Saturday, January 28: Scott Boras does seem to find a way to get top dollar for most of his clients. I was blown away by the Fielder contract as teams were saying they wouldn't go long term on him. I figured Fielder for a 6 yr/$141-mil deal so I wasn't even close. Edwin Jackson started out the off-season looking for a 5 yr deal starting at $15-mil per. That wasn't going to happen (I don't think) but Boras has a way of getting other teams "involved" like he's doing now with the Orioles. Lest we forget, Stork, Jackson is a career .500 pitcher who has played for a bunch of teams already. The best things he has going for him is relative youth (28) unless he's another Fausto Carmona and is actually 31, and the fact that he takes the ball every 5th day. He's made at least 31 starts in each of the last 5 seasons. I don't know if Jackson's game plays well in Camden Yards, a band box to say the least. I harken back to the 2007 season for Jackson at TB when, in 31 GS and 161 IP, he was 5-15, with a 5.76/1.76 ERA/WHIP, 195 HA, and a 128/88 K/BB. Those numbers are killer for a fantasy staff not to mention a real staff when you have to shell out "real" money.
 By the way, I didn't see the Tigers ending up with Prince Fielder. That franchise just seemed to come out of nowhere. And for 9 yrs/$214-mil. In the short term, it looks like a great deal for the Tigers with Victor Martinez out for the season. We'll see if the Tigers rue the day 4 or 5 years from now (if I'm still alive!). Just to an outsider like me it looks like the Colts are going to move on from one of the greatest QB's of all time, Peyton Manning. The team looks to be in rebuilding mode and Manning, who may or may not be ready for the season, doesn't fit the mold. I wouldn't let Manning hang though. I would let him know as soon as possible because $28-mil is a big nut to pay when you're not sure of the health of the guy. I did like the thought of Manning going to the Jets and taking Sanchez under his wing or the Jets trading Sanchez to, say, the Redskins. Another idea is to have Manning's father, Archie, buy the Colts! But it really looks like after the surprising 2-14 season that the Colts not only will downsize, but should downsize, as well. I've heard talk, and no not from Rob Lowe, that Manning has played his last down in the NFL. I would hope that's not true!