AL East

Alex Anthopoulos had stated pretty clearly in multiple radio interviews that he's perfectly happy to go to arbitration with Jose Bautista.

But I believe that extension time is now, and with the newfound cash following the Vernon Wells trade (although I don't think it all needs to be spent at once), the opportunity has presented itself for the Blue Jays to follow through on extending the MLB home run king. 

I propose a 4 year, $45 million contract.

Michael Lewis, author of Moneyball, highlighted key insights while presenting revolutionary and progressive baseball knowledge.

However, I disagreed with him in two areas.

No. 1: Speed

Lewis understood from Billy Beane (Oakland A’s GM) that steals are an unnecessary risk to take, presenting high risk and relatively low reward. Transitionally, Lewis argued that since steals are not important, neither is speed.

That is where I disagree.

One of the biggest parts of MLB Spring Training is determining who will be the starters. As usual, there are a lot of tough position battles this year.

A lot of high-profile moves were made this offseason. There's a lot of anticipation to see who will win those battles.

Here are the top 11 players who have the most to lose in their position battles this year.

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For his career he posted a 240-138 record, including 25 complete games and four shutouts. He struck out 2,251 batters in 3,055.1 innings and finishes his career with a .635 winning percentage, which ranked as seventh-best among active pitchers before he made his announcement.

And as a loyal Orioles fan, more than just a part of me is thrilled that Andy Pettitte has finally called it quits. It seems like the O's never had a chance when Pettitte was on the mound, even late into his career.

For the Boston Red Sox, this offseason has been quite momentous. They landed Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, the two best available offensive (and two of the best defensive) players.

You will never see it on CNN or Fox News.

It will never appear on the front page of any newspaper across the globe.

You will never see it in a documentary on Discovery or the History Channel.

It will never be spoken of in any church on any given Sunday.

Yet according to many Yankee fans and sports media alike,  Andy Pettitte seemingly walks on water.  He is apparently the Yankees own personal second coming and the only one that can salvage their upcoming season.

Just a few months removed from being a major contributor to the American League champion Texas Rangers, Vlad Guerrero is a man without a team. The free-agent DH turns 36 next week, and his push for a multi-year contract has gotten him nowhere thus far. Right now, his biggest suitors appear to be the Baltimore Orioles, who have offered him a one-year deal in the $4 million range.

SP/RP Adonis Cardona (6'4" 180 lbs)

Age: 17

Drafted: Signed as an International Free Agent in 2010 for $2,800,000

Bats: Right     Throws: Right

2009-10 Team: N/A

2010-11 Expected Team: DSL Blue Jays

Best-Case Scenario: Felix Hernandez

Worst-Case Scenario: Kelvim Escobar

Baseball fans north of the border have not had a taste of playoff 'ball since 1993.  Since then, fans have endured countless General Managers, Managers and empty promises.  During these glory years, the Jays boasted the highest payroll in Baseball, and now they're operating in the bottom half of the Major Leagues in terms of money.

If there's one time of the sports year that everyone watches like a hawk, it's MLB free agency.  From November until late January (sometimes longer), fans lose sleep over which teams top free agent players will sign with.

Some of these decisions pay great dividends, like C.C. Sabathia when he signed with the New York Yankees.  Other times, players regret locking themselves into long-term deals, like when Adrian Beltre signed with the Mariners.