Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

Turn and face the change people. The Major League hot stove has been red hot and some of the major power players in the game got richer.

The biggest news so far has to be the Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, and Toronto Blue Jays coming to an agreement (yet to be finalized) sending Roy Halladay to the Phils, Cliff Lee to the Mariners, and prospects to the Blue Jays. The word on the internet is the defending National League Champions knew they wouldn't be able to re-sign Lee and desparately wanted in on Halladay. Former Blue Jays GM JP Ricciardi had tied Toronto's hands last season, so this move was inevitable.

The move obviously keeps the Phillies as the team to beat, swapping one dominant pitcher for possibly the second best arm in the game. Halladay should have no problem adjusting to life in the senior circuit, I would imagine his ERA (already microscopic) will drop into the high ones next year. Amazing.

Another pitcher on the move will land in the AL East. John Lackey has agreed to a five year deal with the Boston Red Sox. Rumor has it the Sox are looking to retool their team with pitching and defense this offseason. Lackey joins a pitching rich ball club, boasting Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Bucholz, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Tim Wakefield. That list doesn't even include the hard throwers they have in the bullpen.

While the Angels lost out on bringing Lackey back, and on bringing Halladay in, they seemed to have moved on nicely in the offensive category. Multiple newspapers and blogs are reporting Hideki Matsui, the reigning World Series MVP, has all but signed on the dotted line with the Halos. It seemed Matsui's at bats might be severly diminished this year with Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez both needing time at DH. Also, the Yankees seemed determined to have a DH that could also play the field, something Matsui did not do at all last season.