MLBTR Originals

MLBTR's top-notch writing team was on fire last week with original content.  Let's take a look:

• Ben Nicholson-Smith and I presented our inaugural list of the top GM candidates in baseball, after surveying a diverse group of baseball insiders.  We're aiming to bring you interviews with many of the executives on the list over the next few months, so you'll be fully prepared if a GM job opens up.
• Speaking of GMs past and present, Ben scored interviews with John Hart and Andrew Friedman for a piece discussing the parallels between Hart's Indians extensions and Friedman's Rays contracts.
• The Tigers extended manager Jim Leyland and GM Dave Dombrowski, and Ben jumped on the conference call to snag quotes from the latter. 
• Tigers closer Jose Valverde is a perfect 35 for 35 in save chances this year, but his recent track record on finding the right agency is not as good.  He recently switched to Proformance, MLBTR was first to report.  You'll find all the latest info in our one-of-a-kind Agency Database.
• Willie Eyre's first call to the bigs since '09 was first reported on MLBTR.
• Neftali Ruiz and Mario Guerrero brought readers this story on the struggles of Haitian prospects, while our Nick Collias translated their work to English and tied it all together.
• Ben ran through the 2010 non-tenders currently contributing with their new teams.  Ben also explained why Twins righty Kevin Slowey is a candidate for the indignity of a non-tender after this season.
• What would it take for the Blue Jays to lock up Brandon Morrow, whose K/9 stands tall over the rest of the American League?  Mark Polishuk investigated.  Meanwhile, Dan Mennella explored Jonathan Papelbon's free agent prospects.
• Indians fans can only hope the Ubaldo Jimenez trade doesn't end up mirroring Brock-for-Broglio, but Howard Megdal shows why Jimenez and Broglio are trade targets separated at birth.
• Thousands of MLBTR readers voted on polls asking whether the Rays should trade B.J. Upton this winter and which recent Brewers trade was the best.
• Ben answered reader questions on Dontrelle Willis' next contract, this offseason's extension candidates, and what it would take to lock up Michael Bourn, among many others in last week's chat.
• Lots of interesting stuff from baseball blogs around the web last week, collected by Mike Axisa here.  Especially notable is Bronx Baseball Daily's interview with C.C. Sabathia.