Opinion

Thank goodness the Washington Nationals are finally acting like a real Major League Baseball team. But with that status come new questions and concerns.

No longer does the team have to shop for players in baseball’s bargain basement.  If they are no longer in need of players like Paul LoDuca and Odalis Perez however, what caliber of players should they be after?

It’s tough to go out on top when you’re a major sports star, whether it be actually winning a championship or choosing to retire when you’re still playing at a high level.

In terms of winning the top prize, just ask the likes of Dan Marino and Karl Malone, both of whom played for many years without reaching the pinnacle of their professions.

The San Francisco Giants, like most teams, won't find the answer to all their 2009 problems via the free agent waters. There are no magic bullets available this year—even the biggest catches aren't panaceas.

Matt Holliday and Jason Bay are wonderful Major League Baseball players, but neither is capable of singlehandedly turning around an anemic offense.

Bay was arguably surrounded by more hitting talent during his days in Pittsburgh than would accompany him in 2010 under the fog, and we all saw how ferocious those clubs were.

I touched on this topic in Monday's post , as I wondered what the Yankees should do with the left field and designated hitter positions. My line of thinking was that the Yankees don't need to bring Johnny Damon back when there are similar options available at a much more affordable price.

The signing of John Lackey to a five-year deal is a curious decision for Theo Epstein. The Red Sox GM has typically stayed away from long term deals with 30-something pitchers who come with a history of injury or obvious risk.

Since Epstein became general manager before the 2003 season, he has signed just one free-agent pitcher for more than three years—Daisuke Matsuzaka. Given his age (26), good health, and success in international competition, that was perhaps a special circumstance.

This time around, there are greater risks.

On Monday, I profiled some non tenders that could command multi year contracts. Well, we might have a surprising name to add to the list: Alfredo Amezaga.

Is there anything more American than baseball?

We all have our memories of the first game we attended as a child. How massive the ballpark looked, how green the grass was, and the connection that we felt with the thousands of fans cheering for the home team. It is something that we carry with us for the rest of our lives.

I would like to introduce you to Tom Hickey.

With Christmas about a week away and Major League Baseball's winter meetings in the rearview mirror, it's a perfect time to see what juicy acquisitions might be possible for your favorite baseball team.

For the San Francisco Giants, that means offense, offense, and more offense.

Preferably a corner infielder, corner outfielder, and/or a catcher to replace the outgoing Bengie Molina.

Update (12/16): As it turns out, GM Mike Rizzo attended Chapman's workout yesterday. No one knows for sure what Rizzo came away with after seeing Chapman throw, but the question needs to be asked again, should the Nationals try to sign Aroldis Chapman? I say yes.

“How are the Red Sox any better than the Yankees?” It’s a question I hear often when I walk the streets of Cleveland dressed in Boston paraphernalia.

Most of my fellow Indians fans see the two big-market clubs as equally evil; as long as they both buy our players and beat us in the playoffs, it doesn’t matter who is worse.

Knowing that trying to convert my peers to dual fandom would be futile, I usually respond by explaining to my questioner why the Red Sox are the lesser of two evils.