MLB

With the list of potential free agents being adequate at best, this Hot Stove season will be heated with potential trades. Leading the list of "Who Will Win The (insert name) Sweepstake" is Roy Halladay.

The current market seems to include both Los Angeles and New York teams, Boston and Chicago Cubs. I expect this list to grow with Atlanta, St. Louis and Philly jumping in the game.

Before deciding who will win and pay at least $120 million over six years, we need to understand what the Toronto Blue Jays need and who they may want.

Needs

The Red Sox finally winning the World Series was the best and worst thing for the franchise. It was the best day in most (well, at least mine) Red Sox fans' lives, and finally shut Yankee fans up, for at least one season.

On the flip side, winning championships is addicting for die-hard sports fans. Now, Red Sox nation wants to win every year.

Brian Cashman won't meet with the Steinbrenner family until next week to discuss what the team's 2010 payroll is going to be, but regardless of what they tell him, he won't make the same splash he did a year ago.

"We spent a lot of money last year," said Cashman, who dumped a combined $429 million on Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte and watched the quartet play a big part in the Yankees winning the World Series . "We're not going to spend as much this year."

Before you read any further, I would like to issue a disclaimer of sorts. Despite all the buzz around the Internet about Adrian Gonzalez and/or Miguel Cabrera, I don’t believe that either will be traded this offseason.

Furthermore, I would like to go out on a limb and say that even if they were to be traded, I don’t see the Mets on the receiving end of either of the potential deals.

The New York Daily News printed its second (at least) article in the past week regarding a deal in the early stages of talks between Royals and the Mets.  In this deal, Kansas City would be sending Jose Guillen to New York, presumably eating a chunk of his $12 million salary for 2010, for Angel Pagan.  

Roy Halladay's pitch hand is strong.

So strong, in fact, he's got practically every team in the Majors falling all over themselves to make sure it belongs to them. 

Top prospects, proven starters, first born children—all being offered up like sacrificial lambs to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Halladay's unique services, but one team has emerged as a potential front-runner.

According to several media outlets, the Philadephia Phillies have agreed to terms with free agent Juan Castro on a one-year contract with a club option for 2011 pending a physical. The signing is expected to be announced next week.

Castro is listed as a shortstop, but he's a utility player who will replace Eric Bruntlett on the roster for the 2010 season. In 2009, Castro played 20 games at second base, eight at third, and two in left field.

"Really?"

These were the first words out of my mouth when I read the voting results for the National League MVP.

Somebody thinks that Jeremy Affeldt is the tenth best player in the National League. This is what I knew: