The free-agent window is about to be thrown open for former Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher John Lackey(notes) and it appears that one of the first ones to place an order could be the lowly Washington Nationals, according to MLB.com.

The Nats want to change their perception and going after Lackey will certainly help just as the team's pursuit of Mark Teixeira(notes) last off-season started to turn that dial.

Going after Lackey is one thing but getting him would help a whole lot more on the perception front. If the Nats can get him, they'd expect him to also help mentor the rest of the young staff, such as Stephen Strasburg(notes), Ross Detwiler(notes), and John Lannan(notes). Lackey would surely help bring the team's National League-worst ERA of 5.00 down.

But of course everybody else wants Lackey, too, so it remains doubtful that he'll end up in D.C. Another person who also isn't likely to end up in the District is shortstop Adam Everett(notes), who has been linked to the Nats numerous times this off-season already. The team supposedly has no interest in the defensive specialist.

Source: MLB.com

The New York Yankees found enough cash last off-season to get Mark Teixeira(notes), CC Sabathia(notes), and A.J. Burnett(notes) off the free-agent marketplace, putting them in a pretty good position to be the powerhouse they were in 2009 on the way to a championship. But the team is supposedly not taking the same course this winter.

There are really only three highly valuable free agents this off-season -- Jason Bay(notes), Matt Holliday(notes), and John Lackey(notes) - and the Yankees aren't expected to go after any of them, according to the New York Post.

It looks like the Yankees are closing up the wallet a little and letting a whole lot of money flow in right now instead of out.

The team may be at the point of no return on expenditures, anyway. The Yanks will spend $100 million next season Alex Rodriguez(notes), Sabathia, Teixeira and Derek Jeter(notes) alone and have another $70 million already committed to 13 other players from Kei Igawa(notes) to Juan Miranda(notes).

Holliday's agent, Scott Boras, apparently wants him to be paid around the same as Teixeira (eight years, $181 million), Lackey is expected to get around $100 million for five years, and Bay could get around $90 million for five years.

Source: New York Post