Hot Stove Quick Hits

Sabathia wins AL Cy Young Award
Sabathia definitely deserved the award, and he beat Josh Beckett decisively. However, this surprises me solely due to the East coast bias in the media (ESPN effect) and lack of exposure for Sabathia. It's nice that CC won, but it can do nothing but hurt the Tribe's chances of re-signing him.

Tigers acquire Jacque Jones from Cubs for Omar Infante
Detroit just keeps improving. Jones is a solid defensive outfielder who's a very average hitter, but he's a good depth guy, not unlike Jason Michaels for the Indians. Jones, who can't hit lefties worth a lick, will probably be involved in a platoon with Cameron Maybin, the Tigers' (right-handed) star prospect.

Tigers re-sign Todd Jones for 1 year, $7 million
This could be a mistake, but it's only for one year. Jones' WHIP has risen over the last three years, from 1.03, to 1.27, to 1.42 last year, which might suggest he's about to go off the deep end.

Yankees re-sign Posada for 4 years, $52 million
Posada hit .338 last year, but he's 36 so that kind of year probably won't happen again. $13 million is a ton of money to be paying a guy who will soon be 40, and catchers usually don't age gracefully. Re-signing Posada was probably a mistake.

Yankees offer Rivera 3 years, $45 million
I'm done predicting a dropoff for Rivera because the guy obviously has found the fountain of youth. This is a no-brainer move for the Yankees, although it's too much money. I know this isn't a done deal yet, but nobody else is going to offer Rivera $15 million. It's funny that some thought Torre's departure would prompt guys like Posada and Rivera to leave. Nothing's different; the Yankees still have money, and money talks.