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With the new year upon us, now is as good a time as any to reflect on what has been an exciting Hot Stove season.

After being around professional baseball for 28 years, 2010 was the first time I ever attended the Winter Meetings. But they are not what they used to be, as I've been told, with deals being consummated over an adult beverage at the hotel bar.

Now with the world glued to smart phones, there doesn't seem to be as much face-to-face sitting down and talking about trades. Now, I don't know about you, but if I'm going to make a deal with someone on anything, I'm going to be looking them in the eye when the deal is discussed. Call me old fashioned, but I want to be able to read a man's face when we are talking about a trade.

I liken it to a horse trade; the owner of a horse is going to know all the things wrong with the horse he is trading away. I want to be able to see the man's face when I ask him if the horse is healthy. Does the horse have a wild side? Can he get along with all the other horses? I use this as an example because I have done my share of horse trading.

That said, there were some big surprises that happened before and after the Winter Meetings. The first was the Nationals signing Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126 million deal. That is not to say Werth is not worth that kind of money -- he is five-tool impact player. The surprise was that he did not land with the Red Sox or Yankees.

The biggest deal consummated during the Winter Meetings was definitely Adrian Gonzalez moving from San Diego to Boston. That transaction was not surprising, considering the Red Sox have been after him since last season's non-waiver Trade Deadline. Also surprising was the fact that the Padres didn't get back any players with significant big league experience.

But the biggest shock of all came after the Winter Meetings, when it appeared Cliff Lee was either going to join the Yankees or remain in Texas with the Rangers. We all heard there was a mystery team out there and, sure enough, the Phillies -- seemingly out of nowhere -- announce that they signed Lee to a five-year deal worth $120 million, with a vesting option for a sixth year.

One really big name still remains on the free-agent market -- Adrian Beltre.

The All-Star third baseman had the chance to stay in Boston and almost certainly assure himself a postseason berth. But now, in addition to potentially not getting the money he was hoping for, Beltre might land with a team that has a slim chance at the postseason. There's no chance that Beltre returns to Boston, which spent more than $140 million on Carl Crawford.

If we step back and look at the major deals and which teams made themselves dramatically better, the first two teams that come to mind are the Red Sox and the Phillies. Philadelphia's starting rotation features four No. 1-caliber starters.

The hole left by the departure of Werth will definitely be noticed, as it appears the Phillies will go with a platoon system in right field. The other question mark will be which Phillies bullpen shows up this year: the one that pitched in the first half of last year or the one that showed up the last two months of the season? If it's the latter, the Phillies will walk away with a National League East title. Their lineup is going to have to be more consistent as well.

As for the American League East, the Red Sox have done about all they can to assemble the best team possible. Gonzalez, Crawford, Bobby Jenks -- the moves they made make them the hands-on favorite to win the toughest division in baseball. That, coupled with the fact that the evil empire has not been able to add the overwhelming piece that makes the Yankees a better ballclub -- with the possible exception of Russell Martin, if he's healthy -- should all but ensure a healthy Boston unit the division crown.

The loss of Kerry Wood makes it more difficult for the Yankees to get the ball into the hands of the greatest closer of all time, Mariano Rivera. The Yankees blew 18 saves last season, but those came mostly from their setup men. For the first time in many years, the Yankees are not even in my top five.

Now, we move onto some teams that have flown under the radar.

The Tigers' addition of Victor Martinez all but assures Miguel Cabrera wins the AL Most Valuable Player Award. Look at their starting rotation -- a unit that features Justin Verlander, Rick Porcello, Max Scherzer and Armando Galarraga. The top three have dominating stuff, and Galarraga, a sinkerballer, can be a very good No. 4 starter if he can maintain staying on top of the ball. Granted, he has to secure a spot in the rotation first.

And don't forget Phil Coke, who is likely moving into the rotation. He could be this year's C.J. Wilson. And Detroit's bullpen has Daniel Schlereth from the left side and Ryan Perry from the right. These guys will be responsible for getting the ball into the hands of Jose Valverde, who can be very dominant if he has to pitch just one inning. I like what the White Sox have done, adding Adam Dunn and re-signing Paul Konerko, but the Tigers will win the AL Central.

Everyone is going to pick the Cardinals to win the NL Central because of their rotation and Albert Pujols. But beyond that, I believe they'll have trouble both defensively and in the bullpen.

The team that I think has made the biggest improvement this offseason is the Brewers. They have a great lineup but severely lacked on the mound last season. Milwaukee added two significant pieces to the starting rotation in Shaun Marcum, who had a very good year for the Blue Jays in 2010, and the guy I think has the best swing-and-miss stuff in baseball -- Zack Grienke. Those two moves alone put them right in the middle of the division tussle with the Reds and Cardinals. I'll be picking the Brewers to take it.

As far as the West goes in both leagues, I'm sticking with the two division winners from last season. No other team has done enough to overtake the Giants' pitching staff. The Rangers are sure to make it out of the AL West again -- despite the fact they missed out on Lee. He didn't help them much in getting to the playoffs, though he did dominate in the playoffs until the World Series.

So who did the most to improve their stock and make a serious postseason run?

In the AL, I believe the Red Sox have put together a team that will run away with the East. Disclaimer: Josh Beckett must get back to being the Beckett of three or four years ago.

In the NL, I feel the Brewers, without question, have done more to make their team better and more balanced, starting with a solid rotation of Greinke, Yovani Gallardo, Marcum, Randy Wolf and Chris Narveson. Much like the Phillies, it's a staff that can hold teams to under five runs and win a ton of games in doing so.

Mitch Williams is a studio analyst for MLB Network. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Source: http://mlb.mlb.com