Hot Stove Heating Up

If given the choice between getting laid or making ridiciliously over the top predictions I would pick making predictions. Which is why on the eve of the Baseball Winter Meetings I thought it would be a good idea to come up with some predictions for this baseball offseason. Enjoy:

1. The Red Sox will trade Of Manny Ramirez to the Angels in a three way trade with the Diamondbacks that will net them 1b Darrin Erstad from the Angels and 3b Troy Glaus from the D'Backs along with with Of Luis Gonzalez.

2. The Mets will pursue Ramirez, Adam Dunn, Carlos Delgado, Gary Sheffield, Jim Thome, Billy Wagner, B.J. Ryan, Bengie Molina, Ramon Hernandez and almost every other big name free agent on the market but get no one. (Sorry Chen)

3. The Cubs will sign free agent SS Rafael Furcal away from the Braves who will then replace Furcal internally with Wilson Betemit and use their money to sign a corner outfielder and closer.

4. The Dodgers will bring in recently discarded Red Sox GM Theo Epstein who will then promptly trade Of Milton Bradley to the Yankees for reliever Scott Proctor and prospects.

5. Bad teams like the Royals, Tigers, and Orioles will throw money at marginal players and create a new cycle of bad contracts just as most teams were getting out from under the last wave.

6. The Yankees will sign at least one free agent. Check that. The Yankees will sign at least five free agents and then still not win the World Series.

7. The Mariners will secure bidding rights to Japanese pitching phenom Daisuke Matsuzaka.

8. Roger Clemens will retire, then unretire, then retire again.

9. For the third time in their history the Florida Marlins will have a fire sale losing via free agency or trading away: Carlos Delgado, Luis Castillo, Mike Lowell, Juan Encarnarcion, Juan Pierre, AJ Burnett, and Todd Jones.

10. The Phillies will trade 1b Jim Thome to the Twins for prospects in a salary dump.