Baseball

The Lowell Spinners, Class-A Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, announced their 2010 coaching staff Monday evening, welcoming back 2006 Spinners manager Bruce Crabbe as part of a completely revamped coaching staff for the back-to-back Stedler Division Champions.

Coming off back-to-back Stedler Division Championships and back-to-back playoff appearances, the first in franchise history, the entire Spinners 2009 coaching staff earned promotions.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports is reporting that the Seattle Mariners have traded pitcher Brandon Morrow to the Toronto Blue Jays for reliever Brandon League and a prospect.

According to Buster Olney of ESPN.com, the Yankees may be close to acquiring a starter:

Yankees working very hard tonight on deal for starting pitcher. Remember that they came close to deal for Aaron Harang in summer.

The Yankees have been busy this offseason, already landing Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson, and have since turned their attention to the starting rotation.

As bold and premature predictions go, this may be the ultimate. In the world of baseball prognostication, it is nearly heresy to even consider what I am about to propose.

As I cast my eyes across the National League, however, I am left with no alternative. It simply must be noted: the Washington Nationals have a very real chance of making the postseason in 2010.

About the Authors and the Voting Process

Section written by Jonathan Stilwell and Michael W

This is a collaboration piece that was really written by three different Bleacher Report members.

The three BR historians that voted on and wrote this article are Oystein Dahl, Jonathan Stilwell and Michael W.

Brian Sabean and the San Francisco Giants went into the 2009 offseason with a relatively short, but particularly important to-do list.

The deadline for offering arbitration has passed. The winter meetings are over. Free agents are coming off the market.

And what have the Giants done? Aside from being involved in a juicy rumor involving Dan Uggla and signing minor league pitcher Eric Hacker, San Francisco has only seen their players leave.

Were it not for the several feet of snow that has blanketed Washington D.C., you would be able to see Nationals’ fans jumping up and down with glee at the news that their team has just agreed to terms with free agent pitcher Jason Marquis.

Maybe they can make snow angels instead.

ESPN.com's Jayson Stark is reporting (hat tip to MLB Trade Rumors) that, at the winter meetings earlier this month, the New York Mets were involved in a four-team trade proposal with the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Angels.

Had the deal of went through, here is how things would have panned out:

Presuming that the Oakland A's move forward with their signing of Coco Crisp, there will be somewhat of a logjam in the outfield for the Athletics.

Fortunately for Billy Beane, Cubs GM Jim Hendry just happens to be looking for a center fielder.

While the rumors continue to circulate about Byrd being the word for the Cubs, don't dismiss the possibility of a trade with Oakland. Hendry has worked deals with Beane before, most recently the Jake Fox trade, plus Davis fits the mold of the type of player Hendry should be looking for.