He does, however, offer exactly what the Rangers are looking for to head the club’s rotation.

He’s young, having just turned 28 at the end of November, he’s got experience pitching in the American League West after spending five and a half years with Oakland, and he’s a lot like team president Nolan Ryan, in that he likes to strike people out.

Harden has a career mark of 9.4 K/9 while allowing just 3.9 BB/9. He isn’t going to waste pitches and he’s got all the making of a legitimate ace on the mound.

The Rangers are definitely taking a gamble that he’ll remain healthy and effective while transitioning back to the American League after a year and a half pitching on the senior circuit.

If Harden is healthy, however, he’ll be a dramatic improvement over Kevin Millwood and could give the Rangers the push they need to leapfrog the Angels and Mariners for division dominance.

With that thought in the mind the Rangers are more than happy to welcome Harden back to the wild, wild AL West.

Kevin Millwood is headed east to Baltimore after the Orioles and Rangers made a splash in the trade market today.

The Rangers receive former closer, Chris Ray and a player to be named later in the swap.

Ray, 27, closed for the Orioles in 2006, saving 33 games. He started the 2007 campaign as the closer, but underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2007.

He missed all of 2008 while recovering from the surgery and didn’t rebound as the club had hoped in 2009, putting up an abysmal 0-4 record with a 7.27 ERA in 43.1 innings pitched.

Although he wasn’t effective in 2009, he still possesses a fastball that is consistently in the mid-nineties. It is, however, a very hittable, very straight fastball.

The hope is that Rangers’ pitching coach Mike Maddux can help straighten out the youngster and get him back into the form that made him a late-inning dynamo back in 2006.

If Ray is healthy, he could be the right-handed setup man that allows the Rangers to move Neftali Feliz or C.J. Wilson to the rotation.

Millwood, 34, figures to take on the same role he did in Texas, ace by default.

Millwood doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but he gets the job done on the hill and has proven to be a reliable innings-eater, which is exactly what the Orioles need.

He has made at least 25 starts for eight consecutive seasons. In fact, he’s started at least 29 games in ten of his twelve full-seasons in the big leagues.

Currently the only other “sure thing” in the rotation is Jeremy Guthrie, and that ain’t saying much.

The rest of the rotation is stocked with young talent and Millwood’s ability to eat up innings and provide stability atop the rotation will be a great asset as the rest of the staff matures.

Millwood has spent the last four of his 13 major-league seasons with the Rangers. He is 155-121 for his career with a 4.02 ERA.

Last season he posted a 3.67 ERA in 198.6 innings with a 5.6 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9.

The Rangers will pay approximately $3 million of Millwood’s $12 million salary for 2010, after which he’ll become a free agent.

Both teams walk away from this deal with exactly what they need.

The Rangers were able to shed some payroll and add a power arm to the back of a bullpen, which should allow them to improve the rotation internally. They could also used the money they’ve saved to sign a free agent starter.

The Orioles, who have money to spend, acquired a solid, albeit pricey, front of the rotation starter to provide much-needed stability to a very young rotation. Additionally, they were able to acquire Millwood without giving up a major piece of the farm system.

In the end, this deal is a win-win for both parties.

The Seattle Mariners mean business.

General Manager Jack Zduriencik is entering just his second offseason at the club’s helm, but clearly has the franchise headed in the right direction.

Last offseason, he engineered a number of low-risk, high-reward deals and helped turnaround a club that had just 61 wins in 2008 to 85 victories last season.

Aside from adding a solid crop of new players, Zduriencik also took by strides by hiring manager Don Wakamatsu and bringing a more combined approach to the scouting department, by mixing both traditional scouting and modern statistical analysis.

Zduriencik is in an enviable position this offseason.

The Mariners have a very solid core in Felix Hernandez, Ichiro Suzuki, Brandon Morrow, and Franklin Gutierrez.

The club plays in a division that appears more wide-open than it has in half-a-decade and, most importantly, Seattle has some serious payroll flexibility.

The large salaries of Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista, Kenji Johjima, Erik Bedard, and Adrian Beltre are all officially off the books.

The total savings amounts to roughly $50 million to spend on free agents this offseason.

Additionally, Zduriencik has plenty of organizational depth to deal from and talented Major League players who could be used in trades.

As such, Zduriencik has wasted no time making improvements.

The club has already reportedly inked third baseman Chone Figgins to a lucrative four-year, $36 million contract and they don’t figure to be anywhere near done shopping.

Earlier this offseason the club signed defensive stalwart Jack Wilson to a two-year, $10 million deal to anchor the infield at shortstop.

The club also brought back future Hall of Famer—and arguably the most popular player in franchise history—Ken Griffey Jr. on a one-year, $2 million for the 2010 campaign.

The club is also in the mix to add at least one front-line starter, as the departures of Jarrod Washburn and Erik Bedard have left the depth chart a little barren beyond ace, Felix Hernandez.

Hernandez, 23, is arbitration-eligible for the first-time this offseason and—after finishing second the American League Cy Young balloting—figures to command a significant raise after earning just shy of $4 million last season.

Talks of a signing Hernandez to an extension have begun, but nothing serious has come out of the talks as both sides are said to be “far apart” in negotiations.

If an extension can’t be worked out, there is a possibility the club could move the young fireballer for a slew of prospects.

Numerous teams were rumored to have inquired about Hernandez’s availability at the trade deadline, and acquiring “King Felix” would no doubt require a king’s ransom.

In addition to bolstering the rotation, the club is also in the market to improve a lineup that ranked last in the American League in runs scored (640) in 2009, as well as tied for last in batting average (.258) and on-base percentage (.314).

Zduriencik figures to be on the lookout for a slugging left fielder, a veteran catcher, and improvements to the right side of the infield.

Jason Bay’s name has been floated as a potential target for Zduriencik this offseason and for good reason.

Signing Bay, who lives near Seattle, makes plenty of sense for both parties.

Bay, 31, has made it clear that he would love to play close to his home and his family and friends in and around Seattle.

The Mariners would love to add his 30+ home runs and 100+ RBIs into the lineup that lacked a real home run threat for most of 2009.

Bay has already rejected a proposed four-year, $60 million deal from the Boston Red Sox and could cost more than Seattle would care to pay, but he could also give a hometown discount to gain the comfort of playing close to home.

He may not fit into Jack Zduriencik’s defensive-minded lineup, but he could split his time between left field and designated hitter to minimize his impact. Additionally, with Franklin Gutierrez covering ground in center field, Bay’s defensive ineptitude would be less of a burden.

The club has also reportedly not given up on bringing back third baseman Adrian Beltre, who has until midnight eastern Monday to accept or decline arbitration.

If the Mariners and Beltre did re-unite it would create an interesting situation with the recently signed Figgins. The club would logically want to keep Beltre’s glove at the hot corner and move Figgins to either second base or left field.

Both of those potential moves would hinge on the club’s ability and/or inability to sign Bay and/or trade incumbent second baseman Jose Lopez.

If the club did sign Bay and bring back Beltre, it wouldn’t be out of the question to move Figgins to second and slide Lopez over to first where his defensive shortcomings would be less detrimental.

If Beltre does not return, the club figures to push very hard to acquire Bay to add some power and could look toward Nick Johnson, Adam LaRoche, Lyle Overbay, or even Carlos Delgado—obviously on a short-term deal—to play first base.

The club has not yet ruled out a reunion with Russell Branyan, but the sides still seem far apart on contract negotiations after Branyan rejected a one-year deal earlier this winter.

The Mariners’ other big need, a catcher, offers fewer options this winter.

There are a number of solid, but past their prime options available such as Ivan Rodriguez, Rod Barajas, and Bengie Molina.

None of the three figures to be an impact player, but the club is more interested in having their primary backstop serve as a mentor to incumbent starter Rob Johnson and rookie Adam Moore.

As the Winter Meetings open today, it seems that the Mariners are already pushing ahead of their American League West counterparts.

The Texas Rangers are still in a state of financial flux. The club is set to be sold this winter. In fact, a deadline of December 15 has now been set, so the Rangers don’t figure to be major players in free agency until the ownership situation is resolved.

The Los Angeles Angels entered the offseason with a slew of potential free agent loses.

The club has addressed a few of the holes, having already re-upped with outfielder Bobby Abreu while seemingly deciding to let outfielder/designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero leave.

Losing Figgins to a division rival was no doubt a big blow to the Angels who had hoped to bring back their starting third baseman and leadoff hitter. Figgins will now serve as a catalyst to the arguably the Angels biggest threat for division dominance.

It is also rumored that the Mariners are interested in former Los Angeles ace, John Lackey.

If Seattle is able to sign the right-hander, it would serve as a veritable knockout blow to Los Angeles as the free agent market offers few, if any, pitchers who figure to have the same impact as Lackey.

The Mariners and Jack Zduriencik realize that they have a very limited window to win a championship during the Ichiro Era and/or the second Griffey Era and it seems as though they’re willing to go all-in to make it happen.

That fact should be enough to put the rest of the American League on notice, the Seattle Mariners mean business.

The Mariners made the off-season's first big splash with the signing of Figgins to fill their void at third.

Jack Zdrunciek wasted no time in letting Seattle fans know his intentions for the 2010 season—the Mariners are gunning for an A.L. West title. With the calendar turning to December and baseball’s annual winter meetings looming, the M’s are rumored to be in the final stages of a deal that would bring the 31-year-old Chone Figgins to Seattle to serve as the team’s third baseman for the next four seasons. Though terms of the deal haven’t been finalized, it is estimated that Figgins would receive around $9 million a year through 2013, with a potential option for the 2014 season. Seattle struggled all season at third base, with poor offensive production from an injury-riddled Adrian Beltre and his replacement Jack Hannahan, and the position was clearly a focus of Zdrunciek heading into the offseason.

Figgins’ signing is a true double-edged sword for the Mariners. Not only does Seattle add a talented and versatile veteran to their roster, but in doing so they also rob division foe Los Angeles of one of their most consistent and popular players. Figgins has spent his entire eight-year career with the Angels, serving as a super utility man before settling in at the hot corner, and is coming off his most productive season yet. The pint-size sparkplug was one of the game’s best leadoff batters in 2009, hitting .298 with 42 stolen bases and 114 runs scored. An extremely patient batsman, Figgins led the American League with 101 walks and will provide the Mariners with a vast upgrade over last year’s two-hole hitters (.294 OBP vs Figgins .395). While he will be replacing a Gold Glove caliber player in Beltre, Figgins’ good range and strong arm at third certainly won’t conjure up any images of Russ Davis; he’s a solid player across the board.  

Figgins will combine with Ichiro to form a dynamic duo at the top of the Mariners' order.

The Mariners were second to last in the AL in OBP, batting average, OPS and runs scored in 2009 and the arrival of Figgins should help to address those glaring needs. Though Figgins spent all of last season leading off it’s unlikely that he will usurp Ichiro at the top of the order. Instead, manager Don Wakamatsu will probably bat him directly behind Suzuki, giving Seattle one of the best 1-2 punches in the game (the two combined for 408 hits, 202 runs and 68 stolen bases last year). Now that the Mariners are set at the top of the order, the rest of the offseason will be spent looking for someone to drive in Suzuki and Figgins (Russell Branyan? Matt Holliday? Jason Bay?) and starting pitching to back up Felix Hernandez (Erik Bedard? Jarrod Washburn? Josh Johnson?). Zdrunciek and Co. are just getting started in their preparation for 2010, but this signing is certainly a strong start for Seattle.

From the outset this looks like a major coup for the Mariners, but the final grade of this signing hinges on two major factors: Figgins productivity at the end of the contract and what the Angels are able to get out of the 18th pick in next year’s draft (which they receive as compensation from the M’s). In the mean time Seattle fans should enjoy this deal as it shows the front office’s commitment to creating a competitive ballclub. Figgins isn’t the final piece of the puzzle, but he will play a major role in helping the Mariners challenge for a division title and a chance to return to the postseason for the first time since 2001.

It’s almost time to let the real “Hot Stove Season” begin in earnest.

Barring some unforeseen blunder by the Baseball Writers Association of America, Joe Mauer will be crowned the 2009 American League Most Valuable Player on Monday afternoon.

When that announcement becomes official, the clock starts.

The clock will be counting down the remaining days of Joe Mauer’s relationship with the Minnesota Twins.

By the time pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training the clock very well may have reached zero—as it did for Johan Santana two years ago—or it may have restarted to the tune of six-years and $100+ million.

Mauer’s agent, Ron Shaprio, has no doubt avoided starting any real negotiations regarding an extension with Minnesota until after the MVP announcement, and for good reason.

It’s one thing to ask for $100+ million for a three-time batting champion and it’s a whole different business to ask for $100+ million for a three-time batting champion and reigning AL MVP.

If Shapiro had started negotiations before the announcement, he’d have been going into a gunfight with an empty chamber.

After Monday’s announcement, he’ll come out fully-loaded and guns a-blazing.

It should be noted, however, that Shapiro was the agent for both Cal Ripken and Kirby Puckett, both of whom were able to work out deals to stay with their original clubs.

Shapiro is the antithesis of Scott Boras, in the sense that although he’s looking for a big payday for his client, he’s not looking to loot and plunder the organization in the process.

Mauer, 27, is due $12.5 million next season and, despite saying he is unconcerned with being the highest-paid player in the game, he is due a hefty raise going forward.

In fact, to say he is due a “hefty raise” may be underscoring his overall value.

Mauer is just entering his prime, plays a premium position, and is undoubtedly one of the game’s best pure hitters.

In just five full-seasons in the big leagues, Mauer has been voted to three All-Star teams, won three batting titles, three Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves, and should win his first AL MVP Monday afternoon.

It would be pure naiveté to assume that Mauer isn’t at least thinking about the big money he could make if he played in Los Angeles, New York, or Boston.

Despite historically being one of baseball stingiest franchises, Minnesota figures to make an honest attempt to extend Mauer’s contract beyond 2010 and well into the next decade.

No one in the front-office has so much as batted an eyelash at rumblings of the first $100+ million contract in franchise history.

That fact notwithstanding, there is still a chance that, much like with Santana, the extension talks could crumble.

If that is the case, one has to wonder what Mauer’s trade value would be.

Obviously, Mauer would command far more than the package general manager Bill Smith received for Santana two years ago.

Any team dealing with the Twins may be reluctant to give up front-line talent, given that acquiring Mauer will also include a substantial monetary investment, but the fact of the matter remains the same as it was with Santana, it’s now or never.

You pony-up the prospects and trade for him, or you’ll never get your hands on him.

Period.

Many fans in New York and Boston were lobbying for the Yankees and Red Sox, respectively, to hold onto their precious young talent rather than trade for Santana two years ago.

The mindset among those fans was that their clubs could just buy Santana and, in turn, keep their prospects too the following offseason. Santana, however, never hit free agency.

The Mets stepped in with an offer that was considerably less desirable than any the Yankees or Red Sox had reportedly offered, but it was the only offer left and the Twins took it.

Take heed now delusional fans of big market ballclubs, Joe Mauer will not hit free agency after next season.

His contract situation has an endgame with one of two possibilities.

A) The Twins will re-sign the hometown boy to the largest contract in franchise history and the fairy tale will come to a happy ending. Fans along the upper east coast will cry.

B) The Twins will trade Mauer to one of baseball’s big market clubs in exchange for a slew of top prospects and the big market club will promptly sign him to one of baseball’s richest contracts. Everyone in Minnesota will cry.

With those two options in mind, it’s time to take a look at the potential suitors that could arise for Mauer’s services if contract negotiations with the Twins fall through.

The Dark Horses

Texas Rangers

The Rundown: The Rangers don’t seem like a natural fit for Mauer.

The Rangers are in serious financial distress, the club has more important needs in the rotation and outfield, and the franchise is already stocked with three solid young catchers in Taylor Teagarden, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Max Ramirez.

The Rangers don’t make a lot of sense, but the club also lacks a real breakout star. Ian Kinsler and Josh Hamilton are there, but neither player has proven they can stay healthy and consistently put up the numbers that Mauer can.

The Return: Logically, the Twins would ask for one of the Rangers top pitching prospects in Neftali Feliz or Derrek Holland and then a combination of one of the club’s catchers and a position prospect such as Julio Borbon, Justin Smoak, or Chris Davis.

The Result: The price would no doubt prove too steep for a club that is already suffering from financial struggles. The club seems to have learned a lesson in recent years about gutting the farm-system for quick fixes and would no doubt pass on Mauer.

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Chicago Cubs

The Rundown: The Cubs—depending on what kind of money the Ricketts family wants to spend—could be major players this winter, or they could sit back and roll with the in-house talent.

The club has been linked to a number of players in trade discussions and figure to be more active on the trade market than in free agency this winter.

Chicago is still relatively close to Mauer’s St. Paul home and would seemingly be a good fit for the Midwestern grown catcher.

The club does, however, already have a former All-Star catcher in Geovany Soto on the roster and under club control at far cheaper rates for the foreseeable future.

The Return: Many of the top prospects including third baseman Josh Vitters, shortstop Starlin Castro, and right-hander Andrew Cashner have all been touted as potential trade candidates in previous discussions.

The Twins would no doubt ask for two of the three in any deal and current Cubs’ backstop, Geovany Soto as well. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Twins ask for outfielder Sam Fuld as well to round out the Minnesota outfield rotation.

The Result: In the end, the Cubs would need to clear way too much salary and with seemingly unmovable contracts belonging to Alfonso Soriano and Milton Bradley on the books, the Cubs would be a real dark horse to get involved in discussions for Mauer.

The Contenders

Los Angeles Angels

The Rundown: The Angels don’t figure to be overly interested in Mauer as the club already has Mike Napoli and Jeff Mathis under contract at vastly more reasonable salaries for the next three years.

The club has the financial means to sign Mauer long-term, there’s no doubt there and the club could probably pull together a solid package to send back to Minnesota in return.

The price, in terms of big league talent, would be steeper than for other clubs, but the Angels minor league depth has faded in recent years and most of the “young talent” is in the big leagues.

Additionally, the Twins would be wary about trading their best player to another legitimate contender, without receiving some immediate return on the deal.

The Return: It wouldn’t be out of the question to assume that Ervin Santana or Joe Saunders would front the return package. Either Howie Kendrick or Bandon Wood would have to be included with one of the suddenly-displaced catchers as well.

The Result: Although the Angels would no doubt “kick the tires” on a potential swap for Mauer, the cost in terms of talent and dollars would ultimately be too prohibitive for a club with question marks all around the diamond as is.

The Angels should be far more concerned with landing a third baseman, starting pitcher, and some outfield depth. Mauer would be a luxury the club doesn’t need at the moment.

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Los Angeles Dodgers

The Rundown: The Dodgers would have made more sense before the McCourt’s divorce threw a monkey-wrench into the team’s offseason plans.

Mauer would be a very good compliment to a relatively young and talented lineup for years to come. He would also allow the Dodgers to move Manny Ramirez out of the three-hole in the lineup and let Mauer, a natural number three, takeover that role.

Much like the aforementioned Angels, the Dodgers would be forced to give up more players from their big league roster in a deal as general manager Ned Colletti has moved much of the club’s best minor league talent (ie: Josh Bell & Carlos Santana) in recent deadline deals.

The Return: The Twins would start a package around the Dodgers’ own talented, young catcher, Russell Martin.

The Twins would be wise to inquire about Chad Billingsley and one of Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier. There is no guarantee the club would move any of the three.

Martin, Billingsley, and shortstop prospect Devaris Gordon could potentially get the deal done if the Twins are as high on Gordon as many scouts are following his 2009 campaign.

The Result: The Dodgers won’t have the money or prospects necessary to make the deal feasible.

Additionally, the club is more concerned with bolstering a rotation that proved very vulnerable last season.

Mauer would certainly draw some interest from the Dodgers, but it would never get beyond the first phone call.

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New York Mets

The Rundown: The New York Mets need a whole lot more than just Joe Mauer to be competitive again, but he’d be a great step in the right direction.

The Mets are currently in the market for at least one frontline starter, a corner outfielder, a first baseman, bullpen help, and potentially looking to add a new second baseman.

The club could also inquire about an additional catcher, rather than go forward with Omir Santos and Josh Thole. If the Mets were serious about a major upgrade at catcher, Mauer would be a good fit.

The club could use him as the number two hitter, thus getting him more at-bats, for the next few seasons while Wright and Beltran man the heart of the order. After Beltran moves on he could slip into his customary spot in the three-hole.

The Mets obviously could find the money to sign Mauer long-term, as they did when they acquired Johan Santana from Minnesota two years ago. The question is whether or not they’d have the right prospects and/or be willing to part with them.

The Return: The Mets would have to start with their two best positional prospects outfielder Fernando Martinez and catcher/first baseman Josh Thole. Period. There’d be no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

After that the Twins could ask about infield prospects Wilmer Flores and Reese Havens and would undoubtedly inquire about the availability of pitching prospects Jon Niese and Jenrry Mejia.

The Result: Although the Mets can’t be totally ruled out, the enormity of their flaws figures to put Mauer on their backburner this offseason.

The Mets are still reeling from a number of trades that depleted the farm system and trading off the best prospects, again, to plug one hole wouldn’t help the club much going forward.

I’d expect the Mets to look toward the free agent market for most of their moves and trades as a secondary option.

The Favorites

New York Yankees

The Rundown: If a player of Mauer’s caliber is available, the Yankees will no doubt come sniffing around. It doesn’t need to be mentioned, but the Yankees clearly have the right combination of talent and money to make a deal of this magnitude work.

The Yankees also have the need. Current backstop, Jorge Posada is 38 and still has two years and $26 million remaining on his current contract. It’s entirely possible that Posada will be a full-time designated hitter by the end of next season and certainly won’t finish out his contract as a starting catcher.

The club has promising prospects at the position in Francisco Cervelli, Jesus Montero, and Austin Romine. Although, none of the three project to be anywhere near as talented as Joe Mauer.

Hank Steinbrenner drew a line in the sand, more or less, during discussions for Johan Santana two years ago and it cost the Yankees the dominant left-handed starter they wanted, for a year anyway.

This time the club would have to be more open-minded in trade talks. Unlike Santana, Mauer contributes everyday and is just entering his prime.

The Return: The Twins inquired about Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy last time around. The Yankees promptly shut them down. A lot has changed in two years and all three figure to be available in a deal for Mauer.

The Twins would also be wise to make top outfield prospect Austin Jackson a must-have in the deal. If the Yankees balk at Jackson, general manager Bill Smith would be wise to simply hang up the phone and end the conversation.

Any of the three catcher prospects would make sense as well. Cervelli is the only one of the three with any significant big league experience, so he would make the most sense for an “immediate” return.

The Result: The Yankees would be interested, but with $26+ million committed to Posada and three young replacements on the way it makes far more sense for the club to improve elsewhere.

The Bronx Bombers are rumored to be interested in acquiring another frontline starter and are reportedly on the market for a left fielder as well.

Much like many of the team listed above, I could see the Yankees showing interest and having the right package of prospects and big league talent to entice the Twins, but with Derek Jeter’s contract expiring at the end of 2010, one has to legitimately wonder if the club would have enough money to add yet another $20 million per year contract.

With Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and presumably Derek Jeter all topping $20 million per season going forward, Mauer might just be too much, even for the Yankees.

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Boston Red Sox

The Rundown: Prior to last season’s deal for Victor Martinez, the Red Sox appeared to be the most desperate of all the teams linked to Mauer.

At the time, the Red Sox were relying on 37-year-old Jason Varitek who had regressed so much on both sides of the plate that the club nearly let him go as a free agent last offseason.

The move for Martinez shores up the position in the short-term, but Mauer is the better catcher—by far—and figures to have a longer shelf-life behind the plate than Martinez.

Acquiring Mauer would allow the Red Sox to move Martinez to first base and Kevin Youkilis to third base. As such, incumbent third baseman Mike Lowell could be moved to another team.

Mauer would give the club the best pure hitter the Sox have had since Nomar Garciaparra’s heyday.

Additionally, with the contracts of Lowell and David Ortiz expiring after 2010, the club has the money to sign Mauer long-term.

The Return: The Twins would no doubt want a better return than the Cleveland Indians received for Martinez last season. As such, the package would start with Clay Buchholz and, if Smith were feeling gutsy, he could inquire about Jon Lester.

The Red Sox depth has been somewhat compromised in recent years by trades and the amount of talent that could contribute at the big league level is limited.

Starting pitcher Michael Bowden, who seemingly has no place with Boston, would be a solid addition to any deal. Additionally, starting pitcher/shortstop Casey Kelly and outfielder Josh Reddick could both contribute down the line.

Ultimately, the Twins would be wise to ask for Buchholz and reliever Daniel Bard up front as a starting point. It would be a steep price, but the Twins would be unwise not to go all out for Mauer.

The Result: The Red Sox obviously make the most sense as a trading destination for Mauer and the Twins.

Boston has plenty of money to grant him the extension and dollars he’ll merit and they have a solid crop of prospects that are either blocked at the big league level or still far enough off that trading them wouldn’t impact Boston’s immediate future.

If Mauer does become available, expect him to land in Boston.

Felix was phenomenal in '09, but Greinke was clearly the game's most dominant pitcher all year long.

As a Mariners’ fan I wanted Felix Hernandez to win this year’s AL Cy Young Award, because as a rule of thumb Seattle sports don’t win much (and no, I’m not forgetting about you Storm). After all, Hernandez came up through the farm system and matured before our eyes from a 19-year-old prodigy into a certified staff ace. He was dominant in 2009, leading a pedestrian Mariners team to an 85-win season, and looking better and better as the year progressed. The King finally lived up to his nickname, winning 19 games with a 2.49 ERA and 217 K’s, but even as a Mariners fan, I knew Felix didn’t deserve the award. C.C. Sabathia, Justin Verlander and Roy Halladay didn’t even deserve to be in the discussion; it was truly a two-horse race, and unfortunately, sweet Barbaro wasn’t one of them. No, Hernandez picked a bad season for his coming out party because, despite being stuck in the baseball wasteland that is Kansas City, Royals right-hander Zach Greinke was the best pitcher in 2009, not just in the American League…but in the entire sport.

Despite pitching for one of baseball's worst teams, Greinke was able to convince voters he was the AL's best.

Although his finish to the 2008 season should have raised a few eyebrows (4-1 with a 2.18 ERA in September), Greinke came into the year with virtually no fanfare—but it didn’t take long for that to change. By the end of the season’s first month, Sports Illustrated was heralding Greinke as the game’s best pitcher and it was easy to see why. In five April starts, the Royals’ ace went 5-0, had a dead-ball era 0.50 ERA and struck out 44 batters in only 36 innings. Kansas City was riding high and looking like a favorite in the AL Central but as often happens to a team that relies on Mike Jacobs as the big bat in their lineup, the Royals quickly faded from contention and Greinke was once again left to toil in obscurity. That didn’t stop him from mowing down hitters though, and despite some sub par run support (is Mark Teahan really hitting cleanup?) Zach-Attack cruised into the All-Star break with a 10-5 record, 2.12 ERA and amazingly, only four HR’s allowed in 127 innings. Although somehow not chosen to start the All-Star game, he made the most of his opportunity, striking out two NL batters in one inning and showing a national audience that he was a true star in the making.

The second half of the season was a struggle for Greinke, as he won only six games in 15 starts, though the blame clearly fell on the woeful Kansas City offense. The Royals only managed to score 13 runs in Greinke’s eight losses (1.6 runs/game) on the season, while scoring just 21 runs in his nine no-decisions (2.33 runs/game). Playing for a team with an average offense, Greinke would likely have finished with 22-23 wins, instead of the 16 he collected with Kansas City, and the Cy Young race wouldn’t have been a race at all, rather a runaway. Despite his team’s numerous shortcomings (no offense Sidney Ponson), Greinke never let up and capped off his historic season with a 3-0 record and 0.55 ERA in September.

If you take away wins (unfair, I know, but so is playing for K.C.), the choice of Zach Greinke as the Cy Young was really a no brainer (a good thing for voters):

–>Greinke: 2.16 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 242 K’s/51 walks, 6 complete games

–>Hernandez: 2.49 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 217 K’s/71 walks, 2 complete games

Sorry C.C., not even playing for the Yankees was enough to get you this year's Cy Young award.

If that’s not enough, digging even deeper shows that Greinke was at his best when it mattered most (which technically is never when pitching for the Royals, but bear with me). He held hitters to a .253 average with the bases empty, and incredibly was tougher with runners on, allowing opposing batters a miniscule .197 average and .235 OBP. Even when batters got ahead in the count Greinke was unhittable. He faced 111 batters with a three ball count, which typically favors hitters not named Yuniesky Betancourt, yet he held those batters to 19 hits, or a Richie Sexson-esque .171 average. The 26-year-old righty showed his true grit by improving each time through the lineup (.264 average on first plate appearance vs .189 average on third plate appearance), and holding hitters to a .199 BA with runners in scoring position. By any statistical measure you choose to look at Zack Grienke, was the best pitcher in the AL, and it wasn’t even close.

Although often criticized for questionable and uneducated decisions (cough–Derek Jeter Gold Glove–cough) baseball voters got the right man this time. Not only was Zach Grienke a great story in overcoming social anxiety disorder, but he was also baseball’s best pitcher all season long. It looks like the Royals have found their ace for the next decade, now if they only could find a catcher, first baseman, shortstop, second baseman, right fielder, third baseman and left fielder, they might be in business. Regardless of the talent (or lack thereof) that surrounded him, Zack Grienke pitched like a superstar all year and was more than worthy of the 2009 AL Cy Young award. Here’s hoping the humble young pitcher carries his success into next season…and brings some much needed hope to a hapless franchise.

If one year is good, two years is better. Welcome back Junior.

It looks like Seattle Mariners fans will have to get ready for a few more standing ovations (though it’s highly unlikely they’ll mind) with today’s news that Ken Griffey Jr. has reached an agreement on a one-year contract with the Mariners. Exact terms of the signing have yet to be released, but the contract is thought to be similar to last year’s salary of $2 million plus another $3 million in incentives (ticket sales, merchandise, etc). A bargain at any price, bringing Junior to the Mariners was a no-brainer. The Kid is an institution in Seattle, and although his numbers might not bear it out, 2009 was a rousing success for both Griffey and the Mariners.

Seattle came into last season as a franchise in limbo. The team was fresh off one of the worst years in the club’s history, losing 101 games and generally looking like a team that didn’t care whether they won or lost. The clubhouse was fractured, fingers were pointed and no one seemed to be having any fun (except of course, for the teams that played the Mariners). Enter Griffey, who after a nine-year stint in Cincinnati and Chicago, came home to the city that never stopped loving him. The Kid was integral in creating a clubhouse atmosphere that fostered winning and was even able to break the normally quiet Ichiro out of his shell, with the two soon becoming best friends. Griffey was always quick with a smile or a prank and never complained about his diminished role as a platoon player; he was a consummate professional,  and the perfect fit for a Mariners team looking for leadership. Although not the sole reason for their dramatic improvement, the impact of Griffey’s return cannot be overstated as a factor in transforming Seattle from a 61-win team to an 85-win team that stayed in the postseason hunt all year long. Here are some of the highlights of his first year back in Seattle:

Griffey's not the only one smiling with the word of his return to the Mariners.

–>Created neck-ties featuring manager Don Wakamatsu’s image and gave them to every member of the team to promote unity on road trips. He also handed out ties that had his picture and the words “World’s Greatest Teammate” on them.

–>Hit 400th career homerun as a Mariner, becoming the first player in major league history to record 200 HRs with one team (Cincinnati) and 400 HRs with another (Seattle).

–>After Adrian Beltre returned from a freak testicle injury, Griffey had the P.A. play the theme to “The Nutcracker” on Beltre’s first at-bat back.

–>Came through with a clutch pinch-hit, walk-off single against the Chicago White Sox in the 14th inning of an August game at Safeco.

–>Homered in three of his last five games of the season, raising hopes for a return to the diamond in 2010, and finishing the year 5th on the all-time homerun list with 630 career longballs.

Can Griffey finally capture a World Series in his last go-round with the Mariners?

Does Griffey have anything left in the tank for 2010? He wasn’t great at the dish in ‘09, finishing  the year with a .214 average, but he still managed to hit 19 HR’s with 57 RBI’s and there is some optimism that Junior’s offseason knee surgery will help him to perform better next year. It’s unclear what kind of role Griffey will have for the Mariners next season, but his signing makes it unlikely that Seattle would go after someone like Hideki Matsui (another DH-type with bad knees). While some might argue that Griffey’s return will hinder the growth of Seattle’s younger talent like Mike Carp or Michael Saunders (players who would lose at-bats to Junior), the veteran seems content with whatever playing time he is offered, and could serve as a great mentor to the next wave of Mariners’ hitters (who better to take advice from than a first ballot hall-of-famer). Besides, Ken Griffey Jr. has done enough for the city of Seattle and the Mariners franchise (a virtual afterthought in the baseball world before he arrived) that he deserves to go out on his own terms. Think of him like Bobby Bowden, but without the straw hat, Southern accent and strong odor of Bengay.

Two thousand and nine was a great year for the Mariners, climbing from the AL West cellar into playoff contention, and now with one more season of Griffey, Seattle has its sights set on a return to the postseason for the first time since 2001. M’s fans get another year with the greatest player ever to don turquoise (apologies to Muggsy Bogues) and Junior gets one last crack at that elusive World Series title, the only thing missing from an otherwise storied career.

It’s been almost 15 years since the Mariners crashed the playoffs in 1995 and came this close to making their first Fall Classic. Can Griffey finally lead Seattle to the promised land and finish what he started all those years ago? Why not? If Jack Zdrunciek signs some key free agents to surround Griffey, Felix Hernandez and Ichiro, anything can happen. Seattle’s favorite son is back where he belongs, and Mariners magic will once again sweep through the streets of the Emerald City. The 2010 baseball season can’t start soon enough in Seattle—Ken Griffey Jr’s back, the sun is shining and there’s reason to believe that this might be the most special year in the Mariners’ history. Let’s play ball!

When an entrepreneur who’s built a billion dollar business gives you advice, you try to listen.

One of the first people we approached before embarking on this start-up journey was Al West, the Founder and CEO of Erns’ old company, SEI Investments (“SEI”). When Mr. West founded SEI over 40 years ago, he sought to develop and distribute training software to credit officers at commercial banks. Today, SEI is a global asset manager and investment operations solutions company with 20 offices in over a dozen countries. At his direction, SEI has taken many forms, and he would be the first to stress the importance of flexibility and open mindedness when pursuing an entrepreneurial endeavor. His original vision and “start-up idea” went through twists and turns, but at the end of the day his extraordinarily success was driven by the fact that he transformed his business into a company that the market needed, not a company that his entrepreneurial instincts told him was needed. His advice to us was simple: Don’t be afraid to “change it up” on the fly.  If the market communicates a “problem” in need of a solution, and that solution is slightly different from the one you originally intended to provide, have the cahunas to switch gears mid-ride.

When Erns and I started throwing around business ideas last summer, we were about three or four distinct iterations from where we are now. And as it happens, a meeting with a prospective client last week might just be the catalyst for another iteration of our business. It makes sense to sell something the market actually needs, not just something we think the market needs. Are we doing the right thing by constantly challenging and revisiting our business model? I’m not sure…but as a good friend and mentor recently reminded me, it’s only the last idea that counts.

At the same time, though, identifying the true “problems” in the marketplace is not always so obvious.  You could argue that the iPod didn’t solve a gigantic problem at the time it was released. Or maybe it did, and people just didn’t realize it was such a big problem until they laid eyes on that beautiful piece of white, molded plastic. Obviously, the problem the iPod solved was that you couldn’t easily listen to more than one CD’s worth of music while on the go. I’m my opinion, I don’t think it was until the public actually saw the iPod at work, with its ability to hold all 800 of your favorite CDs and play any song you wanted, whenever you wanted – all while looking cooler than cool – that the problem became painstakingly obvious. Now, the image of someone walking down a street carrying a discman or a tape player is too horrifying for words (remember how horribly those things used to skip?).

I have to believe great businesses are born from solving both obvious and not-so-obvious problems. While the former will appear in just about any industry, the latter will mostly nest in tech circles since clients/customers aren’t likely to be aware of available technologies to solve these problems. Most people just assume these problems are facts of life and can’t possibly imagine a feasible solution. Once people see the solution, though, the problem is no longer a fact of life – it’s a nuisance and a pain in the ass that needs an immediate fix (Crackberry/iPhone anyone?).

I think start-ups are really just about solving annoying problems. What’s the problem your start-up is solving? Is it a horrible problem that millions of people or businesses consciously put up with each day? (if it is, you’ll probably need to get on your horse and start racing because there’s guaratneed to be others out there doing the same thing). Or, is the problem you want to solve the type that truly exists, but people can’t really feel it’s pain until they see/feel/touch the solution? Either way, we’re all looking forward to your solution.

The secret to Padilla's newfound success has been linked to the H1N1 virus.

Just when baseball thought it had cleared itself of a league wide steroid problem the ugly performance enhancing drug monster reared its ugly once again—and this time the sport is powerless to stop the new drug’s proliferation.

A few short months again Vicente Padilla was a cast-off from the Texas Rangers, banished to the waiver wire by a potent combination of poor pitching, bad breath and general unlikeability (the guy’s a prick). Even a pitching starved franchise like Texas wasn’t willing to put up with Padilla’s behavior, and this is a team whose opening day starting pitchers this decade have included the likes of Rick Helling, Ismael Valdez (slaps forehead) and Ryan Drese.

The Rangers sent Padilla packing on August 17th, citing “poor personal hygiene” and his “disruptive clubhouse presence” as reasons for the release. At the time of his departure, Padilla was 8-6 for the Rangers, but sported a ghastly 4.92 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. Just two days later, the NL West leading Los Angeles Dodgers signed the Nicaraguan Nightmare to a minor league contract in order to bolster their starting rotation. After a short stint in the minors, Padilla was called up to start for L.A. and immediately looked like a man reborn, closing out the season in style with a 4-0 record, 3.20 ERA and 1.22 WHIP.  He’s been even better in the postseason thus far, allowing only one earned run in 14 1/3 innings to go along with 10 K’s and only 2 walks, quickly establishing himself as the Dodger’s defacto playoff ace.

The origin of Padilla's super-powers.

All this, from the same pitcher who a few short months again was cut by Texas and left for dead. Now Padilla is in the midst of a playoff run for L.A. and looking like Orel Hershiser; what exactly happened between his time with the Rangers and his signing with the Dodgers? As the great theologian Terrell Owens famously said, “if it looks like a rat and smells like a rat, by golly, it is a rat.” Vicente Padilla does smell like a rat…and that rat is named swine flu.

Padilla was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus on July 22nd and was believed to be the first player in the four major American sports (baseball, quidditch, jai-alai and poker) to test positive for the disease. He was scratched from a start against the Red Sox and was kept away from the rest of the team to prevent a spread of the virus. Apparently quarantining Padilla worked, because he’s still the only major league player that developed a confirmed case of swine flu, although that may change after the startling discovery of Dr. Van Nostrom at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta.

Van Nostrom, a specialist in infectious diseases, released a report yesterday that confirmed one of the most well-known old wives’ tales: that which doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. In his article published by Car & Driver & Science the doctor revealed his findings from Padilla’s stool sample, which may change the way America views the H1N1 virus. Below is an excerpt from Van Nostrom’s report:

“Much like a spider bite transformed Peter Parker into the powerful Spiderman and toxic ooze mutated ordinary turtles into extraordinary crime fighters, Vicente Padilla’s DNA was radically altered by his encounter with the H1N1 virus. After overcoming the disease, he was endowed with all the best characteristics of an adult pig: a strong sense of smell and keen understanding of the strikezone, as well as the ability to talk to spiders and increased velocity on his pitches. Since the diagnosis of swine flu, Padilla’s fastballs have looked better than ever and his curveballs are dropping right off the table, and this is only the beginning. If Padilla is able to fully harness the powers of the pig he will become unstoppable. There is no treatment, there is no cure, there is only unimaginable suffering ahead for all humankind.”

Padilla now has more in common with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles than he does with other human beings.

If what Dr. Van Nostrom indicated in his report is true, how long will it be until baseball players are throwing swine flu parties in hopes of catching up with Padilla? Is H1N1 baseball’s newest fad performance enhancer? Not so fast, says Van Nostrom: “There are so many different strains of the flu and everyone’s body responds differently to disease, so it’s unlikely another player will have results like Vicente. That surly bastard is truly one of a kind and anyone else who develops this disease is putting their life at risk…it’s just not worth it.” Baseball’s playing field, which had been leveled by the sports’ tough drug testing, is thrown into disarray once again with the evolution of Padilla into a super-human shutdown pitcher.

Padilla’s agent Bus Cook refused to comment on the situation, only saying that his client was pitching well because of hard work and determination, not the swine flu, and called Van Nostrom’s theory “preposterous”. Padilla was approached at his locker by a swarm of reporters following the Dodgers 5-4 loss to the Phillies in Game 4 of the NLCS, and in between karaoke renditions of Randy Newman’s I Love L.A., the right-hander muttered “baseball’s been berry berry good to me” and “how ’bout them Cowboys”, but nothing about the H1N1 virus—only fueling speculation that he gained some special abilities from the disease.

At this point there’s nothing baseball can do to slow down Padilla. After all, Bud Selig can’t suspend someone for getting sick, even if that sickness imbued the pitcher with super-human skills the likes of which baseball has never seen before. The Dodgers will be the favorites to win every time Padilla takes the mound, and it won’t be long before the team discovers they should start him each and every game, because everyone knows that pigs never need rest. Padilla will be a free agent at the end of the season and stands to make a large chunk of change, how big simply depends on how long teams believe his powers will last…and how much better they think he can get.

Vicente Padilla; from an afterthought to the best pitcher in baseball, all thanks to the biggest health scare in America since SARS and the kangaroo flu. There’s no doubt that Padilla will dominate the baseball landscape over the next decade, Dr. Van Nostrom’s work proves this, but it also raise a very serious question. Will Padilla use his powers for good or evil once he retires? If his past behavior is any indication, governments around the world had better start working on a swine kryptonite…and soon.

UPDATE: It’s clear that once Dr. Van Nostrom’s report was released Padilla realized he needed to lay low for awhile, hence his poor start in Game 5 against the Phillies. Don’t be fooled, he will be more powerful then ever once 2010 rolls around–perhaps even more powerful than the Death Star had it been completed in Return of the Jedi. Now all we have to do is find Padilla’s secret shield generator on Endor, or the Alliance (aka baseball) doesn’t stand a chance against a vengeful Vicente.

A-Rod got the postseason monkey off his back against the Twins. Is the Angels' Rally Monkey next on his list?

It’s a tale as old as time. Light versus dark, good versus evil, heaven versus hell, and of  course, Angels vs Demons Yankees. It’s difficult to find two teams more diametrically opposed than L.A. and New York, and fittingly the bi-coastal rivals meet in the 2009 ALCS to determine who will represent the American League in this year’s World Series. The Yankees and Angels were 1-2 in the AL in wins, but got there in vastly different ways. One team relied on speed, timely hitting,  sacrifice bunts and the dreaded “productive out”. The other team found success with sheer brawn, overpowering inferior opponents with an offensive barrage that made the U.S.’s invasion of Normandy look like child’s play. Which style will prevail when the two meet head-to-head in a no-holds barred cage match? Let’s break it down:

Torii Hunter is good. But can he keep up with A-Rod and Teixeira?

Offense: Though the Yankees trio of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira receive more recognition than any L.A. hitter, the Angels had one of the most balanced lineups in all of baseball. The Halos averaged 5.5 runs per game in setting a single season franchise record for runs (the Yanks were slightly better at 5.6 runs per game). Although they’re not as explosive as New York, eight of L.A.’s starters hit .287 or better on the year, leading to a tremendous .285 team average. The team’s sparkplug is leadoff man Chone Figgins who stole 42 bases to go along with a .395 OBP. He sets the table for Bobby Abreu (.293-15 HR-103 RBI-30 SB), Torii Hunter (.299-22-90), Vladimir Guerrero (.295-15-50), Kendry Morales (.306-34-108) and Juan Rivera (.287-25-88). There are no easy outs in the lineup, and the Angels combination of patience at the plate and speed on the basepaths will make them a difficult matchup for Yankee pitchers. New York counters with the league’s highest scoring lineup headlined by Teixeira (.292-39-122), A-Rod (.286-30-100) and Jeter (.334-18-66). There’s great depth in the Bronx Bombers lineup, as players like Johnny Damon, Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher and Hideki Matsui produce in whatever portion of the lineup that Joe Girardi employs them. Both teams are solid top-to-bottom, but there is a reason that the Yankees led the AL in runs, OBP, slugging and OPS–they’re really good. Advantage: New York

Can A.J. Burnett pitch effectively and help led the Yankees back to the World Series?

Starting Pitching: It sounds like Girardi is planning to go with a 3-man rotation for the series, a good idea given that the Yankees’ rotation drops off precipitously after C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettite. Sabathia looked sharp against the Twins and New York will rely on the hefty lefty to get them a win in game one. The Yankees #2 starter, Burnett, is consistently inconsistent and got a win in the ALDS despite issuing 5 walks; he won’t be able to get away with that against the Angels. The savvy vet of the group, Pettite, has an impressive postseason resume and enough guts and guile to keep the Yankees within striking distance. The Angels starting pitching has been sub par all season, finishing 9th in the AL with a 4.45 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. The ace of the staff is John Lackey, a proven winner who bounced back from an early injury to post a strong season (11-8, 3.83 ERA). Jered Weaver will likely get the start in game two, and despite the fact that he is Jeff Weaver’s brother and sports a wicked mullet, was solid throughout the season and against Boston in the ALDS. After Lackey and Weaver, the Angels could go with either Scott Kazmir or Joe Saunders, two players who had horrendous starts to the season, but looked much better in the second half. Neither of these pitching staffs is a sure thing, but the Yankees get the nod because of Pettite’s experience. Advantage: New York

Relief Pitching: The bullpen is the only facet of this series where these two teams don’t match up at all. Despite the fact that they led the majors with 51 saves, the Angels relief pitching is still a major question mark. Closer Brian Fuentes was erratic all season long, finishing the year with a 3.93 ERA and an even more unsightly 1.40 WHIP. Fuentes blew 7 saves in the regular season and he can’t afford to keep putting extra runners on base against a potent Yankees’ attack. On the other hand, New York counters with arguably the greatest postseason pitcher of all-time, Mariano Rivera. The “Panamanian Canalligator” is 8-1 in the playoffs, with 35 saves and a redonkulous 0.74 ERA; Rivera makes Michael Jordan look like A-Rod in crunch time–he’s as clutch as they come. The Yankees also found a dependable setup man in Phil Hughes and will have Joba Chamberlain available if need be. This one’s a no doubter. Advantage: New York

With lights-out Mariano Rivera in the bullpen the Yankees are built for a return to glory.

Coaching:  There are few managers more respected in the game of baseball than Mike Scioscia and for good reason, his teams love him and he wins games. Scioscia guided the Angels to a World Series title in 2002 and has only recorded one losing season since taking over in L.A. following the 1999 season. He’s a great X’s and O’s guy who emphasizes a National League style of play, which his team is perfectly suited for, and he consistently gets the most out of everyone on the Angels’ roster. Girardi rebounded after a tumultuous season to led the Yankees to the best record in baseball (103-59) and has done an admirable job managing some of the games highest paid players. Scioscia’s been here before, expect him to have the Angels ready to give the Yankees a run for their money. Advantage: Los Angeles

Outcome: This is a matchup that baseball analysts call “intriguing” simply because there isn’t much else to say about it. The Yankees are a markedly better team than the Angels with advantages in offense, starting pitching and relief pitching. New York looks like a team on a mission, and now that A-Rod discovered how to hit in the postseason (thank you Kate Hudson), Los Angeles will have their hands full trying to stop the Yankees from returning to their first World Series since 2001. The Angels will sneak out a couple of wins but New York will ultimately win the series in 6 games, as Teixeira garners ALCS MVP honors, and fans worldwide will once again have to put up with the evil empire in the World Series.

Designated hitter Mike Sweeney enjoyed his best month as a Mariner in September.

Record: 17-13 (85-77 overall)

Final AL West Standings: L.A. Angels  (97-65); Texas Rangers (87-75); Seattle Mariners (85-77); Oakland Athletics (75-87)

Top Hitter: Though best known as the nicest guy in baseball, Mike Sweeney proved in September and October that he still has something to offer at the dish, hitting .339 with 3 HRs and 8 RBIs in just 53 at-bats. The wily veteran provided a number of clutch hits, including a go-ahead two-run single against the Oakland A’s on October 1st. Sweeney finished the year with a .281 average, 8 HR’s and 34 RBI’s. Along with Ken Griffey Jr., the gregarious Sweeney was instrumental in changing the Mariners’ clubhouse from a funeral home to an environment that bred success.

Top Pitcher: The best just kept getting better as Felix Hernandez went 6-0 in September and October with 1.52 ERA. The 23-year-old phenom allowed just one HR in his last 7 starts of the year and had an astounding 0.97 WHIP over the season’s last month. Though he will probably finish second in this year’s AL Cy Young race, Hernandez has given Seattle fans plenty of reasons to be excited about the M’s chances in 2010. King Felix tied for the league lead in wins (19) and finished 2nd in ERA (2.49), 3rd in WHIP (1.14) and 4th in strikeouts (217). Yeah, he’s that good.

Biggest Surprise: On a 3-1 pitch in his second at-bat of the game against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 27th, Matt Tuiasosopo hit a fastball into the left-field stands for a HR, making Mike Blowers look like Nostradamus in the process. Blowers, a former M’s third baseman, predicted in the pregame show that Tuiasosopo would hit his first career HR, and against all odds Tui came through. The story quickly made its way through the blogosphere and onto ESPN, making Tui’s HR the highlight of a very fun season of baseball for the Mariners (besides of course that Griffey guy returning to Seattle).

Biggest Disappointment: Russell Branyan was having the best season of his career before a herniated disk in his back forced him to miss the year’s last month. The Mariners clearly were a different team without his bat in the middle of the lineup and will likely try to bring him back as either a DH or first baseman for next season. Despite not playing in September, Branyan still led the Mariners with 31 HR’s for the season and finished second on the team with 76 RBI’s. The M’s faith in Branyan was not misplaced.

What a way to end a magical season in Seattle.

Griffey Watch: Ken Griffey Jr. finished the season with a flourish, hitting HR’s in 3 of his final 5 games and rapping a single in his last at-bat of the year. Though statistically one of the worst seasons of his career, Junior provided timely hits and much needed leadership to a young Mariners’ team looking for an identity. If he is willing to accept a reduced role in 2010, Seattle would love another season with the franchise’s most popular player.

On this episode of The Wheelhouse: Bower and “The Champ” Jeff Peck start off the show by giving you stuff YOU DIDN’T HEAR after last week’s episode of The Wheelhouse when we called into “The Sweet Nasty” Chris Cause to find out how he did at his SOFTBALL game! We then shift gears to allow Bower a chance to let off a little bit of steam as he fights back aganist the BLOGGERS who criticized the LOS ANGELES ANGELS celebration after they won the AL WEST CHAMPIONSHIP and toasted fallen teammate NICK ADENHART. We then take your phone calls and discuss BCS BUSTERS in College Football and the MICHIGAN WOLVERINES! Finally we end this WTF!? WEDNESDAY talking about the couple who had SEX in the new COWBOYS STADIUM BATHROOM and an update from “The Sweet Nasty” Chris Cause himself about his SOFTBALL game!

Download the Podcast – HERE!

The Angels soaked the jersey in beer, champagne and tears, holding Nick Adenhart’s No. 34 high in the middle of the celebration he missed.

Los Angeles is headed back to the playoffs for the sixth time in eight years, and the Angels intend to go with the memory of their late teammate alongside them. The 22-year-old pitcher’s death in an April car accident roiled their season early on, but it couldn’t sink this resilient team.

Kendry Morales homered and drove in three runs, and the Angels wasted no time clinching their third straight AL West title with an 11-0 victory over the second-place Texas Rangers on Monday night.

Ervin Santana pitched a seven-hitter for his fourth career shutout, while Maicer Izturis had three hits and two RBIs to wrap up the Angels’ fifth division crown in six years. Los Angeles (92-64) will open at home in the best-of-five first round next week—most likely against Boston, a familiar nemesis. The Red Sox need one win or a Texas loss to earn the AL wild card.

… for more visit yahoo/angles clinch west