December is a month for holiday celebration, but for baseball writers, it's a time for Hall of Fame debate. Once again, the issue is performance-enhancing drugs, with Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa coming on the ballot for the first time. There are no updates or guidelines on how to handle players linked to steroids, so the 575 members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America will be left to decide. Results are to be announced Jan. 9. The voting members of the BBWAA have...

With one trade, the Toronto Blue Jays have filled holes and become instant contenders in the American League East. The Blue Jays have rolled the dice big-time by trading prospects - including three pitchers - to the Miami Marlins for $160 million worth of proven players, a deal that needs approval from Commissioner Bud Selig. It's always a gamble to raid the farm system and add payroll, especially for any team that isn't the Yankees. But the acquisition of pitchers Josh Johnson and Mark...

The American League's Most Valuable Player race is between the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera and the Angels' Mike Trout. The subplot is about new-age statistics versus traditional MVP thinking. Of all the awards given out this week by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, the AL MVP should spark the most vigorous debate, much like when the Mariners' Felix Hernandez won the 2010 Al Cy Young Award over the Rays' David Price and the Yankees' CC Sabathia. That year, Hernandez had 13 wins,...

As the offseason kicks into high gear, the Nationals are a defending champion in an unusual position: They could stand pat and be picked to win the National League East for a second consecutive season in 2013. But that's not how the Nationals operate. They'll likely be looking for an experienced pitcher and a leadoff batter. The Nationals rotation will have Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez and Ross Detwiler, but the fifth guy is up for debate. It could be Zack Greinke,...

For the first time in what seems like forever, the Yankees and Red Sox are the American League East teams with the most questions going into the offseason. Neither team can write a check and become the favorite for 2013. Meanwhile, the Orioles and Rays continue to build, while the Blue Jays hope for health and a few acquisitions. A look at AL East teams: * New York: Alex Rodriguez will get plenty of attention this offseason, but given the $114 million left on his contract, he'll be in...

Justin Verlander, the reigning AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner, is the best pitcher in baseball. On average, he throws his fastball at a higher speed in the eighth and ninth innings than he does in the early innings. He has a 0.74 ERA with 25 strikeouts in the postseason. So given that he's on proper rest, the Tigers ace should mow through the Giants in Game 1 of the World Series tonight in San Francisco. Not so fast. Ace pitchers don't always dominate and there's never a predictable...

Thoughts as the League Championship Series get started: * The Orioles need a big-game, season-saving pitcher, ala the Yankees' CC Sabathia. The Orioles' pitching depth is nice, but a Sabathia-type pitcher would be ideal. Sabathia beat the Orioles twice in the Division Series, once with 120 pitches and another with 121. This offseason, the Orioles should sign Nate McLouth and renegotiate with Mark Reynolds - maybe two years and $11 million instead of picking up the one-year option. The...

Now that the Nationals have become the new champions of the National League East, they have a chance to finish with the best record in the league. They are tied with Cincinnati for that position, and if they finish with the best record, they'll have home-field advantage if they make it to the National League Championship Series. If they tie, the Nationals have the tiebreaker by virtue of winning the season series. And the best record means they'll start the Division Series on Sunday, and...

As the Nationals take aim at wrapping up the National League East, here's a look at how they're shaping up in the postseason awards voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America: Cy Young Award: Gio Gonzalez has 20 wins, the gold standard for pitchers, but that might not be enough to win, especially when new-age statistics are redefining how pitchers are judged. Consider that Tim Lincecum (16 wins), Zack Greinke (16) and Felix Hernandez (13) won the award in the last two...

As the baseball season winds down, here's a look at how the Orioles fare in the American League's season-ending awards: AL Manager: The Orioles' Buck Showalter and the A's Bob Melvin are the top candidates, but the White Sox's rookie manager, Robin Ventura, deserves more credit than he's getting. Ventura has a chance to knock off the Tigers, the AL Central's heavy favorite. Ventura has led the White Sox through rotation injuries and has won with a rookie closer. Ventura has turned...

Isn't this weekend just what was expected? The Orioles and Yankees playing on Labor Day weekend in Yankee Stadium with first place in the American League East on the line? The Orioles have a good chance to challenge the Yankees. The Orioles have more pitching depth, a stronger defense and a better offense with Adam Jones and J.J. Hardy heating up. The Yankees are injured and struggling in their last 45 games. Their offense misses injured Alex Rodriguez, who is going to be out another 10...

With Texas pitcher Ryan Dempster getting a win against the Orioles on Monday, that leaves two candidates for the biggest busts among pitchers acquired in trades before July 31. That distinction goes to either the Angels' Zack Greinke or the Tigers' Anibal Sanchez. The Pirates' Wandy Rodriguez should be in the mix, but while he's not helping the Pirates, he hasn't been as bad as Greinke or Sanchez. Sanchez has a 7.79 ERA since moving from Miami to Detroit. He was supposed to fill the back...

Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline has passed, but doesn't mean players can't change teams. The Orioles could still get a third baseman, and the Nationals a catcher. But there's a slight twist in the process. In August, players can be traded if they clear waivers. For example, if the Nationals wanted to trade a big league player for Boston catcher Kelly Shoppach, all big league players in the deal would have to clear waivers. The Nationals and Red Sox would have to let other teams know...

With the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaching, there's a new wrinkle in the discussion: How much of the future should a team give up for a chance to become a wild card team that could play just one postseason game? Usually, there are dozens of players moving in trades at this time of year, but with compensation rules and so many more buyers than sellers, it's hard to determine how adding two wild card teams, one in each league, will affect transactions at the deadline. A year ago...

As the trade season hits full throttle before the non-waiver July 31 deadline, the Orioles say they are looking for a batter that can pump life into the top of the order and improve their on-base percentage (.302), which ranks 13th in the American League. Another on-base guy would be perfect for the Orioles, but the question is: What would the Orioles have to pay to get it done? Can they make a trade without giving up blue-chip prospects Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado? Minnesota's Denard Span...

The first-half awards: * AL Cy Young Award: Justin Verlander, Tigers. He has nine wins and a league-leading 128 strikeouts with a 2.58 ERA, but this is a close race. The Angels' Jered Weaver, who has been injured, is 10-1 with a 1.96 ERA and 73 strikeouts. The White Sox's Chris Sale is 10-2 with a 2.19 ERA and 98 strikeouts. This one will be interesting to watch. * AL Most Valuable Player: Mike Trout, Angels. How could it be any one else? He's been in the big leagues for a little bit...

The voting is complete, the rosters are selected, so now it's time to dissect how everyone did in the All-Star voting for next week's game in Kansas City. First of all, it's a good thing that fans, players and managers each get to have a say on which players make the team. The system works. Here's the nutshell: Every team needs to be represented, but the rosters should be cut to 27 and starters should be required to play at last four innings. The winner shouldn't get home field advantage...

Now that the Chicago White Sox have acquired a third baseman, Kevin Youkilis, the question is whether the Orioles will do the same. The Orioles would be a stronger contender if they had a stabilizing third baseman instead of a revolving door at the hot corner. Wilson Betemit is a fill-in player who can hit, but he's not a regular third baseman. Mark Reynolds is better defensively at first base. Manager Buck Showalter says Chris Davis could be an above-average third baseman, but it's too late...

Pitcher Roger Clemens has seven Cy Young Awards and six not-guilty counts in regards to perjury and performance-enhancing drugs. Those charges once threatened to derail his chances to make the Hall of Fame, but the prediction here is that the jury's unanimous verdict, issued Monday in Washington, D.C., will help him get to Cooperstown. Maybe not on the first ballot, but eventually Clemens will be there. The 500-plus voters of the Baseball Writers Association of America have given little...

In the baseball world, interleague play is like the designated hitter: It creates controversy and debate, and it doesn't appear either is going away any time soon. Ever since becoming part of the landscape in 1997, players, managers and coaches have never liked the interleague format, which is based more on marketing and ticket sales than scheduling integrity. For example, they don't understand the fairness in the Braves having to play two interleague series against the Yankees while the...