Within just a matter of days, the 2009-2010 roster will begin to take shape. All we need now is for the playoffs to move along and the hot stove league to heat up. For now, I’m ready to look ahead by looking back at last off-season.

November, 2008 – The off-season started off slowly with three players from the playoff roster moving along. Eric Hinske, Cliff Floyd and Trever Miller all became free agents in November. It’s doubtful that any of these players could have made an impact in 2009, although Trever Miller couldn’t have hurt the bullpen.

December, 2008 – The big move of December was the trade of Edwin Jackson to the Detroit Tigers for Matt Joyce.  At the time, the trade made a lot of sense, as the starting pitching rotation was already starting to look rather full.  And, Matt Joyce was coming off a pretty decent rookie season with the Tigers, and looked like he could play a factor in the right field competition.

But, the 2009 season played out and Edwin Jackson played a key role in the Tigers’ attempt to get into the playoffs while Matt Joyce played a key role in the Durham Bulls’ championship run. 

Other moves for December were:

Players lost:  Eduardo Morlan (Rule V – Brewers), Jonny Gomes (non-tender), Joel Guzman (FA – Nats), Scott Dohmann (signed with the Hiroshima Carp), Heath Phillips (FA – Royals), Dan Johnson (Released).

Players obtained:  Derek Rodriguez (Rule V – White Sox) and Joe Nelson (FA – Marlins)

Tomorrow I will take a look at the moves of 2009.