While most New Englanders were sleeping, Theo Epstein was getting his man.
That man was, of course, Adrian Gonzalez, the power-hitting first baseman who was traded to the Red Sox over the weekend. In doing so, he and the Red Sox made a bold statement to the Yankees and the rest of the American League: Look out.

While one player does not make up a championship team, players like Gonzalez are a rare breed, and adding them to a team changes the entire makeup of the lineup. He'll turn 29 years old in May, and he's already a three-time All-Star and a two-time Gold Glove winner, and he's averaged 34 home runs per season over the past four years.

Obviously, there's a lot to be excited about.