Most of the big name free agents have signed contracts now with only a few big names like Johnny Damon, Bengie Molina, Joel Pineiro, Orlando Hudson, Felipe Lopez, Ben Sheets, Miguel Tejada, Jose Valverde, Jon Garland, Erik Bedard, Adam Laroche, Pedro Martinez, Carlos Delgado, Xavier Nady, Doug Davis, Vladimir Guererro, Jermaine Dye, Jarrod Washburn, and Randy Winn left to sign.  With that being said let’s take a look at some winners and losers in the Hot Stove League so far.

Winners

•1.       St. Louis Cardinals:  Sure you can argue that they bid against themselves for Matt Holliday and signing him for $120 million will only make Albert Pujols cost that much more, but the Cardinals have set them up as the team to beat in the National League Central.  St. Louis now has a formidable lineup that will choose teams to pick their poison, pitch around Pujols and you will have to deal with Holliday.  Not to mention the addition of Holliday for a full season may help Ryan Ludwick who was surely feeling the pressure of trying to protect Albert in the lineup.  An under the radar signing by the Cardinals that may help a great deal is the addition of Brad Penny to the starting rotation.  Penny had a rough first half to the 2009 season in the American League with Boston, but once he was traded to San Francisco he seemed to turn his season around.  Having pitching coach Dave Duncan around to help with your mechanics can’t hurt any either. 

•2.       New York Mets:  I wouldn’t put the Mets as big winners, but they signed the player they had targeted all off-season long in Jason Bay.  Bay took his time signing the contract leaving some to believe New York wasn’t his first choice, but he is the Mets property now and he will give them that power presence at the corner outfield spot they so desperately needed.  The Mets still have plenty of questions.  Can David Wright rediscover his power?  Can Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes stay healthy?  What will they do at first base?  Do they sign Molina?  What pitcher do they sign?  Bay was just the beginning for the Mets.

•3.       Seattle Mariners:  One has a feeling the Mariners smelled blood in the water and knew this could be the off-season they could make a run at Anaheim.  First they sign Chone Figgins.  Talk about killing two birds with one stone.  You weaken your enemy while strengthening yourself.  Then you go out and trade for Cliff Lee.  What a one-two punch you have now with Felix Hernandez and Lee.  With Roy Halladay now pitching in the National League these two guys may be the favorites to win the CY Young award.  The cherry on top was actually finding someone who was willing to take Carlos Silva off your hand.  Silva was a waste of money as soon as he signed his contract.  Sure you have to take on another team’s problem in Milton Bradley, but at least he can still play, he’s just a problem in the clubhouse.

•4.       New York Yankees:  The Yanks have helped themselves this off-season by going the trade route rather than free agency.  The traded Phil Coke, Ian Kennedy, Austin Jackson and a prospect to Detroit for Curtis Granderson.  Jackson may develop into an above average player but the Yankees used their minor league system to get a player who has already shined in the majors.  Yeah, Granderson has problems with lefties, but his stroke is tailor made for Yankee Stadium.  The second trade by the Yankees was sending Melky Cabrera and a couple of prospects to the Braves for Javier Vasquez.  Let’s face it, Melky is really nothing more than a fourth outfielder and once again the Yankees could afford to give up prospects to re-acquire a solid starting pitcher who misses bats.  Andy Pettitte re-signed with the Yankees which was no big shock, but the Yankees decision to sign Nick Johnson to take over the designated hitter duties certainly opened some eyes.  Johnson has had injury problems all through his career, but perhaps not playing the field will help him stay healthy this season.

•5.       Boston Red Sox:  The Sox lost Jason Bay and if David Ortiz continues to lose his power stroke then the Red sox could be in some trouble, but that being said they have made a quartet of moves that should help them this season.  John Lackey now gives them a rotation that is six deep in the majors, not to mention the talent they have in the minors.  Marco Scutaro gives them a shortstop who can pick it and provide offense.  Adrian Beltre will do the same at 3B.  Mike Cameron will give them what may be the best outfield defense in baseball.  The Red Sox may not score seven runs a game anymore, but with that pitching staff and defense, they won’t have to.

Losers

•1.       Toronto Blue Jays:  They were still able to receive a couple of solid prospects for Roy Halladay, but you have to wonder what they might have received had they traded Halladay at the trading deadline last season rather than wait until the off-season.

•2.       Los Angeles Angels:  This has been a cold winter so far for the Angels.  They lost their number one starting pitcher in John Lackey and their leadoff hitter in Chone Figgins.  That’s a lot to replace and so far the addition of Hideki Matsui as an OF/DH won’t be near enough to make up for what they have lost.

•3.       Chicago Cubs:  I understand you had to trade Milton Bradley as he had wore out his welcome in Chicago in a big hurry, but taking on a dead contract in Carlos Silva.  What are your plans for this guy?  You should release him now while he hasn’t cost you any games.  The addition of Marlon Byrd is a curious move.  Byrd is a better choice in centerfield then Kosuke Fukudome but was he really worth all that money in a long term investment.

•4.       Atlanta Braves:  The Braves whole off-season unraveled when Rafael Soriano accepted arbitration.  The Braves counted on Soriano signing a contract with another team and reaping the draft pick reward, but once Soriano accepted arbitration this put the Braves over budget and forced them to trade Soriano and his salary for a grade B prospect.  Atlanta had wanted to trade one of their high priced pitchers for a bat all off-season.  They wanted to trade the underwhelming Derek Lowe, but when there were no takers they traded Javier Vasquez to the Yankees for Melky Cabrera, Mike Dunn and a top pitching prospect.  Cabrera can be useful if used properly, but he wasn’t much of a power threat in Yankee Stadium more or less in Atlanta.

•5.       Los Angeles Dodgers:  Bad off-season for southern California baseball.  The McCourt’s divorce proceedings have put a halt on any off-season spending and this is a team in need of two starting pitchers.  As much as the Angels have let their fellow teams in the American League West catch up to them, so have the Dodgers in the National League West.