Yankees

The American League East has long been considered one of baseball's toughest divisions, and that should hold true again in 2013. But it's no longer a division dominated by a couple high-spending teams and the occasional upstart. Suddenly, the AL East is being recognized for its top-to-bottom depth. The Orioles had their best finish in the division in 15 years in 2012, taking second place and earning a wild-card berth. The Blue Jays are the unofficial champions of the off-season, going from a fourth-place club to a World Series contender.

It's worth a shot Juan C. Rodriguez Sun Sentinel Should they try? Absolutely. Would they be successful? Probably not. Alex Rodriguez has been an on-field and off-field migraine for the Yankees. What remains on his contract - five years and $114 million - is a crippling figure for most franchises. If they were to somehow remove the Rodriguez albatross it won't be because he purchased banned substances. The Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program precludes teams from taking punitive action beyond penalties the Commissioner's Office imposes.

The Orioles have added to their outfield surplus by announcing the minor league signing of Chris Dickerson. The 30-year-old Dickerson, who will receive a spring training invite, joins a crowded Orioles roster of veteran outfielders not on the 40-man roster:  holdovers Steve Pearce and Lew Ford, as well as Jason Pridie and infielder/outfielder Conor Jackson. In addition, Adam Greenberg, who made headlines last year with one at-bat for the Miami Marlins, was signed to a minor league deal.

The sting from the wrenching, bitter end of the Washington Nationals' first playoff run might have faded for some by the dead of winter, but not, apparently, for the man at the very top of the organization, not for the 87-year-old real estate tycoon who grew up in Washington rooting for the Senators. And so, less than a month before pitchers and catchers report to Viera, Fla., Ted Lerner acted. On Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the situation, the Nationals agreed to terms with free-agent closer Rafael Soriano, a surprising blockbuster addition to a now-stacked bullpen that signals the Nationals' urgency to win a World Series this year.

It is the nature of sports and our passion for them that the novelty of newfound success only lasts so long and is eventually replaced with a bittersweet mixture of pride and regret. So it will be as Orioles fans tune in to the World Series, which begins Wednesday night in San Francisco, and watch the Giants play the Detroit Tigers for a championship trophy that wasn't even a twinkle in anyone's eye around here eight months ago. Call it the theory of sports relativity. The Orioles were expected to reside near the bottom of the American League East standings again in 2012.

Down for the count Dom Amore Hartford Courant It's always dangerous to count the Yankees out — except right now. They're one blow from being out cold, and Justin Verlander is winding up for a haymaker. These Yankees are old, and one-dimensional. There's no such thing as hitting too many home runs, but there is such a thing as being too reliant on home runs, and walks. Did you see Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera stroke outside pitches to right for singles with runners in scoring position in Game 2?

Here are some final thoughts from a very tired TV/media critic who didn't miss an inning of Orioles playoff baseball while covering the rest of a huge and sprawling beat. This week, it ranged from the debut of ABC's "Nashville," to  Joe Biden  smirking his way through the vice-presidential debate with Paul Ryan. First, I loved every TV minute of Orioles playoff baseball the last week. It started last Friday night with the euphoria of winning the wildcard showdown in Texas, and for a week, it was like the first Friday of the NCAA basketball tournament for TV baseball addicts like me. I never clicked the set off of TBS, except to go to TNT when the backup channel was used for an inning or two of the Orioles or the Nationals.

Grin and bear it Bill Shaikin Los Angeles Times Give him a pay cut! They did, actually. His contract calls for his salary to drop from $29 million this year to $28 million next year. The issue is not that Rodriguez cannot play. He batted .272 with 18 home runs and a .783 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage). That's not bad for a third baseman. The issue is that A-Rod is becoming a complementary player, a good guy to bat sixth in the lineup. The Yankees' lineup is getting weaker as it gets older — Derek Jeter has aged gracefully, but Rodriguez and Mark Teixieira have not — and that leaves two big holes.

NEW YORK - Minutes after the Orioles lost to the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the American League Division Series to end their wild and unexpected 2012 season, club managing partner Peter G. Angelos hugged center fielder Adam Jones and made a prognostication. “In another year, I predict you are going to be ahead of [the Yankees],” Angelos told Jones. Angelos, who rarely makes appearances, entered the clubhouse for the second time this series after making his first visit after the Orioles' Game 2 win at home on Monday.

NEW YORK - Whether the path of Nate McLouth's towering fly ball was interrupted by the right-field foul pole at Yankee Stadium will likely be discussed in Baltimore for years to come. But when it fell harmlessly into the second deck of seats as a foul ball, it was the beginning of the end to a season in which the Orioles forced the rest of baseball to take notice. The Orioles' first postseason in 15 years ended with frigid bats on a cold New York night with a 3-1 loss to the Yankees in a do-or-die Game 5 of the American League Division Series.