According to Ken Rosenthal, the Tampa Bay Rays have had discussions about Jermaine Dye and are one of several teams “balking” at the reported asking price.

Rosenthal:

“The White Sox are asking teams for a young starting pitcher plus additional players for right fielder Jermaine Dye. The Mets, Rays and Phillies are among the teams balking at such a price.”

Although the Rays have a need for a right-handed bat in a right field/DH-type role, Dye does not seem like a great fit. He had a nice bounce back season for the Chicago White Sox, batting .292/.344/.541/.885 OPS, with 34 home runs to help lead his team to the postseason. However, he is due around a little under $11.5-million in 2009, the last year of his current contract. This means that he is essentially a rent-a-player who is not exactly stellar defensively and would hurt the Rays’ excellent run prevention efforts. Considering the price, his bad knees and age (34), he is not the type of player who Andrew Friedman would seriously consider.

True, Dye is only two year’s removed from an MVP-caliber season in which he posted career highs in OBP (385), OPS (1.006), slugging percentage (.622) and wOBA (.412). He also put to rest any concerns from his dismal ’07 campaign (.338 wOBA), posting a .371 clip.

Regardless, Dye is likely to decline and would not be a good fit in the turf at Tropicana Field. In Bill James’ projections for ’09, he has Dye putting together a line .270/.334/.491, with a .357 wOBA. This, factoring in defense, would not be that much of an upgrade, anyway, considering the financial implications and cost of prospects.

Rosenthal continues:

“One potentially interested executive said his team was concerned that Dye batted only .210 with runners in scoring position and two outs last season — 36 points below the American League average.”

This was interesting to me. Of all the red flags, why focus on this? Dye certainly struggled with RISP and two outs, batting .210/.269/.306. Still, that line was based on 62 at-bats, which is not exactly a hefty sample size. The thought process of that unnamed executive is undoubtedly concerning, and, from where I am standing, makes it unlikely that they work for the Rays.

Rosenthal also touches on some other rumors regarding Tampa Bay, which is looking to upgrade at DH. Given the current state of the economy, he says, the Rays could end up finding a bargain in a short-term deal with one of the bigger free-agent bats available. One of the names listed is Jason Giambi, whose name also surfaced in a recent New York Post article (though it was essentially a rumor created by a single writer). It is unlikely that the Rays will be able to afford Giambi, who quietly put together a nice performance in his final go-around with the New York Yankees. The left-handed hitting slugger posted a .373 OBP, .502 slugging percentage and a 128 OPS+ while hitting 32 home runs. He finished with a .372 wOBA as well, as he continued to do three things consistently: draw a bunch of walks, hit home runs and strikeout.

With that being said, Giambi would provide a tremendous boost to a Tampa Bay lineup that was actually less productive than in 2007—when they finished in last place in the division. His on-base skills would be a welcome addition, and he would not have to play first base as frequently as he did in New York with Gold Glover Carlos Pena returning.

Still, a deal is unlikely. The Rays will wait to see what the market dictates before they make a move, if any. Barring a weak demand for Giambi, his agent will likely generate a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal that would obviously cancel out the Rays as a potential suitor. Plus, he is left-handed.

Cork Gaines recently dismissed this rumor in a recent post.

Gaines:

“Giambi's agent: [covers phone, giggles like a school girl] OK. Let's start at three years, $45 million.

World B. Friedman: [gulps] But...but your guy is old and we only had to pay Cliff Floyd $2.75 million for half of a season's worth of work. Giambi is one-dimensional and baseball gloves probably should get a restraining order against him. Even PECOTA says he was only worth $9-10 million in 2008. How about two years, $12 million?

Giambi's agent: Listen, my guy just posted an OPS+ of 130 which was just behind Vlad the Impaler and Miguel Cabrera and just ahead of Grady Sizemore, Magglio Ordonez and David Ortiz. That OPS+ was better than free agents Adam Dunn, Raul Ibanez and Pat Burrell. He is only 37, and have you seen him recently? I don't want to say my boy is back on the juice, but have you seen his arms recently? He is bigger than when he got busted the first time...Uh, I mean the only time...or whatever it was that he apologized for and never admitted to...Three years, minimum. And he made $23 million in 2007. My client is used to a certain lifestyle.”

Also, Trever Miller reportedly agreed to a preliminary contract with the St. Louis Cardinals last Friday. The deal is still not yet official, however. Miller posted a 107 ERA+ in 43.3 innings and recorded some big outs for the Rays this past season.

Jonah Keri, co-author of Baseball Between The Numbers, was kind enough to answer several questions about the Tampa Bay Rays in an email exchange. Keri is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com (click here for archive) whose writing has appeared in Baseball Prospectus, Playboy, the New York Times, Salon, Slate and many other publications. He also writes a popular stock market column for Investor's Business Daily and offers analysis on everything from college basketball to politics on his website, JonahKeri.com.

Jonah, thanks for taking the time answer some questions.

Reid Brignac has regressed offensively since his breakout performance in the California League back in 2006. Brignac finished with a sub-.300 OBP in his Triple-A debut but has made strides defensively. How does he compare defensively to Jason Bartlett, and does he have a chance to win the job in camp? Or is there any chance that the Rays would deal him this winter, under the impression that Bartlett could man the position until Tim Beckham is ready down the road?

JK: I have no inside knowledge on this front per se, but I could see the Rays dealing Brignac, yes. Andrew Friedman is always looking for value. So whether or not they trade Brignac could depend on whether teams see the Cal League stats and improved defense or focus on the offensive regression of the past couple years. If they keep Brignac, I imagine they'll stick with Bartlett for his defense.

With David Price set to crack the rotation, who do you think will be the odd man out? According to this data, Andy Sonnanstine was considerably more valuable than many people gave him credit for in 2008. With that being said, he seems like the best bet to stay. However, would Edwin Jackson, because of his stuff, bring in more value in return if he is traded? If you had to bet, which pitcher is more likely to be dealt?

JK: Again, I think it will come down to value. If teams are willing to shell out more for Sonnanstine, he could be dealt. If Jackson can fetch more, he might go. I think Jackson would work well in a bullpen role too, so that could be another option. I'd like to see the Rays see if they could get a true impact bat for Scott Kazmir. But it's rare that we see that kind of blockbuster deal. Then again, the Delmon Young deal was a shocker when it happened.

Jeff Niemann is unlikely to ever emerge as a front-line stud at this point, but would be ranked a lot higher in another organization without so much pitching depth. Out of options, where do you see him at this point next offseason?

JK: Another good bullpen candidate. Someone who throws that hard coming downhill with his height...if they just slot Niemann in the pen and stop shuttling him back and forth, he could be a good, cheap option.

Will Mitch Talbot earn a spot in the Rays' bullpen in 2009?

JK: Another who'd be worth a shot. That's the beauty of having so much organizational pitching depth, of course. There's no need to hand out a three-year contract to some random veteran. Save a few million here and a few million there with equivalent talent, and suddenly you've got the cash to, say, buy out David Price's arbitration years in 2010.

The Rays excelled at run prevention in 2008, ranking first in defensive efficiency. What steps will they take, if any, to prevent a regression on this front?

JK: The infield is the strength of the defense, and the Rays are going to bring everyone back there. There's a good chance the team will add a new right fielder. Going after a player who can hit without hurting the defense would help on that front, obviously. That means stay far, far away from Raul Ibanez, for example.

The Boston Red Sox will be back, the New York Yankees seemingly have the chance to sign every big-name free-agent pitcher this offseason and the Toronto Blue Jays return some excellent pitching. Is it possible for the Rays to be even stronger next year, yet still miss out on the playoffs?

JK: Most definitely. The AL East won't stop being a tough division any team soon. The Baltimore Orioles are going to improve too, as prospects like Matt Wieters, Chris Tillman et al come up.

If you could choose between Price and Wieters, who would you take?

JK: Wieters. Much less risk of injury and much more predictable performance for position players than pitchers.

Bartlett received a fifth-place vote for A.L. M.V.P., and even was selected as the Rays' Team M.V.P. by the local chapter of the BBWAA. What is wrong with that picture?

JK: Well plenty, of course. I don't want to take anything away from Bartlett, who was a huge defensive upgrade. Let's just say there were plenty of better MVP candidates. Several on his own team, in fact.

Andrew Friedman has a great track record of exploiting inefficiencies, having found several sleepers like Eric Hinske and Carlos Pena on the cheap in the recent past. With a handful of players due for raises in arbitration and little money to work with, do you have any predictions for what Friedman will do this winter?

JK: I expect the payroll to go up somewhat, given the team likely surpassed its revenue projections for 2008 with its playoff run, and that they're well positioned to contend again in '09. Using internal options for the bullpen would be a good way to defray some of the raises that other players are getting. I do think a Kazmir deal could make some sense, especially if it's for a younger, less expensive, but still talented hitter.

Did Chuck LaMar receive too much credit for the Rays' success during the postseason coverage?

JK: I think he received the right amount of coverage. The focus was mostly on Andrew Friedman, Matt Silverman and Stu Sternberg. Vince Naimoli, Chuck LaMar made plenty of mistakes during their respective tenures. But the old regime did make some contributions to the team that became the '08 Rays. Seemed reasonable to save at least some credit for them.

Do you think B.J. Upton would ever consider signing a similar deal to Evan Longoria, or is he more likely to go year-to-year until free agency?

JK: Well the dollar amounts would be much higher for Upton of course, since he's a fair bit further along on the service time clock than Longoria was when he signed. I imagine Upton will take the best deal available to him. If the Rays make a big, multi-year deal, I'd imagine he's strongly consider it. If the Rays opt not to extend a lucrative long-term offer, Upton will do fine year-to-year.

Has Carl Crawford reached his peak as a player, barring an improvement in his approach on on-base skills? Do you foresee a bounceback when he is fully healthy in '09?

JK: I could see a power spike. He's 27, at a stage in his career where you should expect a small, but gradual erosion in speed. Players of that age, assuming health, do often see power spikes. The biggest level of upside would be an improved batting eye. If Crawford learns to take more pitches, both to work walks and to find pitches to hit in favorable counts, everyone benefits.

Do you think Tampa Bay fans will get to see Wade Davis at some point next year?

JK: I do. How much he's involved will depend on the health of the Rays' pitchers. If everyone's healthy and producing, we might be talking about just a September cup of coffee for Davis--or possibly a David Price-style call-up where they get him on the roster before Sept. 1 as a prelude to a possible spot on the playoff roster.

Since Rocco Baldelli cannot play back-to-back days in the outfield due to his mitochondrial disorder, would it be an unwise decision for Tampa Bay to make him a serious offer and give him a roster spot?

JK: Depends on price, of course. He's a free agent so he can go anywhere he likes. If other teams value him as anything close to the future star he was once thought to be, I imagine the Rays will pass. If teams balk because of Baldelli's health, a contract loaded with playing time and performance incentives would make sense.

Thanks for answering the questions, Jonah.

For those who have not read BBTN, I encourage you to do so. It will change the way you look at the game forever. Also, Keri recently finished the Page 2 guide to MLB Free Agency, which you don't want to miss.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com

It is now official.

Mike Mussina is hanging up the spikes after a brilliant 18-year career with the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees.

Unlike many other athletes nearing the end, Mussina decided to go out on top. The veteran right-hander enjoyed a renaissance in 2008, producing his first 20-win season to anchor a New York starting rotation decimated with injuries. He posted the second-best ERA+, 132 (league average is 100), during his time with the Yankees. He did this despite having to pitch in front of a defensively challenged team that ranked near the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency.

While he no longer had the dominant stuff that enabled him to have such a nice run in Baltimore, Mussina reinvented himself on the mound. His command was exceptional, as he struck out 150 against 30 walks and used his pitching smarts—putting that Stanford brain to work—to cruise through the American League East at 39 years old. A large part of his success came from his ability to get strike one; he did sox 68 percent of the time, one of the highest marks in the majors.

All in all, it was a nice final chapter in the career of one of the best pitchers of this past generation.

Now that Mussina is officially retired, it is appropriate to begin the Hall of Fame discussion.

The debate will surely rage on for the next five years. In my opinion, I think that he is indeed a Hall of Famer—though it is a borderline case.

Mussina was a model of consistency throughout his career. While wins are one of the most overrated stats in baseball—since they are so team-driven—it is hard to ignore the fact that he won at least 10 in every year since 1992. He also picked up more than 15 victories 11 times, collecting 270 for his entire career.

Many voters are myopic in how they evaluate Hall-eligible pitchers. A resume with 300 wins, it seems, is the golden ticket to Cooperstown, and this will certainly influence some votes for Mussina. However, this is an overrated barometer as an entrance to the Hall’s doors. He could have attempted to come back for a few more seasons with his eye on the milestone. In reality, this would decrease his numbers in the stats that really define a pitcher’s value.

Counting stats such as wins are misleading, since they are so context-driven. Often times, many players will extend their careers to reach certain marks in the popular statistical categories like home runs and wins. This negatively affects their rate numbers.

Credit Mussina for not falling into that group. Even still, there are only two eligible pitchers with as many wins who are not in the Hall of Fame—Bert Blyleven and Bobby Matthews.

Mussina, for his career, was 270-153 (.638 winning percentage) with a 3.68 ERA, 123 ERA+ and a 2,813/785 K/BB ratio in 3,562.7 innings pitched. He racked up at least 175 strikeouts nine different times, currently ranking 19th on the all-time career Ks list. Every other pitcher on the list is either headed to or already in Cooperstown. Durability was also an area of strength for him, as he had 11 seasons in which he topped the 200-inning mark.

Working against his case, there is only one pitcher in the Hall of Fame, Red Ruffing (3.80), with a higher career ERA. Only three other pitchers—Ted Lyons (3.67), Jesse Haines and Herb Pennock (3.60)—have their own plaque with a career mark above 3.60.

Outside of seven Gold Glove awards, Mussina lacks some important hardware in his trophy case as well. This also hurts his case. He finished in the top six in Cy Young voting nine times, though, again showing off his consistency. The highest finish of his career was his second-place nod in 1999, when he went 18-7 with a 134 ERA+. He had two top-four finishes as well. He was often overlooked in the Cy voting, though, because he was pitching in a generation that featured three of the greatest starters in baseball history, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez, in his league during the prime stages of his career.

Some writers will be turned off by his lack of any major awards, citing an inability for him to dominate the competition relative to other pitchers in his era. During the mid-90s, though, he had some dominant stretches for the Orioles, despite pitching in a hitter-friendly environment. He was a force in the strike-shortened ’94 season, posting his career-best ERA+, 163, while picking up 16 wins in 24 starts. He then collected 38 wins in the next two years, registering a 143 ERA+ in 1995. He also made five All-Star trips, all during his days with Baltimore.

Mussina was a near-annual Top-10 finisher among league leaders in ERA (ten times), ERA+ (12 times), BB/9 (15 times), K/9 (nine times), shutouts (11 times), strikeouts (11 times), runs saved against average (seven times) and WHIP (11 times). While his greatness and longevity were overshadowed in the 1990s by Clemens and Johnson and the Atlanta Braves’ trio—Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz—he was one of the most effective right-handers in his day.

Mussina also finished with a better career park-adjusted ERA+ than several Hall of Famers, legends and perennial All-Stars. Among others, the list includes: Bob Feller (122), Babe Ruth (122), Don Drysdale (121), Rollie Fingers (119), Blyleven (118), Tom Glavine (118), Warren Spahn (118), ####lord Perry (117), Dennis Eckersley (116), Preacher Roe (116), Steve Carlton (115), Ferguson Jenkins (115), Phil Niekro (115), Dwight Gooden (111) and Nolan Ryan (111).

Mussina spent his entire career in the American League, pitching in its superior division, the powerful A.L. East, at the height of the steroid era during his stints in Baltimore and New York. Had he not had to face the DH and the superiority of the A.L. for his entire career, his stats would surely be even better. It is hard to ignore that.

The critics often cite that Mussina never won a ring. He just missed the Dynasty stretch in the Bronx, signing a six-year, $88.5-million deal shortly after the Yankees’ last World Series title in 2000. He also lacks a defining postseason moment—Curt Schilling had the bloody sock, each member of the Atlanta group were all brilliant in their 1995 World Series run, ect. Still, despite a 7-9 record, he was effective in the playoffs. In 16 postseason series, he posted a 3.42 ERA and 145-to-33 K/B ratio in 139.2 innings pitched.

Mussina will be unfairly hurt by the fact that he did not win 300 games, only had one 20-win campaign and never won a Cy Young. At some point, though, it seems likely that he will make the drive up I-81 from his Pennsylvania home to Cooperstown to make his acceptance speech.

Moose, as they say, would definitely get my vote.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

The New York Yankees made their first notable move of what is expected to be a busy offseason this past week, acquiring Nick Swisher and Kaneoka Teixeira from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Wilson Betemit, Jhonny Nunez and Jeff Marquez.

Credit Brian Cashman for taking a flier on Swisher, who is coming off one of his worst single-season performances but has been a productive major league hitter in the past. Cashman is buying low, which is usually an effective investment strategy.

The deal, then, is an early win for the Yankees under one condition: it does not prevent them from making a serious run at free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira.

Swisher may turn out to be a bust, yet is a breakout candidate in a new environment. He is about to turn 28, often times the peak for hitters, and is a lock to hit 20-plus home runs per year while drawing 80-plus walks. His value is at its low right now, though, because of his .219 batting average with the White Sox.

Swisher has never been able to hit for a high average in the past, but his ’08 clip is misleading. He posted an unusually low BABIP—batting average on balls in play, not accounting for home runs and strikeouts—at .251. With a decent line drive rate, it indicates that he was the victim of plain old bad luck. Three True Outcome players have fluctuating BABIP totals generally, but expect that mark to regress back to the mean in 2009. This will potentially push his batting average around his previous career norm of .250.

Swisher has been an above-average offensive player in the past, posting OPS totals of .865 and .835 in his final two years with the Oakland Athletics. He is clearly not a savior, but is a nice bat to add to the lineup. The Yankees have the chance to gain considerable value from this deal if he can get his average back up to an acceptable level and post numbers consistent with his career line of .244/.354/.451/.805 OPS. He is also a capable defender—though below average in center field—at first base and each corner outfield position; expect him to fill multiple roles in New York.

Still, according to Cashman, Swisher is expected to be the Yankees’ opening day first baseman. This is perhaps only a strategy to drive the price tag down for Teixeira, arguably the best position player available and who will draw interest from a number of suitors. If New York does not sign the switch-hitting slugger, their new option will be a defensive upgrade over Jason Giambi, whose offensive production will be difficult to replace in this scenario. Jorge Posada is also expected to see some innings at the position as well.

If Swisher takes over full time, though, he will leave the Yankees with another below-average hitter at an important position; his bat simply does not play as well at first base as it does in the outfield.

The Yankees would be better suited signing Teixeira, of course, with Swisher taking over in left field for the declining Hideki Matsui and filling various needs throughout the course of the season. If this occurs, this deal could turn out to be a steal.

The other Teixeira (unfortunately for Yankees fans, not Mark) was just a throw-in, but will likely establish himself as a middle reliever in the majors at some point. The 22-year-old right-hander missed bats to the tune of a 9.67 K/9 in 15 Double-A appearances in ’08, striking out nearly a batter per inning (60 in 61.0) combined between two levels. He posted a 1.33 ERA while picking up 22 saves overall.

Teixeira relies on a fairly average sinker/slider combination, but has poor command of his pitches. His slider is close to being a plus pitch, which has been the biggest reason for his minor league success. Look for him to surface in a few years, especially if he can add a few ticks to his fastball and make some strides on the command front. His ceiling is fairly limited, though; his stuff leaves a bit to be desired, according to several scouts, and he projects as a typical big league reliever.

On the Chicago side, they clearly did not receive as much in return as they sent to Oakland for Swisher last winter.

Betemit was once a top prospect, but, at 27, is unlikely to ever garner regular time in the majors. He can play multiple positions adequately—he logged innings at every infield position for the Yankees—but his plate discipline never caught up to the talent offensively. Barring a huge power breakout, he is unlikely to ever be more than a capable utility bat due to his inability to draw walks. In 1098 career at-bats, he has produced a line of .260/.325/.437, with 42 home runs.

Marquez has been hyped as a top prospect in the New York farm system since getting selected in the supplemental first round back in 2004. He has not really lived up to the prospect billing since then, however. The right-hander lacks a true out pitch currently, as he relies on a mediocre curve ball when he is ahead in the count. Since he has not developed one, he has not been able to miss bats; in 14 Triple-A starts, he posted a poor 3.68 K/9 ratio, with only 33 Ks in 80.2 innings pitched.

Marquez has an average fastball with pretty good sink, but has left a lot to be desired with his performance to this point. He could develop into something if he can add another plus pitch, probably a cut fastball, but was pretty expendable as far as the Yankees were concerned.

Nunez is a nice long-term sleeper who could develop, but is pretty far away. He began the season in the Washington Nationals organization. He spent a large portion of the first half as a starter in High-A ball, where he flashed the ability to rack up strikeouts—82 Ks in 81.0 innings pitched—before reaching Double-A as a reliever. He was then shipped to the Yankees, who kept him in a relief role at the same level.

Nunez projects as a middle reliever in the long run, but will need to induce more ground ball outs to keep rising.

The White Sox, under Ken Williams, are expected to make a splash in the Hot Stove this winter. According to Ken Rosenthal, Williams has only just begun dealing. It may have been too soon to unload Swisher at this point, though, given his fairly solid track record and plus on-base skills. Considering what they sent to Oakland for him— Gio Gonzalez, Faustino de los Santos and Ryan Sweeney, a pretty solid group of prospects—they appear to be pretty big losers for their efforts.

This deal may end up as a wash for New York, but Swisher has the potential to make a real impact for them as they attempt to regain prominence in the American League East—all for a relatively cheap price.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

The managers and coaches made some pretty big gaffes in the Gold Glove balloting this year. Granted, it is difficult to quantify defensive value; there have been advancements in new metrics, but there is still a lot of room for improvement.

When it comes to handing out offensive awards, on the other hand, the process is considerably easier. At least it should be.

Well, the Silver Slugger awards were handed out this afternoon, and there were once again some serious snubs.

In a chart that I put together, I listed the winner of the Silver Slugger Award at each position in the American League. For several important offensive categories—from batting average to OPS—I listed each winner’s stats and league positional rank in the respective metric.

This makes it pretty easy to see which players deserved to win, and which players simply did not.

Morneau did not deserve to win the award at first base. He had a fine season—.300/.374/.499—but the voters apparently selected him for his RBI total, 129. This is unfortunate, because RBIs are a function of opportunity, and are thus a poor tool on their own for comparing hitters. In the stats that really have a direct impact on scoring runs and winning (OBP, OPS), he ranked third and fourth, respectively, at his position.

Kevin Youkilis should have won instead; he ranked higher in every category except RBIs. Youkilis simply had fewer RBI chances, and actually had a better slash stats line with runners in scoring position than the winner. The Boston infielder batted .374/.445/.708/1.091 OPS with RISP. Morneau, though he was excellent with men on second and third in his own right, ended up at .348/.443/.602/1.045 OPS; essentially, he only had more opportunities.

Carlos Pena, of the Tampa Bay Rays, would also have been a better choice here.

Clearly, then, the Morneau M.V.P. discussion is fairly misguided, especially considering his position and defensive indifference.

At second base, one could make the case for Texas Rangers star Ian Kinsler. Kinsler missed a large chunk of time with a season-ending injury in August, though. Pedroia had an excellent offensive season, anyway, and will garner serious consideration for M.V.P. He nearly won a batting title, hitting .328. But he finished second at the position, behind Kinsler, in nearly every other category. He was more valuable overall than his second base counterpart from Texas when defense is factored into the equation, but offensively—the criteria for this award—he was not the best candidate.

Rodriguez was an easy choice at the hot corner. He had a down season by his standards, but led the position in nearly every category except RBIs. Although he took some flack, it is hard to criticize any player who posts a.573 slugging percentage, .965 OPS and ranks in the top 10 in the majors in V.O.R.P. His partner on the left side of the infield, Jeter, was justified in winning at shortstop. He is no longer that great in the field, but he is still a productive hitter; .300/.363/.408 is exceptional at the position.

Hamilton, the majors’ RBI leader and Quentin, the frontrunner for M.V.P. until his season-ending injury, are each deserving of the honor. They each finished in the top three among A.L. outfielders in OPS. Quentin broke out in his new surroundings in Chicago, ranking first in home runs and OPS, second in OBP and fourth in RBIs.

Sizemore is one of the best all-around outfielders in the majors and has great on-base skills, but he only finished in the top five in two categories: home runs (tied for third) and slugging percentage (fifth).

Jermaine Dye (.885 OPS), Vladimir Guerrero (.886), Nick Markakis (.897) and Magglio Ordonez (.869) all could have been selected for the third spot.

Mauer at catcher was perhaps the easiest choice at any position. He is a true rarity—a strong defensive catcher who can hit. He won his second batting title while getting on base at a plus-.400 clip; he is not only the best-hitting catcher in his league, but all of baseball.

Huff was a force in Baltimore. He had one of the best single-season performances of his career—even better than his 37-home run campaign with Tampa Bay—finishing with 32 homers, a .912 OPS and 108 RBIs.

But the DH silver bat should have gone to Milton Bradley, who hit .321/.436/.563, with a DH-best .999 OPS.

There were not any major, major blunders, but again the managers and coaches erred in a few of their selections.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

In my opinion, choosing award selections is one of the most enjoyable parts of writing about baseball (click here to compare my mid-season award picks). And I just could not help myself,  so I decided to update my picks back  from September. Throughout the week, I will offer my analysis on the actual winners as the awards are announced, with the R.O.Y awards coming on Monday. Here are my final picks.

American League

Most Valuable Player:

Justin Morneau is a name commonly being thrown around in the discussion for MVP. Traditional voters are infatuated with one statistic above all others—RBIs—and Morneau finished second in the league, behind Josh Hamilton, with 129. In fact, his high RBI total was the biggest reason why he won the award back in 2006, when there were several stronger options—including his teammate, Joe Mauer. Still, he was a key cog in a Twins’ offense that was tremendous with runners in scoring position (even if some pundits dismiss it as a statistical fluke), hitting .302/.375/.502, with 21 homers. But I still do not think that he deserves the award this year, as Mauer once again was more valuable to his team; Morneau does not even rank in the top 30 in the league in OPS.

Regardless of how you feel about OPS as a stat, an MVP candidate at a corner infield position should at least rank in the Top 10. Period.

Mauer, who won his second batting title, finished the season hitting .328/.413/.451, with 44 extra-base hits, 85 RBIs and 84 walks. When you consider that he also ranks among the premier defensive catchers in the game and has received plus scores on how he has helped handle and worked with a young group of Minnesota pitchers, it makes it all the more impressive. At such a defense-first position, his offensive output was outstanding, though, at 25, he still has room to continue to hit for more power.

To put into simple terms: finding 20-homer, 120-RBI, sub-.900 OPS production from a first baseman like Morneau is much easier to find than a catcher who fields his position well and can post a .400-plus on-base percentage and .864 OPS like Mauer.

Cleveland Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore put together a fine season as well, but will be hurt by the weak underperformance of his teammates. Sizemore, playing an excellent center field, hit .268/.374/.502, with 33 home runs and 90 RBIs. Although he will not get many votes because his team finished so far out of contention, he added as much value to the Indians as any of the aforementioned players. Is it his fault that Trafis Hafner got hurt? Or Victor Martinez? Did he make Fausta Carmona regress so severely? No, all he did was perform, providing top-notch defense and an .876 OPS and 101 runs scored. The young star places fourth on my make-believe ballot, and perhaps deserves to be ranked higher.

Dustin Pedroia, the diminutive second sacker for the Boston Red Sox, is a fine candidate as well. Although he is generously listed at 5’9—he is closer to 5’6— Pedroia, who finished second in the league in hitting, performed like a 6’4, 220-pound slugger, posting a line of .326/.376/.493 and bashing 17 home runs.

Pedroia also made tremendous improvements in his defense at a keystone position in every defensive metric out there, even winning his first Gold Glove. And when the injury bug bit the Boston lineup, he picked up the slack to help the Red Sox hold their strong lock on the AL Wild Card, delivering several huge hits down the stretch while playing his excellent defense at second base. Like Mauer, he posted an impressive OPS number (.869) considering his defensive position. Although he would not get my vote, he seems like the likely winner, since his on-field production comes close to matching the story.

Still, in my opinion, another Boston player is more deserving—Kevin Youkilis.

Youkilis’ .958 OPS was good for fourth in the AL. Unlike the players who finished ranked ahead of him—Milton Bradley (only 414 at-bats), Quentin and Alex Rodriguez), he has a realistic chance to take home the honors. Justifiably so, too. He finished the year hitting .312/.390/.569, with 29 home runs and 115 RBIs, adding to the legend of the “Greek God of Walks.” Not only did he post strong offensive numbers, he played excellent defense at first and third base (filling in when Mike Lowell went down) and was a constant presence in the Red Sox’s lineup when several of his teammates were on the disabled list. When compared to Morneau, he added substantially greater real value offensively while giving his club better glove work and actually hit better with RISP.

Honorable mention also goes to Bradley, who led the league in OBP and OPS but missed too much time due to injury, Hamilton, who paced the circuit with 130 RBIs, and Rodriguez.

My picks:

1. Kevin Youkilis

2. Joe Mauer

3. Dustin Pedroia

4. Grady Sizemore

Cy Young:

Unlike the MVP race, this was a pretty easy choice here. Cliff Lee went from a demotion to the minors to the best pitcher in the league in less than a calendar year. Lee was truly brilliant, posting a 22-3 W/L mark, the lowest ERA (2.54) in the AL and a ridiculous 170-to-34 K/W ratio. The Cleveland Indians left-hander proved that his early-season success—he went 12-2 with a 2.31 ERA before the All-Star break, earning the start at Yankee Stadium—was not a fluke. He was nearly perfect in the second half by winning 10 decisions as Cleveland played its way to a respectable finish. To sum up his slam-dunk case: he finished the season ranked first in the league in ERA, winning percentage (.880) and wins, second in complete games (4), innings pitched (223.1) and WHIP (1.11), and ninth in strikeouts.

Although Lee is the clear-cut winner, there is a decent case to be made for Roy Halladay as well. Halladay, one of three pitchers in the league to win 20 games, anchored a Toronto Blue Jays pitching staff that finished with the lowest group ERA on the circuit. As he does every year, it seems, he continued to put up zeroes on the scoreboard in Toronto, posting a 2.78 ERA in a league-leading 246.0 innings pitched.

While CC Sabathia threw his share of complete games for the Milwaukee Brewers, Doc Halladay has him beat. Quite amazingly considering how few starters go a full nine innings these days, he finished the season with nine complete games on his own. There are a lot of teams that would be happy to have that total dispersed among the entire starting rotation, let alone one pitcher. Pitching in the ridiculously competitive East division, he also led the league in WHIP (1.05), using his excellent control and command to shut offenses down every fifth day.

Jon Lester had an outstanding season for Boston, going 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA and 152-to-66 K/W ratio. Lester, who threw a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals in May, finished fourth in the league in ERA and winning percentage and seventh in innings pitched while limiting opponents to a .256/.318/.368 line. The 24-year-old southpaw, who emerged as the new ace of the Red Sox’s staff, has a chance to take home some votes.

Credit also must be given to Mike Mussina, who joined the 20-win club for the first time of his potentially Hall-of-Fame career. Mussina had one of his best seasons ever to anchor a New York rotation decimated with injuries, going 20-9 with a 3.37 ERA for a defensively challenged Yankees team.

Lester’s teammate, Daisuke Matsuzaka, should garner some votes as well, after finishing 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA. Matsuzaka, however, consistently struggled with his command, walking 94 in 167.2 innings, and does not deserve to be seriously considered.

Closer Francisco Rodriguez picked up 62 saves in 69 chances for the Los Angeles Angels, breaking Bobby Thigpen’s previous single-season mark of 57. Lost in the media hype, though, he also set the benchmark for save chances, a function of opportunity. Due to the Angels’ weak offense and emphasis on small-ball, the right-hander was given a greater number of opportunities to hold a lead in low-scoring games than any other pitcher in baseball history.

Among major league relievers who registered more than 40.0 innings pitched, Rodriguez did not finish in the top 15 in ERA (19th) or K/9 (19th), top 40 in opponents’ OPS (42), top 60 in WHIP (69) or top 100 in K/W ratio. The flame throwing right-hander, who posted an opponents’ line of .216/.314/.316, led the league in only two statistics, saves and save opportunities. While he grabbed headlines for breaking the record, it is worth mentioning that he was the only pitcher who was given enough chances to even come within four saves of the previous all-time mark—Jose Valverde finished second in SVO with 52. for these reasons, there are about four relievers who should be considered ahead of him.

My picks:

1. Cliff Lee

2. Roy Halladay

3. Jon Lester

4. Mike Mussina

Rookie of the Year:

Evan Longoria is perhaps an easier choice than Lee in the Cy Young category. After Longoria was promoted to the Rays in early April, he quickly emerged as one of the best young third baseman in the game. Although he missed some time on the disabled down the stretch, he put up excellent numbers for a rookie in only 131 games: 27 home runs, 85 RBIs, .874 OPS. Not to mention, he played excellent defense at third base, allowing Akinori Iwamura to move across the diamond to second. His arrival, combined with a few other defensive changes, enabled the Rays to make the move from worst-to-first in team defense. The Rays’ run prevention efforts, in fact, are the ultimate reason why the Rays won the AL East for the first time in their 11-year history.

Longoria’s play at third base was a major reason why the club converted more balls put into play into outs than any other team in the majors, as the Rays finished the regular season with the best defensive efficiency rating. Throw in a slash stats line of .272/.343/.531 and a lot of big hits along the way, and you get Tampa Bay’s real MVP—with apologies to Jason Bartlett—and the easy choice for top rookie.

Fans in Chicago probably have a different take, though, as Alexei Ramirez has exceeded all expectations with his first-year performance for the White Sox. Ramirez, a nifty defender in his own right and a sensational athlete, belted 21 homers, including a rookie record five grand slams, and 77 RBIs However, he struggled to get on base enough (.317 OBP, only 18 walks ) and was not nearly as productive as Longoria.

Armando Galarraga deserves some love here, too. While Dontrelle Willis was seemingly walking nearly ever hitter, Gary Sheffield was sitting near replacement-level, the Tigers’ pitching staff was in shambles, Carlos Guillen showed that he could not handle either corner infield spot defensively, Brandon Inge played out of position and Justin Verlander was busy dropping 17 decisions, the disappointing version of the 2008 Tigers had one pleasant surprise in Galarraga. The rookie right-hander went 13-6 with a 3.68 ERA, 126 punchouts and a 1.19 WHIP in 28 starts.

Staying in the Central, rookie infielder Mike Aviles had a fine debut season for the Royals. Aviles batted .325//354/.480, with 10 home runs and 53 RBIs in 419 at-bats, providing one of the few offensive bright spots in Kansas City. At 27, he, is obviously old for a rookie and is unlikely to turn into a superstar. Still, an .834 OPS for a shortstop is quite impressive, and will be difficult for some voters to overlook.

A case could be made for Joba Chamberlain and Jacoby Ellsbury, pre-season favorites, as well, in addition to Minnesota speedster Denard Span and Oakland Athletics reliever Brad Ziegler, whose scoreless innings streak provided one of the year’s highlights.

My picks:

1. Evan Longoria

2. Alexei Ramirez

3. Armando Galarraga

4. Joba Chamberlain

Manager of the Year:

Ron Gardenhire did a tremendous job, yet again, getting the Twins to play hard day in, day out, helping his team exceed all expectations with the departure of Torii Hunter and Johan Santana. My pick, though, is Joe Maddon, who instituted a culture of winning into the Rays’ clubhouse. Every move, it seems, worked out for Maddon during the regular season as the Rays went from the joke of the league to AL East champions. He did a heck of a job, really, and was able to motivate his players to buy into the 9=8 concept—nine players play together as a team to become one of the eight playoff teams. Well, though he received some tremendous help by a front office that provided him with a much-improved roster designed to shine at run prevention, he did exactly that.

My picks:

1. Joe Maddon

2. Ron Gardenhire

3. Terry Francona

4. Mike Scioscia

National League:

Most Valuable Player:

The term valuable is interpreted loosely when it comes to baseball, and many people think that a player must play for a contending team to garner attention for the award. After all, a last-place club could still finish last even if their star first baseman did not mash 50 homers, right? I do not necessarily agree with that mindset, though, as often times too many legitimate candidates miss out on winning awards like this because of the poor performances of their teammates.

With that being said, it is hard not to seriously think about naming CC Sabathia the MVP in the National League after his masterful performance in the second half. Although Sabathia did not spend even half of a season in the league, he was sensational (insert hyperbolic word here) in his new surroundings, going 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA. Not only that, he practically resurrected the Brewers’ quest to reach the postseason for the first time since 1982 on his own. If Sabathia did not provide so many quality innings for Milwaukee, it is hard to imagine the Brew Crew even sniffing the Wild Card down the stretch. Sure, he was only with his team from July on, and was only able to pitch every (for him, third perhaps) fifth day, but the larger-than-life lefty was otherworldly.

Although the Brewers parted ways with top hitting prospect Matt LaPorta, the return on investment—just by ending the playoff drought—was well worth it, as Sabathia turned in one of the best post All-Star break runs in baseball history. I would not vote for him, but he deserves to at least be in the discussion.

Ditto for Manny Ramirez, who had a similar effect on the Los Angeles Dodgers. After coming over from Boston at the trade deadline, Ramirez singlehandedly transformed Los Angeles’s lineup from average to dynamic. He posted Nintendo-like numbers in L.A., hitting .396/.489/.743, for a whopping 1.232 OPS, with 17 homers and 53 RBIs. As ugly as his departure from the Red Sox was, he was also reportedly a much better teammate, too, helping to add a new sense of calm in the Dodgers’ clubhouse.

Ramirez made the difference as the Dodgers' young talent began to flourish, helping Joe Torre’s club win the weak N.L West division with 84 wins. However, Man-Ram simply did not play in enough games in the N.L. to get my vote, as even Sabathia practically had a month on him. Unfortunately, his insane postseason performance does not count for consideration in this award, which obviously hurts his case.

My choice, then, is Albert Pujols, the best all-around player in the majors all year. Pujols helped the Cardinals remain in contention until around 10 days left in the season, which exceeded all pre-season expectations for the organization. In perhaps a typical Pujols year, he finished with a .357/.462/.653 line, 37 home runs, 116 RBIs and 104 walks to pace the game with a 1.114 OPS. Not only that, he played great defense at first base, which enabled him to win his third consecutive Fielding Bible Award at the position. Without his bat in the lineup for 148 games, St. Louis would have fallen out of contention by July. He will lose out on votes because his team missed out on the playoffs, but, as the most productive offensive contributor in the game, he made more of an impact for his team. Period.

Ryan Howard led the league with 48 home runs and 146 RBIs, getting hot at the right time (1.274 OPS in September) to help the Philadelphia Phillies to their second consecutive NL East championship (and eventual World Series championship). But, the games in the first half count too, and I have a difficult time voting for a player with a .339 on-base percentage. Pujols has the edge in the stats that really count, played much better defense and would be the slam dunk pick if he had better teammates.

While I am a big Howard guy, he, like Morneau in the other league, did not rank in the top 10 in the league in OPS or VORP, and was not even the most valuable member of the Phillies.

That honor goes to Chase Utley, who played sensational defense at second base and hit .292/.380/.535, with 33 home runs and 104 RBIs. He finished with one of the highest VORP—Value Over Replacement Player, which is certainly not a perfect stat and does not account for defense—totals ever by a second baseman, 62.2, which was nearly 30 points higher than Howard’s mark. He also ranked as the most effective defensive player in the majors, at any position, in John Dewan’s plus/minus system.

Still, Pujols added the most real value on the diamond, and gets my vote.

My picks:

1. Albert Pujols

2. Chase Utley

3. Manny Ramirez

4. CC Sabathia

Cy Young:

Again, though he only made 17 starts in the NL, Sabathia will garner some votes for carrying the Brewers on his back and pitching them into the postseason.

Brandon Webb, because of his high wins total, is perhaps the favorite. Webb, Mr. Consistency, put up another fine year on the mound: 22-7 record, 3.30 ERA, 183-to-65 K/W ratio, 1.20 WHIP. The 2006 Cy Young struggled at an inopportune time down the stretch, though, which may hurt his case. Yet, along with Dan Haren, he deserves credit for helping the Arizona Diamondbacks stay competitive, even when things got ugly for that offense.

Although either pitcher cannot match the win total belonging to Webb, Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants and Santana of the New York Mets are more deserving of the award, in ’08. Again, this proves why wins/loss record is a misleading, ineffective method for judging a pitcher’s overall effectiveness. Seriously, it is 2008, and we know better.

Lincecum, pitching for the lowly Giants, went 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA, second to Santana, and a league-best 256 strikeouts. Scouts may fear that he will break down eventually, as his mechanics are certainly unorthodox. But since he has come into the league, he has been one of the most successful starters in the majors, and it all came together for him this season as he struck out 10.35 batters per nine innings and limited opponents to a .223 batting average and .614 OPS. For the traditionalists who are infatuated with wins, because baseball is a “team game” they say, consider this: Lincecum left the game with the lead on five different occasions, destined for a win, yet saw his bullpen fail to hold it. Team game, indeed.

Still, my pick is Santana, who came over to the Mets in the blockbuster trade this offseason and then went on to sign a huge deal to stay in New York. Boy, did he earn his paycheck, for year one at least? While New York missed out on the playoffs, again, by blowing a late-season lead, do not point any fingers at the dominant southpaw. He finished with the lowest ERA (2.53) on the circuit, striking out 206 in 234.1 innings pitched. While his 16-7 record is nothing too sexy, go back and read the preceding paragraph. The man pitched well enough to win 20 games, easily, and saw a mediocre bullpen, featuring the likes of Luis Ayala, Scott Schoenweis and Brian Stokes, blow several of his leads.

Even though the New York media was calling Santana’s first year in Queens a bust at the break—despite his 2.84 ERA—he shut them up with a great second half, going 7-0 with a 2.37 ERA and .231 opponents’ batting average in his final 14 starts. He delivered in big spots, too, like on the final Saturday of September, when he saved the Mets’ season (at that point) by putting together a complete game victory on three days’ rest. So, with sincere apologies to Lincecum, Santana gets my vote, as he did not have the benefit of pitching in the weak-hitting West.

An under-the-radar candidate deserving of honorable mention is Brad Lidge, who was by far the most dominant closer in the league. Lidge was invaluable to the Phillies, going a perfect 41-for-41 in save opportunities and posting a 1.95 ERA. K-Rod may be getting the press, but Lidge had the better campaign—he just had fewer save chances. Just ask the Mets how valuable a stud relief pitcher can be. When Billy Wagner went down, it seems, so did the season for the Metropolitans. So, though he is a dark horse, do not be surprised when he gets some votes.

My picks:

1. Johan Santana

2. Tim Lincecum

3. Brad Lidge

4. Brandon Webb

Rookie of the Year:

Geovany Soto has a better chance of winning this award than Vincent Chase has of getting some in the next episode of Entourage. Soto, the first rookie catcher to start the All-Star game for the National League, was perhaps the most valuable player for the team that posted the best regular season in the N.L. Playing a defense-first position, he batted .285/.364/.504, with 23 bombs, an .868 OPS and 86 RBIs. For that production, while putting on the mask for 131 games at catcher and handling the Cubs’ staff at a premium spot on the field, he deserves some MVP consideration as well. The best years area head for the 25-year-old stud as he continues to establish himself as the best offensive catcher in the league.

Like Longoria in the other league, Soto is the clear-cut pick here. But Joey Votto comes in second, in my opinion. Despite receiving less fan fare and attention than his fellow rookie teammate on the Cincinnati Reds, Jay Bruce, Votto put together a nice first campaign: .297/.368/.506, with 24 homers and 84 RBIs. The 25-year-old first baseman, with Bruce, is one of the key pieces of a nice young nucleus that the Reds have to build around for the future.

Jair Jurrjens had a nice debut season on the mound for the Atlanta Braves, going 13-10, with a 3.68 ERA.

Soto is the only pick for this award, though, and perhaps has a chance to win the award unanimously.

My picks:

1. Geovany Soto

2. Joey Votto

3. Jair Jurrjens

4. Jay Bruce

Manager of the Year:

Part of me wants to give this award to Joe Torre, who left New York for the West Coast and helped guide a diverse group of youngsters and veterans to the NL West title. But, it is exactly that: the Dodgers, who gave up so many prospects in pre-deadline deals, absolutely needed to win the inferior West. If not, the season would have been labeled an absolute failure. To their credit, they did what they had to do, ending up as the best of the worst after acquiring Ramirez, who helped them unseat Arizona for the title in the majors' weakest division.

My pick, though, goes to Charlie Manuel, who led the Phillies to another division championship. Manuel may not come off as the most intellectual baseball manager, but he did the most important thing that a manager can do: earn his players’ respect. And, from making an example out of Jimmy Rollins after he failed to run out a ground ball earlier this summer to keeping the clubhouse loose, he got the best out of his players in 2008. If the voters, who had to turn in their ballots in before the playoffs started, could account for playoff performance, the World Series-winning manager would easily take home the honor.

Fredi Gonzalez and Manny Acta are also excellent managers, though they were not exactly left with talented rosters to work with. A manager really needs the proper players—as a carpenter needs supplies—to ever have a chance of competing at this level. Which is why bad teams can have great managers sometimes, and great teams can have bad managers.

In Chicago, the Cubs have both in Lou Piniella. While the Cubs have a huge payroll, a great market, and a talented club, Piniella once again did a fine job, steering Chicago to the best record in the NL through 162 regular season games.

Still, Manuel gets my vote. (Note: he was my selection on September 29 as well.)

My picks:

1. Charlie Manuel

2. Lou Piniella

3. Fredi Gonzalez

4. Joe Torre

To voice your disagreements with my picks, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com

Carlos Pena on Thursday was selected as the Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner at first base in the American League. Pena, a first-time selection, posted a .998 fielding percentage in 1,099 chances, which was tied for first among qualifying first baseman in the majors. In John Dewan’s plus/minus rating system—perhaps the most effective metric used to evaluate defensive value—he rated out fifth in the majors at the position, and second his league, with a +14.

The Rays’ excellent run prevention efforts were the biggest reason for their remarkable worst-to-first turnaround in the American League East. Tampa Bay only allowed 671 runs, nearly a 300-run improvement from its total a season earlier. The team defense ranked first in the majors in defensive efficiency, the rate at which batted balls hit into play are converted into outs. The defensive excellence coincided with dramatic improvements in the bullpen and starting rotation, helping guide the Rays, with a middling offense, to the A.L. pennant.

Pena was an important part to an outstanding defensive infield, which featured above-average defenders at each position—Jason Bartlett (shortstop), Akinori Iwamura (second base) and Evan Longoria (third base). The left-handed hitting slugger’s defensive contributions normally get overshadowed by his offensive output—31 home runs, .861 OPS—but he is a solid glove man at the position and not a bad choice by the managers and coaches.

Longoria was a legitimate candidate to win his own Gold Glove as well, but lost out to a more deserving candidate, Fielding Bible Award winner Adrian Beltre of the Seattle Mariners.

Here are the full winners. In a future article, I will offer my criticisms about some of the undeserving winners (Michael Young, anyone?) in the American Leauge.

P – Mike Mussina, New York Yankees
C – Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
1B – Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays
2B – Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
3B – Adrian Beltre, Seattle Mariners
SS – Michael Young, Texas Rangers
OF – Torii Hunter, Minnesota Twins
OF – Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians
OF – Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

—According to Buster Olney, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are expected to engage in a heated battle for Mark Teixeira’s services. While there is speculation that the Red Sox are only intending to drive the Yankees’ price up by inquiring about the switch-hitting slugger, Olney believes that Theo Epstein and co. have a legitimate interest.

Teixeira has excellent on-base skills and power, which would fit perfectly in the middle of the Boston lineup. The Red Sox, who led the league with a .358 team on-base percentage, could shift incumbent first baseman Kevin Youkilis to third base. Youikilis, who is a realistic M.V.P. candidate, is one of the majors’ best defensive first baseman, but came up in the minors on the left side of the infield and did an admirable job filling in for Mike Lowell at third base down the stretch. There is no telling if Lowell will ever regain his 2007 form again, and he may be a likely trade candidate if Boston does indeed sign Teixeira.

—Jake Peavy is not the only member of the San Diego Padres on the trading block. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the organization is exploring trade offers for shortstop Khalil Greene, who hit only .213/.260/.339 and struck out 100 times in 105 games for the Padres this season. Greene, who is due to make $6.5-million next season, will become a free agent after 2009. He might be a good buy-low option for a club in need of a shortstop, anyway, and a change of scenery might be in his best interest.

As Tom Krasovic writes, “Relations between Greene and the Padres probably are not ideal. After Greene fractured his left hand on July 30, when he wacked a storage chest at Petco Park following a foulball of the shin and his 100th strikeout, the Padres stopped paying his salary, according to the players union. A dispute between the Padres and the union ensued, and though the Padres eventually paid Greene his remaining salary, the club filed a grievance in an attempt to recoup up to $1.47 million in salary. Greene left the club some two weeks before the season ended.”

According to Krasovic, the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers have all expressed interest.

The Reds’ team defense was atrocious in 2008, ranking 29th in the majors in defensive efficiency—the rate at which batted balls hit into play are converted into outs. Adding a sure-handed defender at such an important defensive position potentially could do wonders. The Reds could also move Brandon Phillips, one of the majors’ best defensive second baseman, to his natural position, shortstop, if they do not make a deal to upgrade at the position.

The Tigers, after the failed Edgar Renteria experiment, are also in need of a starting shortstop.

The Padres, however, do not have an immediate replacement at short, and will likely address the hole on the market if Greene is indeed dealt.  

—Will the Reds go from worst-to-first in 2009, following in the Tampa Bay Rays’ footsteps? John Erardi of the Cincinnati Enquirer is not so sure.

  —In a post the other day, I briefly touched upon the recently released 2008 Fielding Bible Awards. Well, I forgot to mention that the panelists voted Derek Jeter as the worst defensive shortstop in the majors, as mentioned in this New York Post article.

  A group that tracks every ball hit in the majors says Derek Jeter is the worst fielder in baseball.

Stats guru Bill James, author of the "Baseball Abstract," and a panel of nine other voters, ranked Jeter 22nd among all major-league shortstops, with one calling Jeter "the least effective defensive player in the major leagues, at any position."

Jeter received one 10th-place vote in balloting for the 2008 Fielding Bible Awards, announced yesterday. One panel member comes from Baseball Info Solutions (BIS), a group that ... well, just say they do their research.

"They watched film of every major-league game, and had recorded every ball off the bat by the direction in which it was hit [the vector], the type of hit [groundball, flyball, line-drive, popup, etc.] and by how hard the ball was hit [softly hit, medium, hard hit]," according to James. ... "They had analyzed the outcomes to determine who was best at turning hit balls into outs," James wrote. "One of their conclusions was that Jeter was probably the least effective defensive player in the major leagues, at any position."

—Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times conducted an interesting Q & A with Rays manager Joe Maddon.

According to the Denver Post, the Colorado Rockies simply cannot afford to re-sign free-agent closer Brian Fuentes.

Fuentes, perhaps the premier relief pitcher available outside of Francisco Rodriguez of the Los Angeles Angels, is coming off a solid rebound season after regaining the closer role in Colorado. He picked up 30 saves in 34 chances for the Rockies, posting a 2.73 ERA and 82-to-22 K/W ratio and 1.10 WHIP in 62.2 innings pitched. The 33-year-old left-hander limited opponents to a line of .205/.273/.293 and .566 OPS, scattering only 47 hits.

The Angels, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals, the report says, have all shown serious interest. The market for Fuentes will undoubtedly be affected by the status of Rodriguez, who set the all-time single-season saves record and is now looking to break the bank for his efforts.

Fuentes’ agent, Rick Thurman, is hoping to generate a four-year deal in the $40-million range. As expensive as that seems for a relief pitcher, the most fungible role on a major league roster, he will likely garner some serious offers. Thurman is also expected to meet with the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers about his client.

There is a considerable drop off in the market for relievers after the aforementioned pair, and several teams are looking to address their bullpen needs. The Mets’ relief pitching struggles down the stretch, for example, shed light on a glaring weakness, since prompting the club to announce its plans to search for any ‘pen help possible this offseason. New York will be without Billy Wagner for all of 2009, and is linked to each pitcher.

Fuentes, though, may be the better, more cost-effective bet.

Rodriguez, 26, picked up 62 saves in 69 chances, breaking Bobby Thigpen’s previous single-season mark of 57. Lost in the media hype, though, he also set the benchmark for save chances, a function of opportunity. Due to the Angels’ weak offense and emphasis on small-ball, the right-hander was given a greater number of opportunities to hold a lead in low-scoring games than any other pitcher in baseball history.

While Rodriguez had a historic season, a lot of his current market value is derived from context. Some reports have stated that his asking price may reach around $75-million, and odds are there is a general manager out there who will be willing to meet his demands. However, saves aside, his 2008 campaign was actually one of the worst single-season performances of his career. His strikeout-per-nine innings ratio, which has steadily decreased every year since 2004, reached its full-season career low, 10.1. In fact, this was the first instance in which the total failed to crack 12 K/9.

Rodriguez also struggled with his control at times, walking 34 in 68.1 innings pitched. His 4.5 walks per nine innings, in fact, tied for the highest total of his career, as he also posted his worst K/W ratio (2.27, 77-to-34) since reaching the majors back in 2002.

Perhaps even more telling is this: among major league relievers who registered more than 40.0 innings pitched, Rodriguez did not finish in the top 15 in ERA (19th) or K/9 (19th), top 40 in opponents’ OPS (42), top 60 in WHIP (69) or top 100 in K/W ratio. The flame throwing right-hander, who posted an opponents’ line of .216/.314/.316, led the league in only two statistics, saves and save opportunities. While he grabbed headlines for breaking the record, it is worth mentioning that he was the only pitcher who was given enough chances to come within even four saves of the previous all-time mark—Jose Valverde finished second in SVO with 52.

Essentially, several other dominant closers—from Brad Lidge to Mariano Rivera—had much stronger overall finishes, but did not receive the press due to the severe gap in saves between the leader and every other reliever.

Rodriguez, it is worth pointing out, blew seven saves to finish behind several of his contemporaries in save conversion rate. If he posted a similar mark with fewer chances to shut the door with a lead in the ninth inning, Lidge, for his perfection, and Rivera, for his continued dominance, would have drawn more national publicity.

Rodriguez’s stuff declined as well, coinciding with his inability to throw strikes as consistently as he did in the past. His average fastball velocity, for a pitch that he threw 50.7 percent of the time, nearly fell two full ticks on the radar gun, from 93.4 MPH in 2007 to 91.9. His slider, one of the most devastating in the majors, was not as tight, either, according to numerous scouts. He still generated excellent movement on his pitches, but was not as difficult to hit against as he has been in recent years.

Rodriguez is still a dominant late-innings weapon, of course, and is obviously much more talented than Fuentes. He is likely to get overpaid, though, based on his misleading record-setting '08 campaign. Also, while he has not had any health problems in the past, there is always a serious risk for injury with hard-throwing relievers. Plus, there are a lot of more cost-effective, efficient ways for a baseball team to spend $15-million annually over five years. No reliever, perhaps outside of Rivera in his prime, is worth that kind of coin.

Which is why Fuentes may be the better investment, when taking into consideration price and length of any potential contract. Although he is older, he has a chance to provide better value in a shorter deal.

Either way, two clubs out there are within weeks from adding a new closer. It should be interesting to see which team ends up with the better investment in the long run.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.