Preview/Prediction

With the departure of Carlos Gomez , the role of most scrutinized player in the outfield has unequivocally been awarded to Delmon Young . His status as a below-average defender has been well-documented, and 2010 will be a do-or-die season for him. If he can't find some success at the plate, there will be little reason for the Twins to hang onto him.

The emergence of Rene Tosoni , 23, certainly isn't helping Young's cause. Should Young struggle in 2010, Tosoni could be a candidate for an early or mid-season promotion.

This winter's free agent market for starting pitching in Major League Baseball is especially thin, with John Lackey being the only real headliner.

Other pitchers, like Rich Harden and Randy Wolf, might fill out the middle or bottom of a team's rotation, but some teams are looking to upgrade the front of their rotation.

That's where the trade market begins.

The economy has stripped teams of a lot of the financial flexibility, and big contracts are becoming as unpopular as ever.

Hello, once again! To start, a big congrats to the World Champion New York Yankees! It has a been a long time coming for us fans, and the team definitely earned it this year with their clutch play!

Honestly, this was one of the best teams the Yanks have had in the last 20 years or so, I would say the only one that might best them would be the incredible 1998 Championship team. Enough about the past though, let us look ahead into the future to the 2010 team that will look to defend their championship.

Jason Bay. Lyle Overbay. No, they don't play for Tampa Bay. But they may be playing for the city on the (Puget) "Sound," if the Seattle Mariners, or at least Mariners writers like Andy Augur, have their way.

In 2009, the Mariners were something like No. 7 in the American League playoff sweepstakes. That was despite American League-leading team pitching.

With economics playing a larger role in how teams are constructed - here's my 25 players who are going to be on the Braves active roster leaving Spring Training and in the dugout on Opening Day 2010. There are a couple of additions, that, by the September, may bring the Braves back to the playoffs and possibly a World Series title in Bobby Cox's final season.

Begin Slideshow

It's the middle of November, so there's a ton of speculation flying around the web about baseball players moving addresses before the 2010 season.

For teams like the disappointing Chicago Cubs, the final out of the World Series means the beginning of a new hope. But, this winter, that hope needs to be tempered with a strong dose of reality.

The Phillies begin the long process of the offseason as we take a quick look at what is on the horizon for the team, and what could come in the next couple of weeks.

Awards and Accolades

Less than a week after the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games to win their 27th World Championship, the Hot Stove League has begun in earnest.

Even before the general managers meeting in Chicago on Nov. 10-11, trades have been made in the fresh offseason.

The Pirates and the Rays made a deal on Nov. 3, with Tampa Bay sending second baseman Akinori Iwamura to Pittsburgh for reliever Jesse Chavez. Two days later, the Marlins traded outfielder Jeremy Hermida to Boston for left-hander Hunter Jones.

Next week, MLB will announce its award winners for the 2009 regular season. I think it is time to take a look at who the award winners may be.

The American League

Gold Glove Winners