Rankings are arbitrary and subject to all kinds of different perspective and opinions. At the end of the day, they don’t serve much purpose, except to stir up some controversy and serve as an entertaining read. If we’re lucky, readers will find what they’re about to read controversial, entertaining, informative and/or useful.

These kinds of lists are a little different in fantasy, especially in a publication’s ability to express a thought that’s a little outside the norm. Also, in the case of closer rankings, fantasy owners are able to check out the bottom of our list and see which stoppers may get into early trouble. Read more »

If the New York Yankees fail to make the postseason, it won’t be for lack of effort. Less than a week after acquiring Xavier Nady and reliever Damaso Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York swung a deal to obtain veteran catcher Ivan Rodriguez from the Detroit Tigers. In the wake of Jorge Posada’s season-ending shoulder surgery, the Yankees filled a major need for an offensive catcher to complement Jose Molina.

The Tigers, desperate for an impact bullpen arm, had seen their relationship with Pudge sour over the past year, which made the surefire Hall of Famer expendable. They received Kyle Farnsworth from the Yankees, a veteran right-hander (and former Tiger) who could throw his name into the hat for the closer’s role. Read more »