AL East: It is still a three horse race in the AL East, despite the Red Sox being 7 games out of first (in any other division they would be within a game and a half). Boston has dealt with a rash of injuries, and while they have stayed competitive, I find it hard to believe they can outlast the Yankees and Rays for the top spot (or the wild card). I wouldn’t write them off just yet, but it looks as though Boston will be staying at home this October. The Yankees and Rays are both likely to be in the playoffs, and it will just end up being a matter of who wins the division and who gets the Wild Card spot. New York still has some pitching woes, but with that offense I think they hold on to the division lead. Tampa is an impressive young team, but they are built too much on defense, speed and pitching (which is great). Their inability to add any bats at the trade deadline really make me question their chances to go far this postseason.

AL Central: The Central has quickly become a two man race as the Tigers have fallen 9 games out of first place and don’t look like they can recover. The White Sox hold a slim lead in the division, but they desperately need to find some bats to supplement their quality pitching staff. I don’t know if Chicago has enough to hold off the Twins in the race for the Central. Minnesota is a more well rounded team, and could get a great September boost when Justin Morneau rejoins the team. While it is possible the 2nd place team could be in contention for the Wild Card, I really believe it is coming out of the East this year. I like the Twins to squeak this division out during the last week of the season.

AL West: This division race is pretty much officially over. If the Rangers don’t win this division it would be a major upset. The Angels are absolutely reeling right now and have fallen to 3rd place in the division (and under .500). The A’s could make a run, but they are really built for next year and the future. I would not be shocked if they close the gap, but I don’t see anyone overcoming the Rangers and their incredible offense.

NL East: Since the trade deadline this has become firmly a two team battle, as both the Mets and Marlins have fallen out of the race. The Phillies are in second place, but should get some key players back from injuries down the stretch, that should push them over the top. The Braves desperately want to win in Bobby Cox’s swan song, but will need to fend off a strong Phillies team. Atlanta might need to make a waiver wire deal to ensure their spot atop the East. Unlike in the American League, the Wild Card race is fairly wide open, so whomever loses the East could still be in the playoffs.

NL Central: The Central like the East is down to two teams, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds hold the division and are the better all-around team, but the Cardinals have the better star power plus the experience making them a safer bet down the stretch. Both teams could be looking for some outside help, but the Reds should be able to hold on to the division. They have a better farm system and will get some much needed extra arms to help close out the season. St. Louis isn’t fully out of it, but I don’t know if they have the offense to overcome the Reds (and right now their pitching staff isn’t too hot either).

NL West: The West is still fairly wide open as I think 4 teams still have a shot at the division. The Dodgers and Rockies still have a ways to go, but I wouldn’t count them out for late season pushes. The Dodgers were the most active team at the deadline bringing in 4 veteran upgrades. While the team hasn’t responded yet with too many wins, that influx of talent could help them in the closing weeks. The Rockies didn’t add any pieces at the deadline, but they are a young team that keeps getting better each week. Unless the Padres or Giants really run away with this division, I wouldn’t count out the Rockies if they are within 5 games in final two weeks. As for the Padres or Giants I got to go with San Francisco. They have better starters, in addition to a better lineup (though not by much). The Padres did add some bats at the deadline though neither has yet to significantly contribute. Both teams could still look at some waiver wire pickups, but I still think the Giants will end up on top.

Winners:

San Diego Padres: The Padres have had a great year this season, despite having one of the worst offenses in the league. San Diego began to address that with trades for Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick. While they gave up solid prospects for them, they didn’t give up any of their top guys or anyone who could help them this season.There might have been better bats on the market, but Ludwick ended up being one of the best ones dealt. It remains to be seen if they added enough offense to go deep into the post season, but it was a productive deadline for San Diego nonetheless.

Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies added one of the top pitchers on the market and did so without giving up much in the way of talent (or money). Oswalt isn’t a true ace, but he is pretty close and should give Philadelphia a top of the rotation to match Atlanta, St. Louis and San Francisco. The Phillies did really well to get a lot of money thrown in, to ensure they have some financial flexibility next season. The fact that the Phillies accomplished this without giving up any of their top guys is even more impressive. Philadelphia would be higher if they added some bullpen and bench help, both of which have been issues for the team. But all around a solid deadline in Philly.

New York Yankees: The Yankees added Lance Berkman, Austin Kearns and Kerry Wood, and if this was 2006 would have had the best deadline of anyone. As it stands they added a platoon DH, a backup OF, and a middling bullpen arm. Given how talented the team is they didn’t need much, and they did strengthen both their bench and bullpen, so that is a plus. The Yankees also kept their top prospects which is a major plus (and unexpected). On the downside though I don’t think they shot high enough, especially when it comes to their pitching. With major questions in both their rotation and bullpen I’m not sure if Wood is the answer. The Yankees did well at the deadline, but by no means ensured another World Series title.

Kansas City Royals: The Royals sold a couple of redundant pieces and did a great job shedding salary and picking up some quality prospect depth. They didn’t receive any major young stars, but made some smart baseball trades. The Royals didn’t move any of their top players, which may end up being a mistake, but they will still have major value in the offseason if they want to revisit those discussions.

In between:

Los Angeles Angels: The Angels added two good players in Alberto Callapso and Dan Haren and did so at below market prices (esp. in Haren’s case). The problem is the Angels didn’t address enough of their needs, and probably didn’t do so early enough that they are pretty much out of the playoff hunt this season. The good news is Callapso and Haren are under team control for the next couple of years at solid contracts so they are winners for the future, but not pulling the trigger on bullpen/1B help will keep this team at home in October.

Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox are similar to the Angels, they are looking at a big deficit and didn’t do much to help their cause. While it is good they didn’t overpay, Boston is basically conceding this season to the Yankees and Rays, and that’s not good for business. They did pick up Jared Saltalamachia for some low minors prospects, so that could be a big deal for them going forward, but as it stands now Boston will be sitting out the playoffs.

Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers were one of the more active teams in the last week adding Scott Podsednik, Octavio Dotel, Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot. Unfortunately I don’t know if they did enough to really get back into the playoff race. Dotel and Lilly are upgrades on the pitching staff, but might not be enough. Theriot is a bit of an upgrade over Dewitt whom he was traded for, but I wouldn’t say there is a huge difference. And Podsednik is a 4th outfielder. Without an impact bat Los Angeles isn’t going anywhere, and to make it worse Podsednik, Dotel, and Lilly will be free agents after the season meaning unlike some of the other teams on this list there isn’t any future value. The Dodgers also gave up some of there better prospects, meaning these deals could really come back to haunt them.

Arizona Diamondbacks: The D-backs got rid of Haren, Edwin Jackson, Chad Qualls and Chris Snyder unfortunately they didn’t get much in the way of return either. They did clean their payroll for next year and going forward (though I still don’t get the Joe Saunders acquisition) and given their level of play they needed to be a seller. I just question their return for Haren especially. In fact I think they got almost as much for Edwin Jackson as they did Dan Haren, and he isn’t half the pitcher Haren is (or has nearly as good of a contract). Arizona has a long rebuilding process, but unfortunately they didn’t add much in the way of assets to their fire sale.

Houston Astros: The Astros parted with two of their most veteran players and biggest stars. While it was necessary, the Astros had to kick in money and at the same time didn’t get major prospects in return. The best move the Astros made was trading one of those prospects (Anthony Gose), for a better and Major League ready player in Brett Wallace. The Wallace deal gives Houston a building block, but overall not nearly enough of a return considering what they gave up.

St. Louis Cardinals: The Cards did a great job strengthening their rotation, but did so at a fairly high cost of Ryan Ludwick. I’ve never been a Ludwick fan, but his loss does weaken their offense going forward. In addition to weakening their starting lineup the Cards didn’t add any bench or bullpen depth, two things that could have helped them going forward.

Dan Haren went from practically untouchable, to likely to be traded in about a week. Now, I think a deal will get done by the time Monday rolls around. While initial reports had the Yankees as the front runners, those have since turned out to be a bit premature. The Twins, Tigers, Cardinals, Dodgers, and Phillies are all highly interested in the right-hander, despite the fact that he has been struggling of late. The Yankees will probably remain front runners though since they have the easiest path to trade for Haren.

The Twins and Tigers are both on his no-trade list (as are the Rays if they get interested). Now that is not to say Haren won’t be dealt to those teams, just that the D-Backs will need to get his approval to complete a deal. Which is unfortunate for Arizona, since both teams can probably put together better deals than the Yankees. The Dodgers are problematic since they are in the division and would want the Diamondbacks to eat a chunk of change. While that would increase Arizona’s prospect package, it would be hard to swallow to face the Dodgers and you are paying the salary of the pitcher that is beating you. The Cardinals also would have a hard time fitting Haren in their budget, and they lack the farm system to deal for a pitcher like Haren. That leaves the Yankees as the team without any strings attached as they try to acquire Haren.

Haren won’t come cheap, as initial reports had the D-backs asking the Yankees for Joba Chamberlain, pitching prospect Ivan Nova and two other prospects. While the other two players were unknown, my guess is the Diamondbacks asked for two good prospects (possibly Zach McAllister and David Adams, the players rumored in the Cliff Lee deal). While the Yankees turned it down and in turn asked for a deal involving all prospects, my guess is Joba will need to be involved for a deal to take place. Chamberlain’s value has fallen well below the untouchable range, and New York should consider any deal that doesn’t include them giving up Jesus Montero. While I understand the Yankees are hesitant to give up on Chamberlain when is value is at it’s lowest, he is also no longer a rookie. His free agency clock is ticking and if you can get a player like Haren for him, who is signed for multiple years it isn’t a bad deal. Haren would also mean the Yankees would be out of the Cliff Lee sweepstakes this offseason (one would think), which would save the Yankees quite a bit of money over the next couple of years.

I still wouldn’t be shocked to see the Tigers or even the Twins get heavily involved even if Haren would have to approve the deal. Given the state of both franchise’s as team’s built to contend over the next few years, I don’t see why Haren wouldn’t agree to a deal to those cities. Another dark horse team that could get involved is the Rangers, they already traded for Cliff Lee, but he is an impending free agent, and the Rangers could use an ace going forward. While their farm system is a little weaker they have the young frontline pitching the Diamondbacks desire. It might not be as much major league ready pitching, but they have the most high upside arms in the minors. Fitting his contract in their budget might be an issue, but he makes a ton of sense from a talent standpoint (as well as selling tickets). A Lee-Haren front of the rotation could carry Texas deep into the postseason, and deliver the Rangers their first World Series title.

With a combined $64 million doled out to starters CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Javier Vazquez, and the emergence of Phil Hughes starting pitching would seem like it would be the Yankees greatest strength. Instead it appears to be their Achilles heel going forward. Now no one can really fault Sabathia, Pettitte or Hughes as all three of them have just dominated all season, but Vazquez and Burnett haven’t lived up to their big money contracts (also Vazquez hasn’t been worth the prospects the Yankees gave up to acquire him). Things took a turn for the worse yesterday when Andy Pettitte went on the D.L. with a groin injury that could sideline him up to 5 weeks.

In some fairness, Vazquez has looked better over the past month, and has cut over 4 runs off his ERA (it currently sits at 4.45), but he is far from a sure thing going forward. While he is overall a very good pitcher, Vazquez for some reason has struggled in New York (twice now). With the uncertainty of Burnett and the Pettitte injury, Vazquez is still a bit of a wild card for the Yankees. And while Vazquez has improved over the last month, both Hughes and Burnett have added over a run to their ERA. While Hughes is still pitching well, he isn’t dominating like he did the first two months of the season, leaving more games in the hands of a shaky bullpen. Burnett is even more troubling, as he is pretty much imploding on and off the pitching mound. In his last start after giving up a home run he injured himself by slamming his hands into a clubhouse door, during the game. The injury seemed to affect him and he didn’t last much longer, but the troubling thing is what this means going forward. There was already uncertainty about whether or not Burnett would make his next start (and how effective he will be). Now with the Pettitte injury, the pressure is on Burnett to return to form and to keep his anger in check. Pettitte had been more or less the Yankees ace this year, every fifth day taking the mound and dominating the opposition. Now the Yankees will be without their veteran starter for at least the next month and the team needs to look for other options.

While New York says they are looking internally to replace Pettitte, I have to believe they will look to make a trade. The problem is the Yankees are in a bit of a bind. They have already said they aren’t going to trade Jesus Montero their top prospect in a deal for a starter, but now their need has jumped up quite a bit. If Pettitte didn’t get injured and/or the bullpen was effective New York could have waited some middling starter as an insurance policy. Now though the Yankees need not only a starter, but a quality one, that can consistently go 7+ innings.

The market doesn’t favor New York as the top two starters remaining, Roy Oswalt and Dan Haren would definitely require Montero (or everyone else in their farm system). While New York will inquire about both players, I don’t see them getting a trade done since they have already dealt a number of their top chips in the Granderson and Vazquez deals. After Oswalt and Haren, the market thins out some Ted Lilly is an option as are Jake Westbrook and Ben Sheets (all pitchers whose contracts are up after this season). Lilly is the best of the bunch (and ironically he was traded with Westbrook 10 years ago to the Yankees), as his down year this season is still superior to what Sheets and Westbrook are doing. He also profiles as a Type-A free agent meaning the Yankees can get some draft picks back (although they will have to give up more) after the season. While Fautso Carmona and Ricky Nolasco are likely on the market, their contract status will probably make them too costly for New York (in terms of prospects). One other pitcher that might make sense to the Yankees is Paul Maholm of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is a lefty so he will help keep that balance in the rotation, and he is under control for a reasonable amount next season. He is still fairly young and gives Pittsburgh solid innings, but he won’t cost the Yankees their top prospects.

One way or another New York needs to figure out what to do in their rotation, because while they remain in first place now, a month without Pettitte could very well leave them in 3rd. While neither the Rays or Red Sox have made moves yet, both could easily overcome the Yankees as they are presently constructed.

AL East:

1. Boston Red Sox

2. New York Yankees

3. Tampa Bay Rays

4. Baltimore Orioles

5. Toronto Blue Jays

Once again the AL East is the best division in baseball. The Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays all have enough talent to make a World Series run. The Rays may be lacking some major league talent, but make up the ground with their deep farm system. If a few of their young guys really develop this year and/or they trade some of that talent for proven Major Leaguers, they could easily sit atop this division come fall. I like Boston over New York, though I suspect both will make the playoffs. The Red Sox might not have the bats the Yankees do, but are built around excellent pitching and defense. Also their depth at the major and minor league level is superior to New York’s. The Yankees went fairly unscathed last year on the injury front, and I don’t know if they can count on being so lucky again. One or two key injuries will likely knock them out of first place, any others could allow another wild card team or even the Rays pass them by.

AL Central:

1. Minnesota Twins

2. Detroit Tigers

3. Chicago White Sox

4. Cleveland Indians

5. Kansas City Royals

The Twins spent time and resources shoring up their middle infield and pitching rotation, but received a body blow to their playoff hopes when All-star closer Joe Nathan was lost with an injury. While the door opened somewhat for Detroit and Chicago to jump ahead of Minnesota, I still like the Twins chances. They have a great every day lineup from top to bottom and a strong farm system. They do lack a true ‘ace’ pitcher and could be in the market for one at the trade deadline, but Minnesota will still be the team to beat in the Central. The Indians and Royals have done nice jobs of rebuilding, but still lack the Major League ready talent to compete.

AL West:

1. Texas Rangers

2. Seattle Mariners

3. Los Angeles Angels

4. Oakland Athletics

I think the Rangers will be a surprise team this year. They have a very good lineup top to bottom, and that doesn’t include their top minor league prospect Justin Smoak who should be up by mid-year. Their starting pitching isn’t where it needs to be, but they have a few young arms that should join the rotation before years end. They seem poised for a breakout year and given the state of the rest of the teams in the division, this is their year. Seattle and Los Angeles won’t just give the division to the Rangers, but they both seem to have some weaknesses. The Mariners did a great job adding Figgins (which hurt the Angels), Cliff Lee, and Milton Bradley and could have a bonus if Erik Bedard comes back from injury. But I’m not sure its enough for them to win the West. They have a great lineup built around speed and defense, but completely lack power, and that is going to hurt them. Unless they make a trade for a decent bat, I’m not sure that they really have a chance to win the West. The Angels have been pretty dominate in the West for the majority of the decade, but I think the torch has passed. Losing Lackey and Figgins did set the team back some, and they no longer have the strong minor league system which they can trade from. They desperately need their starting rotation to pitch up to their potential, something that has plagued them from time to time in recent years. While they have the talent to finish 1st, I see some declining performances on the horizon, that could drop them to 3rd.

While there might be a signing or two over the next few days, usually the Hot Stove cools down around Christmas for a few days. With this brief cool down period I thought it would be a good time to take a quick look at who has helped themselves or hurt themselves so far this offseason:

Playoff teams:

New York Yankees: They lost Johnny Damon and Matsui but have signed Nick Johnson and traded for Granderson and Vasquez. The Yankees added some big names and filled big holes in CF and in the rotation (which i’m sure Sabathia and company are thankful for), but they did pay a price for them. The 6 players they gave up all had pretty decent value to the Yankees and leave a hole in the organization most notably in their bullpen. I think the signing of Johnson was their best move, he doesn’t have Matsui’s power but he is an excellent hitter. The Yankees still need to fill their hole in LF and add at least one bullpen arm. Right now they are neck and neck with the Red Sox for best team in baseball.

Boston Red Sox: They lost Jason Bay, but did sign John Lackey, Mike Cameron and Marco Scutaro. Losing Bay is tough, but Cameron’s defensive ability almost makes the move a wash. Also the Red Sox hitting this year will be better with a full season of Victor Martinez and the major upgrade at SS with Scutaro. The best part about the Red Sox moves is that they haven’t sacrificed any of their top young talent or prospects, giving them plenty of flexibility to make additional moves. They still need to add another big bat, and some bullpen help.

Minnesota Twins: The Twins added J.J. Hardy which fills a major need but they lost Orlando Cabrera so its a minimal improvement. The Twins could still use a 3b, and another starter if they really want to contend with the Yankees and Red Sox.

Los Angeles Angels: The Angels signed Matsui, but they did lose both Lackey and Figgins, neither of whom have been replaced. The Angels have a big hole at the top of their rotation right now. The Angels could use some bullpen help, a frontline starter and another bat. Los Angeles will need to fill at least two of those needs if they hope to stay atop the AL West.

Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies finally got Roy Halladay, but they gave up Cliff Lee for three lesser prospects than those they gave up for Halladay. While their might be a slight improvement I doubt it will make a drastic difference in their rotation. Adding Polanco gives them better production from 3B, but wasn’t a huge upgrade. The Phillies need to still add help at the back of their bullpen and in the back of their rotation.

St. Louis Cardinals: The Cards could still potentially resign Matt Holliday or Pineiro so its hard to say whether or not the Cards are winners or losers just yet. Signing Penny was a smart move and if the Cards add another quality pitcher their rotation could be unstoppable. They will need to find a way to replace Holliday’s production if he doesn’t resign.

Colorado Rockies: The Rockies lost Jason Marquis, and he will need to be replaced in the rotation. Outside of that the Rockies need to add a few bench and bullpen players. The most important thing for the Rockies is the continued development of their young players, as their are no major holes in the roster.

Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers have lost Randy Wolf, and Jon Garland and Padilla could be joining him from their rotation exodus. The Dodgers will likely lose Orlando Hudson as well which leaves a big hole in their middle infield. Los Angles needs to add a 2B, two starters some bullpen help and a couple of bench players. Right now they are a team without direction and I don’t know if they will make the playoffs unless they make a major move or two.

So who do you think are the Winners and Losers among last season’s playoff teams?

1. Matt Holliday LF:  Holliday is one of the best hitters to reach the free agent market in the last few years. He is a legitimate  3 or 4 hole hitter on any team. He also offers solid defense out in left field for any team that wants him. Expect the Yankees and Red Sox to be interested, with the Giants, Braves and Mets as long shots.

2. Jason Bay LF:  Bay brings everything to the table that Holliday does with the exception of defense. Bay’s lack of defense and being a year older will make him a bit cheaper on the market. I’d expect all the same teams to be in on Bay, (obviously with the exception of whoever lands Holliday) and I’d add the Mariners to the list.

3. John Lackey SP:  Lackey is the top arm on the market this year, and a frontline starter on any team. He’s not an “ace” in the sense of CC Sabathia, but their isn’t a team in this league that wouldn’t like him in the top 3 of their rotation. Its interesting that the Angels seemed inclined to let Lackey walk. He has dealt with some injuries the last few years, bringing him down a notch or two. Dodger blue might make sense, the Mariners are another team that makes sense out West looking for top pitcher. If Lackey heads east the Yankees and Mets will be very interested, and the Red Sox will do their due diligence as well.  Two extreme dark horses are the Nationals and Orioles. Both teams have plenty of money to spend and need a top pitcher, but probably won’t overpay if the Yankees and Red Sox are involved.

4. Chone Figgins 3B, UTL:  Here we see a drop off in the market. While Figgins is a good player he’s hardly someone you build your team around. He doesn’t fit the typical 3B profile as his speed is his biggest asset. If the Angels can’t retain him, the Phillies will be the top team calling. Orioles, Giants, and Cardinals could all be interested as well.

5. Nick Johnson 1B:  Johnson has an injury history that will keep him from getting a long term deal, but when he’s healthy he’s one of the most productive players in the game. His power numbers and defense fell off some last year hurting his value, but he was still an on base machine. I’d expect the power numbers to rebound this season and for him to post around a .900 OPS. The Giants, Braves, Orioles, and Mariners should all be in on Johnson. I think the Mets will be interested as well, and I’d never count out the Athletics on anyone who gets on base as often as Johnson does.

6. Johnny Damon LF:  Damon isn’t a long term answer for anyone, but for the next 2 years there are few safer players out there on the FA market. Damon year in year out produces a solid OPS, whether its sometimes with a bit more power (20+ hrs) or a higher obp Damon is always a big cog in the offense. Damon also still has speed as a part of his game, and has always been a smart base runner. I think the Yankees will retain Damon, but if they go in another direction there will be a few teams interested. Giants and Cardinals make the most sense.

7. Randy Wolf SP:  Wolf had a great year for the Dodgers last season and helped them reach the NLCS. Wolf isn’t a true “ace” and is a few steps below Lackey. I think the Dodgers will retain him (unless they sign Lackey). If he does leave, the Mets, Nationals, and Astros (if they decide to fore go rebuilding) make the most sense. Some AL teams could come calling, but the NL seems like a better fit for Wolf.

8. Rich Harden SP:  In terms of stuff, Harden is the best pitcher on the market unfortunately he can’t find a way to stay healthy. As a result he can forget about any deal longer than two years and his price tag will be well below Lackey’s and Wolf’s. I think a number of teams will be in on Harden trying to catch lightening in a bottle. In addition to the usual suspects, I think the A’s, O’s, Nats, and Brewers will all be in on Harden.

9. Jose Valverde RP:  Valverde is the top closer on the market this season, but faces a few road blocks. The first being the glut of closers on the market, and the second the lack of legitimate openings among teams. Valverde is a good closer but is far from the supreme status of Rivera and Papelbon. The Phillies will be interested, but I don’t think they will overpay. The Nats, Rays, and Rangers all could use some help at the back end of their bullpen, but probably will look at cheaper options. The Cubs could be an interesting team to watch.

10. Aroldis Chapman SP:  Chapman is a 21-year old Cuban defector with a 100 MPH fastball, but also 100 questions that need answered as well. Is he truly major league ready? How are his command, control, and off speed pitches? These are just a few of those questions that teams will be asking. His age and fastball will get him a big time deal, but he is not without risk. The Yankees and Red Sox are the favorites in this race, everyone else has to be a long shot. The Orioles could get serious, especially if the Yankees sign Lackey (more or less taking them out of the race).

11. Joel Pineiro SP:  Pineiro is a solid mid rotation arm. He’s been inconsistent throughout his career, but a great 2009 will give him a nice deal. The Cardinals will look to retain him, but expect a lot of teams to get interested in him. The Nats, O’s, Astros, and Brewers should all be at the top of the list.

12. Orlando Hudson 2B:  Hudson has lost a step defensively (though he still won the Gold Glove), but is still a pretty productive player at 2B. Hudson would be a nice fit for the Nationals and a solid 2 hole hitter for them. If the Mets can dump Castillo’s contract they could get involved as well.

13. Adam LaRoche 1B:  LaRoche struggled with the Pirates and Red Sox last season, but was on fire with Braves the last two months. Atlanta will look to keep LaRoche, but if they can’t the O’s, Mets, Giants and Mariners will be interested.

14. Mike Cameron CF:  Cameron is still a solid center fielder and offers both defensive and offensive upside. Athletics and Yankees could make sense. Also the Padres could bring Cameron back to patrol their spacious center field.

15. Marco Scutaro:  Scutaro is the top short stop on the market. He has always been solid defensively, and had a breakout offensive year. The Astros and Red Sox make the most sense.

16. Adrian Beltre 3B:  Beltre is a great buy low candidate this offseason. He had a pretty bad and injury filled walk year, but prior to that was the model of consistency, 20+ home run power, around an .800 OPS, and excellent defense at third. His offensive numbers should be helped by getting out of Seattle as well. The Twins and Phillies will be the most interested. I’d imagine the O’s will get involved as well.

17. Marlon Byrd CF, OF:  Byrd is very much under the radar, but one of the better outfielders on the market. Not too many teams need center fielders so I could see him landing in a spot like St. Louis or possibly with San Francisco.

18. Jon Garland SP:  Garland is another mid rotation candidate, who offers little upside but can be a great addition to most teams rotations. I think he’s a perfect fit in Washington. If the Cards lose Pineiro, he makes sense there, or would be a solid addition for the Brewers.

19. Andy Pettitte SP:  Part of the reason he is so low on this list is the fact that he is almost sure to resign with the Yankees. Also I don’t know how much you can trust him to put up another year like he had in 2009. He could easily have another 2008 down year. If he for some reason left the Yankees, the Dodgers or Astros make some sense.

20. Eric Bedard SP:  Bedard is very similar to Harden, a pitcher with amazing stuff, but has been too injured to make a long term investment in. Plenty of teams should be interested in him. And it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see the Orioles bring back their former staff ace.

Last night the New York Yankees won Game 6, 7-3 to win their 27th World Series Title. Though the Yankees were favorites thoughout the playoffs, they overcame the perception that they couldn’t win it with their current roster, and that they would find a way to lose like they had over the last few years. The Yankees also overcame the pressure to vindicate their manager Joe Girardi’s decision to go with a three man rotation and have his starters go on three days rest. Many people questioned whether the pitching staff could handle the extra workload, and last night SP Andy Pettitte showed he was up to the challenge going 5 and 2/3 innings giving up just 3 runs, on his way to a 7-3 victory.

The real hero last night was designated hitter Hideki Matsui, who went 3-4 and drove in six runs. Matsui killed the ball all series, batting .615, with a .643 on base percentage, a ridiculous 1.385 slugging percentage. Matsui had as many home runs as the rest of the Yankees combined, despite only starting in half of the games. He also paced the team by driving in eight runs in the series, which led to him being named MVP of the World Series.

For Matsui, Pettitte and the rest of the Yankees the monkey is officially off their backs. Since losing to the Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series, the Yankees haven’t been able to return to the greatness they had in the late 90′s. They were pretty easily defeated by the young upstart Marlins in 2003, then the embarrassing loss to the Red Sox in 04, to missing the playoffs entirely last year, the Yankees had really failed to deliver on the hype and talent that they have on opening day. This year though that changed, they were everyone’s preseason favorite to win the World Series, and they delivered on that prediction. They were the best team in baseball from start to finish, and showed a level of professionalism that had been lacking for a while. The best thing about the 2009 Yankees, and something that really couldn’t be said about them for awhile, is they won and lost together as a team. Despite all the star power, this wasn’t a one man show, no one player was bigger than anyone else. A lot of credit goes to Girardi and the players for staying focused and finding a way to win. Congratulations to everyone on the Yankees, our 2009 World Series Champions.

While the Phillies failed to win two out of three home games, they are in prime position to win their second game on the road tonight in New York. The Yankees are once again throwing their starter, Andy Pettitte on short rest, the third game in a row that they’ve done so. Now Sabathia is a tank and can handle the extra workload, but A.J. Burnett didn’t look like his dominate self in Game 5. If Pettitte pitches closer to Burnett than Sabathia on the spectrum, then the Yankees will need a Game 7 if they hope to get their 27th World Series Title.

I understand that the Yankees pitching options are limited, especially since Joba Chamberlain hasn’t been pitching well of late, but the Yankees are taking a big gamble here. Pettitte is 37 years old and has already thrown 220 innings between the regular and postseason, and starting him on three days rest just doesn’t seem like a good idea. Especially with the struggles the Yankees are facing in their bullpen, where everyone not named Robertson or Rivera has had some struggles this postseason (Marte hasn’t allowed a run yet, but I don’t trust him in a crucial situation). On short rest the Yankees will be lucky if they can get between 5-6 quality innings out of Pettitte. If the Yankees need their bullpen for four or more innings I don’t see them winning this game.

The Phillies are countering Pettitte with their own crafty veteran, Pedro Martinez. Martinez pitched a masterful game in New York in Game 2, giving up 3 runs, but really shut down the Yankees bats overall. He began to struggle as his pitch count went up, but should give the Phillies a pretty strong 5-6 innings tonight. Martinez also showed that he can handle the New York stage, which many people thought would be too much for him.

The real key for the Phillies will be their bats, they came in to this World Series as a good matchup against the Yankees, because they had the hitters that would balance out the Yankees big boppers. So far this series only Chase Utley and Jason Werth have come to play. Unless Philadelphia gets some production tonight from a few of their other hitters, they might not make it to Game 7 no matter how off Pettitte is. Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino are both hitting under .200 for the series with nine total bases between them. They will need to step up in these final games if the Phillies have any shot of repeating as Champs. Because right now there is not a reason on the planet for the Yankees to throw Utley anything even close to the center of the plate. It will be up to Victorino and Howard to take advantage of that. Victorino needs to get on base before Utley, forcing the Yankees to pitch to Utley. And if the Yankees try to pitch around him, Howard has to make them pay in a big way.

We all knew it was coming, but could do nothing to avoid it from happening, when Brad Lidge came in against the Yankees in the 9th inning with the game on the line. There was no way this was going to end well for the Phillies. Lidge who was perfect in save opportunities last season, and brilliant on their way to the World Series, has been a disaster for the Phillies bullpen this year. What’s more disheartening for the Phillies, is last night’s game was pretty much was the end of their repeat chances.

Philadelphia had the Yankees right where they wanted them. They went into the 9th inning tied 4-4 due to a pair of late home runs (Utley in the 7th, Feliz in the 8th), and all they needed was 3 outs and and they wouldn’t face face Teixera, ARod, or closer Mariano Rivera. With the score tied the Yankees were prepared to go with Phil Coke to handle the 9th, meaning the Phillies could walk-off in the 9th without having to face the best pitcher in the game. All the Phillies had to do was get three outs and keep the score tied. Initially it looked as though Lidge would get the job done, he got Matsui to pop out and struck out Jeter. All Lidge had to do was get one more out, and he would have done his job. Lidge had so far been untouched this postseason, giving up just one hit and no runs in four innings. But that changed when Johnny Damon fought him off to get a single. Damon then stole second, but the shift was on and 3B Pedro Feliz covered second base and no one was on third. With a bad throw to second, Feliz was out of position and Damon was easily able to beat him to third base. After that you knew that Lidge wouldn’t be able to get out of the inning unscathed. When one thing goes wrong for Lidge, five things are bound to go wrong for him. What happened with Damon was in his head. And with the lead run 90 feet away, Lidge didn’t throw his nasty slider, and it left him a one pitch pitcher. A hit batter and a pair of hits later the Yankees were up 7-4, and bringing in their stopper Mariano Rivera to close out their third win of the Series.

A lot of credit should go to Damon, first in fighting off Lidge during a nine pitch at bat, to just get on base. Then the heads up base running taking two bases on the steal was huge. Mentally and strategically Damon’s steal set up the Yankees win and really ended the Phillies title hopes. Had Lidge gotten them out of that inning, and their offense had scored in the bottom of the 9th, the Phillies would have had a real shot to win this series. They would have been tied 2-2 going into tonight, with Cliff Lee on the mound. The way Lee has been pitching, and being at home, the Phillies would have likely headed back to New York up 3-2, which would have given them a fair shot to win the Series. Now down 3-1, the Phillies will have to hope they can even make it back to New York.