How The Top AL MVP Finishers Were Acquired

Every club is looking for MVP-caliber production, but it's not easy to find. Here's a look at how teams around the American League acquired the players who got the most MVP votes in 2010. If there's one trend, it's that top Rays draft picks did exceptionally well in this year's balloting:

• Josh Hamilton – Trade - Hamilton's remarkable story has been well-chronicled; Rangers GM Jon Daniels acquired the former first overall pick from the Reds in the 2007 trade that sent Edinson Volquez to Cincinnati.
• Miguel Cabrera – Trade - Two weeks before Hamilton was traded, the Tigers acquired Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the Marlins for a group of players led by Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin. 
• Robinson Cano – International Signing - The Yankees signed Cano out of the Dominican Republic as an amateur free agent in 2001. 
• Jose Bautista – Trade - The Blue Jays acquired Bautista from the Pirates for Robinzon Diaz in 2008. Before the Blue Jays acquired him, Bautista suited up for the Pirates, Royals, Devil Rays and Orioles.
• Paul Konerko – Free Agency - GM Kenny Williams re-signed Konerko to a five-year, $60MM deal after the White Sox won the 2005 World Series. It's safe to call that signing a smart one now that Konerko posted a .282/.365/.514 line over the life of the contract and averaged 31 homers per season.
• Evan Longoria – Draft - Tampa Bay selected Longoria with the third overall pick of the 2006 draft and he's been playing at an elite level since his 2008 rookie season.
• Carl Crawford – Draft - The Devil Rays selected Crawford in the second round of the 1999 draft and locked him up to an extension that kept him in Tampa Bay through two of his free agent seasons.
• Joe Mauer – Draft - Like Hamilton, Mauer was a first overall draft pick. The Twins selected him ahead or Mark Prior and Mark Teixeira in the 2001 draft and extended him after his 2009 MVP season.
• Adrian Beltre – Free Agency - The Red Sox signed Beltre to a one-year deal, giving him the chance to re-establish his free agent value. The third baseman did just that, clubbing 28 homers and a league-leading 49 doubles while playing stellar defense.
• Delmon Young – Trade - Young, the third first overall pick on this list, arrived in Minnesota in the trade that sent Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza to Tampa Bay.