Baseball's Silly Season continued

Tomorrow marks the end of the annual winter meetings, but there's certainly some stuff to cover. Let's recap shall we? Picking up where we left off.....

The Blue Jays went ahead and broke the bank on A.J. Burnett, signing him to a 5-year, $55 million deal. This on the heels of giving The Nose That Ate The Skydome (GM J.P. Ricciardi) a 3-year extension. Hmmm, $102 million on a pitcher yet to post a winning season and a closer with one good year under his belt. J.P. better be right or things will get ugly in T.O.

San Diego did the right thing and re-upped Brian Giles to the tune of 3 years and $30 million. Ditto the White Sox, who re-signed Paul Konerko to a 5-year, $50 million deal, ensuring that Frank Thomas will never darken their door again. The Padres really couldn't let the heart of their order walk and $10 million a season for a hitter of Giles' caliber is a steal. Sure the homer totals aren't as glossy as they were in Pittsburgh, but playing 81 games in Petco Death Valley will do that.

The Mets are a whole new team in 2006, fleecing the Marlins for both Carlos Delgado and Paul LoDuca. Factor in their free agent signing of closer Billy Wagner, now the highest per year salary closer at $10.75 million (his 4-year, $43 million deal is just shy of Ryan's), and the Mets are grabbing all the headlines in New York this offseason and, more importantly, are looking like the team to beat in the NL.

The Mets' division rivals, however, are not looking so good. Atlanta suffered two significant blows, as new closer Kyle Farnsworth bolted to the Yankees (3 years, $17 million) to set up Mariano Rivera and provide Rivera insurance in case something happens. The Braves also lost slick shortstop Rafael Furcal to L.A. (3 years, $39 million). The Phillies have replaced Billy Wagner with 38-year old Tom Gordon, inexplicably signing him to a 3-year, $18 million deal. That signing, 3 years for an old reliever with a history of elbow problems, is a real head-scratcher. Washington hasn't done much of anything, so they fall behind just because.

Then there's the Florida Marlins. The Marlins have dealt away, or let walk, two of their top three starters, their starting catcher, first baseman, second baseman and third baseman and their starting center fielder (Juan Pierre) may be next. They also traded away their closer. Not much left at all.

My last post listed winners and losers. The White Sox move from undecided to winners with the Konerko signing, the Indians move to undecided as I think signing Paul Byrd to a 2-year, $14.25 million deal is highly risky and they need to get to it and re-sign Kevin Millwood, and the Mets are now BIG winners.