AL East

The New York Mets have reportedly said that they will not pick up the $8.1 million option for JJ Putz next season.

They have instead opted to buy his contract out for $1 million, making him a free agent.

It was just one season ago that Putz was considered a top closer in the American League. He was also the centerpiece of the trade that netted the Seattle Mariners CF Franklin Gutierrez, 1B Mike Carp, OF Endy Chavez, P Garrett Olson, and INF Ronny Cedeno (later used in a trade for SS Jack Wilson, and SP Ian Snell), among others.

The Boston Red Sox have acquired Jeremy Hermida from the Florida Marlins in exchange for a pair of minor league left-handers in Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez.

Neither pitcher is considered a top prospect, as both are relief pitchers who offer little to no upside for fantasy baseball owners.

Hermida, however, is a different story.

• Year: 1998
• Record: 65-97
• Win %: .401
• Win % Change: -87
• Run Differential: -141
• Pythagorean Record: 68-94
• AL Finish: 13th of 14
• Manager: Buddy Bell and Larry Parrish
• Best Transaction: In December, the Tigers signed Luis Gonzalez as a free agent to fill a hole in the corner outfield spots. This worked out just fine … for one season. Gonzalez slugged more than 20 homers but was out of town within a year. We all know how that worked out.
  

With all of the hullabaloo surrounding the New York Yankees winning their 27th World Series title, I figured I would weigh in.

It's a well-known fact to anyone that knows me that I am a huge New York Mets fan. So this year, with the World Series being played between the Yankees and the Mets' bitter enemy, the Philadelphia Phillies, there was no clear-cut team that I could root for.

Ultimately, I chose to support the Phillies, for two simple reasons.

Game Six of the World Series. The New York Yankees are just one win away from a world championship. They are sending Andy Pettitte to the mound. Pettitte has been one of the Yankees most clutch post season pitchers in franchise history. Given the Yankees powerful line-up; they are heavy favorites to close out the World Series without getting to a chaotic Game Seven.

It just wasn't going to happen in Philadelphia.

The baseball season will go at least one more game. Chase Utley was once again the spark for the Phillies as he set the tone in the bottom of the first inning with a three-run homer off A.J. Burnett.

The New York Yankees have been going with a three-man rotation for the entire postseason even with a fourth starter, Chad Gaudin, looming in the bullpen.

Gaudin was a midseason acquisition for the Yankees to fill a spot in the bullpen, to be a possible spot starter for the struggling Joba Chamberlain, and to fill the spot left by Phil Hughes, who has settled nicely into a setup role for Mariano Rivera.