Opinion

With the seventh overall pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, the Mets selected 21-year-old Matt Harvey, starting pitcher from UNC.

Originally drafted by the Angels in 2007, Harvey chose to attend college instead. At the time the Angels drafted him, Harvey was widely considered the best high school pitching prospect in the country.

As a Red Sox fan, I'm as happy as anyone that the Red Sox have acquired Adrian Gonzalez. However, Boston's work is far from done in this offseason: if they are to succeed in 2011 and beyond, the Red Sox need Carl Crawford and several relievers.

It really seems like the Orioles are running in quicksand, doesn't it?

On the day of the biggest trade to hit Baltimore since the Erik Bedard deal, the team is still overshadowed by Boston's trade for Adrian Gonzalez and Toronto shipping Shaun Marcum off to Milwaukee.

Such is life in the American League East.

The Baltimore Orioles have sent relievers David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio to the Arizona Diamondbacks for their slugging, strikeout-prone third baseman Mark Reynolds.

Even though it happened only a couple hours ago, every Orioles fan knows that by now.

Reynolds is a legitimate, right-handed power bat, having hit 32 homers last season, and 44 in 2009.

This wasn't exactly a forward-thinking weekend for the Yankees, was it?

Jayson Werth, Carl Crawford would love to give you a hug or at least send you a thank you card because what you did for his new contract isn't something he can put into words.

Although, the stupidity of the Washington Nationals should be worth something to Crawford as well because if it wasn't for the team in the nation's capital, Crawford wouldn't be looking at nearly the amount of money that he'll command now.

The dominoes are starting to fall. Jayson Werth has signed a surprisingly large contract with the Washington Nationals (seven years, $126 million) leaving outfielder Carl Crawford as the number one prize on the free agent market. Crawford and his agent were already looking for a contract in the $100 million dollar range, but if Werth going to average $18 million a season what can Crawford now command?

The trade appeared finished on Saturday, was dead in the water on Sunday, and on Monday, the Boston Red Sox unveiled their new first baseman, Adrian Gonzalez, to the media.

In a trade years in the making, the Red Sox sent top pitching prospect Casey Kelly, outfielder Raymond Fuentes, and power-hitting first baseman Anthony Rizzo to the San Diego Padres. In return, they get a player long-coveted by Boston’s front office.

Have you ever hear the expression “swing hard in case you hit it”? Well, that is the epitome of Orioles newly acquired third baseman Mark Reynolds.

Reynolds was traded for on Monday morning, just after the first day of Major League Baseball’s winter meetings in Florida began. In return, the Orioles gave away relievers David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio (from Triple-A Norfolk).

The 2010 MLB Winter Meetings kicked off with a bang this week when the Washington Nationals signed outfielder Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126-million deal—and ignited the baseball world in the process.

One baseball writer called the signing “irresponsible.” A general manager reportedly nearly fell out of his chair when he heard the terms of the deal.