Q: Which teams have improved the most in the off-season to become legitimate post-season contenders?
— Stephen Shoemaker, Tulsa, Okla.

A: The Tigers certainly have to top the list, Stephen. By adding Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis, Edgar Renteria and Jacque Jones without giving up much from their 2008 roster, they should return to the postseason.

I also think the Angels made a couple of moves that could help them advance further next October, trading for Jon Garland and signing Torii Hunter. The latter will push Gary Matthews Jr. to the corner outfield spots, allowing Vlad Guerrero and Garret Anderson to be used more as the DH – which both need to do, as they are declining defensively. And the Angels still have a wealth of young talent to put into a mid-season deal, if necessary.

As I write this, the Mets' acquisition of Johan Santana and the Mariners' deal for Erik Bedard are pending, but for the sake of answering this question, let's assume both are consummated. The Mets weren't going to win their division with the rotation they had before trading four prospects for Santana. But with Santana (and possibly Livan Hernandez), they could be the spring favorite to win the NL pennant.

You also have to like the Mariners adding both Bedard and Carlos Silva to a team that won 88 games last season. Will that push them over the top in AL West? That's far from a certainty, but you have to applaud management's effort to win.

The question is what happens in right field? Without Adam Jones and already-departed Jose Guillen, they need rookie Wladimir Balentien to step in and perform well. And most likely, the M's will add a left-handed hitter who could platoon with Balentien, such as veteran Luis Gonzalez.

The Dodgers have made three key moves — Joe Torre, Andruw Jones and Hiroki Kuroda — and haven’t surrendered any of their top young talent, so I think they will be a big threat in the NL West.

The Diamondbacks’ acquisition of Dan Haren for a group of prospects they can do without was one of the winter’s best trades. The Phillies could be better after trading for Brad Lidge and moving Brett Myers back to the rotation — where he belongs — as well as signing Geoff Jenkins to replace Aaron Rowand.

The Cubs’ signing of Kosuke Fukudome also could be a key move, as he should bring left-handed power and some balance to a lineup that is loaded with right-handed power.

Q: With Josh Hamilton traded to Texas, who starts in center field for Cincinnati? Ryan Freel has a durability issue, and the Reds will miss Hamilton's ability to hit with power to the opposite field.
— Robert, Columbus, Ohio

A: Don't be shocked to see highly touted prospect Jay Bruce win that job, Robert. Bruce, 21, was Baseball America's minor-league player of the year in 2007, when he advanced from Class A to Triple-A. If he convinces the Reds that he is ready to start this season in the majors, that could lead to Freel or Norris Hopper — the third center field candidate — to be dealt late this spring.

New Reds manager Dusty Baker has a history of going with veteran players, but Freel is a 400-at-bat kind of guy who I think best serves a team as a super-utility man, and Hopper to me is a nice fourth outfielder, but nothing more.

The Reds have four top young talents in Bruce, first baseman Joey Votto and pitchers Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto, so it will interesting to see how their roster shapes up this spring.

Q: Would someone please tell Sammy Sosa to come down here and sign with the Rays? He needs a job, and they would sell many more tickets with a marquee name like his. Any thoughts?
— Darryl, St. Petersburg, Fla.

A: Sammy is done in Texas — and will stay unemployed as long as he keeps asking for $7 million to be a part-time designated hitter. The Rangers went in another direction after he made that demand to them, and the Rays won't take him at that salary, either.

But if he wants to sign for something closer to what he played for last year — $500,000 guaranteed plus incentives — he could get a spring invite somewhere, and win a job. The Rays plan to use Jonny Gomes, Cliff Floyd and Rocco Baldelli in a three-way platoon at two spots — right field and designated hitter. Gomes hasn't played in more than 117 games in a season, and the latter two are injury-prone, so maybe something could develop there if one of those three gets hurt this spring.

Q: Will Mike Piazza receive a contract for this season, and if so, with whom?
— Buck Holland, Columbia, S.C.

A: You know, Buck, this has been the most drawn-out free-agent period that I have ever seen. We’re almost into February, and so many players remain unsigned, and I just don’t get it, to be honest.

There are decent starting pitchers such as Livan Hernandez, Kyle Lohse and Josh Fogg still out there, as well as a bunch of veteran role-player types who you would think can help teams this season. In the case of the starting pitchers, I can understand the backlog a bit given the stalled trade talks regarding Johan Santana and Erik Bedard. But I don’t know what teams are waiting for at this point when it comes to the role-player types.

In Piazza’s case, I have heard next-to-nothing. At this point, he is a designated hitter, preferably against left-handed pitching, and a liability behind the plate. That is a real narrow role to play on a 25-man roster, so the pickings are slim for the future Hall of Famer. But stay tuned, as several moves have to happen in the next two weeks.

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