Bert Blyleven

As the excitement settles on another thrilling postseason, the hot stove is already beginning to cook. General managers meet this week in Chicago to talk business and begin to hammer out some offseason trades.

Pitching undoubtedly will be a huge focus as teams look to shore up their staffs for 2010.

I don’t think it’s a particularly strong market for pitching this winter. The Blue Jays have made it clear that Roy Halladay is available on the trade front, but as they have him signed through 2010, there is really no urgency to move their star now.

Halladay is hands down the best pitcher available this offseason. Since he became a fulltime starter in 2002, he has been perhaps the best pitcher in baseball, earning six All-Star nods and the 2003 Cy Young Award.

But he’s going to come at a premium, both in prospects and cash. First of all, the Blue Jays are probably going to require two major leaguers and a couple of talented prospects in return. Then, if you manage to come up with a package the Blue Jays will take, you’re going to want to sign Halladay to a long-term deal. And he won’t come cheaply.

So how many teams can afford him? The Rangers would certainly be interested, but with their ownership issues they might not be able to pay him. Same thing goes for the Dodgers with the McCourt divorce saga. The White Sox might take a shot, but with the money they’ve committed to Jake Peavy, they seem like a long shot.

The Angels might be willing to pay top dollar, particularly if they lose John Lackey, and as a perennial contender would be palatable to Halladay. And of course, you can never forget about the Yankees and Red Sox.

But what if you don’t have the prospects and cash to snare Halladay? Then what do you do in what is a thin pitching market? There are some interesting names out there with impressive track records: Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, Erik Bedard, Rich Harden, Brad Penny and Randy Wolf among them. But in my mind, there are some better options than all of those names. Here are my top four starters, with one reliever thrown into the mix.

JOHN LACKEY (31) 11-8, 3.83 ERA in 2009 with the Angels
Ever since making the big leagues in 2002, Lackey has been a bulldog for the Angels. He’s a guy who wants to be out there and have the ball in his hand when it matters most.

He was an All-Star in 2007 when he went 19-9 with a 3.01 ERA and has proven that when healthy, he can be a No. 1 or 2 starter for any team in baseball.

Whoever signs Lackey can expect a workhorse, a reliable right-hander who will give you seven or more good innings every time out.

He’s also a very intense competitor, as Mike Scioscia found out when he went to take him out of a game during the ALCS. That’s the fire you want to see in your starters. Combine that competitive fire with his talent, and whoever signs Lackey is getting a good catch.

If you put him in, say, Seattle, he would be a formidable one-two punch with Felix Hernandez. In Texas, he would be a good influence on the young pitchers. He should be the most sought-after pitcher on the free agent market.

JASON MARQUIS (31) 15-13, 4.04 ERA in 2009 with the Rockies
Marquis will certainly be an afterthought this offseason, but he is a solid, consistent pitcher who is only 31, and could be a good bargain as a free agent.

Marquis has been very consistent over the course of his career. He was a 15-game winner this season for the Rockies. He pitched a career-best 216 innings and was very impressive in giving up only 15 home runs while playing most of his games in Coors Field, and extreme hitter’s park.

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He has a good sinking fastball and pretty good control.

That being said, Marquis is not quite up to par with Lackey. He just isn’t as efficient and throws a few too many pitches, which in my mind would make it wise for him to stay in the NL.

JOEL PINIERO (31) 15-12, 3.49 ERA in 2009 with the Cardinals
Piniero is an awful lot like Marquis. A guy proven to be a winner when healthy, a solid No. 2 or 3 starter for any team.

Piniero had perhaps his finest season in 2009 with the Cardinals. He was a groundball machine, walking only 27 and allowing just 11 home runs in 214 innings. That’s 1.1 walks per nine innings pitched, the best in the NL. He attacks the strike zone and has a lot of movement, yet he controls that movement so well.

And with his experience he’ll be a leader in your clubhouse. Despite being in the big leagues for 10 seasons, he only just turned 31 in late September.

And if you’re worried that he simply found magic under the guiding hand of Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan, remember that Piniero also had success in Seattle, going 14-7 with a 3.24 ERA in 2002, and 16-11 with a 3.78 ERA in 2003.

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