It was a busy day for free agent outfielders Monday, with two signing multi-year deals with new teams. Tampa Bay inked Pat Burrell to a two-year deal, according to the Tampa Tribune, and the Chicago Cubs signed Milton Bradley to a three-year, $30-million deal, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

About time the market for corner outfielders heated up. Both are good signings in their own right, but the Rays should be commended for nabbing Burrell at the low, low rate of $8 million per year of a short-term deal. He will almost exclusively serve as a designated hitter, but will fall in line behind Carl Crawford and newly acquired Matt Joyce in left field. Read more »

Would love to see the Texas Rangers land slugger Manny Ramirez, as SI.com’s Jon Heyman indicated as a possibility on Monday. The Rangers’ all-offense, no-defense persona would never be so alive. No improvements to the pitching staff, but upgrading from free agent Milton Bradley to Ramirez? Yes, please.

The Rangers led the majors in both runs scored and runs allowed last season, and they really had no competition in either category. If, somehow, they land Ramirez and stick him in left field, we would be looking at some kind of historic offensive productivity and pitching futility. Read more »

In a typical rotisserie baseball league, there are 10 statistical categories to consider. Most players make big contributions in a handful of categories, which gives them a great deal of value. But, the way fantasy baseball works, one-dimensional, less productive players — relievers and closers — require far more work and maintenance.

Plots thicken, closers get demoted or injured, and managers often make bullpen situations hard to predict. So, while it’s all in pursuit of saves – and to a far lesser extent strikeouts, ERA and WHIP — keeping a stable full of closers requires a great deal of time, anticipation and a little luck. Read more »

I’ve been known to stuff as many clothes as I can into a backpack, travel abroad, and deal with the debt upon return. The American Way. Travel is what floats my boat, but for others it’s a 60-inch television that runs off a crystal discovered in Star Trek or something. The bottom of the ninth is witnessed in stunning clarity, expenses dealt with later. The American economy suffers because everyone is now repaying their debts (or going homeless, or declaring bankruptcy). This trend will have a significant effect on the business of baseball and, as a result, fantasy baseball.

While the Yankees hand out dollars like red solo cups at a fraternity party, other teams wait for free agent signings, so they can sign the next tier of players cheaply. As Peter Gammons recently pointed out, teams like the Tampa Bay Rays learned that a cost-effective way to improve is via defense, which is great in reality but not so great in fantasy baseball. Read more »