The Twins love the Hot Stove as much as me.

Johan Santana is the big name regarding trade rumors this baseball off-season, with teams like the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, and the Dodgers offering up prospects by the truck load. While this may be the centerpiece of the Twins off-season, they don't seem to be forgetting about other parts of their team.

As part of a 6 player trade the Twins dealt SP Matt Garza to the Devil Rays for OF Delmon Young. With this trade, the Twins fill the hole that Torii Hunter left in CF, at least at the plate. This will also allow them to hold out for more pitching when teams ask about Santana. Good for them, Johan is an ace, they shouldn't give into anybody and expect a king's ransom in return.

Other Hot Stove happenings.....

-According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the Cardinals are looking at other options at SS before they make a run at bringing back incumbent David Eckstein. One of these possibilities is Miguel Tejada. The chances seem to be slim to none, although Pirate SS Jack Wilson seems to be the front-runner.

-Aaron Rowand thinks highly of himself, and his going to use his career year to try and get an exorbitant amount of money. Apparently GM's caught on to the whole playing-in-a-ban-box thing. The White Sox have passed on Rowand returning to roam CF for them, and apparently Red Sox CFer Coco Crisp seems to be the name they are tossing around at Cellular Field. (If the White Sox ever want to truly compete with the Cubs, they really need to come up with a different name for their ballpark).

Rowand's fate could definitely be tied to the Santana trade. If the Yankees end up parting with Melky Cabrerra then Rowand could be sitting there to reap the Yankee windfall and take over in CF.

- The Mets are in desperate need of a top of the line starter, and it doesn't look like they have the chips to compete with the other teams in the Santana race. Instead the MEts will be looking in Oakland trying to get either Dan Haren or Joe Blanton, and as NY Newsday mentioned, it looks as if Billy Beane will be holding their feet to the fire, and they're going to have to overpay for both.

Again, a pic of a hot chick in a kitchen to signify the Hot Stove...well, not really in a hot kitchen, but who cares, Vida Guerra is pretty damn hot so it works for me. Plus I'm pretty sure most baseball players wouldn't mind sleeping with her, so this pic works on many levels.

Baseball players love money.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim signed 7-time Gold Glove winner Torii Hunter to a five-year, $90 million (that's $18M annual) deal Wednesday. Hunter hit .297 with 28 homers and drove in 107 runs for Minnesota this year. Happy Thanksgiving Torii.

With signing Hunter the Angels hope to give that added protection to Vladimir Guerrero in the middle of their line-up. Along with Gary Matthews, and Garret Anderson switching off between OF and DH with Guerrero, the Angels all the sudden have one of the top outfields in the majors. Although there are some rumblings that Matthews Jr. could be headed to Baltimore for Miguel Tejada.

I love Hot Stove, and as I have stated before, for die hard baseball fans it's just as exciting as the actual season (which actually means something, unlike hockey and basketball, but I digress). I also like talking about the baseball Hot Stove because it gives me an excuse to post a picture of a hot chick in a kitchen, which implies she's within relative distance of a stove......get it? Enjoy Laetitia Casta.

The Hot Stove is heating up......

The one aspect of a sport's annual cycle that baseball has a firm grasp on is the off-season. Outside of a few marquee football match-ups, and a few late season pennant races, and of course the Super Bowl, there's very little else in sports that can be as exciting as the Baseball Hot Stove.

A-Rod is the big fish this off-season regarding free agents. Johan Santana & Miguel Carbrera are the big names on the trading block. Other names that could/will make headlines; Barry Bonds, Jorge Posada, Mo Rivera, and some mid-level Catcher that will make 3X what he is worth.

What a great career choice. Peak at 29, and get paid $12+ million a year for what you did in the past, not for what you should be doing in the future. Not to mention the carte-blanche adultery. Okay, I really have nothing else to say regarding the "Hot Stove", I just had this picture of this well endowed woman on a stove, and needed a way to use it. Enjoy your day......

Curt Schilling is 12 year old girl.

Curt Schilling stated during his weekly radio spot that, "There's a very realistic chance I won't ever play with them again," in regards to his Red Sox teammates. Schilling was 9-8 with a 3.87 ERA, and made $13 million this season.

"A one-year deal is all I'm looking for," Schilling said, adding that he expected to file for free agency over the next few days. "If truly, physically, I was at the end of my rope, this would be the ultimate way to walk away. I don't think I'm there."

Curt apparently spent the last few days writing good bye notes to his teammates. Awww, how cute. Wait.....is this baseball or the 7th grade? Through my imagination I was able to obtain a copy of one of the letters Curt wrote to a teammate.

Dear Josh,
The World Series was totally cool. I am so glad that we are friends. I am so glad I got to play with you. I hope you liked playing with me. Did you hear about Varitek, I hate him now. I totally liked that girl and he gave her gum which is not cool because I drew her a picture of me and her on a horse. Sometimes my mom is so annoying, she won't stop asking me to clean my room. Do you think Ortiz is fatter than me? What about Youkilis? When he asked me if I though his beard was rad I lied and told him that it was bitching. We were at Hot Topic, I bought some fart spray. Anyway, I have to go and clean out my closet because my mom will not shut up.

Red Sox 4eva. Curt

How endearing. Schilling truly is a man's man.