Free agency is upon us. It's been 15 days since the Yankees hoisted the World Series trophy, and with that, players on the market can officially begin discussing deals with teams other than the one they played for last season.
Yes, it's the unofficial opening of Hot Stove season, a time when dollar figures dance around the imagination and anything seems possible for all 30 teams (OK, maybe not for the Nationals, Royals or Pirates). It's a season that's almost as much fun as the regular one, so why not kick it off with a look at the top commodities available.
After the jump, FanHouse's in-house professional scout Frankie Piliere ranks the top 50 free agents on the market this year. Get the skinny on the best talents, bargains and potential busts.
On the free-agent market, all the focus has been on John Lackey. On the trade market, the talk has been about Roy Halladay. The consolation prize for teams seeking a top-flight arm may come out of Atlanta.
The Braves have two of their top starters on the block, Derek Lowe and Javier Vazquez, and there's little doubt that at least one of those two pitchers will be moved, according to multiple major league sources. With strong resumes for both, there should be teams lined up for their services.
One source said that the Braves intend to move one of the two pitchers, and who goes will depend on the offers they receive.
Hot Stove season will get in to full swing on Friday, the first day free agents are allowed to discuss finances with teams other than the one they played for in 2009.
With the market about to open, FanHouse's National Baseball Analyst Frankie Piliere is assembling his list of the top 50 free agents. While he won't unveil the whole thing until Friday, he is ready to talk about the lay of the free-agent landscape, address some of the biggest rumors, size up the intentions of buyers and sellers and, of course, talk prospects.
Piliere chatted live on Wednesday afternoon. After the jump, read a wrapup.
It can be frustrating to be a Florida Marlins fan as star after star is sent on their way to richer organizations. One thing has remained constant, however. The talent continues to flow throughout their player development system. They draft well, coach well, and even without shelling out the big bucks, they find talent through international free agency.
Maybe they have trouble holding onto these guys once they blossom into big-league stars but there is no end in sight to their seemingly endless pipeline of young talent. So, as we continue to examine farm systems that could have an impact on 2009 and beyond, Florida has to be taken into account. No, it will not be dealing away any prospects but the outstanding minor-league depth once again will allow it to sell off its more expensive major leaguers.
Prospects exist to help their team fortify their future, be it years down the road, or, in some cases, the not-so-distant future. These prospects can become valuable chips in blockbuster trades. Each team with a player on the block this offseason will come to the negotiating table with stacks of detailed scouting information on the prospects of buyers out there like the New York Yankees.
So, what should teams like the Blue Jays, Tigers or any other club rumored to be in talks with the Yankees be looking to get in return? We'll take a look from a scouting perspective at just what potential trade partners should be looking for as they sift through the crop of New York prospects, with a focus on some who may be flying under the radar.
With the season wrapped up, we can collectively turn our attention to off-the-field topics. As always, there is plenty to be discussed with the Hot Stove already burning. As each team turns their attention to 2010 there a number of questions to answer. How will each trade and free-agent signing impact the clubs involved? Which prospects, like Washington's Stephen Strasburg pictured on the right, can fans look forward to next year?
MLB FanHouse's Frankie Piliere examined all those questions and more, after the jump, in a live chat on Wednesday afternoon.
Piliere, who spent the last three seasons working as a scout, most recently in the professional scouting department for the Texas Rangers this year, now serves as a National Baseball Analyst for FanHouse.
In Advanced Scouting, MLB FanHouse's professional talent evaluator breaks down offseason moves from a scouting perspective.
It hasn't taken long for the Hot Stove to get heated up as we roll past the World Series. Some key players have already been locked up and some high upside trades have already gone down. What do these moves mean for each club involved and how will the players dealt respond to their new homes? Just as significant, how important will the prospects dealt turn out to be?
From Mark Teahen headed to Chicago, to the Carlos Gomez for J.J. Hardy swap, to Bobby Abreu's new deal with the Angels, each move had a distinct impact. Perhaps the most interesting of these, however, was Jeremy Hermida being shipped to Boston. For the price of a pair of young lefties, the Red Sox took a gamble that may prove very worthy.
In Advanced Scouting, MLB FanHouse's professional talent evaluator breaks down the playoffs from a scouting perspective.
The approach was there, the execution was there, but Pedro Martinez's stuff was just short of allowing him to completely shut down the New York Yankees. All in all, the Phillies have to be more than pleased with just a few runs in six innings for their veteran right-hander. At least for a little while, he had the Yankees eating out of the palm of his hand.
It can't be said enough: The best way to stop New York's lineup is often by allowing their patient approach to work against them. Martinez has the type of command and moxie to pull off such an approach. By letting Martinez consistently get ahead 0-1 and 0-2, you give him multiple pitches to play with and different ways of getting you out.
In Advanced Scouting, MLB FanHouse's professional talent evaluator breaks down the playoffs from a scouting perspective.
Unless you are a fan with a rooting interest in this World Series, it's nearly impossible to not appreciate how good of a matchup this World Series is. Both the Phillies and Yankees have dominant aces they can rely on, sluggers that pound the ball with the best of them, and tenacious hitters who seem to make every at-bat an epic battle.
In such an even matchup, it's difficult to find glaring edges for either club, and that is where advanced scouting can come into play. Knowing how to pitch a certain dangerous hitter in order to neutralize him or what to look for against a particular pitcher could be what wins or loses a potentially tight series such as this. So, where are those holes each team can exploit and what will it take for them to come out on top?
In Advanced Scouting, MLB FanHouse's professional talent evaluator breaks down the playoffs from a scouting perspective.
Pointing a finger at a manager is an easy thing to do after a heart-wrenching loss. Sometimes the hard truth of a loss is little more than a lack of execution by the players. The Angels' Game 5 victory came down to a poorly executed pitch from the hand of Phil Hughes. That simple of an answer might be difficult to swallow, but that single offering has, at best, delayed the Yankees' return to the World Series.
Make no mistake, New York is at this point in the postseason because of the performance of its young relievers. But, youthful mistakes and jitters cost the Yankees dearly Thursday night. Until Game 6 begins on Saturday night, the pitch every Yankee should be replaying in their head is a fastball in a 1-2 down the heart of the plate to Vladimir Guerrero.
On the free-agent market, all the focus has been on 
Hot Stove season will get in to full swing on Friday, the first day free agents are allowed to discuss finances with teams other than the one they played for in 2009.
It can be frustrating to be a 
Prospects exist to help their team fortify their future, be it years down the road, or, in some cases, the not-so-distant future. These prospects can become valuable chips in blockbuster trades. Each team with a player on the block this offseason will come to the negotiating table with stacks of detailed scouting information on the prospects of buyers out there like the 
With the season wrapped up, we can collectively turn our attention to off-the-field topics. As always, there is plenty to be discussed with the Hot Stove already burning. As each team turns their attention to 2010 there a number of questions to answer. How will each trade and free-agent signing impact the clubs involved? Which prospects, like Washington's Stephen Strasburg pictured on the right, can fans look forward to next year?
In 
In 
In 
In 
