Aaron Gottlieb: Wow, the MLB Hot Stove has certainly heated up over the past week or so. Jose Reyes to the Miami Marlins (when is that going to stop sounding weird?) and Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson to the Angels, just to name a few. What are your impressions of these early, but big, signings?

Megan Brockett: As a Mets fan, obviously the Reyes signing hurts. He certainly brought his share of drama to the team, but what will be missed even more than his talent is the energy and hype he brought to almost every game. Over the last few years, it’s been hard to make a late-season Mets game exciting, but Reyes has done it time and again. He’ll be missed. Anyway, how good are the Angels looking for next year now that they’ve signed Pujols?

Aaron: Not too shabby. Setting aside the Angels as a team for a second, it’s pretty unbelievable how well Albert Pujols comes out in this. $250 million over 10 years? Sheesh. He’s turning 32 in January, which may raise some eyebrows about the length of the contract, seeing as he’ll be in his 40s when it expires. But now that he’s in the American League, he can always end up being a full-time DH somewhere down the line. Speaking of washed-up designated hitters, how about David Ortiz heading back to the Red Sox?

Megan: I don’t think it’s a bad thing. He is getting old and, if they’re smart, they won’t break the bank over this deal. But Boston and Big Papi fit well together. Speaking of good fits, I think Bobby Valentine as the new manager of the Red Sox is just that. What do you think?

Aaron: I hate the Red Sox, so I’m not exactly going to be objective on this. But I’ll take this opportunity to point out a trend about managers in Beantown. Grady Little was seen as a messiah … until he left Pedro Martinez on the mound in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, leading to one of the greatest October nights in the history of man. Sorry, I just love reliving it. Anyway, enter Terry Francona, who led the Sox to the promised land but was then chased out after the horrendous collapse Boston endured last season. I expect Valentine to have moderate success, but be ready for Boston fans to turn on him just as quickly as they jump on the bandwagon. Speaking of new managers, how about Ozzie Guillen taking over at the helm of the Marlins?

Megan: I think it’s an interesting fit. He has a lot of egos to deal with now, and it’ll be interesting to see how he handles it. There’s already word floating around the sports world that Hanley Ramirez doesn’t want to make the move to third to make room for Reyes at short, so let the fun begin, Ozzie. And let’s be honest here, where Guillen goes, drama follows, and the last thing the Marlins are going to need now is more of that. But you can’t deny that the Marlins are serious contenders now. They’ve had potential for the last few years, but with the offseason additions of Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell to an already solid squad, it looks like Miami might get a championship after all. (No thanks to you, LeBron.)

Aaron: Not only did Buehrle get PAID (four years, $58.5 million), but he’s also going to be pitching for Guillen. They were both huge in the Chicago (the White Sox, not Cubs … obviously) World Series win back in ’05. Speaking of pitchers, we never talked about the C.J. Wilson signing. What do you think about that?

Megan: What makes the Angels extra dangerous this year is the addition of the best starting pitcher left on the market, C.J. Wilson. Wilson joins an already strong Los Angeles rotation that includes big-time names like Jered Weaver and Dan Haren. That likely makes Ervin Santana the Angels’ No. 4 starter, and that’s not too shabby at all.

Aaron: I’d hoped the Yankees would’ve signed either Wilson or Buehrle, but now they’re left empty-handed. Brian Cashman, at some point, will have to spend significant money, maybe even overpay, for B-level talent. As we saw last year, there’s no point in having offense (that may or may not come through when it counts) if you don’t have pitching. What about your Mets’ chances?

Megan: Don’t talk to me about being left “empty-handed.” Or a lack of pitching. Or Brian Cashman’s money, for that matter. 2012 will be a rough season for the Mets, there’s no denying that. Not to go back to this, but when Reyes left, the Mets got worse and the Marlins got better. The Phillies will have a good squad again and the Braves are only improving. But hey, ya gotta believe right?

Aaron: Keep telling yourself that, Brockett. We’re still four long months away from first pitch, but it’ll be interesting to see how things play out. In the meantime, BASKETBALL IS BACK!