Baseball teams haven’t stopped spending.  They’re just spending more intelligently (Well…except for the Mets and the Giants).  ”Mid-market teams are showing their commitments to their best young players by signing them to long-term contracts, even in the face of recession. The Arizona Diamondbacks just gave 22-year-old Justin Upton $51.25 million to keep him locked up through 2015. The Seattle Mariners re-upped pitcher Felix Hernandez (age 23) for $78 million over five years, and outfielder Franklin Gutierrez (27) for $20.1 million over four years. All as the Yankees tightened their belts a bit by bidding adieu to aging stars like Damon and Hideki Matsui.” (Forbes)