NL East

I learned of the news today in my fourth-period class.

And when I saw it, I scratched my head a bit.

"So, the Braves just traded what likely would've been the second-hottest closer commodity for...Jesse Chavez?"

I'm sure many of you shared the same sentiment.

So, I did what comes natural.

I Googled Jesse Chavez.

This is what I saw: 26 years old, only one sub-three ERA year in the minors (2.22 in 11 appearances a couple of years back), and lots of home runs.

"What's this crap?!?!"

I was a bit perplexed, so I sat back and thought.

Were Carlos Delgado and John Olerud more valuable with the bat than Keith Hernandez—a star with the glove two decades earlier?

Is David Wright's combination of speed and power enough to see off Howard Johnson—the All-Star who took the current face of the franchise under his wing this winter to iron out his swing?

Is power more important than speed? Is the past worth more the present?

It all points to one question with hundreds of possibilities: Which New York Met had the greatest offensive season at his position?

It is surprising how one minute you're considered a genius and another minute a fool.

Frank Wren has already at the very beginning pulled off two sensational signings. Yet Rafael Soriano's consideration for the offer of arbitration has everyone second-guessing.

"How could Wren sign those aging pitchers?"

"How's he going to get a bat if Soriano ties up $7 million?"

First off, relief pitchers can easily go into their mid to late 40s.  This is simply because they only throw 15 to 20 pitches an outing 40 to 90 games a year.

Also on Rotoprofessor.com !

Each draft there are players fantasy leaguers go crazy for because of a breakout season the year prior.

Often times the reasoning is unfounded because the player has never been nearly that good in his career. Most of the time he totally comes out of nowhere to become a fantasy force, only to come crashing down to reality in the next season.

The Kansas City Royals are the current grist being ground in the rumor mill that is Major League Baseball's hot stove season.

I suppose it is a welcome change for the oft-maligned and hardly spoken of club, because as the saying goes, "any press is good press. "