The MLB off-season has been full of big time moves already and I thought I would do a quick recap of what I think of each move.Curtis Granderson/Yankees: By now we all should know that Granderson was traded to the Yankees in a three-way deal that sent Austin Jackson and Max Scherzer to the Tigers and Edwin Jackson to the Diamondbacks. I like the move for the Tigers because I think Scherzer will be a solid pitcher for them and they have him cheap for multiple years, which is the same reason I hate the move for the Diamondbacks, although I am probably higher on Edwin Jackson then most other people are. The most interesting part of this trade to me is Granderson going to the Yankees. Granderson has a pretty cheap contract considering his age and skill set, but he also has some major negatives, including the fact that he can't hit lefties (career .210 hitter), strikes out a lot, and he's probably only average at best defensively in center. I don't think he's much of an upgrade over Johnny Damon offensively and I'd much rather have Damon hitting second in the lineup. However, I think we have to wait and see who the Yankees bring in to play LF before we judge the Granderson move. Right now I'm neutral on it.
Roy Halladay/Phillies/Mariners: Rumor has it that Halladay is going to be traded to the Phillies in a 3-way deal that will also send Cliff Lee to the Mariners. Personally, I think the Phillies should just keep Lee and forget about trading for Halladay if they have to give up Lee to get him. It's really a wash in my eyes as they are both top notch pitchers. However, I think the Phillies are making this move because they know they can resign Halladay right now to an extension and Lee has made no such promises once he becomes a free agent next year. That's about the other reason I can think of that the Phillies would have for trading Lee. I personally think they have enough to trade for Halladay without trading Lee, but it appears they don't want to do that. Also, if the Mariners get Lee to go along with King Felix, they could have a nice looking squad next year. Looks like the Blue Jays will get top prospect Phillip Aumont from Seattle and possibly Michael Taylor from the Phillies.
John Lackey/Red Sox: It looks as though Lackey will sign with the Red Sox for 5 years and $85 million. This is a solid move for the Sox, but it could go either way for them. Lackey is coming off an injury prone season, but has been pretty healthy in the past. I would compare Lackey to A.J. Burnett or Josh Beckett. I think he's in that range of pitcher more than a Roy Halladay or C.C. Sabathia. It will be interesting to see how he pitches in Boston, since his numbers there are atrocious. I do think he will be well worth his contract once all is said and done, but I still think the Sox need some more bats in their lineup, and they still haven't addressed their issues in LF. It's rumored they are interested in Mike Cameron to most likely play LF. Cameron is a nice player, but he's 37 years old and strikes out a ton. However, he would be a huge upgrade defensively over Jason Bay. I think he would struggle big time in big market Boston though. The Sox are also interested in Adrian Beltre to help replace Mike Lowell, but that talk has died down lately, because the Lowell trade hasn't gone through yet.
Hideki Matsui/Angels: Sounds like the World Series MVP will not be back in the Bronx next season and will be signing a one-year deal with the Angels for something like $6 million to DH. This is a great move for the Angels, because that is a steal of a price for a hitter like Matsui. I think the Yankees are making a mistake if they don't bring Matsui back at that price on a one-year deal. I'm thinking they must be leaning towards bringing Damon back to split LF/DH with Melky. This also means Vladimir Guerrero's days are probably numbered with the Angels and it will be VERY interesting to see where he lands because he basically is just a DH at this point in his career and there's only so many DH spots available.
Jason Bay: The guy can hit but he's not a good defensive player and I don't think he's a $15 million plus a year player. It looks like he will get that amount though and he could land with either the Mets, Giants, or Mariners. It just so happens that all three of those teams play in parks that are far less offensive friendly than Fenway Park. Should be interesting to see how the Bay singing turns out for whatever team dishes out the cash for him.
Matt Holliday: He's probably the biggest name free agent hitter and there has barely been any talk about where he will end up. There's speculation that he will end up with the Yankees, but I honestly do not see that happening. The Cardinals are still the most likely spot for him to land, but I think they are going to wait out the market, and try not to bid against themselves for Holliday.
Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles added Kevin Millwood in a trade with the Rangers and should be a fun team to watch next season. They have a ton of young talent, including Nick Markakis, Matt Weiters, Adam Jones, Nolan Reimold, Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, & more and I can see them turning into the next "Tampa Bay Rays" within the next few seasons if everyone pans out. You never know how young talent will develop, but Baltimore certainly seems to be on the right path.
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