Kuzul

The AL East is a battleground and while Toronto may be the best fourth-place team in the majors, 85-77 isn’t going to send them to October. 

The John Farrell era doesn’t need to be kicked off with another “rebuilding year.” They can win now; the Jays just need a little help. 

Enter Manny Ramirez. Some of you may shake your heads at the idea of bringing the 38-year-old troublemaker to Canada but it’s not really a bad idea at all. In fact Manny may be the X-factor. 

For one, Manny isn’t going to cost $20 million. He had a down year, he really can’t play the outfield every day, and the fact that he has already reached out to Toronto indicates that he knows the market for him isn’t great. The White Sox aren’t likely to retain him. The Red Sox don’t want him and the Yankees likely have bigger prizes on their radar. 

The cost of Manny is likely going to be between $10-15 million. That’s really not a lot of money. The Jays have $16 million coming off the books from Roy Halladay and B.J. Ryan, two players who didn’t play for the Jays last year. Scott Down, Lyle Overbay, Jason Frasor, John Buck free up another $15 million and Edwin Encarnacion is a prime non-tender candidate. Sure, arbitration will raise more than a few players’ salaries but not $31 million worth. 

The Blue Jays are owned by Rogers Communication, giving them the financial backing of a major corporation. AA has said that he’ll spend money when it makes sense. 

Now it does. 

Manny is also a character who, believe it or not, puts fans in the seats. Mannywood was a big deal for the Dodgers. He sells merchandise and gets himself on ESPN. Sure they’re not signing him to be a circus act, but it does come as an added bonus. 

Manny also enjoys playing the DH, something that’s fairly rare as most hitters don’t enjoy the time off in between innings. For Manny, less is more, and that’s not really a bad thing. 

Lyle Overbay is not the answer at first base. He’s a decent defensive first basemen but his numbers just aren’t there. 

Does Toronto put Lind at first base? Why not? If guys like Troy Glaus can do it, why can’t Lind?

The 2010 San Francisco Giants are really not all that different from the 2010 Blue Jays. Sure, their top two pitchers are incredible, but their offense consists of complete scrubs. Juan Uribe and Aubrey Huff made around $6.5 million between the two of them and Pat Burrell and Cody Ross were both cost-controlled since they came from teams that didn’t really want them. 

The Giants also had $42 million dollars dedicated to three players who haven’t really done anything to merit that kind of money in Barry Zito (wasn’t on the postseason roster), Aaron Rowand (not a starter), and Edgar Renteria (not completely awful but certainly not worth $10 million).  

I’m not suggesting that the Jays swim around in the bargain bin but there are good players who aren’t very expensive. Toronto hasn’t really played the free-agent market very well over the past few years and that needs to change. 

The Blue Jays have power but they could use more. Alex Gonzalez was a big contributor before he was traded, Buck will likely leave and Encarnacion could go either way. That’s a lot of home runs to replace before you factor in that the other players will not likely all reach their totals from last year again. 

Manny brings an experienced bat to the lineup, he’s a clubhouse presence that really wasn’t there during Cito’s time and he’s a character. 

What does Toronto really have to lose with Manny? 

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It has already been an interesting off-season for the Toronto Blue Jays, as they have hired a new manager and some intriguing rumors have emerged.

John Farrell, the former pitching coach for the Boston Red Sox, was hired to replace the outgoing Cito Gaston.  Farrell doesn’t have any experience managing at the big league level, but his diverse expertise gave him the edge in landing the job with the Blue Jays.  

He is a former big league pitcher who became a director of player development with Cleveland, turning their farm system into the best in the league at the time.  From there, he moved to the Boston Red Sox to oversee their pitching, motivated by his burning need to compete.

Farrell will retain both third base coach Brian Butterfield and pitching coach Bruce Walton, decisions that seem to have been influenced by Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos.  It appeared that the Jays wanted to maintain some consistency, especially in their strong area of pitching.

In regards to their pitching, it appears that Anthopoulos highly valued the experience that Jose Molina brought behind the plate and has picked up the $1.2 million option on the veteran catcher.

How this affects their catching situation remains to be seen.  There is a chance they might sign John Buck to a 1 or 2 year deal, to provide extra support in case J.P. Arencibia isn’t quite ready to take over.  This would allow Arencibia to grab the starts where he could, whether it be catching, designated hitter or perhaps even first base. This is Buck’s decision, however, as he has stated that he wants to be an everyday player.

They could also have Molina act as a mentor to help transition Arencibia into a full-time role over the course of the season.  The Jays have alluded to 2012 as the season in which they feel like they could make a run to the playoffs. That would make next year a learning experience for Arencibia to get to know the pitchers on the Jays staff, as well as a chance to become more comfortable at the plate.

Finally, in a much talked about statement, Manny Ramirez suggested that he would be interested in playing for John Farrell.  Ramirez got to know Farrell when he was playing in Boston and it would appear that the pitching coach won the respect of the slugger.  

Disregarding whether Anthopoulos is interested in Ramirez or not, would he be good for the Blue Jays?  Ramirez has never been strong in the outfield and is approaching forty years old. He certainly isn’t getting better.  That would suggest he would be a permanent designated hitter with the Blue Jays, which would greatly reduce their options.

If Ramirez is the everyday DH, that means that Adam Lind and Edwin Encarnacion have to be in the field.  While that might not be the worst option, it means the defense on the infield corners is suspect.  

This is of course is not even taking into account how Ramirez might affect the strong camaraderie that has been built in the clubhouse.  One of the strong points in the Jays this past season was their work ethic and their never-say-die attitude.  Would Ramirez’s presence disrupt that positive state of mind?

What Ramirez would bring to the team in terms of production, would seem to be outweighed by the negative aspects of his game.  Not to mention, he is not exactly the small-ball type player that Farrell would like to add to this team.

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Now that the Jays have hired John Farrell as their 12th manager in franchise history, the team can now begin looking into their offseason plans as they look to continue rebuilding in 2011.

The team was fortunate to come away with 85 wins last season, surprising just about everyone. They also surprised everyone by leading the league in homers.

Fortunately, most of their core is locked up, such as LHP Ricky Romero, DH Adam Lind and 2B Aaron Hill. They also have a number of players under control who have yet to amass six seasons of big league experience, such as RHP Shaun Marcum, RHP Brandon Morrow, SS Yunel Escobar and RHP Jesse Litsch.

That said, this team is full of question marks. This can be broken down into three categories: the Bautista decision, the bullpen bind and their corner-infield predicament.

Bautista Bomb!

News flash: OF Jose Bautista has some pop. His 2010 breakout season was foretold by no one, but the 30-year-old’s future in Toronto is very much in the air. At the moment, it appears as though the Jays would like to work out a three- or four-year deal with the third baseman/right fielder to stay in Toronto with a reasonable salary.

Bautista, however, could take a one-year deal or go through arbitration to see if he can get a bigger payday. Based on his numbers, Bautista would see somewhere around $6.5-7.5 million from the arbitrator.

The potential contract offer will come down to whether both sides can agree on a number in both years and term that will land Bautista less than a 54-homer guy would normally be worth, but a lot more than a guy with 17 home runs a year would make. If neither side is lenient, Bautista is as good as gone.

In all likelihood, Bautista will open the 2011 season with a Jays uniform. Where he plays is yet to be determined, as he’ll likely have to wait to see what GM Alex Anthopoulos does in the free agent market, if anything.

My question is this: is Bautista a fluke? There’s no question that he won’t come close to 54 homers again (my prediction is 25), but will there be a regression like there was for Hill and Lind?

Both players still put up good homerun numbers, but that, as well as all their other stats, slipped significantly. Are Hill and Lind for real? Can they bounce back in 2011? Can we expect Bautista to have a similar slip statistically?

Infield Corners

Current 1B Lyle Overbay, 33, is a free agent coming off a disappointing season. Toronto is currently thin at first basemen, but all signs point to Lind, who played 11 games at first base, taking over the position.

Luckily, their options are not limited, as the 2010 free agent pool is especially generous this year. Big names like Lance Berkman, Adam Dunn, Paul Konerko, Carlos Pena, Aubrey Huff, Adam LaRoche and Derrek Lee are all set to test the market.

The Jays certainly won’t sign any of these players to a long-term deal, but some may accept a short-term deal to get see if they can bounce back statistically in the hopes of signing a bigger contract the following season.

Across the diamond, 3B Edwin Encarnacion sits at third base. The Jays hold arbitration rights over him, but the club could elect to walk away from the soon-to-be 28-year-old, despite hitting 21 homers. Encarnacion is poor defensively, and it’s unclear if the club would be willing to pay him over $4M in arbitration, especially since they sent him down to Triple-A twice last season.

Letting Edwin walk, though, means that Bautista is stuck at third, whereas his value is higher in right field because of how strong his defensive play and throwing power/accuracy is. If they choose to keep Bautista, their best option is to try and groom a new third baseman, such as Brad Emaus. On the market, the free agent third basemen are headlined by Adrian Beltre, but aside from him and maybe Mark DeRosa, the pool is shallow.

The Bullpen Bind

Toronto’s three major relievers from last season—LHP Scott Downs, RHP Jason Frasor and RHP Kevin Gregg—all enter 2011 with doubt.

According to Cot’s contracts unofficial Elias Rankings, both Downs and Frasor will be “Type-A” free agents, meaning that teams that sign them would forfeit their first-round draft pick to Toronto, and the Jays would get a sandwich pick between the first- and second-round in the draft from MLB.  Gregg projects to be a “Type-B” player, meaning that the Jays would only receive the sandwich pick.

Both Downs and Frasor will need to be offered arbitration for the compensation to be awarded, so it’s almost a guarantee that this will occur. Whether they accept it, however, is an issue on its own—they can either accept the one-year deal with the Jays or walk away and test the free agent waters.

Of the two, Downs is almost guaranteed to decline arbitration to become a free agent. His value is currently sky-high: a lefty reliever who can pitch equally well to lefty and righty bats, and also has the ability to save games is something that’s highly sought after.

Few teams forfeit draft picks for a late-inning reliever, but many teams are currently just a solid bullpen arm away from becoming serious World Series contenders—namely, the Yankees and Red Sox. Downs will almost assuredly receive an offer from both clubs, as well as from about half the league as well.

Frasor, however, isn’t in the same boat. He’s coming off a below-average season and lost his job as the team’s closer early in the year. At the moment, his interest on the open market is unclear, and you can expect fewer teams to come calling if they’re forced to lose a draft pick to sign him. Because of this, Frasor is likely in Toronto for at least one more season.

Finally, we get to Gregg, in which the Jays have two options. As to which route they can take—they can sign him for $4.5 million for 2011 or lock him up for 2011 and 2012, which would cost the club $8.75 million over the two seasons. Gregg saved 37 games last season, but isn’t the prototypical “closer” that most teams look for.

His “stuff” isn’t great and is nowhere comparable with other closers who are in or around 30 saves. Until the Jays either sign or develop a closer in waiting, it’s hard to imagine the club at least not picking up one of the options.

Downs would be the best option in terms of getting key outs. That said, he’s too important to simply limit to ninth-inning duties. He needs to be available in the fifth, sixth or seventh when the Jays need a double-play ball or to get a lefty bat out with two on and two out. I’d like to see others get chances—guys like RHP Shawn Camp or RHP Casey Janssen could be given tries, and if all else fails, they can always go with a closer—by committee.

WWYD?

I don’t claim to know everything about baseball, but these are just some ideas. I’ve been high on RHP John Lackey for years, and now’s Toronto’s chance to get him. He’s finally a free agent, and Toronto would be a great place for him to bounce back from an inconsistent 2010 campaign. He wouldn’t necessarily have to be the No. 5 either.

I’d really take a serious look at OF Carl Crawford and OF Jayson Werth. Both guys add power, speed and defensive ability to the lineup, a deadly combination. Take a look at teams like the Rangers, Rays, etc.. They’re all fast teams. Not all their players are fast, but they can, and know how to, run well.

If you can put pressure on the pitcher and make him lose concentration by worrying about you, you’re halfway there. Adding Werth or Crawford means more steals and allows the Jays to be more aggressive on the basepaths since they now have faster options. Neither player would come with a terribly high price tag either.

Speaking of price tags…Mannywood North?

Oh God. Yes, Manny-to-Toronto rumours have started. Again. Manny told ESPNdeportes.com on Monday night that he’d be interested in playing for Farrell in Toronto.

“John has tremendous knowledge of the game, a very pleasant man and he trains ballplayers. Toronto has made a great acquisition. Farrell is a manager for whom I would like to play, and Toronto is a team I’ve liked since they had all those Dominican players in the ’80s…I still have a lot of baseball left in me. I think that I can still bat if I keep myself healthy, and it is less probable to have an injury playing as the designated hitter.”

Well, he’s not wrong. Personally, I can’t stand Manny. He’s slow, he’s dim-witted, he’s annoying, he hogs the spotlight and is a clubhouse cancer. I’d rather have Werth or Crawford over Manny any day of the week.

But at the right price, Manny in Toronto (*only* as the DH) would be another great power bat to add to the lineup. He did hit .298, but the 38-year-old slugger had a down season with just nine home runs and 42 RBI in 265 ABs because of knee and groin issues, which are now resolved after he underwent successful hernia surgery. He’s expected to resume baseball activities in mid-November.

It makes sense, though. If Lind plays first, Bautista third and Snider in the OF, the team needs a new DH. It doesn’t make sense for Toronto to use a DH-by-committee whenever someone needs some time off—if there’s a power bat available at a good cost, go for it. The Twins had this with Jim Thome this year, and he worked wonders when Justin Morneau was lost for the season.

Manny still has a season or two of solid offensive numbers left, so maybe Toronto should use them. Since he’s coming off a down-year and recently had surgery, now might be the perfect time to offer him a one-year incentive-laden/performance-based deal to get him to step it up. Plus, he consistently *kills* the ball at the Rogers Centre.

Will Anthopoulos do it? Unlikely. He’s building the team wisely—a young foundation with added veterans where needed. The Jays have arguably the best young staff in the majors, so their starting five is reasonably solid and young.

They’ll need to add some bullpen help and a big stopper for late-innings. I think 2011 is a tad optimistic for the Jays to be seriously competing in the AL East, but 2012 is more reasonable to think they’ll make a splash.

These are the three biggest issues for Toronto. They still need to figure out what’s happening with All-Star C John Buck, as well as finding a fifth starter in the rotation (Marcum, Romero, Morrow and Cecil).

This winter should be one to keep an eye on for Jays fans, as it could be the final steps before slugging it out with the Yankees and Red Sox in the AL East.

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Manny Ramirez has made some interesting comments recently concerning his future in baseball.  It seems he has taken quite a liking to the Toronto Blue Jays.  

The Blue Jays hired Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell.  The former Red Sox slugger has taken note and has offered his services.  Canada should be happy and a bit afraid at this news—you never know what you are getting with the flighty outfielder.  

As with any acquisition, there are pros and cons.  With Manny Ramirez, the difference between the two is canyon-esque.  So here we have reasons for and against a possible Man-Ram trip to Canada. 

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Over the last several years, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ management team of owner Frank McCourt and general manager Ned Colletti have utilized the deferred contract option as a tactic to bring in numerous big name players with highly valued contracts—without paying much up front.

Looking back at several of the players who were still part of the Dodgers payroll in 2010, and who will be receiving paychecks from McCourt into the future, there’s no doubt that many of the deals have failed miserably.

There’s no way of telling exactly what position Frank McCourt is in financially, and just to be competitive, the club may be forced to continue to back-load contracts and pay players deferred cash long after they leave Los Angeles.

Nevertheless, as the 2010 campaign came to an end, some relief began to appear. Six players who were on the team payroll this season, yet never suited up in Dodger Blue, have finally received their last paycheck from Los Angeles. Now, these funds can finally be utilized to fill in a number of gaps on the player roster.

Left-handed starting pitcher Ted Lilly was recently signed to a three-year, $33 million deal, and although the contract was back-loaded, surprisingly no deferred payments exist that will need to be made once the contract expires. This could be a positive sign for the Dodgers, as Colletti and McCourt finally may be realizing how costly several of these deals actually were.

Still, the offseason is young, and the verdict is out on McCourt and Colletti. It’s already been announced that the team payroll will be increased, but it’s unknown by how much. Yet it is possible that with all the right moves, the Dodgers may find themselves in a position to improve upon a very dreadful year.

The following slides show all nine players who weren’t part of the team in 2010 yet still received paychecks signed by McCourt. Several are finally cleared from the payroll, and while a few will continue to be paid into the future, there is a bit of relief in sight in terms of overall dollars. 

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Alex Anthopoulos finally made it official by announcing the Blue Jays have hired John Farrell, the former pitching coach of the Boston Red Sox, to be the twelfth manager in Blue Jays history. Farrell was considered one of the best minds available. In fact Terry Francona stated it was not a question of whether he became a bench boss, or even how long (he knew it would be this year), it was a question of where.

By hiring Farrell, Anthopoulos solidifies the idea that the Blue Jays will build from within. Farrell was famous for making the Cleveland Indians farm system one of the best in baseball. This caught the eyes of the Red Sox brass and they promptly hired him as their pitching coach.

Under his tutelage some of the bright young stars of the Boston Red Sox pitching rotation were formed. This would greatly help the young pitchers the Blue Jays have on the team now (Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow, Shaun Marcum, Brett Cecil etc.) but also the ones coming up through the system like Kyle Drabek, and Deck McGuire.

Anthopoulos is taking a huge risk in hiring this unproven manager. Of course it is highly unlikely a proven manager would come to the Blue Jays by leaving their current jobs. As for the ones who don’t have a job now, most of them are old and so would not be able to make as big of an impact by the time they would retire. By getting someone as young as Farrell (48) he is able to take the risk of getting a stud manager for years to come.

Lots of people are saying this is another one of those brilliant moves by Alex Anthopoulos. I tend to agree. But don’t just take my word for it. Even Manny Ramirez agrees. He claims to have been a fan of the Blue Jays since the 1980s because of all the Dominican players that they had on their teams.

Now with the addition of Farrell, whom he claims is extremely knowledgeable about the game, he is apparently considering signing with the Blue Jays. Of course one wonders at the age of 38 who really wants him, but then again this is still Manny Ramirez.

Now Farrell has to build his team. That is to say he has to decide if he keeps the current coaching staff or not. He can decide to bring in his own guys, and maybe even do the job of the pitching coach himself. I am against that as I believe it extends the manager too much and he has to be able to delegate this stuff. Furthermore, if the Jays had been able to keep their former pitching coach Brad Arnsberg there is no question he keeps him but now its all up for debate. 

Personally I think the only person safe from being fired from the coaching staff is Brian Butterfield as he has done a solid job being the third base coach. The only difference I see is that Farrell may choose to move him around to first base or maybe even hitting coach, but a man of his caliber probably has a job with this organization for quite a while.

Now that Farrell has finally been hired, the question is what’s next? The Blue Jays play in one of the toughest divisions in baseball with the Yankees and Red Sox spending a tonne of money on their rosters. So will Farrell be able to get the extra 11 or so wins needed to get into the postseason next year or will the Blue Jays have to keep building (Anthopoulos refuses to call this a rebuild) their team? The answer to these questions remains to be seen. 

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I recently looked into who will be available in this year’s free agent class. There are many big names, but these names will likely come with expensive price tags. Additionally, many of these big name players are not so young anymore.

Whoever is in charge of making the decisions in Queens (which according to Jeff Wilpon we will find out shortly!), it might be a wise strategy to avoid these big-name free agents and either improve the team via trade or letting the young players develop.

Here are only some of the big-name free agents available and how the Mets should approach them this offseason.

Cliff Lee

Of all the free agents out there, Lee is the golden goose. His numbers don’t lie. This guy is at the top of his game and has proven he can be clutch in the postseason. Lee will likely get upwards of a six-year deal worth well over the $100 million mark.

As much as I and other Met fans would like to see Lee in Flushing, let’s be honest. It’s not going to happen.

Carl Crawford

Of the players available right now, no other player would more help the Mets win immediately than Carl Crawford. Crawford can do it all: hit for average, a little power, field, throw and boy can the man run.

He would be an ideal fit for Citi Field. Imagine a healthy Jose Reyes, Angel Pagan and Crawford (in no particular order) atop the Mets lineup. They would be deadly on the bases. Jason Bay would have to shift to RF if the Mets signed Crawford (don’t know how that would work out).

However, Mets fans, this seems like another deal that’s not going to happen. Crawford is about to cash in big like Lee, and the Amazins really aren’t in any position to be adding huge chunks of payroll.

And with Carlos Beltran still in house, the only way the Mets would make a play for Crawford is if they trade Beltran (seeming more unlikely each day).

Adam Dunn

In my opinion, Adam Dunn is the most consistent player in the game today. Every year, he hits 40 HR, drives in 100 runs, walks 100 times and strikes out 150 times. He is a legitimate power threat and even Citi Field cannot contain him (remember that shot he hit to the bridge?).

Dunn however is a one dimensional player. He may be better off suited to a DH role in the AL. The only reason I mention Dunn as a possibility is if the Mets trade Ike Davis for a starting pitcher, which would leave a hole at first base. I’m not saying I think or even want the Mets to do this, but I figured I would list it as a possible option.

Manny Ramirez

Oh Manny. Manny, Manny, Manny. You’re 38 now, when did that happen? It seemed like only yesterday you were crushing balls over the Green Monster and even orchestrating a late season playoff push in LA.

And now you’re a free agent again. I wonder how many teams will come knocking. I hope one of them is absolutely NOT the Mets. If this was three years ago, I’d say go for it. The man proved he could still hit like a machine despite his age. However, now is not the time to be adding Manny.

We have enough headaches as it is. Thank you K-Rod!

Victor Martinez

Ever since he came up with Cleveland, I have envisioned V-Mart on the Mets. He has serviceable (but not fantastic) catching skills, but is a terrific contact hitter with plenty of pop. It looks like the Red Sox will try to retain him in any way possible.

I like Josh Thole. He’s not going to hit home runs like Mike Piazza used to, but he can be an offensive weapon. He sprays the ball well to all fields, and has good gap power. He will most likely hit seventh or eighth.

V-Mart would be a great addition, but it looks like another deal that won’t happen.

Carl Pavano

Something should be noted about the free-agent market for starting pitchers. A guy has ONE good year, and everyone is ready to throw big bucks at him. Some examples: Gil Meche (five years, $55 million contract with KC), another one, and of course Oliver Perez (three years, $36 million…sorry I just threw up a little).

Pavano has had two good years his whole career: 2003 with the Marlins that allowed him to cash in with the Yankees, and now 2010 with the Twins in which he won 17 games.

He is a solid back of the rotation option, but the Mets should stay away from him and his stache. Who needs his stache when we got Keith Hernandez?

Orlando Hudson

The O-dawg has openly expressed his interest in wanting to play for the Mets (that can’t exactly be said for many players). I have touched on this possible signing in the past. He may be a good option on a one-year deal, but with Ruben Tejada on the verge of becoming an everyday player (hopefully), I’m not sure if the Mets will pull the trigger on Hudson.

So there you have it, some free agents who are available this winter that will garner much attention from many teams. But the Mets might be better off sitting tight, maybe making a trade or two to improve and hope that they can field a competitive team.

I may have missed a few free agents this year who may be on the Mets radar. Please comment on who you think may be a good signing that I missed.

For the Mets, it will come down to patience and hope. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again.

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The New York Mets are in the beginning stages of a complete renovation. Don’t mind the appearance. This may look like a professional baseball team in shambles right now, but…yeah, actually it is.

However, the road flares and the hard hats may not be in use for long. It all depends on who draws up the blueprints for the remodeling effort.

There have been a few names in the rumor mill out there under “serious” consideration for the recently vacated GM position in the Mets organization. Names like Sandy Alderson, Rick Hahn, Allard Baird, Josh Byrnes, and Pat Gillick have all been rumored to be in the mix this past week, though Gillick has recently dropped out of the running.

Out of the names of those in the process, one intriguing name has mysteriously been missing: Kim Ng. This name is intriguing for several reasons, both good and bad. First, the most obvious reason of all is Kim Ng is female. There has never been a female general manager in MLB history. She was actually the first assistant GM in MLB history and the youngest at the time at the age of 29.

Teams have passed on her for the GM position over her career (Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, and the Los Angeles Dodgers) despite her experience (more than 13 years) as an assistant GM and in other administrative positions for the A.L. and teams like the Yankees, White Sox, and Dodgers.

Second, her experience is primarily all in big cities (New York, Chicago, and L.A.), the three biggest markets in baseball, in fact. If there was anyone who knows how to conduct business despite media uproar and eccentric personalities (i.e. the K-Rods and Manny Ramirez of the league) causing distractions, it would be her. She has had experience in salary arbitration cases, waivers, trades, and free agency by working in the offices of the A.L. for several years.

Third, she is from the NY/NJ area (Ridgewood, NJ). That native upbringing speaks of her knowledge of the community at large that she would be representing. She worked in the area already with the Yankees, so she knows and understands the New York area and fans.

Finally, on the plus side, she has an outsider’s perspective on the team (as do almost all of the candidates) despite being originally from the area. She can be objective in free-agent signings and trade negotiations as she most likely would not have a personal agenda or any ties to the current roster.

There is, however, one point that could swing to either side of the pendulum. In 2003, she was involved in a controversy with the Mets. Bill Singer, a special assistant to the GM at the time in the organization, made derogatory comments about her ethnicity (Chinese). The reason that could weigh for or against her is simple; it could appear to some that the Mets are trying to make further amends for one of their representatives scorning her.

To read the rest of this article, please click here.

To read up on all things New York Mets, please visit Mets Gazette.

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Say what you want about the problems with MLB‘s current playoff system. You can bemoan the addition of the Wild Card, or whine about how home field advantage for the World Series is determined by the All-Star Game, or complain that a best-of-five series is a poor way to determine which of two good teams is superior.

But when the first round kicks off on Wednesday, don’t pretend that you won’t be watching.

The postseason is when heroes are made. It’s when role players become household names, and stars aim to reach immortality. I know it sounds like a cheesy MLB Network commercial, but I defy any baseball fan to disagree.

In this slideshow are the 25 players who have had the best postseason careers in MLB history. Because this is about the career as a whole, I tried to make rankings relatively context-neutral, so a clutch hit or a walk-off homer didn’t matter as much as they would have in, say, a “top postseason moments” article.

If someone you think deserves to be here didn’t make the cut, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t considered—my original list had 75 names, meaning 50 nearly worthy players almost made it in.

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This offseason, Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford will be headlining this year’s free-agent class.  Both players will be demanding major contracts, and both players might end up in New York.

Well, Lee will be in the Bronx, but the verdict is still out on Crawford.

For teams that can ill-afford to get the “Big Fish,” they must look at other options—the second-tier players.  Guys that can still contribute, but will be affordable to acquire. 

With the start of the offseason just five days away for the teams that failed to qualify for the playoffs, here are the 10 best “Buy Low” Candidates for this offseason.

You will not agree with all of my selections.  You will mention guys that I left off.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but this one is mine.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Let’s play ball. 

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