As most of you have probably heard by now, New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson will miss 10 weeks thanks to a broken arm. Obviously, we all wish him a speedy recovery, but, at the moment, it is also interesting to think about how the Yankees will replace him for the beginning of the season.

Last season, Granderson hit 43 home runs with 106 RBI. Of course, his batting average dropped down to .232, but when you’re producing that kind of power, a low average is somewhat more acceptable.

Obviously then, this is a rather large hole to fill. They need a centerfielder, but they also need a run producer. However, Granderson will be back eventually, so it is not necessarily worth going after a superstar replacement. If they pursue that course of action, Granderson’s eventual return would lead to a bottleneck.

Now that we have set the scene, what options might be out there?

One that immediately comes to mind is Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano. He is also a high power, low average hitter who has played in New York before.

Would the Cubs be willing to trade him?

It is quite possible. Chicago is looking towards the future right now with a younger class featuring Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro, so I would be willing to bet that a 37-year-old would not fit into those plans. This would not be a bad pairing.

Another interesting option could be Vernon Wells of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

He is not going to have a lot of room to contribute with the Angels this year, so I am sure that they would like to get rid of at least a portion of his large salary.

He would probably not be nearly as productive as Soriano, but he does provide a little bit of power for what would probably be a very low price. For about a month and a half of regular season service, that might be all that the Yankees need.

Whatever they do, losing Granderson for 10 weeks is going to hurt. He is an All-Star centerfielder who has carried their offense right from the top of the lineup.

I know that I have written a lot about performance-enhancing drugs, and then you see stories come out like what is going on with this Miami clinic. No one knows exactly who is involved, who isn’t involved and how they are involved. This ambiguity obviously give us plenty of room for speculation and certainly damages the integrity of Major League Baseball.

For that reason, the MLB needs to enhance their drug testing policies.

If you think about why athletes who choose to use these substances, I assume that most of the motivation comes from big numbers. It is rather obvious, but more production leads directly to fame and fortune. There is a lot of incentive to commit this offense.

For a little bit of a personal digression, I am an accounting student. We talk a lot about fraud and how to prevent it from happening in our future organizations.

The opportunity to commit fraud comes from three different sources that all need to be present. First, there needs to be an incentive. As I have already laid out, millions of dollars from large contracts is a pretty good incentive.

Second, there needs to be an opportunity to commit fraud. Even though all of this drug use is technically illegal, there are plenty of opportunities to find a doctor willing to help out a star athlete. It has happened many times before, and I have a feeling that that will not change. After all, our country is not that great at cracking down on illegal drugs in general.

Finally, there needs to be some type of character deficiency. You have to be able to rationalize going through with this illegal act. Some people simply have too much of a guilty conscience to go through with this.

I think it is rather obvious then that it is no surprise that performance-enhancing drug use is present. There is incentive, opportunity and apparently character flaws.

Now, the question becomes what do we do about it?

If performance-enhancing drugs are a problem, which I believe they are, one part of that fraud triangle needs to be eliminated.

Character is hard to change, and opportunity is certainly always going to be present unless they reform the entire drug control system in the United States.

Therefore, it seems as if the incentive system needs to change. More specifically, there needs to be a disincentive added to lessen the positive value of taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Right now, with a rather light suspension schedule, apparently the risk is justified by the reward. It is worth trying to perform at a higher level illegally because if you do not get caught, that payoff can be huge.

Consequently, more risk needs to be added to outweigh the rewards and create a disincentive rather than an incentive.

There are a variety of ways that this could be done.

First, they could decide to implement more of an Olympic style punishment schedule with much stiffer penalties. Missing time costs money rather than saves it.

Another alternative would involve more frequent testing. Even with the current suspension plan, with more testing, people would get caught more often and move up to that schedule much more quickly. Again, we would end up at that same spot with more serious penalties.

Whatever happens, baseball needs to step up the intensity of the program. The shadow of doubt and loss of integrity are problematic. If baseball doesn’t want that stamped on the game, change is necessary.

The American League East should be the most talented division in baseball this year. Of course, the traditionally powerful New York Yankees will remain near the top even though they did not make substantial revisions this winter. On one hand, when you’re on top, there is little incentive to upgrade your roster, but on the other hand, when the rest of the division starts gaining momentum, sometimes you need to grow as well.

Specifically, the Toronto Blue Jays decided that there was going to be no more messing around. Apparently, being average is no longer acceptable as they went out and acquired among a variety of other players National League Cy Young Award winner RA Dickey and former All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes. In such a competitive division, there is obviously pressure to continually improve, and Toronto certainly made their best effort this winter. Their roster is virtually unrecognizable, but it is definitely talented and capable of carrying them to the postseason.

The Baltimore Orioles burst out last season, and even other did not make very many major transactions this winter, like the Yankees, they are hoping to carry their previous success forward. Adam Jones is certainly a rising star, and the team on the whole should certainly be competitive again this year. However, also like New York, maybe they should have done a little bit more this winter to prepare for the increased competition.

The Boston Red Sox were understandably not happy about last season, so they’re working to rebuild their team. Even though they did bring in Shane Victorino to fill the departure of Cody Ross, there was not substantial overhaul this winter. The return of Jacoby Ellsbury will certainly help provide 30-30 potential in center field, so this year should certainly be better.

Finally, the Tampa Bay Rays are doing what they do best. Their marquee move of the winter involved swapping starting pitcher James Shields for top prospect Wil Myers. They are continually selling off talent to bring a new, cheaper talent. Even though they’re apparently is some debate about whether or not he will start the year in the majors, once he gets there, he should develop into an incredible middle of the lineup hitter. If that happens this year, then Tampa Bay should be in an even better position than normal behind American League Cy Young Award winner David Price.

This division should be strong, and it will be interesting to see if who will be on top when the dust clears.

The Major League Baseball free agent market has almost dried up. However, there are a few options left for those teams that might need a little bit of a jump start before the season.

Most of the superstars are off the table by now, but there are plenty of players who can fill specific roles for certain teams. The market has enough depth for teams that need to make those last-minute additions.

The National League East is going to be even more interesting this year than it was last year.

Last year, the Philadelphia Phillies were not nearly as competitive as everyone expected them to be. However, with Ryan Howard and Chase Utley able to play full time this season, life should get better. The addition of speedy centerfielder Ben Revere should also bring a new look to the top of the lineup.

The Phillies have been criticized this winter for not doing enough. Most of their acquisitions this winter have added role players rather than superstars. However, if their aging superstars can put together another great season, they should be competitive.

The Washington Nationals were great last season, and because they have such a young nucleus, they should only continue to get better. Bryce Harper should only continue to develop into a superstar, and Stephen Strasburg is a legitimate top of the rotation weapon already.

When you combine that with the continued support of Adam LaRoche, Jayson Werth and Gio Gonzalez, is not hard to see why Washington should fight for the top of the division once again this season.

Finally, we come to the Atlanta Braves. They have added two of the most athletic players in baseball in the Upton brothers. Both BJ and Justin have a world of potential, and if they’re able to unlock it with the Braves, I would not be surprised to see them both go 30-30.

Beyond that, the Atlanta Braves have a great team last year. Any changes they made were improvements. The retirement of Chipper Jones will obviously change the clubhouse dynamic as he was a leader for that squad, but someone else will surely step up and assume that role.

These three teams are almost definitely going to collide at the top of the division. The Miami Marlins and New York Mets will probably not make much noise this season, so it is safe to assume a three team race.

Each team has different strengths, and they will play each other multiple times this season. It should be a fun year to be a fan of the National League East.

As we are coming nearer and nearer to the return of the return of Major League Baseball, it might not be a bad time to take a look back at what has happened this winter.

Particularly, the Seattle Mariners made some big moves that might not put them at the top of the highly competitive American League West, but they have revamped the heart of their lineup.

Michael Morse and Kendrys Morales each had the potential to drive in 100 runs and hit perhaps 25 home runs apiece. On top of that, they have some very nice young talent in Jesus Montero, Kyle Seager and Dustin Ackley. Their starting rotation will of course be anchored by Felix Hernandez.

There is hope in Seattle like there was hope in Baltimore last season. It is still unlikely that they will be able to climb all the way out of the cellar in one season, but you can see the pieces starting to come together.

Another important development is the arms race in Los Angeles. It seems as if both the Angels and the Dodgers are willing to do whatever it takes to bring a World Series championship home.

The acquisition of Josh Hamilton will help make the Angels even more powerful than before, and Zack Greinke will fit behind Clayton Kershaw and dramatically improve that starting rotation.

We always talk about the Subway Series in New York City, but it is definitely not impossible that we might see one in Los Angeles.

Finally, how could we talk about this winter without mentioning the incredible development of the Toronto Blue Jays? The roster is virtually unrecognizable. Reigning National League Cy Young Award winner RA Dickey will now lead their rotation. Josh Johnson will be looking to unlock the potential we all know he has.

That is just on the mound.

Jose Reyes will be playing at shortstop and hopefully return to his All-Star form. Melky Cabrera has returned from his PED suspension and will look to build on his success last season. They will join the perennially powerful Jose Bautista will have even more opportunities to drive in runs this year.

This team is loaded, but the American League East has never been more competitive. The New York Yankees will always be good, the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles should have continued success and it would be surprising to not see the Boston Red Sox back in contention this season.

Obviously, it was a busy winter, and I have only hit a few of the highlights here. However, I hope it does something to help get you excited for the imminent return of baseball.

Well, you all have heard the news. The baseball writers who have a say in immortalizing the legends of the game in Cooperstown have decided that no one deserved entry this year.

I have to say that I am somewhat surprised.

I am not surprised about the absence of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa or anyone who was a heavily-assumed PED user. There was so much controversy surrounding each of these players that it was not that hard to predict that they would miss the 75% threshold.

Some of the more questionable omissions involved guys like Jeff Bagwell and Mike Piazza.

Neither one has ever been mentioned in connection with PED use. They have never been listed in any of the reports, and they both had careers that deserve enshrinement in Cooperstown.

Is this the new normal? Are we always going to have to decimate any power hitter from the 1990s?

I somewhat fear that it is.

However, I have to wonder how logical this process really is. Basically, certain hitters are being punished because they played at the wrong time. If you move Piazza or Bagwell back 10 years in history, you probably would not have this problem. They would be in the Hall of Fame without a doubt, and I think that is the way it should be.

There is a significant problem there. These men are being punished for something beyond their control. It isn’t like they chose to play the 1990s. There really is nothing you can do about your age. However, we are essentially calling guilt by association and assuming that we cannot trust anyone.

How will we remedy this problem?

I don’t really think that we can. While it is true that Major League Baseball has enhanced their drug testing policies, there are still ways to get around them. No law can be perfectly enforced. Performance-enhancing drugs are still on the market, and I am sure that there are ways for players to get them.

How can we then trust any player from now on?

I think that some people will come back and say that there is no proof that certain players from today used steroids, and I would agree. However, there is no proof therefore Bagwell or Piazza did either. We are now right back where we started. Because of the suspicion that some used, we cannot trust anyone.

This is going to be a dilemma that the writers will need to consider carefully for the years to come. All the players have the ability to cheat, but I don’t think that they all do. Unless the proof is overwhelmingly against players like Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens, it is hard for me to assume that everyone cheated. Maybe that is a somewhat naïve perspective, but on the other hand, maybe it isn’t.

Well, it is that time of year again. All the Hall of Fame ballots have been cast, and on January 9, we will know who made the cut and who didn’t.

Of course, voting this year must have been quite difficult given the shadow of performance-enhancing drug use.

Did he use them? Did he not use them? Did he use them for some period of time? Did he use them even though no one ever confirmed that he did? Is a mere suspicion enough to never vote for a player? Do performance-enhancing drugs matter at all especially if there was rampant use that would have essentially leveled the playing field?

It has been interesting to scour the Internet and look for a few examples of voting rationale. I want to share them with you today.

First off, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports had a very interesting perspective. He essentially argued that he very well might vote for Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens later (or he still might not), but there was no way that he would vote for them on the first ballot.

“As I’ve written previously, this is my way of distinguishing, say, Bonds from Hank Aaron, players from a dubious period from the greats of the past.”

In a way, it is like saying that in order to be in this exclusive fraternity of first ballot Hall of Famers, you must be undoubtedly clean. My main problem with line of thought involves fan perception. Most fans probably do not know every first ballot Hall of Famer, so even though this nuance does set them apart in what seems like an appropriate way, I do not think that enough people would recognize what Rosenthal is trying to point out.

Of course, not everybody shared his internal debate or sense of potential compromise.

Stan McNeal of the Sporting News was rather blunt in the reason that he passed over highly-probable performance-enhancing drug users.

“Any player who used steroids or any other performance-enhancing drug on the list of banned substances was cheating.

Cheaters lack integrity and sportsmanship. Any player who lacks integrity and sportsmanship doesn’t deserve to be voted into the Hall of Fame, at least as long as Rule No. 5 is part of the process.”

I have to admit that I tend to fall into this camp. Yes, there are certain players like Roger Clemens who got off of his perjury charges. In theory then, he is innocent.

However, the suspicion is so great and the evidence is so condemning that I do not think I could ever vote for him either. He was an excellent pitcher, and based on purely numbers, he absolutely deserves a place in the Hall of Fame.

Baseball is about more than numbers though, and I do not have a lot of patience for players who did not play the game the right way.

Finally, let me leave you with one final perspective from TJ Quinn of ESPN. He simply decided not to vote. He does not feel like he, as a journalist, was truly in a good position to make a judgment on this issue that honestly extends far beyond the baseball diamond and into the field of ethics.

“Even before the issue of performance-enhancing drugs overwhelmed the annual conversation, I questioned my capacity to evaluate a player’s fitness for immortality. My only qualification, like all voters, was 10 years’ service as a BBWAA member. But nothing in my years as a beat writer covering the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets, and nothing in my years covering doping as an investigative reporter since has prepared me to evaluate the effect PED use should have on a player’s legacy.”

From what I have been reading around the Internet, I highly doubt that you will see Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens enshrined in Cooperstown this season. It is a shame that such great players will go down in infamy, but I guess some could look at it as the price they paid for all of their success.

Edwin Jackson is a very nice consolation prize for the Chicago Cubs. Even though they would have liked to have Anibal Sanchez, and many people thought they did have Sanchez, Jackson will be an effective starting pitcher for the Cubs.

Jackson quietly put together a nice season with the Washington Nationals in 2012. He went 10-11 with a 4.03 ERA. Most impressively though, he brought his WHIP down to 1.218.

The reason that I highlight that statistic in particular is because his career mark is 1.438. He has always surrendered several walks, but this season he drove that number down to only 2.8 per nine innings. There is still room for improvement, but that is an excellent sign.

Also, he allowed fewer hits per nine innings than he had in any other complete professional season which would naturally drive down the WHIP as well. That might be a product of the same control improvements, and perhaps he is putting the ball in places where it is harder to hit.

The Chicago Cubs now have a relatively solid one-two punch at the top of the rotation with Jackson joining Matt Garza. I know that trade rumors have swirled around Garza forever, but I do not see that happening now. At this point, with the investment in Jackson, the Cubs have shown that they want to do something this season to seriously compete, and trading away their best starting pitcher would probably not be a smart way to go about doing that.

Of course, one has to wonder what will happen to Jackson in Wrigley Field. He does have a tendency to give up more fly balls, so that might be a challenge in such a small baseball park.

Also, the Chicago Cubs are not exactly at the top of the baseball hierarchy right now. He will probably not get very much run support, and his record could easily take a hit.

I guess that that is part of the reason why many analysts do not give wins and losses very much credence. They are highly dependent on factors beyond the pitcher’s control. It is still something to consider though.

However, despite these minor drawbacks, this is an overwhelmingly positive decision for Chicago. The team needed to bring it more pitching, and Jackson will be able to contribute in that capacity.

Well, the trade market has been busy, and the latest movement is easily one of the most interesting.

Although it is not necessarily finalized yet, it seems as if the Toronto Blue Jays have acquired National League Cy Young Award winner RA Dickey, catcher Josh Thole and a prospect from the New York Mets in return for top prospect Travis d’Arnaud, Noah Syndergaard, catcher John Buck and a prospect. For a summary of all of these developments, here is a link to an article from Mike Axisa of MLB Trade Rumors.

Most of what I have been reading on the Internet involves the risk that the Mets are taking. d’Arnaud is one of the best catching prospects in all of baseball, but as the centerpiece in this deal on the New York side, there is a lot of pressure for him to succeed.

I understand that.

However, Toronto is taking a major risk as well.

RA Dickey is a Cy Young Award winner, and he did win 20 games in 2012. There is definitely something to be said about that, and I guess that even 37-year-olds can break out of their shells.

However, last year was his only dominant season. In fact, his three seasons in New York represent the only times during his career that he was primarily a starting pitcher. Over the time he spent with the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins, he bounced back and forth between the bullpen and the rotation.

Two of the top prospects in baseball will be joining the New York Mets because of this trade. Yes, prospects are far from sure bets, and history is full of great prospects that failed to live up to the sometimes astronomical expectations placed on their shoulders.

That being said, there are many who don’t fail, and what if d’Arnaud and Syndergaard turn into those? In fact, what if they both become All-Stars?

If Dickey helps the Toronto Blue Jays to the top of the American League East for the next few seasons, there probably won’t be that much of a problem.

However, what if he regresses back to the pitcher that we knew before this past year and even before he joined the New York Mets?

I’m not wishing any ill will on RA Dickey whatsoever, but it is important to remember that this is not just a risk for the New York Mets. The Toronto Blue Jays are taking a risk on their future as well.