The Mariners, to their credit, recently sent out a document to potential Hall of Fame voters setting forth the case for Edgar Martinez.
With this year's Hall ballot coming out Friday (2 PM ET announcement at www.bbwaa.com) and Martinez scheduled to be on it for the first time, it will also be my first time examining his candidacy.
I don't know anyone in the Baseball Writers' Association of America that has a Hall of Fame vote and doesn't agonize over it -- pore over the numbers, consult with other writers or baseball people, makes lists and charts -- before casting his ballot. People who criticize the results should know this; those of us who vote understand the implications of our vote and take in very seriously.
Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.
The Dodgers went to the National League Championship Series for the second year in a row, and lost again.
So they now realize -- or at least should -- that they need to retool some to take the next step. And as if that already didn't make this a critical offseason, owner Frank McCourt is divorcing his wife Jamie, leaving everyone to wonder who will control the team and whether it will affect their spending, as happened down the road in San Diego.
The Dodgers did some fixing on the fly over the summer, with Vicente Padilla, Jon Garland and Ronnie Belliard. But all three of those players are now free agents, so the holes are back to be patched.
During the postseason, Angels manager Mike Scioscia spoke out publicly about the nature of the playoff schedule. And on Wednesday, Scioscia said he expressed the same concerns to commissioner Bud Selig.
"I'm very hopeful and confident that they're going to tighten up that schedule a little bit," Scioscia said on a conference call after being named AL Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. "I think there's things that the commissioner is going to take to heart and look at."
Selig was initially not available for comment on the matter, but has since said he will try to tighten up the postseason schedule.
As much for keeping the Angels together through the death of pitcher Nick Adenhart and a rash of early-season pitching injuries as for winning the AL West, Mike Scioscia was named American League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Wednesday.
Scioscia earned 15 of 28 first-place votes. Runner-up Ron Gardenhire of the Twins got six first-place votes. Joe Girardi of the Yankees, Don Wakamatsu of the Mariners and Ron Washington of the Rangers all got at least one first-place vote, and no manager was named on all 28 ballots (first, second or third place).
This is Scioscia's second Manager of the Year award. He also won in 2002 as the Angels won the World Series.
This year was different. The Angels lost starters John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar and Ervin Santana in spring training, and then on April 9, Adenhart was killed in a car crash.
With his American League-best 2.16 ERA, Royals right-hander Zack Greinke became the first starter to win the AL Cy Young Award with fewer than 18 wins.
In results announced Tuesday, Greinke received 25 of 28 first-place votes. Mariners ace Felix Hernandez got two first-place votes and finished second in the balloting, and Detroit's Justin Verlander received one first-place vote and finished third, one point ahead of Yankees lefty CC Sabathia.
Greinke was 16-8, and his relatively low win total was due to a poor Kansas City offense. The Royals averaged 3.8 runs scored in his starts, tied for the worst run support in the AL. Greinke had six starts in which he allowed fewer than two runs but did not get a win.
The National League featured a strong class of rookies in 2009, and although Florida left fielder Chris Coghlan didn't get called up until May 8, he impressed enough to win the Rookie of the Year award from the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
Coghlan wasn't named on seven of the 32 ballots (which included three players each) but had 17 first-place votes to 10 for Philadelphia left-hander J.A. Happ.
Atlanta right-hander Tommy Hanson was third in the voting, with Pittsburgh center fielder Andrew McCutchen fourth.
Upon his promotion to the majors, Coghlan was inserted as the Marlins' left fielder, and three weeks later he became the team's leadoff man -- two roles he had never been asked to do. But it never stopped him from hitting, and Florida went 67-54 in his starts.
Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.
The Rays could not build upon their surprising 2008 AL East title and run to the World Series last year, falling from 97 wins to 84. The lineup was at least as good as the year before, but both the rotation and bullpen suffered a steep dropoff.
The offensive core is still young and in its prime and should continue to produce. And 2009 might have been the usual fall-back season that teams experience after a large jump forward.
Still, making the playoffs in the AL East means beating out the Yankees or Red Sox (or both). With Tampa Bay's payroll, that leaves little margin for error.
Following is the list of players eligible for arbitration on their 2010 salary.
Teams must "tender" a contract to such players by Dec. 12. Clubs can opt to "non-tender" a player if they do not think the player will be worth what he could earn in arbitration.
Players eligible for arbitration can file for it Jan. 5-15, and the sides then submit figures on Jan. 19. Hearings are held Feb. 1-21.
The full list after the jump. Service time (Years.Days) is in parentheses.
Editor's Note: FanHouse's Jeff Fletcher contributed to this report
CHICAGO -- The Reds' need to slash payroll, according to a major league source, could lead them to explore trading second baseman Brandon Phillips as well as right-handers Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang.
Cincinnati's 2009 payroll was about $71 million. General manager Walt Jocketty said during a break Tuesday at the GM Meetings that he "might" have to move some high-salaried players to meet the 2010 goal.
"We're going to probably have less to spend this year than we have in the past," Jocketty told FanHouse. "It just depends on how [ticket] sales go this offseason."
The votes will be taken Dec. 6 with results announced Dec. 7.
Eight managers and two umpires will be considered by the 16-member Veterans Committee for Managers and Umpires. An separate ballot with 10 executives and pioneers will be considered by the 12-member Veterans Committee for Executives and Pioneers.
Candidates need 75 percent of the votes of their respective committee to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Committee members can vote for up to four candidates.
The Mariners, to their credit, recently sent out a document to potential Hall of Fame voters setting forth the case for Edgar Martinez.
Footprints in the Snow
As much for keeping the 
With his American League-best 2.16 ERA, Royals right-hander 
The National League featured a strong class of rookies in 2009, and although Florida left fielder 
Footprints in the Snow
Editor's Note: FanHouse's Jeff Fletcher contributed to this report
