Big three is key for contending rotations!

Taking cue from champion Yanks, teams seek trio of aces.

The proverbial rule of three certainly ruled for the Yankees en route to the World Series title, as they rode their three-horse chariot all the way into the Canyon of Heroes.


With CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte making all 15 postseason starts, the Yankees showed that three is enough sometimes, as long as it's the right three.

Since then, be it coincidence or not, a few teams have made moves this offseason to make sure their top threes are solid as a rock. And, be it coincidence or not, tops on that list are the Red Sox.

With John Lackey signed up to join Jon Lester and Josh Beckett in the Boston rotation, Red Sox manager Terry Francona knows what the rule of three means for him. Having three bona fide aces who each happen to have won a World Series-clinching game does something to a manager.

"I think it's going to make us all a lot smarter," Francona said.

Not that a tough and durable threesome at the top of the rotation is a new invention. Think A's earlier this decade, with Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito, the cornerstone for a run of postseason teams.

Still, this offseason there seems to have been some focus on getting that elusive sharp trio.

Adding Lackey improves Boston's top three, big time. Edwin Jackson gives the D-backs a third young star right-hander, and the Tigers might still have the same thing despite Jackson's departure with Max Scherzer arriving in that same blockbuster trade. The Cardinals added Brad Penny to bolster their dynamic duo.

And while some rotations are more solid from top to bottom, not all of them have a third.

For instance, after leading the league in starters ERA last year, the Mariners picked up a tremendous twosome when they brought in 2008 AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee to join 2009 runner-up Felix Hernandez. And they could have a solid three, but it remains to be seen whether Ryan Rowland-Smith, Brandon Morrow or Ian Snell can make that third spot shine.

Of course, the way GM Jack Zduriencik has been going, perhaps an acquisition that answers that question more succinctly is in the offing, you never know.

At any rate, the Yankees clearly don't have the trio market cornered. To listen to Sabathia, the world has forgotten them.

"They don't give us enough credit, I don't think," Sabathia said this week, following the Lackey signing. "Everybody keeps talking about Boston now, Seattle now with Cliff and Felix [Hernandez], but I think we've got some pretty good guys in our clubhouse that can match up with anybody.

"They never talk about me or A.J. or Pettitte. I guess we like it like that. We'll just keep sneaking up on people."

Now that the Yankees' secret is out, here's a look some of the best trios going, with a trio for each league as rosters stand now -- oh, and a good fourth starter doesn't hurt, either:

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Yankees
LHP CC Sabathia
RHP A.J. Burnett
LHP Andy Pettitte
At a combined salary of about $36 million for 2009 and about $52 million for 2010, the Yankees hope they get what they paid for. That idea does have a ring to it.

Red Sox
LHP Jon Lester
RHP Josh Beckett
RHP John Lackey
It could be said that neither of the World Series teams could boast threesomes like this. Which is probably part of the idea.

White Sox
LHP Mark Buehrle
LHP John Danks
RHP Gavin Floyd
Buehrle has tossed a no-hitter and a perfect game, Floyd flirted with two in the span of a couple of weeks in 2008, and Danks is a rising left-handed star.

A good fourth starter:
Tigers: RHP Justin Verlander, RHP Rick Porcello, RHP Max Scherzer. Certainly a threesome to watch this year.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Phillies
RHP Roy Halladay
LHP Cole Hamels
LHP J.A. Happ/RHP Joe Blanton
With Halladay instead of Lee, they have more balance. With a coin flip at No. 3, that's four, and that's good news for the Phillies. Or, if Hamels doesn't bounce back, move him down.

Braves
RHP Javier Vazquez
RHP Jair Jurrjens
RHP Tommy Hanson
With Vazquez saying he's not going anywhere and the other two wrapped up, that's a solid trio.

D-backs
RHP Brandon Webb
RHP Dan Haren
RHP Edwin Jackson
With Webb hopeful to be back in form, Haren being Haren and a more proven performer at this level in Jackson over Scherzer, this is an upgraded top of the rotation.

A good fourth starter:
Giants: RHP Tim Lincecum, RHP Matt Cain, LHP Barry Zito - Ah, the back-to-back Cy Young winner edges the Cardinals' dynamic duo of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright again, even if Zito's barely viable in this trio.