Horsehide Chronicles

Robinson Cano chose to bolt for the Seattle Mariners over re-signing with the New York Yankees, as one is wont to do when 10 years for $240 million is offered.

The most common thought of the week—I know because I've said it, wrote it, texted it and tweeted it myself—is how there won't be much left for teams to do at next week's winter meetings because everything has already happened.

The hot stove is officially cookin', but with Major League Baseball's winter meetings set to start on Monday, Dec. 9, in Orlando, it's as good a time as any to take a break from all the heat—and take stock of the fantasy impact from all the activity.

When the money's available and there are no clear options to replace him in-house or on the free-agent market, sometimes the best thing to do is re-sign your own guy.

Everyone, let's thank the Boston Red Sox for demonstrating this concept by agreeing to a deal with Mike Napoli. He will be back in Boston in 2014. And 2015 too.

This has been a week worthy of the Hot Stove Hall of Fame.

Though the winter meetings don't kick off until Monday, there were enough free-agent signings and trades made over the last few days for several winter meetings. Notably, the two best free agents are off the board, and some big pieces got moved via the trade market.

It's impossible to read anything about Jacoby Ellsbury's free agency that doesn't mention his injury history. "Point X, Point Y, Point Z, but then there's his injury history," they all (basically) say. 

Oh, the names that could have been out there on the free-agent market.

Sure, Robinson Cano is pretty great. Ditto Jacoby Ellsbury. Shin-Soo Choo's on-base prowess makes one swoon. Before he was picked up by the New York Yankees, Brian McCann stood out as a very rare breed of free agent: an elite offensive and defensive catcher.

The New York Yankees and Texas Rangers have each filled major voids for left-handed power hitters for the middle of their respective lineups, while the St. Louis Cardinals didn't waste time upgrading at the shortstop position.

Just when you thought you had seen and heard it all in this time of outrageous contracts and outrageous contract demands, along comes Nelson Cruz demanding $75 million.

Perhaps nothing in sports is more motivating than having to watch your archrival succeed.

That's just what the New York Yankees spent this past October doing, though, as the Boston Red Sox won it all after dominating the Yankees and the rest of the American League East during the regular season.