MLB

Young shortstops are getting a lot of focus these days, but the names generally mentioned are Alcides Escobar and Elvis Andrus.  There’s a third speedster who belongs to be included in that group, the Padres’ Everth Cabrera.

Before we get into too much detail, let’s take a look at his line from last season:

377 At Bats
.255 Batting Average (96 Hits)
2 Home Runs
31 RBI
59 Runs
25 Stolen Bases
.342 On Base Percentage
.361 Slugging Percentage
.328 Batting Average on Balls in Play

Edgar Martinez has made the final list of eligibility for the 2010 MLB Hall of Fame, and it’s a deserving achievement.

Martinez is deserving to be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and when the voters sit down to decide if he should have their vote, they should make the correct decision and induct him.

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He won't turn 26 until January, but Josh Johnson might be one of the better pitchers to become available this winter.

Johnson stands to receive a substantial raise from his 2009 salary of $1.4 million after posting a 15-5 record with 191 strikeouts in 209 innings pitched. Standing 6-7 and weighing 240 pounds, Johnson is physically intimidating and backs it up with phenomenal stuff.

While every one now is pondering why Roy Halladay is needed on the Yankees (he isn't), I want to focus on the first important deal that Brian Cashman will attempt to get done.

The rumors that the Boston Red Sox are interested in former Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Marco Scutaro.

I prefer Scutaro to almost every other shortstop on the market for the Red Sox. Boston has already let their shortstop from last season's stretch, Alex Gonzalez, go to Toronto.

Scutrao's defense is not as good as Gonzalez's defense, but it's passable compared to some of the other shortstops the Red Sox had since the traded Nomar Garciaparra back in 2004.

Both Scutaro and the Red Sox brass have expressed very serious interest in each other.

Bert Blyleven belongs in the Hall of Fame.

In fact, he’s belonged in the Hall of Fame for 12 years.

Yet, for 12 years in a row, the Baseball Writers Association of American has erred by leaving him out in the cold when the voting results are announced.

Did Mark McGwire cheat? Did he use steroids to build his massive home run hitting frame? Is he little more than a liar when it comes to admitting what we all know is the truth?

The collective answer is obvious to anyone taking a step back from the emotional brink.

We don’t know.

Roy Halladay will never don a Blue Jays jersey again. As a fan base, we know that much. What we don't know is who will cowboy up and give up the necessary talent to land this ace. 

Many are speculating that the Halladay sweepstakes will eventually turn into a classic Red Sox versus Yankees bidding war. It's hard to argue. Last offseason, the boys in blue managed to spend $441 million for five players! That figure was over two times what the rest of the American League spent altogether.

With Thanksgiving over and the Christmas season in full swing, baseball's free agency period and winter off-season shopping and trading will likely now pick up full steam.

The biggest name on the trading market is Blue Jays ace pitcher Roy Halladay.

Halladay's agent recently named four teams Halladay prefers: the Red Sox, Phillies, Dodgers, and Yankees.

Brian Cashman has already made calls to Toronto to state his interest in Halladay, who is looking to leave the only place he has known as home in his major league career.