AL East

Despite initially not expressing interest in signing him, the New York Yankees have signed reliever Rafael Soriano to a three-year, $35 million contract, and while they are overpaying him, here is why the acquisition is a smart one.

Kyle Farnsworth is like the Fanny Pack. He was popular for a little bit in the 90′s, but then everyone realized it was a bad idea to have him around.

Then, just when you think he is going to fade out, someone breaks it out again in full force.

It's almost the middle of January, and the Yankees quest for pitching depth continues.

It may get even more complicated if, in fact, Andy Pettitte doesn't come back to the Yankees, or at least, for the beginning of 2011.

The Yankees are rumored to be interested in former Oakland A's pitcher Justin Duchscherer, but he has been on the DL regularly since 2008 and the Yankees aren't sure if they are interested in him for the starting rotation or the bullpen.

With the signing of reliever Kevin Gregg to a two-year, $10 million deal, the Baltimore Orioles have loaded their bullpen up with late-inning options.

Now that Adrian Gonzalez will be calling Fenway Park home instead of Petco Park, we have to wonder what we can expect from him this year (and in the future) in terms of fantasy production.

It's not even February, however the Boston Red Sox have been all but given their rings as 2011 World Series Champions. Hello? We have to actually play all those 162 games to decide things, people! Cliff Lee be damned, the Yankees are still a pretty solid team, yes? Does it not seem premature to declare the AL East, never mind the Series, as a lock for this Boston team?

While Boston is certainly an early October favorite with their monster offseason moves thus far, they are still a team that has distinct and pronounced weakness.

If you know where to find the panic button, Yankees fans, feel free to press it now.

(Go ahead. Don't be shy. Tilt back the head of that Kevin Maas bust. There it is, in all its resplendent fury. Push it. Good job.)

Your team is officially in serious trouble. I know many believed that was already the case when Cliff Lee chose to sign with the Phillies, but that was premature doom-and-gloom.

Former Red Sox catcher Rich Gedman, a native of Worcester, has been named the hitting coach for the (Single-A, Short-Season) Lowell Spinners of the New York–Penn League.

Gedman, widely considered to be one of the real good guys in baseball during his playing days, was once an All-Star with the Red Sox; but, his offensive skills disappeared soon after Walt Hriniak was hired as hitting coach by the Red Sox in 1986.

The Red Sox are my sleeper pick.

This prediction comes in spite of their heavy losses in sluggers Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre.

According to the Daily News, Brian Cashman has said Andy Pettitte will not be playing at the start of the 2011 season. I've been trying to give Andy the benefit of the doubt, but he's start to remind me of Brett Favre. 

I know how hard it is to walk away from a sport, I had to do it in college, so I can hardly fathom how it is for someone who has played more than 30 years.