Opinion

Ranking Major League Managers can be a tricky business. Managing can be, like standing on a razor edge; one wrong move and you'll get cut. 

It seems that no matter, what the city, or team, managers are always on the hot seat.  Security in this job, is never guaranteed, so it comes as no surprise that, entering the 2011 season we have twelve teams sporting new managers. 

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, and Oakland Athletics are discussing the framework of a deal that would see the Blue Jays acquire a third baseman.

The Mariners are looking to unload third baseman Chone Figgins and it looks like the Athletics are putting together a package to try and acquire him. In the move, according to Olney, you will likely see Athletics third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff sent to the Blue Jays as part of the package.

Last season, the Atlanta Braves became the envy of the league, when MLB.com named Jason Heyward as the top prospect in their annual listing of the Top Prospects in Major League Baseball.

On January 24th the Detroit Tigers traded Armando Galarraga to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a couple of low level prospects.  This is a risky move that officially ends the Tigers' rollercoaster relationship with the occasionally talented, soft-throwing righthander best known as the poster boy for good sportsmanship following Jim Joyce's blown call on his almost perfect game last summer. 

In professional baseball, unlike the other major professional sports, twenty years is a benchmark of sorts for a career. 

Sure, a player can go to the Hall of Fame having played 18, 15, or even 10 seasons, but 20 seasons is generally held out as the symbol of full career as a major league baseball player.

The Kansas City Royals did not have a lot to cheer about during last year's 67-win season, the fifth worst record in Major League Baseball in 2010.

Things only got worse when the Royals traded former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for a bunch of young prospects.

The Boston Red Sox and their fans have had a pretty rough go of it lately.

Not only did the squad fail to qualify for the postseason in 2010, but the franchise also lost Adrian Beltre and Victor Martinez over the winter.

Beantown's had to watch a different team hoist the World Series trophy for three consecutive years, a run that includes a crown for their revolting rivals to the south, the New York Yankees.

Now it's down two key contributors from an underachieving '10 roster.

Of course, you could point to the bigger picture.

The Pittsburgh Pirates were a team desperately in search of a left-handed reliever that can get outs late in a game.

They may have found that guy in ex-Pirate Joe Beimel.

The Pirates announced today that they have agreed to terms with Beimel on a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.

Beimel turned down a few major league offers, including a two-year deal from an unnamed team, citing a desire to return to Pittsburgh, where he began his career.

Entering the 2011 season, the Mets are a team of low expectations and "what ifs." The fans don't think their team is going very far this season, but don't tell Jose Reyes that. Reyes says he has thoughts of MVP in his mind with spring training just 18 days away.

Shut out from signing Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre (Ouch!), the Angels overreacted and made a trade for Vernon Wells. Guess there really is one born every minute.

Wells' seven-year, $126 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, which has been one of the worst deals in baseball since it was signed in 2006, is now the Angels' problem, or at least $86 million of it is.

But money is just one reason for Angels fans to hate this deal.

Let's take a look at some other reasons...