Baseball

Day three of baseball's winter meetings has seen a lot more action within just about every team in either league.

Things have even started to pick up for the San Diego Padres. There was talk yesterday that they'd had conversations with both the Giants and the Twins about a trade involving third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff.

After a few busy days of winter meetings in the MLB, let’s take a look at the fantasy implications of some of the bigger moves:

The Philadelphia Phillies have been getting it done so far this off-season. They've accomplished one of their main goals so far and have made a lot of small pickups along the way.

So far, the Phillies have done a great job, though they can do better.

They replaced defensive master Pedro Feliz with Placido Polanco, who is just as good with the glove. Polanco, who played with the Phillies from 2002-2005, is a great contact hitter and has a .303 career average. He isn't much for power, but will definitely be an improvement at third base.

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.

I think I'd have a much easier time trying to correctly interpret David Lynch's film Eraserhead than I would trying to understand what the Houston Astros front office is up to these days.

For those not up on cinematic issues, Lynch has never publicly commented on the interpretation of his 1977 horror/fantasy/sci-fi/drama, only to say that of all the guesses fans have made, nobody's ever come close to its true meaning.

The Yankees are showing why they are an elite team once again. Say what you want, like “They buy all their championships.” Maybe, maybe not. I say, “If you don’t reinvest in your product, it becomes stationary. It becomes average.” Merely weeks after celebrating another championship, they are still at work making some major moves this current off season.

I know that he's come out and said that he wants to play in Kansas City next year and claims he is healthy, but the fact of the matter is this: He is owed $12 million next year, he's 34, he's been bothered by injuries, and he's been a semi-cancer in the clubhouse. Every knows we are trying to trade him, mainly to get his contract off the books, and if I'm Dayton Moore I would be doing the same thing.

I know that Jose Guillen has come out and said that he wants to play in Kansas City next year and claims he is healthy, but the fact of the matter is he is owed $12 million next year, he's 34, he's been bothered by injuries, and he's been a semi-cancer in the clubhouse.

The (AL) West just got wilder.

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

The deal, which is contingent upon Harden passing a physical, is believed to have an option for 2011 valued at $11.5 million.