The Best.
1. Seattle Mariners get Pitcher Cliff Lee in a trade involving Pitcher Roy Halladay being traded from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Philadelphia Phillies for prospects
This move was by far the steal of the offseason. The Mariners swooped in and acquired the best left-handed pitcher in the game right now and will pair him with Felix Hernandez. That immediately gives the Mariners one of the most dangerous rotations in the game.
2. New York Yankees trade Outfielder Melky Cabrera to the Atlanta Braves for Pitcher Javier Vazquez
I know the fans in New York loved Melky, but the addition of Vazquez gives the Yanks the best rotation in the game. They have a front four of CC Sabathia, Andy Pettite, A.J. Burnett, and now Javier Vazquez. That’s a rotation that doesn’t have any holes in it, and it will be a nightmare for hitters in the AL East.
3. Seattle Mariners sign Third Baseman Chone Figgins to a 4 year/$36 million contract
Figgins adds another speedster who can play small ball and manufacture some runs with Ichiro at the top of the order. He also plays stellar defense at third base, and his contract is a steal for what he brings to the table. Add in the fact that the Mariners stole him from the division-rival Angels, and that only sweetens the deal.
4. St. Louis Cardinals sign Pitcher Brad Penny
If anyone can get Brad Penny back to his all-star form, it’s Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan. He salvaged the careers of Chris Carpenter, Joel Pineiro, Jeff Suppan, and even Jeff Weaver for a year. I’d bet on Penny having one of his best years yet.
5. New York Yankees trade Outfielder Austin Jackson and other prospects for Outfielder Curtis Granderson
Granderson is an improvement over Melky Cabrera, and the Yankees only had to give up a couple prospects to do it. Any time a team can get an All-Star caliber player for that cheap, they should do it.
The Worst.
1. Chicago Cubs trade Outfielder Milton Bradley to the Seattle Mariners for Pitcher Carlos Silva
It’s hard to imagine a trade in which both teams end up getting worse, but that’s exactly what happened here. Bradley will only hamper the Mariners team chemistry, and was by far their worst move in a busy offseason. Meanwhile, there’s no way Silva will be able to keep the baseball inside Wrigley Field. If he struggled at pitcher-friendly SafeCo Field, those struggles will be magnified in the smaller Wrigley Field.
2. New York Yankees don’t re-sign Outfielder Johnny Damon
The Yankees said they didn’t have enough money to re-sign Damon. Give me a break. They’re the New York Yankees, they have enough money to sign anyone they want to. What they did to Damon wasn’t classy at all. Damon showed last year that he can still play at a high level, and he will be a key to the Detroit Tigers season.
3. Chicago Cubs sign Outfielder Marlon Byrd to a 3 year/$15 million contract
This just doesn’t seem like the best move the Cubs could have made this offseason. Byrd is getting old, and won’t stay productive for the entire length of his contract. He also doesn’t hit for average and is questionable in the field.
4. Boston Red Sox sign Pitcher John Lackey to a 5 year/$82.5 million contract
Lackey has had trouble staying healthy in recent years. So adding him to a rotation with Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield, both of whom missed time last season, and Josh Beckett, who tends to have blister problems, is probably not the best idea. If the rotation can stay healthy, though, the Red Sox will be in good shape for a wild card run.
5. St. Louis Cardinals sign Outfielder Matt Holliday to a 7 year/$120 million contract
It’s hard to bash a move in which a team signed a guy who will be an All-Star in most of the 7 years of his contract. But I think the Cardinals paid too much. They could have waited and gotten him for much less than $120 million. Albert Pujols’ contract expires after the season, and the Cards better have enough money to sign him. Unfortunately, Holliday’s contract probably means the team will have to let either Chris Carpenter or Adam Wainwright go.
