Every Friday, Stiletto Sports will be bringing you a featured guest columnist from around the sporting world! Party because I am a bit overwhelmed being one girl trying to cover all sports and partly because I want to give back to the readers and help showcase them as well!

Today’s First Featured Friday is brought to us by my co-partner in crime, Mike Crimmins from Section 59. He’s reporting on the financial crisis that is baseball free agency. Why is it a crisis? Because these teams shell out millions of dollars on these players—do you know how many shoes that could be!

It might be the middle of winter and snow might be covering baseball fields in many cities, but there’s still things going on behind the scenes. In fact, a lot of things. The more research the more I learned and I’m sure I could’ve kept digging. In other words, there’s going to be a lot of new faces you’ll be seeing at the ball park this summer and there’s no time better than know to get to know them.

After their disappointing 2008 season, it’s no surprise that the Yankess have been making the biggest headlines and it looks like other teams are playing catch-up. In December the Yankees picked up three brand name free agents – two pitchers C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Brunett and a bat by the name of Mark Tiexeira. The Yankees are hoping that it’ll guarantee them a place in the World Series, while some may say that the Yankees are hoping to buy a championship.

The Yankees picked up Sabathia from the Milwaukee Brewers. However, most Yankee fans probably remember him as a dominating opponent with some memorable victories in the post season for the Indians. The Yankees gave him a $161 million dollar contract, the largest contract ever given to pitcher.

Right behind Sabathia in the rotation will be A.J. Brunett, a free agent from the Toronto Blue Jays. Another pitcher that the Yankees didn’t want to face. The Yankees signed him for 82.5 million.

Then to replace the aging Jason Giambi at first base, the Yankees picked up Mark Teixera from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for $180 million. He’s a life long fan of Don Mattingly and wore the number 23 his whole career, but since Mattingly’s number is retired he’ll be switching to number 25.

It sounds like a guaranteed spot in the World Series but you never know how the players will fair in the bright lights of the New York media. There’s always a chance that they won’t make it – Randy Johnson. A.J. Brunett also has a history of injuries and the Yankees only hope that he won’t end up being another Carl Pavano who the Yankees paid $40 million to start in just 26 games.

Of course, there are some other teams making some moves. To keep up with the Yankees in the American League East, the Tampa Rays picked up Pat Burrell from their opponent in the 2008 World Series, the Philadelphia Phillies. The Rays got Burrell for only $16 million which seems like a bargain compared to what the Yankees are spending and they’re hoping that his bat will be a powerful addition to their lineup.

After having several deals fall apart, the Boston Red Sox were relatively quiet most of the off season until this week. That’s when the picked up veteran Pitcher John Smoltz from the Atlanta Braves, another pitcher named Brad Penny and Rocco Baldelli from the Tampa Rays. Smoltz played 21 years for the Braves and signed a one year contract with the Sox for a $5 million with inncentive based bonuses for up to another $5 million. They may have to make some more moves to fill a possible whole at the catcher’s position and to keep up with the Yankees.

The Oakland A’s just picked up one of the Yankees left-overs – Jason Giambi. They’re hoping that he can once again be there MVP.

In the National League, the Chicago Cubs picked up the always controversial Milton Bradley to complete their outfield. It should be interesting to see Bradley in the same dugout with Cubs manager Lou Piniella.

That’s just the big names and it’s nowhere near being over yet. There’s still more than a few big names left like Andy Petite who may or may not be a Yankee again depending on which day of the week it is, Ken Griffey Jr. who may end up back in Seattle and Manny Ramirez who could stay with the Dodgers or end up as a member of about dozen other teams.

Would you like to be a Featured Columnist for Stiletto Sports? It doesn’t even have to be from a pink, sparkly POV (clearly if you just read the baseball article!). Every Friday I’ll be running a new feature so if you would like to promote your own site in a quick, easy and shameless manner, well this could be for you! Looking for writers on all topics and all categories: humor, rumors, facts, histories, sports updates, editorials. Whatever! Send me an email and let me know if you are interested and we can work out the details.

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