Kuzul

Year in and year out, the baseball world becomes littered with free agents in a selection pool.  All of these athletes, now unemployed, are looking for new commitments.  Over the years, we’ve seen the New York Yankees, in particular, stock up on their share of talent in the winter.  Their surplus in money always makes them a constant player in the free-agent market. 

All must recognize that without Curt Flood in 1969, this wouldn’t be possible.  Today, there is a “Flood” of available players testing the waters annually.  It has become the biggest frenzy of the baseball offseason, with constant movement and interaction.  You can all thank Mr. Flood, without him this article isn’t even written.  

The cash flow here is puzzling.  With so many great players available every year, there also comes many poor pickups, too.  Some deals are good because of the money and number of years involved, still many others are bad for the same exact reasons.  

Throughout the years, in some way, each and every MLB team has made its splash in the free-agency period.  Here is a list of each team’s best offseason pickup.  

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Cliff Lee is a phenom on the mound.  With the ball in hand and the crowd going bananas, Lee oftentimes shines.  His prowess as a big-game pitcher is no longer questioned, despite another World Series loss for his team, this time the Texas Rangers.  

The one team that has long coveted this stud lefty is the money-powered New York Yankees.  Why not? Unlike most teams, they can afford Lee’s services, and they’re looking for another arm in their rotation right now—or at least they should be.  

The Yankees’ Evil Empire moniker would just get more “evil” if they were to sign Lee.  He’s another top player that will command a lot of money and add to their star-studded club.  Despite Yankee fans acting “uncivilly” towards Mrs. Lee, at the end of the day, money talks.  Remember what management did for Mark Teixeira’s wife, Leigh?  Don’t think that Cliff Lee’s wife Kristen can’t be bought too.

Here are seven reasons why the Yankees will acquire Cliff Lee this offseason.  

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Philadelphia fans are among the most loyal in sports.  Though if you cross them, they will never forget it and make sure you won’t either.   But Philadelphia Phillies‘ GM Ruben Amaro Jr. won’t ever have to worry about this.  Amaro has been the catalyst behind the Phillies’ reign and has continuously put them in a position to succeed.  That’s right, year after year the Phillies are contenders and build upon the previous season.  A lot of this credit deservedly goes to Amaro, the conductor that steers the Phillies to league supremacy.  

But why exactly do fans tend to put all their trust into this man? 

Certainly, his efforts to keep the Phillies’ window open are admirable, but Amaro’s impact goes beyond this.  During his tenure as Phillies’ GM, they have become the face of the league and synonymous with the “team” dynamic.  Not only has Amaro created a top contender in Philadelphia, but perhaps equally as important, he’s formed the closest team in all of sports.  

The idea of “team” was what mattered most to Amaro in terms of building the Phillies.  He didn’t just go out and look for talent, but also role players that add to a championship team atmosphere.  With a homegrown mind like Amaro in the fold, Philadelphians feel comfortable with the direction of thier Phillies.  

Must Read: Top 10 Postseason Moments in Philadelphia Phillies History

Ruben Amaro Jr. hasn’t been held under any type of serious microscope as so many sports personalities are in Philadelphia.  The way fans see it, Amaro extends his freedoms as GM to make the team better, even if it means raising ticket prices annually.  One thing is for certain though, without Amaro, the past few years wouldn’t have been as successful.  

Even though Pat Gillick laid out the groundwork for Amaro beforehand, Amaro’s responded swiftly.  He’s taken the ball and sprinted with it.   Amaro’s ruthless pursuit of talent has gotten them into the exclusive elite club of MLB.

It’s clear that Philadelphia fans want a winner and so does Ruben Amaro Jr.  With Amaro at the helm, fans are safe in their feelings that he knows what it takes to produce a winning product year in and year out.  The trust that they have instilled in Amaro has become more than just from a fan standpoint though.  Most of these fans have a vested interest in this team.  

As stated earlier, the Phillies raise ticket prices every year and fans expect a better product because of this.  It’s no secret that the Phillies have ruled over the NL the last few seasons and look to continue to do so in the future.  Without Amaro’s gutsy efforts through free-agency and in-season deals, this wouldn’t be possible.  

The Phillies now look to continue to go to work with their gunslinger GM.  Whether you agree with some of his deals is up to you, but Amaro’s ballsy approach can’t be denied.  The Cliff Lee deal was one thing.  Highway robbery was just about the only thing that could describe that.  However, when he followed it up by moving Lee to get his original Plan A Roy Halladay, Amaro had done the unthinkable.  Though he’d traded a fan favorite in Lee, and a top-of-the-rotation ace to boot, he acquired an even better pitcher in Halladay.

Halladay, a man who pitched nearly two perfect games this past season, is in a prime position for an even better 2011.  Amaro wouldn’t stop there though.  By the 2010 trade deadline, he would acquire another ace from Houston in Roy Oswalt.  This gave him the fantastic H2O trio that we know today.  These were all steals in one way or another at the time in which they happened and have helped Amaro’s legacy grow.  

Agree with him or not, Ruben Amaro Jr. is the best GM this town’s seen in quite some time.  There are so many reasons to trust him with the Philadelphia Phillies.   

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Any day, now Jayson Werth will be wearing a new uniform and a $100-million smile.  You can bet your house on the fact that when the 2011 season begins, Jayson Werth will not be a Philadelphia Phillie.  This much is painfully obvious by now.  What we still don’t know is where exactly he will end up when it’s all said and done.  Werth is already being courted by the Boston Red Sox, though they are not a guarantee landing spot for the star right fielder, they are a very likely destination.

Maybe I need to get off of the Werth case and realize that he will not be back next season.  Well, this is now an admitted fact that he will be somewhere else next year.  The main reason, from Werth’s standpoint, was that the Phillies didn’t offer enough years on their deal.  Money supposedly wasn’t much of an issue.  I suppose that $16.5 million per season suffices, doesn’t it Jayson?  Well, either way, Phillies’ GM Ruben Amaro Jr. apparently doesn’t believe that Jayson is “Werth” this high price tag.  

To their own credit, the Phillies are built and have depth throughout.  Though it won’t necessarily be easy to replace Werth’s five-tool prowess, it is something to acknowledge and prepare for this winter.  Domonic Brown needs to grow up on the fly and Ben Francisco needs to be a solid right-handed bat for the Phillies if this platoon is to work. 

Here are five ways that the Phillies will survive life without Jayson Werth.  

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Year in and year out the New York Yankee empire becomes increasingly more evil.  Free agency often serves as the building block of their star-studded team.  It’s nearly impossible for any of the other 29 teams to compete with their money and so great talent is lost to the Yankee Empire. 

Their 2009 spending spree of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira landed them another ticker-tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes.  One thing is for certain: Unlike other teams in the league, their spending seems to get them places.  They boast an unprecedented 27 World Titles to show for it.

The Yankee payroll is currently around $210 million and will again grow this offseason.  While they’re often able to dump salary as well, their spending is always free when it comes to free agents and building the team.  But what if for once one of these players were to refuse that large check signed by Brian Cashman and sign elsewhere?  Who knows; maybe it will happen this offseason.

Here are 10 players who the Yankees will NOT sign this winter. 

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The Philadelphia Phillies face many questions heading into this offseason.  The biggest among them deals with the expiring contract of right fielder Jayson Werth.  Though the questions do not stop there for Ruben Amaro Jr., a man who has had all the answers thus far in his short time as Phillies’ general manager.  

Many controversial moves have helped define Amaro’s gutsy persona in Philadelphia.  He’s become one of the top GMs in the sport and is no stranger to taking chance.  This 2010 team appeared to have it all for the Phillies, though their abrupt exit proved otherwise.  

The 2011 season presents its share of challenges and another chance to continue what has become the Philadelphia dynasty.  The Phillies are one of the best teams in the league and boast a stellar 1-2-3 punch in their rotation.  

In the end though, injuries and inconsistency plagued this team and got the best of them.  Here are 10 questions for the Phillies to ponder this winter.   

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Derek Jeter is currently a free-agent.  He’s one of the greatest New York Yankees of all-time so just the words “Jeter” and “free-agent” in the same sentence is an interesting pairing.  Though Jeter appears to be staying put, it’s shocking that he wasn’t offered a deal before this.  

This shows just how crazy things have gotten with money in the Bronx and how out of control the spending has gotten.  The Yankees have been so free with their spending on free-agents that Jeter seemingly was lost in the fold when it came to a contract offer.  Now though, it is expected that the Yankees act upon the expired contract of their star shortstop.  

Here are 10 destinations for Derek Jeter that are possible but highly unlikely.

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The 2010 MLB season has come and gone. Now, the future of many players is on the line. Some of these were even playoff heroes.

Money will be flying around, and ink will dry. But at the end of the free agency period, many stars will have new homes.

Here are 10 playoff participants that need to be paid this winter.

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Throughout baseball history, the unlikely has become the probable.  Each year there are new heroes and stories to be told. Whether it is in just a single game or throughout the entire series, these heroes are in a class of their own. 

Legends are created in the month of October and baseball has forever been a sport where anything can happen.  So keep watching for more and more performances like these, they may even happen tonight, who knows?

These 25 performances will forever be remembered in the annals of baseball.  For they were not only done on the game’s biggest stage, but by the most unlikely of talent.

Here are 25 Unsung Heroes of the Fall.

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The San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers will begin the 2010 World Series tonight.  This Series has a much different feel to it for many baseball fans.  Neither of these teams was expected to make it this far.  In fact, many were banking on a 2009 World Series rematch between the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies.  Yet, this pairing shows how baseball has evolved, especially in this month of October. 

The Texas Rangers’ deadly lineup and a horse in Cliff Lee gives them the obvious edge on paper. Though, these attributes alone cannot guarantee a World Series victory.  Other starters will need to step in and help Lee as well.  Even the bullpen will be important for Texas, especially if these games are close.  To date, their bullpen has been awful this post-season.

The San Francisco Giants slayed a “giant” to get to the World Series.  They defeated the defending two-time NL Champion Phillies.  They put their own dynamic on the series and made quick work of Philadelphia.  Their pitching has been solid all season long and now must be at their best. 

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