AL East

The Orioles have agreed to sign free-agent starting pitcher Justin Duchscherer to a one-year deal that could be worth up to $4.5 million, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.

Duchscherer will make a base salary of $700K guaranteed, and another $1.1 million when he makes the roster, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. To obtain the entire $4.5 million on the contract, he'll then have to make at least 30 starts at the major-league level.

As Spring Training draws near, it’s time to look at which players are going to be overpaid in 2011 based on their previous performances.

How many Yankees and Mets players are on the list? Do Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and A.J. Burnett make the list?

What about Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jonathan Papelbon?

Oddly enough, none of them are on the list. So if it’s not these veterans, then who could have possibly made the list heading into 2011?

With only one real big signing remaining on Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopolous' agenda before the season starts—Jose Bautista, the Jays roster looks to be almost set heading into spring training.

Don Mattingly's major league career with the New York Yankees started in 1982 and ended after the 1995 season. Mattingly's first full season as a regular was 1984.

From 1984-89 Mattingly batted .327, had an on base average of .372 and slugged .530. He averaged 27 home runs, 114 RBIs, 49 walks and only 34 strikeouts.

It’s September 17, 2011, the New York Yankees are playing a Saturday afternoon game up in Toronto, the second of a three game set against the Blue Jays.
 
Including this game, there are just 10 games left in the regular season.
 
The Yankees, who are leading 4-1 in the bottom of the eighth, are about to clinch the AL East.
 

As always, the Yankees have a chance to be really good this year.

Except for the minor problem that their No. 2 starter has only one year of starting experience in the majors, their No. 3 starter is probably the single most maddening starter in baseball, their No. 4 starter has seven major league starts to his credit and their No. 5 starter is either a guy who has never pitched in the majors or a guy who couldn’t hold the starting spot when it was handed to him last summer. 

To get Roy Halladay in 2011, you will probably have to spend a first round pick on him. Sure, he's great and all, but I don't think I would want to spend my first pick on a guy that I can only use once every five days.

I like results, and hitters are going to show me results everyday. That's why I hardly ever draft a pitcher in the first six rounds. 

When Alex Anthopoulos traded Alex Gonzalez to the Atlanta Braves for Yunel Escobar, the majority of Jays’ fans were fine with it. 

Gonzalez on average will give you 16 HR and 70 RBI.  Escobar on the other hand, had a great 2009; 14 HR, 76 RBI, .299 BA, .377 OBP.  Not bad for a third year player in only his second full season commanding the middle infield. 

Be sure to read our prospect profiles. There are 19 of them so far (Cito Culver is scheduled to be published later today) and I plan on doing at least 10 to 20 more. So don't fall behind on your Yankees prospects.

The then Tampa Bay Devil Rays were building something special in the outfield.