New Year’s Morning Hot Stove Notes: Mets, Yankees, Orioles, Cubs, Astros, more

Good morning everybody and Happy New Year! Here are some of the latest hot stove notes as we are halfway through Friday morning. There are stories on the Mets, Astros, Cubs, Orioles, Yankees, Athletics, free agent rumors and some bonus fantasy league and Hall of Fame chatter.

- Michael Baron of MetsBlog.com wants the Mets to roll the dice on free agent pitchers Ben Sheets and Erik Bedard.

- Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan thinks Jason Bay will be the ideal player to go in and handle the New York pressure.

- Check out the players that will define the Houston Astros for the next decade.

- Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times believes Marlon Byrd should adjust and fit in nicely with the Cubs, especially with his hitting coach from Texas, Rudy Jaramillo, on the team as well. Here is the other side of the argument that says Byrd was not a good pick-up.

- Tracy Ringolsby of FoxSports.com gives us an in-depth look at who may get in the Hall of Fame this year and who should not. Ken Rosenthal also breaks down who he feels deserves a place in the Hall of Fame.

- Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun continues to laugh at the notion the Orioles will be a player in the Matt Holliday chase.

- A look at who should be the third fantasy selection, assuming Albert Pujols and Hanley Ramirez are the first two picked.

- Yankees Blog, PinstripeAlley.com has a look at some 2010 roster ideas.

- Tom Singer of MLB.com has ten issues facing the Oakland Athletics as we enter the 2010 baseball season.

- ESPNInsider.com wonders if 2010 be Chipper Jones last season?