Baseball Blogs Weigh In News & Rumors

On this date in 1975, arbitrator Peter Seitz made his landmark ruling that allowed baseball players to become free agents upon playing one year for their team without a contract. The decision — made with regards to pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally — effectively eliminated the reserve clause and ushered in the age of free agency. Seitz's decision changed baseball forever, and without it, sites like MLB Trade Rumors wouldn't be nearly as interesting.

Here's a holiday-sized collection of links from around the web…

• Did The Tribe Win Last Night? spoke to Nick Hagadone about his goal of making the Indians' bullpen next year.
• Bernie's Crew wrote about Ryan Braun and recent reports about his failed drug test.
• Lone Star Ball looks at the potential impact Yu Darvish will have on the Rangers.
• The Outside Corner wonders who will be a better investment: Darvish or C.J. Wilson.
• Redleg Nation wrote about what Mat Latos means for the 2012 Reds.
• Call to the Pen says the Latos trade is a poor fit for both the Reds and Padres.
• MLB Reports tries to figure out who's San Diego's first baseman of the future.
• Gaslamp Ball wonders if the Padres really are loaded at first base.
• District on Deck believes the Nationals gave up too much to acquire Gio Gonzalez.
• FanSpeak says the Gonzalez trade showed desperation on Washington's part.
• Federal Baseball thinks the Nats should go get a bat now that they have Gonzalez.
• Drunk Jays Fans wrote about the Blue Jays continued pursuit of pitching.
• Two Points on a Compass tries to figure out what Prince Fielder is worth.
• South Side Sox says John Danks' contract extension raises some questions about the White Sox.
• Giants Nirvana says it's hard to see both Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain signing extensions before they hit free agency.
• Rox Pile thinks Michael Cuddyer was a good pickup even if he won't fix all the Rockies problems.
• Puckett's Pond looks back at Cuddyer's five greatest moments as a Twin.
• Lasorda's Lair said goodbye to Casey Blake.
• Redbird Rants believes the Cardinals should pursue Roy Oswalt on a one-year deal.
• BoSox Injection says it would be too costly for the Red Sox to acquire Matt Garza.
• Camden Depot thinks the Orioles have little to gain with their scouting department restructuring.
• Camden Crazies believes the Orioles had a good chance to come out ahead in a Adam Jones–Jair Jurrjens/Martin Prado trade.
• Wareworthy Worthy doesn't think Jeremy Guthrie will be traded this offseason.
• Royals Review makes a case for the Royals trading Billy Butler this winter.
• Steel World Order considers this to be a successful offseason for the Pirates.
• Cleveland Indians Perspective isn't a fan of the Aaron Cunningham pickup.
• Shutdown Inning compares Derek Holland to one of his former teammates.
• Blogging Mets wonders if the Mets have another Generation K on their hands.
• We Should Be GMs doesn't think Jimmy Rollins is Hall of Fame bound.
• South Side Sox ranks the White Sox's top ten prospects.
• Cubs Billy Goat Blog put together a composite list of the Cubs' top ten prospects.
• Rays Colored Glasses takes an early look at some catchers that will be available in next year's draft.
• MLB Draft Insider listed the twelve best high school position players available in the draft next June.

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Eight years ago today, the Orioles signed Miguel Tejada to a six-year contract worth $72MM, the richest deal in franchise history. The 2002 AL MVP had the three best seasons of his career (in terms of wins over replacement, or WAR) during his first three years in Baltimore, and hit .305/.354/.481 with 109 homers during his five years with the Orioles. Tejada spent the last year of the contract with the Astros after being traded for Luke Scott, Matt Albers, Dennis Sarfate, Troy Patton, and Mike Costanzo.

Here is the latest batch of links from around the web, now that the dust from the winter meetings has settled…

• Rum Bunter interviewed Pirates GM Neal Huntington about the roster, the budget, etc.
• Phoul Ballz spoke to Phillies prospect Tyson Gillies, who's focused on a rebound year.
• The Baseball Nerds wrote about the fallout of Ryan Braun's failed drug test.
• Pro Ball NW entertains the idea of trading Felix Hernandez.
• Redbird Rants walks down memory lane with Albert Pujols.
• Ranger Rap looked at the Rangers' side of C.J. Wilson signing with the Angels.
• Chicken Friars imagines a world where the Padres sign Prince Fielder.
• Brotherly Glove thinks Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has done a good job dealing with Jimmy Rollins.
• That Ball's Outta Here is curious to see how Dontrelle Willis fares with the Phillies.
• Rant Sports Marlins wonders if the Marlins left the winter meetings as losers.
• Sports of Boston explores the possibility of Hanley Ramirez returning to the Red Sox.
• River Ave. Blues thinks the Yankees may be repeating their Johan Santana trick with Yu Darvish.
• Over The Baggy explains why Josh Willingham was built for Target Field.
• Puckett's Pond plays devil's advocate with the Willingham signing.
• Jays Journal isn't sure that Carlos Beltran is on the Blue Jays' radar.
• North and South of Royal Brougham compares Michael Cuddyer to Luke Scott.
• Through The Fence Baseball says to bank on Bryce Harper starting next season with the Nationals.
• Cubbies Crib wrote about Aramis Ramirez joining the Brewers from the Cubs' perspective.
• Breaking Wisconsin covered all of the recent moves made by the Brewers.
• Drays Bay looks at Jeremy Hellickson and David Price as extension candidates.
• U.S.S. Mariner wonders if the Mariners should sign Michael Pineda long-term.
• Rising Apple thinks Travis Snider would be a good fit for the Mets.
• Bay City Ball wonders if Brandon Crawford's glove is good enough to carry his bat.
• Blog Red Machine put together a pitching wish list for the Reds.
• Wahoo's on First thinks the Reds might be overestimating Yonder Alonso's trade value.
• Motor City Bengals asks if teams are overvaluing their prospects.
• District on Deck believes the Nationals should inquire about Eric Young Jr.
• The Hottest Stove plays "If I Were GM" with the NL East teams.
• Baseball Reality Tour looks back at the remains of the trade that sent Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Tigers.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

As expected, the winter meetings brought plenty of excitement and changed the baseball landscape this week. The Angels and Marlins made multiple significant additions while other clubs did some fine tuning. Here's the latest from around the baseball blogosphere on all of this week's moves and more…

• True Grich called the Albert Pujols signing a defining moment for the Angels.
• Saul Ball says Pujols isn't a villain for leaving the Cardinals.
• Blog Red Machine is sad Pujols is leaving the NL Central.
• Baseball Time In Arlington doesn't like how the Rangers low-balled C.J. Wilson.
• Shutdown Inning doesn't believe the balance of power in the AL West has shifted yet.
• Fish Stripes thinks the Marlins overpaid Jose Reyes, but not by a whole lot.
• Capitol Avenue Club doesn't believe the Braves need to answer the Reyes deal.
• Jays Journal thinks Alex Anthopoulos would be contradicting himself by signing Prince Fielder.
• Pro Ball NW wants the Mariners to be smart about pursuing Fielder.
• Yankees Fans Unite looks at Yu Darvish as a pitching target.
• Nolan Writin' expects the Rangers to bid big on Darvish after losing Wilson.
• Marlin Maniac explains why Yoenis Cespedes makes sense for the Marlins.
• Warehouse Worthy wonders if the Orioles should pursue Cespedes.
• DRays Bay says Matt Moore's extension will make him valuable even if he's an average pitcher.
• 85% Sports says the best thing for the Cardinals now is to get a middle infielder and a center fielder.
• I-70 Baseball looks at some shortstop options for the Cardinals.
• Jays Prospects thinks the Sergio Santos–Nestor Molina trade was pretty fair.
• South Side Sox doesn't get the uproar over the White Sox trading Santos.
• Rising Apple compared Angel Pagan to Andres Torres.
• Blogging Mets thinks it might be time for the Mets to trade Bobby Parnell.
• FanSpeak says the Nationals need to move on to Plan B in center field.
• Bless You Boys goes back to review the Curtis Granderson trade.
• Seedlings to Stars looks back at when Pujols was a young player.
• Sports of Boston wonders if $100MM contracts are ever worth it.
• True Blue LA wrote about the risk the Dodgers have taken this offseason.
• Lasorda's Lair wonders if Ronald Belisario can make a comeback.
• Disciples of Uecker believes the Brewers will be able to replace Jerry Hairston Jr.
• Rays Colored Glasses wonders how Brandon Guyer fits into the Rays' plans.
• Cleveland Indians Perspective thinks the Indians need to keep Tony Sipp and Rafael Perez.
• Call to the Pen looked at Pedro Martinez's Hall of Fame candidacy.
• Ed Maquino doesn't think Ron Santo should have gotten into the Hall.
• Puckett's Pond points out that closers are generally a waste of money.
• River Ave. Blues explains why offseason plans are a waste of time.
• Ol' Ball Game thinks more teams should take advantage of the Rule 5 Draft.
• Yanks Go Yard wrote about MLB's attempt to curb spending.
• Wahoo's on First put together a simple WAR calculator, complete with instructions.

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Eight years ago today, the Cardinals signed Chris Carpenter to a one-year contract worth $500K for the second straight offseason. The right-hander had missed the entire 2003 season due to shoulder surgery, but St. Louis bet another half-a-million bucks on his recovery. Carpenter rewarded them with a 3.46 ERA in 28 starts in 2004, and has since helped the club to three NL pennants and two World Series titles.

Here is this week's batch of pre-winter meetings links…

• Amazin' Avenue provides a transcript of Mets GM Sandy Alderson's recent conference call with bloggers.
• The Todd Can Poppel Rookie Card Retirement Plan discusses a recent interview with Athletics assistant GM David Forst.
• Giants Nirvana isn't terribly excited about Giants GM Brian Sabean's recent contract extension.
• Bleacher Nation makes a case for and against the Cubs signing Prince Fielder.
• District on Deck thinks Josh Willingham makes more sense for the Nationals than Fielder.
• Baseball Reality Tour doesn't think the Royals improved by adding Jonathan Broxton.
• Motor City Bengals wonders if Mark Buehrle is a good fit for the Tigers.
• The Hardball Times looks at how David DeJesus might impact Alfonso Soriano.
• Pirates Prospects tries to figure out where the Pirates could add an impact player.
• Rum Bunter thinks Matt Adams could have helped the Pirates at first base.
• Bay City Ball says going cheap might be a good thing for the Giants.
• Shutdown Inning comes up with starting pitcher comparables for Neftali Feliz.
• BoSox Injection wonders if the Red Sox should make a push for Matt Garza.
• Splice Today believes Gio Gonzalez is getting overrated on the trade market.
• South Side Sox closes the book on the trade that sent Nick Swisher to the Yankees.
• South Side Showdown thinks the White Sox should be open to trading Matt Thornton.
• Brotherly Glove says the Nationals have a chance to become very good, very fast.
• Warehouse Worthy wonders what the Orioles will do with Luke Scott.
• Call to the Pen analyzed the John Jaso–Josh Lueke trade.
• Wahoo's on First suggests a trade between baseball's two Ohio teams.
• Ol' Ball Game looked at some ways to improve the Indians.
• I-70 Baseball wonders if Jose Oquendo could be the next manager of the Astros.
• Rant Sports Yankees believes the Yankees should explore trading Ivan Nova.
• Rational Sports Fan thinks the new collective bargaining agreement hurts young pitchers.
• Fantasy Rundown compiles all your favorite prospect lists in one place.
• MLB Reports likes the idea of expanded interleague play.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

Six years ago today, the Phillies traded Jim Thome to the White Sox for Aaron Rowand, Gio Gonzalez, and Daniel Haigwood, opening up first base for reigning Rookie of the Year Ryan Howard. With Howard due to miss time with a ruptured Achilles next season, Philadelphia brought Thome back to help fill in at first base.

Here are some links to peruse as you chow down on some Thanksgiving leftovers…

• Baseball Nation looked at the unintended consequences of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• Did The Tribe Win Last Night? spoke to Vinnie Pestano of the Indians about the 2012 season.
• BoSox Injection says Joe Nathan signing with the Rangers created an opportunity for the Red Sox.
• The Hottest Stove praises the Nathan signing because it puts Neftali Feliz in the rotation.
• Yankees Fans Unite identified Matt Garza as a potential trade target for the Yankees.
• I-70 Baseball believes Prince Fielder is a better fit for the Cubs than Albert Pujols.
• Rooftop View tries to figure out what the Cubs should do at third base.
• Call to the Pen likes the Clint Barmes signing for the Pirates.
• Giants Nirvana looks back at Freddy Sanchez's extension, eight months later.
• South Side Showdown thinks a Carlos Quentin trade would benefit both Quentin and the White Sox.
• Chicken Friars looked at some free agent pitchers that could interest the Padres.
• Ol' Ball Game listed some free agent and trade targets for the Padres.
• Prospect Insider believes the Mariners should trade Brandon League.
• Swingin A's revisited the Athletics' rebuilding process.
• Rising Apple calls Chris Volstad a potential offseason target for the Mets.
• Cleveland Indians Perspective wrote about the players the Indians protected from the Rule 5 Draft.
• House of the Bluebird likes the idea of Francisco Rodriguez closing for the Blue Jays.
• Jays Journal says Yonder Alonso doesn't make much sense for Toronto right now.
• Sports of Boston wonders if Tim Wakefield has any value on the open market.
• Warehouse Worthy tries to figure out who Matt Wieters is.
• Lasorda's Lair thinks Matt Kemp should have won the NL MVP Award.
• Infield Chatter wrote about the MVP award and the debate it creates.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

Nine years ago today, the Marlins, Rockies, and Braves swung a three-team, eight-player trade. Colorado send Mike Hampton and Juan Pierre to Florida in exchange for Charles Johnson, Preston Wilson, Vic Darensbourg, and Pablo Ozuna. The Marlins then flipped Hampton to Atlanta for Tim Spooneybarger and Ryan Baker. The $103.5MM left on Hampton's contract was spread out between the three clubs, with the Rockies paying $30MM, the Marlins paying $38MM, and the Braves paying $35.5MM. Colorado saved $26.3MM with the deal, and Florida saved $9.2MM.

We've got a large collection of links this week following the GM meetings. Here's the latest from around the web…

• Rising Apple explained two ways the Mets could keep Jose Reyes: a contract with lots of incentives, or a back-loaded deal.
• Marlins Maniac tells us why signing Reyes makes sense for the Marlins.
• Monkey With A Halo says things are complicated between the Angels and C.J. Wilson.
• Harness The Halo thinks the Angels signing Wilson would close the gap in the AL West.
• Call To The Pen says Matt Kemp's extension gives the Dodgers hope going forward.
• MLB Reports explains why the Phillies chose Jonathan Papelbon over Ryan Madson.
• Brotherly Glove mused about Ruben Amaro Jr.'s patience, or lack thereof.
• Infield Chatter calls free agency an "expensive way to hurt your team."
• Bay City Ball says the market for middle infielders has gotten insane.
• BoSox Injection wonders if the Red Sox have an image problem.
• Red Sox Post lists some DH options for the Red Sox in case David Ortiz leaves.
• Kings of Kauffman says the Royals should sign both Roy Oswalt and Mark Buehrle.
• Nolan Writin' doesn't see a fit between the Rangers and Grady Sizemore.
• South Side Showdown thinks Jason Kubel might be a good fit for the White Sox.
• DRays Bay imagines a Rays lineup with Joey Votto.
• Baltimore Sports & Life asked six writers if the O's should trade or extend Adam Jones.
• Lookout Landing wrote about Chone Figgins' awkward situation.
• Pro Ball NW thinks it may be time for the Mariners to trade Brandon League.
• Through The Fence Baseball says the Padres should trade for Carlos Quentin.
• Motor City Bengals believes the Tigers need a long-term answer at second base.
• The Eye In The Skydome doesn't like the Aaron Hill deal for the Diamondbacks.
• Puckett's Pond wrote about Jamey Carroll's meaningless RBI total.
• MLB Dirt says the Mark Kotsay signing makes zero sense for the Padres.
• Raise The Jolly Roger is okay with the Pirates signing Rod Barajas.
• Giants Nirvana thinks the Giants should part ways with Jeff Keppinger.
• Warehouse Worthy tries to figure out what happened to Brian Matusz.
• Blog Red Machine mused about baseball's upcoming realignment.
• Yanks Go Yard provides some thoughts on baseball's expanded playoffs.
• The Hottest Stove says the league changes are cheapening the regular season.
• Sports of Boston wrote about baseball's ever-changing uniforms.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

On this date in 1997, Mike Kelly became the first Major Leaguer ever traded to the Devil Rays franchise. The Reds sent the 27-year-old outfielder to Tampa Bay for a player to be named later, and that player eventually turned out to be Dmitri Young. Kelly hit .240/.295/.401 in 303 plate appearances for the '97 Devil Rays, then was released at the end of Spring Training the following season.

Here is this week's collection of links from the baseball blogosphere…

• Rum Bunter posted a podcast interview with Pirates GM Neal Huntington.
• Jays Prospects interviewed Jacob Anderson, Toronto's highest signed pick from this year's draft.
• Camden Crazies wrote about Dan Duquette's hiring and what it means for the Orioles.
• Nick's Twins Blog is intrigued by the recent change in the Twins' front office.
• The Outside Corner wonders if the Marlins are serious about spending this offseason.
• Only Baseball Matters believes the Melky Cabrera–Jonathan Sanchez deal only makes sense for the Royals.
• Call to the Pen also likes the deal from Kansas City's perspective.
• Royals Authority, on the other hand, believes it was a fair trade for both sides.
• Bay City Ball broke down the pluses and minuses of the swap trade for the Giants.
• McCovey Chronicles tries to figure out what the rest of the Giants' offseason will look like.
• Jays Journal wonders if the Blue Jays and Giants could get together for a Matt Cain trade.
• Rooftop View isn't sure that Carlos Zambrano is an expendable piece for the Cubs.
• Baseball Time In Arlington wrote about Prince Fielder and the Rangers.
• Prospect Insider also wrote about Fielder, except about how he would fit with the Mariners.
• Ol' Ball Game wonders if C.J. Wilson is worth all the money he is likely to get.
• Crashburn Alley took a look at Phillies' free agent target Michael Cuddyer.
• We Should Be GMs believes the Phillies should go cheap for their next backup catcher.
• Brotherly Glove examines some Phillies' pitching options.
• Orioles Nation did the same, just from the Orioles' perspective.
• Halos Heaven tries to find a potential replacement for Joel Pineiro.
• Giants Nirvana called Andrew Brackman a potential free agent option for the Giants.
• Redleg Nation says the Reds need to make a push for James Shields.
• Yankees Fans Unite looked at John Danks as a trade target for the Yankees.
• Rant Sports Yankees adds Josh Johnson as a potential trade target for New York.
• BoSox Injection says the Red Sox don't have much to offer in trades.
• Pirates Prospects believes the Pirates should trade Joel Hanrahan.
• DRays Bay tries to figure out what an extension for Matt Joyce would look like.
• Rays Insider looks at some potential DH candidates for the Rays next year.
• Wahoo's On First says the Indians made the right move by picking up Fausto Carmona's option.
• FanSpeak lists three move the Nationals should make this winter.
• Chicken Friars revisited last offseason's Cameron Maybin trade.
• Motor City Bengals wonders if Guillermo Moscoso is the next Jair Jurrjens, from the Tigers' point of view.
• Swingin' A's tries to figure out who should play first base for the Athletics.
• Royals Review mused about trading top prospect Wil Myers.
• M.C. Antil wrote about what the Braves have left following the Mark Teixeira trades.
• Gaslamp Ball wonders if all the Padres' prospects get caught in identity fraud cases is a problem.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

On this date last year, the Rockies traded Miguel Olivo to the Blue Jays for cash. Toronto declined Olivo's $2.5MM option later than day, instead paying him a $500K buyout. After offering him arbitration later in the month, they received a supplemental first round pick when the backstop signed with the Mariners. The Jays essentially bought the 57th overall pick in this summer's draft for $500K, which they used on high school right-handed Kevin Comer.

Here are this week's links, the first official week of the offseason…

• Through The Fence Baseball chatted with Rockies owner Dick Monfort.
• Jays Prospects interviewed Steve Springer, a scout and performance coach with the Blue Jays.
• Sports of Boston analyzed Theo Epstein's legacy with the Red Sox.
• The Friarhood doesn't blame Jed Hoyer for moving on from the Padres.
• Wahoo's on First calls the Derek Lowe trade Chris Antonetti's best move since being promoted to Indians GM.
• Camden Depot compares the outlook of long-term contracts for Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols.
• Crashburn Alley prefers Jonathan Papelbon to Heath Bell.
• We Should Be GMs analyzed the value of Jimmy Rollins' defense.
• Cracked Bell Sports lists five things the Phillies should do this offseason.
• Capitol Avenue Club looked at Josh Willingham as a potential outfield target for the Braves.
• Why Won't The Tigers Hire Me? mused about the Tigers trading for Hanley Ramirez.
• Baseball Time In Arlington projected the Rangers' 2012 payroll.
• Royals Review looked at the financial implications of Alex Gordon's Gold Glove Award.
• Yankees Fans Unite believes the Yankees should target Matt Cain in a trade.
• House of the Bluebird made a case for the Blue Jays signing David Ortiz.
• Lookout Landing has some concerns about Grady Sizemore.
• Nats GM put together an offseason plan for the Nationals (part one, part two)
• McCovey Chronicles called the Javier Lopez and Jeremy Affeldt moves "a bizarre allocation of limited funds."
• South Side Sox wonders why the White Sox picked up Jason Frasor's option.
• Rant Sports Mets thinks the Mets should take a flier on Andrew Brackman.
• 1 Blue Jays Way lists some potential replacements for Kelly Johnson.
• Call to the Pen put together a list of the top free agents by position.
• Puckett's Pond lists the best free agent signings in Twins history.
• MLB Reports compiled a list of candidates to replace Bud Selig after he retires next offseason.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

Nine years ago today, the Devil Rays signed Lou Piniella to a four-year contract and named him their manager. As compensation for hiring Piniella away from the Mariners, Tampa sent All-Star outfielder Randy Winn and minor leaguer Antonio Perez to Seattle. Another manager was traded just a few weeks ago, as the White Sox dealt Ozzie Guillen (and minor leaguer Ricardo Andres) to the Marlins for prospects Jhan Marinez and Osvaldo Martinez. At some point in the near future, the Cubs will officially send prospects to the Red Sox and Padres for front office executives Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, and Jason McLeod.

We're not going to require any compensation for these links; here's the best the baseball corner of the internet had to offer over the last week…

• Replacement Level Baseball interviewed Dan Hayes of The North County Times about the change in the Padres' front office.
• Boston Sports Then And Now introduced us to new Red Sox GM Ben Cherington.
• The Dugout Report says the Rangers are built to last.
• River Ave. Blues lists four things the Yankees could learn from the Rangers.
• MLB Reports wrote about the aftermath of John Lackey's Tommy John surgery.
• BoSox Injection doesn't think the Red Sox should trade Josh Beckett this offseason.
• Sports of Boston wonders which free agent pitcher the Red Sox should target.
• Lookout Landing muses about David Ortiz being a fit for the Mariners
• Sodo Mojo opines about the Mariners trading Felix Hernandez.
• Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness knows Clayton Kershaw is about to get expensive.
• Brotherly Glove looked back at Brad Lidge's contract with the Phillies.
• Capitol Avenue Club lays down some guidelines for the Braves' offseason.
• The Eddie Kranepool Society says the Mets should use Ruben Tejada at short and go after pitching instead of re-signing Jose Reyes.
• Rising Apple believes the Mets should make a run at Michael Wuertz.
• Through The Fence Baseball explains why the Padres should trade Chase Headley.
• Capitol Baseball makes a case against the Nationals signing Ryan Zimmerman to a contract extension.
• District On Deck looks back at the trade that brought Tyler Clippard to the Nationals.
• The Todd Van Poppel Rookie Card Retirement Plan says the Athletics should sell high on Guillermo Moscoso.
• Blogging Mets says teams should beware of Yu Darvish and high priced Japanese imports.
• Motor City Bengals says letting Placido Polanco walk after 2009 was the right move for the Tigers.
• Frisco Fastball wonders if Grady Sizemore is too much of a health risk for the Giants.
• Ol' Ball Game helps figure out what the Pirates should do to finish .500 next season.
• Rum Bunter posted some video of 2011 first overall pick Gerrit Cole from the Arizona Fall League.
• Call to the Pen put together a team of the best players to never play in the World Series.
• More Hardball compiled a team of the best minor league free agent signings from this season.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

Five years ago today, Anthony Reyes and the Cardinals beat Justin Verlander and the Tigers in Game One of the World Series. It was the first time in history that two rookies started Game One of the Fall Classic. Reyes allowed just two runs on four hits in eight innings, helping St. Louis to their first World Championship since 1982.

Here are this week's links, as the Cardinals try to win their second title in six seasons…

• Bleed Cubbie Blue provides Theo Epstein with a guide to the Cubs and their fans.
• The Best Sox Blog believes Epstein's departure is a good thing for the Red Sox.
• Gaslamp Ball says Jed Hoyer's defection to the Cubs makes the Padres look indecisive and cheap.
• MLB Reports interviewed Rockies' prospect Christian Friedrich.
• Lasorda's Lair explains why the Dodgers are better off after the McCourts' divorce settlement.
• Camden Depot tried to translate Yu Darvish's performance in Japan to MLB.
• Rankings Professor listed the top five landing spots for Prince Fielder.
• DRays Bay wonders if Josh Willingham is a fit for the Rays.
• BoSox Injection believes the Red Sox should trade Kevin Youkilis.
• South Side Sox looks at how the Chris Young trade led to series of bad decisions for the White Sox.
• Bay City Ball explains why the Giants should keep Jonathan Sanchez around for another year.
• Crashburn Alley says the Phillies should use a budget-conscious bullpen next year.
• Jays Journal wonders if David Ortiz is a realistic free agent option for the Blue Jays.
• Rant Sports Yankees makes a case for the Yankees letting CC Sabathia walk.
• Royals Authority projects the Royals' 2012 payroll.
• Wahoo's On First tries to temper expectations for Lonnie Chisenhall.
• Twin Cities Baseball sets the limit on a new contract for Michael Cuddyer.
• Puckett's Pond says the future of the Twins depends on the health of their top hitters.
• Replacement Level Baseball listed some potential valuable minor league free agents.
• Call to the Pen posted their American League and National League Players of the Year.
• Blog Red Machine discussed the art of the shutdown inning.
• Through The Fence Baseball wrote about second base becoming an offensive position.
• Baseball Reality Tour compiled a list of the top five hitters of the last 30 years.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. One email per week, please.