It's still only December, but the news on Major League Baseball has certainly taken center stage for much of this week, most of the attention coming as a result of the mega-deal between Toronto, Seattle, Philadelphia and (obscurely) Oakland. It was literally a one-of-a-kind deal, with two Cy Young Award winners on the move.
The deal means that Cliff Lee lands in Seattle, where he will certainly boost the Mariners' playoff chances as they creep ever closer to the Angels' divisional mini-dynasty.
Roy Halladay, the long-time Blue Jay who's supreme talents surely deserve playoff exposure, will add to the growing strength of the Phillies, who will now field a rotation with Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ, and Halladay. He is the outstanding right-handed ace that the Phillies were lacking in the World Series, and will go a long way toward contributing the the Phils' attempt at a third straight Series appearance.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays corralled a host of top prospects, including the coveted pitcher Kyle Drabek. The A's acquired one of those prospects, Michael Taylor, in return for Brett Wallace, who was shipped to Toronto.
In New York, the Yankees just made themselves stronger by tabbing former Tiger center fielder Curtis Granderson as their new man to roam where Mantle and DiMaggio have trod. The pickup will more than make up for the loss of Matsui to the Angels.
Granderson is 28 years old, just entering his prime, and coming off a 30-home run season. As a left-handed power bat, the Yankees gain a younger, more durable, and better defensive replacement for the increasingly creaky Matsui.
The Angels have been the big loser of the off season so far, losing Chone Figgins to the rival Mariners, who replace the defensive wizard Adrian Beltre (a free agent) with an energetic speedster at the top of the order.
John Lackey—the hero of the 2002 World Series—departed for Boston, leaving the Angels searching for a viable front end rotation option. The acquisition of Matsui will provide some power, but that will probably come in the form of a DH, which is something the Angels have been looking for.
The other Los Angeles team, the Dodgers, have already had a very long and strenuous offseason. The revelations of the McCourt divorce/affair/soap opera saga have really set the team back in its re-tooling efforts.
The team is coming off consecutive NLCS appearances, but its weaknesses in the pitching rotation are becoming harder to fill as the McCourt money becomes less available.
The ownership saga will have to pan out and somehow be resolved for the Dodgers to make any significant splash in free agent signings or trades, so it would be unwise to expect any more major moves.
Beyond off-field drama, Torre has already lost Randy Wolf and second baseman Orlando Hudson from his squad, and the Dodgers hope that Blake DeWitt can make a solid contribution at second base. The signing of Jamey Carroll, the aging, powerless second-baseman will provide a needed utility player presence, but don't expect much production from that signing. He is a solid clubhouse presence, which (as the Dodgers know from the Jeff Kent years) is always crucial.
However, all is not lost in Tinsel Town. The Dodgers still sport a powerful offensive lineup that would consist of Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Manny Ramirez, Rafael Furcal, James Loney, and Russell Martin. Furcal and Martin, and even Ramirez, had down years last season, so expecting improvement offensively isn't out of the question. The defense also remains strong, and there is hope for the pitching as well.
Clayton Kershaw will look to continue his growing process which has come along so promisingly, while Chad Billingsly is no doubt looking to rebound from an extremely disappointing second half. Hiroki Kuroda, while injury prone, is solid when healthy, and the bullpen should remain a strength. The team continues to look for a fourth starter, and names like Aaron Harang have come up in the past couple of days. Look for the team to tab a durable, discounted arm (like Harang's) to bolster the rotation.
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