Baseball

The free-agent market officially opened last week, ushered in by a flurry of important signings that could truly change the game. Or a general malaise, one of the two, I forget which.

Anyone who studies market trends in baseball can tell you that a high volume of deals get done as the windows are closing, not opening.

Shortstop Alex Gonzalez has decided not to wait any longer while the Red Sox try to make up their mind… he has reportedly signed a one-year, $2.75 million dollar deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, with a team option for 2011 ($2.5 MM).

Gonzalez came to the Red Sox in a trade after starting the 2009 season with the Cincinnati Reds…although he is known primarily as a defensive whiz, he managed to hit .284 in 68 games after arriving in Boston.

Toronto, line up to get your tickets to the Gonz show .

The signing of former Red Sox and Reds shortstop Alex Gonzalez has capped off what has been an unusually active past few days for the Jays in the free agent market.

The San Diego Padres need a change of style in their television booth, a name that could bring the team more notoriety and bring fans back to the team .

According to Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union Tribune, that name could be Hall of Fame announcer, and San Diego resident, Dick Enberg.

Sullivan writes in his article that Enberg had coffee back in August with Padres President Tom Garfinkel at Harry's Coffee Shop in La Jolla.

I do not share the current fascination with acquiring Adrian Gonzalez or Roy Halladay, or for signing free agent Matt Holliday for that matter. For the life of me, I don’t understand the reason most fans, media members and pundits are drinking the Steinbrenner Kool-Aid.

Memo to Red Sox Nation: Got milk? Good. Then drink it, and leave the Kool-Aid alone.

With the Winter Meetings just around the corner, the San Diego Padres are in a position to possibly make a few moves to turn this team into a contender in the National League's West Division.

The payroll may not reach more than $40 million next season, but new general manager Jed Hoyer admitted that they may have some wiggle room to sign one or two free agents.

I was foolishly under the impression that things couldn’t get any murkier for the Los Angeles Dodgers front office.

Then I came across a startling article in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that claims Dodgers owner Frank McCourt is running out of money.

Uh-oh.

The piece, written by John Emshwiller, details some very disturbing facts that have emerged from the divorce papers filed between Frank, the team owner, and his soon-to-be ex-wife Jamie, former Dodgers CEO.

Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, and Larry Walker. Three players, one amazing double-play combo, one excellent hitter.

The Minnesota Twins are known throughout the league for their deep minor league organization and uncanny ability to supplement established major-league players with young minor-league talent.

This past year has seen some ebb and flow in several aspects of Minnesota’s minor league system. While there are plenty of elite pitching prospects now in the Twins’ system, there is a lack of middle infielders.

Alex Gonzalez will be taking his slick defense up north next summer.

Gonzalez, 32, signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract with the Blue Jays on Thursday.