Well, that Vernon Wells deal was a complete shocker, huh? The Jays fans have to be excited to have a GM like Alex Anthopolous running their team. To pull off dealing Wells contract AND getting major league players back is an absolute, mind-boggling steal.
As a result, we are seeing other free agents sign with Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez signing with the Rays last night. Damon will serve as the Rays starting left fielder while Manny will be their DH. What this means for outfield prospect is anyone's guess. The guys over at DRayBay are pretty pumped about these signings, and i have to agree with them. I can see the Rays still making some noise in the AL East. Could the Yankees be a 3rd place team this year? Can you imagine the headlines should that happen?
Does the signing of Damon postpone the arrival of Desmond Jennings in 2011? Time will tell, but he should still be drafted in most leagues in 2011, as he could still get a call-up in May/June timeframe. Unless, of course, he doesn't hit in AAA.
With Damon and Manny off the board, it appears Vladimir Guerrero will land with Baltimore. Should he land in Baltimore, you have to like the offseason the O's had this year. Guerrero could be a steal for the O's and should out up solid numbers hitting in Camden Yards.
SI.com's Tom Verducci wrote an article yesterday saying that Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira could be headed for a decline and follow the footsteps of Jason Giambi. The premise of the article surrounds Teixeira's hitting mechanics. Can you imagine is he has a down year in 2011 with the offseason the Yankees have had. This could be music to Albert Pujol's ears should the Yankees consider making making Teix a DH down the road.