So what did the Marlins do this offseason to improve their roster? Almost nothing.

One trade (to Boston for relief pitcher Hunter Jones) and a smattering of minor league free agents, none of whom are guaranteed to make the team. They did add a new pitching coach - Randy St. Claire - who was fired by the Nationals last season.

"How may wins am I expecting? I never predict but I will say we're working off an 87-win season last year and I expect us to make the playoffs," Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said to the Palm Beach Post. "Whatever it takes for us to make the playoffs is what we need to win.''

But perhaps one move could make a big difference. Mike Lowell has a Marlins history (he played there from 1999-2005), is a Cuban-American who was immensely popular there in the first go-round, and we know he's on the market. He can play first base, and the Marlins have a need there in the short-term. The Red Sox could pick up roughly $9 million of his $12 million deal, too - that's what they were going to do for the Rangers before their trade of Lowell was voided this winter.

Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote is all for the move.

"Lowell, even at 36, at least would be an attention-getting addition to underline that ownership wants to do more than "expect'' a postseason berth -- it wants to go aggressively get one," he wrote.

More storylines in Marlins camp:

• The Marlins' new ballpark, to open on 2012 on the site of the old Orange Bowl, is taking shape.
• It isn't an overwhelming total - 143 by Lowell - but a second baseman (Dan Uggla) could become the Marlins' all-time leader in homers this season.
• If there's a common thread among the Marlins' super-young starting rotation, it's that many are wild. Throwing strikes is a point of emphasis for manager Fredi Gonzalez and St. Claire.
• Cameron Maybin was the key player in the deal to send Miguel Cabrera to Detroit late in 2007. At age 22, Maybin will get his best chance to show he was worth it.
• The Marlins have a power outfielder on the way in Mike Stanton, who lit up the minors the last two seasons.

2010 Florida Marlins preview

Coming Thursday: No. 13 Colorado Rockies.

Marlins should go Lowell to finish higher in NL East standings originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 12:35:07.

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When the biggest contenders were picking up parts for a playoff run, the White Sox acquired Alex Rios from the Toronto Blue Jays - a reclamation project with some upside - and Jake Peavy, an injured ace who was the best pitcher in the National League just a few years ago. And optimism reigns on the South Side already, especially in a wide-open division such as the AL Central.

''We can be the favorite to win it or we can finish last, but I promise you this, the 25 guys we break camp with believe that we are the favorites,'' Peavy said to the Sun-Times this week. ''We never take the field feeling like an underdog. Whether that's right or wrong, I don't know, but I believe it."

Peavy recovered in time to make three September starts and won all three, with a 1.35 ERA. He's still just 28, and will make $15 million this season, $16 million in 2011 and $17 million in 2012, with a $22 million option or a $4 million buyout for 2013. That's big money for a team that's in a big market, but doesn't have the revenue stream that teams such as the Yankees and Red Sox have.

"We haven't been proven right or wrong yet," White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said of the Peavy deal, to MLB.com. "We get off to a lousy start and we don't draw, and this will be a bad financial decision. So, I just hope we are good."

Manager Ozzie Guillen is counting on it.

"When we build a ballclub, we don't just talk about the division -- we talk about going all the way to the end," Guillen said to the Chicago Tribune. "Right now, this ballclub has enough bullets to do it.''

Other storylines in White Sox camp:

• Andruw Jones is in his third camp in three years, getting one more shot to correct a career that collapsed faster than the 2008 Dow Jones Industrial Average. So far, so good. But he started fast in Texas last year, too.
• The White Sox are rebuilding their image like a lot of teams (such as Seattle), focusing on defense, pitching and running. And the White Sox's roster should give Guillen some flexibility.
• Closer Bobby Jenks says he's feeling OK despite a calf injury, but the spring stats certainly don't show it. And with a former closer in camp in J.J. Putz, could Guillen make an early move?
• The White Sox have two bats in the middle of their order who had down seasons statistically in Carlos Quentin and Alex Rios. How both come around could be a big key.

2010 Chicago White Sox preview.

Coming Wednesday: No. 14 Florida Marlins.

White Sox developing a swagger about their 2010 chances originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 21:06:52.

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Chuck Greenberg and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, the team's current president, have agreed to buy the team from Tom Hicks, who has had financial difficulties. And when the deal is finally done, the Rangers can turn the page on the Hicks era, which was a lost era in many ways.

The big headline was the Alex Rodriguez deal in 2001, a 10-year, $252 million contract that changed the game's finances, and a contract of the likes of which we're probably not going to see for a long time. Rodriguez, for the most part, fulfilled his obligation (with a little help from the "boli") by hitting .305 with 156 homers in three seasons before the Yankees took that contract off Hicks' hands in 2004. The Rangers went to the playoffs in the first two seasons of Hicks' ownership in 1998 and 1999, but haven't been back since.

In Greenberg, 48, the Rangers will have an owner who is not likely to throw around money the way Hicks did. And that could be a good thing. Greenberg's roots are in Pittsburgh, where he was instrumental in the building of a new arena for the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins as the lawyer for the team and personally, Mario Lemieux.

"We've all been impressed by the tenacity and foresight he's shown in buying and developing minor league baseball franchises into huge success stories," Lemieux said earlier this year about Greenberg, to the Dallas Morning News. "He is a dedicated baseball fan who has paid his dues on the business side and is ready to lead a first-class Major League Baseball organization."

For now, Greenberg is maintaining a distance from the Rangers, which is technically still Hicks' until the deal goes through in the next few weeks. Greenberg is still trying to clean up some messes left behind by the Hicks regime.

Other storylines in Rangers camp:

• Nolan Ryan believes there's more improvement in store for the Rangers, who won a surprising 87 games last season and contended into September. The key? As always in Texas, better pitching.
• Vladimir Guerrero, the Rangers' new DH, has no hard feelings toward the Angels, who didn't make a big play for their former cleanup hitter.
• Chris Ray was the Orioles' closer a few years ago, then never reclaimed the job after Tommy John surgery. He offers some flexibility for the Rangers in their bullpen.
• Ian Kinsler didn't perform well as the team's leadoff hitter, so he's hoping to find a new home in the order at No. 5, behind Guerrero.
• Elvis Andrus could be a star at shortstop, but manager Ron Washington, a former shortstop himself, is keeping the pressure on the second-year infielder.

2010 Texas Rangers preview

Coming Tuesday: No. 15 Chicago White Sox.

Hicks era ending for the Texas Rangers, and just in time originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Monday, March 15th, 2010 at 13:50:08.

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He signed an incentive-laden deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, who had already traded for center fielder Carlos Gomez, who is 15 years Edmonds' junior. And it's Edmonds who is turning a lot of heads in camp.

"I don't feel any different than I did five years ago," Edmonds said to the Associated Press. "Honestly, I feel better. I haven't had surgeries ... and everything's healed. I worked out a little bit in '09 and nothing happened, so I just kind of took some time off and got a little bit healthier and started working out again.

"It's pretty documented that I really didn't have that much of an intention to play this year; I just kind of got the itch."

He hit a home run on Friday against the Cubs and has been hitting the ball hard all spring. He had 19 homers in just 250 at-bats for the Cubs in 2008. If healthy, the Brewers found a bargain, at least as a fourth outfielder.

Other storylines in Brewers camp:

• The Brewers added veterans Randy Wolf and Doug Davis, who should solidify a leaky rotation. Jeff Suppan (making $12.5 million), Dave Bush, Manny Parra and Chris Narveson are dueling for the last two spots.
• New pitching coach Rick Peterson is working on Parra's delivery and confidence, and they've seen results already.
• Prince Fielder is just a year away from mega money. And to be the face of the franchise - whether it's in Milwaukee or elsewhere - he's working on his surly image.
• Rickie Weeks will miss his buddy J.J. Hardy, who was traded to the Twins. But he's working well with Alcides Escobar, and is hoping to finally stay healthy.

2010 Milwaukee Brewers preview.

Coming Monday: No. 16 Texas Rangers.

Brewers' Jim Edmonds doesn't appear to have lost a step in year off originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Sunday, March 14th, 2010 at 13:47:29.

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Physically, it was elbow surgery. Mentally, it was a diagnosis of clinical depression, something that's not as easily fixed.

"It was a combination of baseball and the divorce [from his wife of four years],'' Duchscherer said to Jerry Crasnick of  ESPN.com after last season. "I felt like a total failure. I felt like, 'I can't stay healthy enough to perform, so I'm not doing my job, and I failed at my marriage.' I started to get into a lot of negative thought patterns."

It all came to a head last season when Duchscherer, 32, was healthy enough to return to the A's, but couldn't put himself on a plane for his final rehab start.

"I thought once I got to the big leagues and made my first million dollars, that's where true happiness was,'' Duchscherer said in the ESPN story. "It's not the case. You're going to have the same emotions whether you have a million dollars or five dollars in the bank. Sure, it makes it easier to pay your rent. But when you're divorced and separated from your son, having money doesn't make it feel any better.''

The A's stuck by Duchscherer, who was a free agent but elected to stay with Oakland on a one-year deal. He received a little scare when Duchscherer threw a simulated game earlier this week and was struck by a line drive up the middle. But he's fine, and healthy, and certainly hopes to stay that way.

Other A's storylines:

• Another player attempting a comeback after a long layoff is the oft-injured Eric Chavez, who is giving it one last shot. And he's hitting so well, he could end up as the A's first baseman.
• Kurt Suzuki plays in relative anonymity with the A's when compared to the marquee catchers such as Joe Mauer, Victor Martinez, Brian McCann and others. But Suzuki has good stats at the plate (.274, 15 HR, 88 RBI in 2009), is solid defensively and might be the A's best everyday player.
• Lefty Dallas Braden is just 26, but might have found his calling after his playing career is over: Pitching coach.
• Manager Bob Geren believes expectations should be higher for the A's, even in a tougher division. The A's record under Geren has been remarkably consistent in his three seasons as skipper: 76-86, 75-86 and 75-87.

2010 Oakland A's preview

Coming Sunday: No. 17 Milwaukee Brewers

Oakland's Duchscherer coming back from more than elbow surgery originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Saturday, March 13th, 2010 at 18:06:25.

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It would be hard to be worse in 2010, right? They went out and got Jason Bay to solidify their lineup, after all. Then Carlos Beltran needed surgery (out for at least a month). And now Jose Reyes has a hyperthyroid condition that is treatable only with rest. He could miss the opener as well.

"He's a guy we projected to bat third in the lineup," said Mets manager Jerry Manuel to the New York Times. "That puts a little strain on us. But for some reason I just feel like everything is going to be all right. I just feel that."

The Mets certainly do need some optimism.

Other storylines in Mets camp:

• Who would take Reyes' spot? Veteran utility player Alex Cora would be the sensible choice, or they could try a 20-year-old rookie in Ruben Tejada, who played in Double-A last season.
• Johan Santana is coming back from left elbow surgery, and had a poor first outing. But he's still encouraged.
• The Mets' catcher situation is an odd one. Three journeyman veterans (Rod Barajas, Henry Blanco and Chris Coste) and a bunch of prospects, and all working as kind of a catching seminar.
• John Niese and Fernando Nieve have just one letter different in their last names, and they're both having trouble in the battle for the No. 5 spot in the Mets' rotation.
• Bay had some contentious negotiations with the Red Sox, and ultimately became turned off and went to the Mets. And he's not looking back.
• The team's farm system looked barren last summer, but Manuel has been very encouraged by what he's seen in camp from several young players.

2010 New York Mets preview

Coming Saturday: No. 18 Oakland A's.

Bad decisions and bad breaks compound for not-so-amazin' Mets originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 12:30:59.

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But after announcing his imminent retirement last fall, this is the last spring training for Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox, who as GM hired himself to manager in the middle of the 1990 season and has led the team on the greatest run in its history. From 1991 through 2005, every season was a winning one, and the only one that didn't end in the playoffs wasn't his fault (the 1994 strike). He has five pennants and the lone championship in 1995. And not counting the first, there are just two losing seasons.

"I haven't changed one bit," he said to the Tampa Tribune this week. "It's normal. I have a job to do, and you have to give it everything you've got."

Cox, who has also been thrown out of more games than any manager ever, avoided making his last trip around the Grapefruit League into a farewell tour - "Personally, I'd rather just slip in and slip out the door," Cox says - but teams are trying to recognize a future Hall of Fame manager for his sustained excellence.

The Braves improved by 14 games last season, from 72 wins to 86. That kind of pace is unlikely - the Braves made some odd offseason moves - but there would be noting more fitting than Cox, who turns 69 in May, getting one more postseason shot.

Other storylines in Braves camp:

• Chipper Jones has been around almost as long as Cox, entering his 16th full season. He's the only switch-hitter in baseball history to hit .300 and have at least 400 home runs, and he has three years left on his contract. But he was awful in the second half of last season, his batting average tumbling 100 points. But Jones, who will be 37 in April, is confident he's ironed out some flaws in his swing.
• Jones is one player who really likes what he sees about prospect Jason Heyward, who is playing his way from the minors to a starting spot.
• Jair Jurrjens is coming off a career-high in innings pitched (213) at age 23. He's had some shoulder issues in camp, but the Braves are still dazzled by the movement on his pitches.
• Troy Glaus was brought in to take some pressure off Jones and Brian McCann, and he's off to a good start at the plate, and playing first base for the first time.

2010 Atlanta Braves preview

Coming Friday: No. 19 New York Mets.

Braves' crusty Cox isn't into sentimentality in his final spring training originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 12:41:03.

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They paid $30 million over six years for a Cuban defector who just turned 22 at the end of February, beating out big-market teams that could afford a pitcher such as Aroldis Chapman a lot easier. And so far, he's no Ariel Prieto.

Based on his first Cactus League outing, a few other front offices might be kicking themselves for letting Chapman get away. He allowed one hit and one walk, striking out three in two innings. He threw what looked like an effortless 100 mph fastball past the Royals' Chris Getz for a strikeout.

"I wasn't trying to throw hard," Chapman said, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I was working on my pitches. If I did hit that high, it was one of those things."

Reds pitching coach Bryan Price is also impressed by Chapman's slider.

"His slider is as good as I've seen from the left side since Randy Johnson," said Price, to the Arizona Republic. "I mean, he's got a legitimate, A-plus slider."

Most pegged Chapman to start the season in the minors. But it's getting harder for Cincinnati to make a case to send him down.

Other storylines in Reds camp:

• The Reds are in a new spring training home, sharing the Goodyear, Ariz., facility with the cross-state Cleveland Indians. The Reds were in Sarasota, Fla., for the previous 11 seasons.
• Pitcher Aaron Harang has regressed the past couple of years, and had a poor first outing in Arizona. He's not overly concerned, however.
• Brandon Phillips is not a prototype cleanup hitter, and occasionally does some things that get him in hot water. But the talent is undeniable. Will he be in Cincinnati long-term?
• Joey Votto is one of the best young first basemen in the game, and the Reds have another hot shot at the same position ready to arrive in Yonder Alonso. It's a good problem, but still an issue the Reds must address.

2010 Cincinnati Reds preview

Coming Thursday: No. 20 Atlanta Braves.

Reds' Aroldis Chapman a lot closer to big leagues than previously thought originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 11:34:11.

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Their ace, Brandon Webb, went from 18 wins to 22 wins to 0 wins.

That's perhaps the best explanation for Arizona's swoon, as Webb went on the disabled list after pitching poorly in the season opener and never came back, having shoulder surgery.

And while Webb is expected to be back, it probably won't happen at the outset of the season. Webb still isn't ready to pitch in a Cactus League game yet.

"I'm impatient right now," Webb said last week, according to ESPN.com. "I'm ready to go and let it loose. I want to throw in a game and stuff like that. Obviously I'm not ready to do that right now. The next step is facing live hitters and that will be coming up."

The Diamondbacks are paying Webb $8.5 million this season, picking up the option year in his contract. For a mid-market team, that's a lot of faith, and a lot wrapped up in Webb.

Other Diamondbacks storylines:

• Arizona locked up outfielder Justin Upton for the next six seasons in a backloaded $50 million contract that will pay him $14.5 million in 2015. He hit .300 with 26 homers, 86 RBI and 20 stolen bases last season. At age 22, Arizona is banking on Upton's star potential.
• On the other end of the spectrum is third baseman Mark Reynolds, who wants to be locked up long-term as well. Reynolds, entering his fourth season, hit 44 homers last season (and set a major-league record with a preposterous 223 strikeouts). He says the negotiations are a "distraction."
• Ian Kennedy was a minor-league marvel in the Yankees organization, going 19-6 record and 1.95 ERA. But he never followed through in the big leagues. He was a part of the three-way deal that brought Curtis Granderson to New York (and Edwin Jackson from Detroit to Arizona), giving the Diamondbacks a probable two-fifths of their rotation in one deal.
• Closer Chad Qualls is coming back from a freak injury suffered late last season, a dislocated kneecap he suffered when trying to avoid a line drive.
• That's not the only strange ailment. Outfielder Conor Jackson is coming back from a rare condition called "valley fever," which is contracted by breathing in spores of fungus in desert soil. He lost 30 pounds.

2010 Arizona Diamondbacks preview.

Coming Wednesday: No. 21 Cincinnati Reds.

Diamondbacks' fate entangled with Webb originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 21:27:24.

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On the positive side, that's a talented core. On the negative, all but two of them played a full season for a team that finished 14 games under .500 in 2009.

That makes this an interesting transition year for the Houston Astros under first-year manager Brad Mills. Get better, or get younger. Because you can explain away "bad" with "young," but "bad" and "old" is a combination that will take years to recover from. Enter Mills, who was manager Terry Francona's right-hand man in Boston.

"He's a take-charge kind of guy,'' McLane said of his new manager, to the AP. "He really said that he's going to provide the leadership that's necessary.''

Better years from Berkman, Lee and Oswalt would help. All are creaking into their mid-30s, and bounce-back years would help the Astros be contenders again. After all, old teams don't finish in fifth place three years in a row.

Other storylines in Astros camp:

• Brett Myers is out of a Phillies uniform for the first time in his career. He's an interesting bargain pickup (only $3 million guaranteed) as a No. 3 starter. And he's riling up his former Philly followers a bit, too.
• Age seems to be catching up to Lance Berkman quickly. But he lost some weight in the offseason and, at 34, looks to get his stats back where they were a few years ago.
• Hunter Pence might be the Astros' best player now, entering his fourth season. If Houston must rebuild, they'll do it around him.
• Wandy Rodriguez is eager to show that his statistically stellar 2009 was no fluke.
• Brandon Lyon, fighting for the closer's role with fellow newcomer Matt Lindstrom, is off to a slow start because he had to have a cyst drained from his pitching shoulder in January.

2010 Houston Astros preview.

Coming Tuesday: No. 22 Arizona Diamondbacks.

Astros will count on veterans more than most sub-.500 teams originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 13:20:02.

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After seven innings of futility at the plate, the Mets finally tagged a Boston pitcher for some runs in the eighth as they held on for a 4-2 victory.

New York had been held very quiet until they exploded for a four-run eighth inning, punctuated by center fielder Fernando Martinez’s three-run home run.

Heading into the top of the eighth, the Mets had only mustered three hits against John Lackey, Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima, and Daniel Bard combined. Of their three baserunners, only Gary Matthews had been as far as second base, and that came from a steal on Lackey.

But the Mets finally got to the Red Sox, by the way of Ramon Ramirez, who walked three and gave up two hits, including the blast from Martinez, who now has three dingers and 10 RBI this spring.

He's not going to win a starting job in the next few weeks, but he's making a serious case as to why he deserves to be on the club's 25-man roster. Right now, he's the only one swinging the bat, but he is certainly behind Angel Pagan and possibly behind Matthews on the outfield depth chart. With Beltran out until May or June, Martinez's best chance appears to be as a backup in centerfield.

Pitching

New York actually pitched pretty well, but they looked anaemic at the plate without regulars David Wright, Jason Bay, and Jeff Francoeur. I actually missed not even having a guy like Luis Castillo in the lineup. It was difficult trying to figure out where the offense was going to come from.

Mike Pelfrey, who picked up the loss against Boston six days ago, looked sharp for the second time this spring, allowing one run on four hits in four innings of work.

He gave up three runs on four hits last Thursday—even though he struck out four—and he got tagged for three runs on seven hits in a no-decision to the Nationals in his first start on March 6.

Pelfrey struck out Marco Scutaro and Kevin Youkilis utilizing his slider and off-speed pitches today, but he gave up a two-out RBI single to Dustin Pedroia. There was a very brief moment of worry when Jerry Manuel, pitching coach Dan Warthen, and the training staff rushed out to the mound to check on Pelfrey in the fourth inning, but it only appeared to be a blister.

Defense

While Pelfrey looks set to capture either the second or third spot in the New York rotation, the Mets defense still has work to do. On Pedroia’s base knock to left field, the Mets caught Josh Reddick in a run down but failed to record the out.

Angel Pagan threw the ball home to try and get Jeremy Hermida, but Alex Cora cut the ball off in the infield and had Reddick trapped between second and third. The run came home but the Mets were unable to tag Reddick out as he scampered back to second, despite Daniel Murphy covering from first.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Mets defense was almost caught cold again. With two outs and Hermida in a 1-2 hole, David Ortiz took off from first. Cora wasn’t paying any kind of attention, and Big Papi got such a big jump that even he would have stole the base standing up.

Fortunately for Cora, Pelfrey, and Santos, Hermida fouled the pitch off and Ortiz had to jog back to first, to the cheers of Red Sox Nation.

Ruben Tejada also booted a ground ball at second base, the Mets’ 19th error this spring. He will have to improve his defense if he's going to provide any value at shortstop until Jose Reyes returns.

Up Next

The Mets have spring training games scheduled now for the next 17 days, including a pair of split squad games later this month. They will face the Marlins tomorrow before hosting the Twins at Tradition Field on Friday.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

After missing most of the 2008 season to injury, Gallardo was faced with the task of not only replacing two great pitchers, but trying to be the leader of the staff despite only making 21 career starts.

One year later, all doubts about Gallardo are gone. He has proven that he can lead a rotation through a season, and 2010 could see him step into the elite-level of young pitchers in the game.

Gallardo went 13-12, with a 3.73 ERA in 30 starts for the Brewers in 2010. In only 185 2/3 innings, he struck out 204 batters while walking only 94.

At first glance, Gallardo's win-loss record doesn't appear to be anything special until you realize the lack of run support he received. In 10 of his 30 starts, the Brewers offense scored less than four runs for the staff ace. It's easy to imagine that Gallardo very easily could have made a push for 20 wins had the Brewers' bats done more for him.

Gallardo's bat also gives him an advantage over just about any other pitcher he'll face during the year. His .172 average isn't overly impressive, but he does have pop in his bat. He hit two home runs last year, including one off of future Hall of Famer, Randy Johnson. He can work the count and is never an easy out for his opponent on the mound.

While Gallardo enters the season as the clear "ace" of the staff, he won't face as much pressure as he did in 2009. Veterans Randy Wolf and Doug Davis were signed in the offseason and will give the Brewers a more complete staff that should compliment the 24-year-old much better than the likes of Braden Looper, Mike Burns, and Seth McClung.

An improved bullpen will also help the young righty in his quest for more victories this year. Gallardo should no longer feel the pressure to pitch a complete game. Trevor Hoffman, LaTroy Hawkins, Todd Coffey, and Mitch Stetter lead a bullpen that should secure most victories for any lead they are given late in games.

The Brewers' offense will be the most important factor in Gallardo's success in 2010. It is imperative for the team to produce more when he's on the mound. The team will take the field every time he pitches knowing they have a great chance to win the game.

Other than Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, no player is as important to the Brewers this year than Gallardo. The talent is there to be great, but it's now time for the talent to translate to on-the-field success.

Gallardo has been compared to for Brewers' pitcher and fellow Mexican, Teddy Higuera. While Gallardo broke into the majors at a much younger age, he still hasn't had the dominant, breakout season like Higuera.

From 1985 to 1988, Higuera won 69 games with an ERA never getting above 3.90 and pitching in at least 212 innings every year. He finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting in 1985, and the top six in the AL Cy Young voting twice.

To follow in his countryman's footsteps, Gallardo's health will be paramount. The Brewers held him back toward the end of the season, not wanting to over-pitch him with the team out of playoff contention.

There should be no such limitations in 2010, and the sky really is the limit. Yovani Gallardo has shown he can put his pitching talents up against anyone in the league and more than hold his own. It's now time for all his numbers to show his true talent.

Gallardo won't surprise any of his opponents this year, but he should become more well-known among all baseball fans.

Expect the young hurler to keep his ERA under four, win 17-plus games, and strike out at least another 200 hitters. By season's end, his name will be mentioned with Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, and others as a possible Cy Young winner.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here .

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Projected as the starting right fielder this season for the Washington Nationals, after a poor season last year and poorer spring, Dukes was released.

Because he's been known as a "troubled" player throughout his career, it's hard not to believe this is a personal problem. A reporter on Twitter says that's not the case (for what that's worth).

I, however, tend to agree with this tweet—there is something we on the outside are missing.

For the Nationals, there must be disappointment that Dukes never put it together. In 2008, in 334 plate appearances, he hit .264/.386/.478 for an OPS+ of 127. After putting up 13 HR and 13 SB, a lot of fantasy players picked him for a breakout in 2009.

But it was not to be. In 416 PA in 2009, Dukes hit only .250/.337/.393, “good” for a 93 OPS+. He started strong (.279/.355/.500 in April), but by June was really shuffling (.198/.253/.333).

Although he rebounded from his June nadir, even in his best month after September, his OPS+ was just 99. That’s below-average, and at an outfield corner, you need more offense.

Dukes will be 26 in 2010, so he still has the potential to succeed—but he’s not a good clubhouse presence, he’s never been good for a full season, and he’s was having a bad spring. So he also might not. Sometimes you just have to cut bait.

The more interesting question is, in an organization as thin on talent as the Nationals, who will step in to the starting role he vacates?

Among outfielders, Justin Maxwell will be most discussed. He’s got 129 PA in the majors with a career OPS of 108, and he’s fast enough to play center field.

The problem with Maxwell is his batting average. While his on-base and slugging are both decent, his career average in the minors is .257—including .242 last season at Triple-A.

The problem is he can’t hit line drives. Line drives are one of the best predictors of a sustainably high batting average, and his career rate of 12.9 percent is well below what you want from a major leaguer (18-20 percent).

There are a couple other players who could get looks, including Rogearvin Bernadina, another speedy outfielder with underwhelming minor league numbers, and mediocre veterans Kevin Mench, Willy Taveras, and Chris Duncan. Mench and Taveras have each had solid seasons in the past, but neither is worth starting every day at this stage in their careers.

More at-bats will certainly go to Willie Harris, Washington’s super-sub defensive replacement, and that isn’t a terrible thing. But in a team looking to rebuilding, giving a lot of at-bats to a short-term solution wouldn’t be prudent.

Another option is to move Adam Dunn back to the outfield, where he played for eight seasons with the Cincinnati Reds—and where he played in Washington before Nick Johnson was traded. That would free up first base—but for who?

Mike Morse has been OK this spring, and used to be a prospect with the Mariners. He’ll be 28 this season with a career 106 OPS+. Neither of those numbers bode well for him succeeding in winning the first base job.

The player most deserving of at-bats is probably shortstop prospect Ian Desmond. He’s been taking some practice in the outfield this spring, and while his bat would play best in the middle infield, he has more potential than any of the other players discussed.

It might be best to rotate him, Cristian Guzman, and Adam Kennedy between RF, SS, and 2B—so that Desmond could get some reps at the position he will (hopefully) one day inherit. It’s an imperfect solution, but it may work best for the Nationals.

(Unless they want to sign Jermaine Dye. But, given his defense and age, there are probably places he could be put to better use.)

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In the New York Yankees pinstripe uniform, there are from the mound well-known Javier Vazquez and Mariano Rivera.

On the other side of the Big Apple, Johan Santana and Francisco Rodriguez are nowadays the big names from the mound of the blue and orange Mets shirt.

All of the above mentioned are among the best Latinos ever to have played or still be active in Major League Baseball.

Once it was said that records and numbers are to be broken.

What will happen in the future remains to be seen. At the end of 2009, these are the All-Time Top 10 Latino Pitching Leaders in the Majors.

WINS

Dennis Martínez, Nicaragua: 245

Juan Marichal, Dominican Republic: 243

Luis Tiant, Cuba: 229

Pedro Martínez, Dominican Republic: 219

Adolfo Luque, Cuba: 194

Mike Cuellar, Cuba: 185

John Candelaria, Puerto Rico: 177

Camilo Pascual, Cuba: 174

Fernando Valenzuela, Mexico: 173

Livan Hernandez, Cuba: 156

LOSSES

Dennis Martínez, Nicaragua: 193

Adolfo Luque, Cuba: 179

Luis Tiant, Cuba: 172

Camilo Pascual, Cuba: 170

Pedro Ramos, Cuba: 160

Fernando Valenzuela, Mexico: 153

Livan Hernandez, Cuba: 151

Juan Marichal, Dominican Republic: 142

Javier Vazquez, Puerto Rico: 139

Mike Cuellar, Cuba: 130

GAMES

Jose Mesa, Dominican Republic: 1,022

Roberto Hernandez, Puerto Rico: 1,010

Mariano Rivera, Panama: 917

Julian Tavarez, Dominican Republic: 828

Armando Benítez, Dominican Republic: 762

Guillermo Hernandez, Puerto Rico: 744

Dennis Martínez, Nicaragua: 692

Hector Carrasco, Dominican Republic: 647

Diego Segui, Cuba: 639

Francisco Cordero, Dominican Republic: 610

Dennys Reyes, Mexico: 610

GAMES STARTED

Dennis Martínez, Nicaragua: 562

Luis Tiant, Cuba: 484

Juan Marichal, Dominican Republic: 457

Fernando Valenzuela, Mexico: 424

Livan Hernandez, Cuba: 412

Pedro Martínez, Dominican Republic: 409

Camilo Pascual, Cuba: 404

Javier Vazquez, Puerto Rico: 385

Mike Cuellar, Cuba: 379

Adolfo Luque, Cuba: 367

COMPLETE GAMES

Juan Marichal, Dominican Republic: 244

Adolfo Luque, Cuba: 206

Luis Tiant, Cuba: 187

Mike Cuellar, Cuba: 172

Camilo Pascual, Cuba: 132

Dennis Martínez, Nicaragua: 122

Fernando Valenzuela, Mexico: 113

Juan Pizarro, Puerto Rico: 79

Pedro Ramos, Cuba: 73

Mario Soto, Dominican Republic: 72

SHUTOUTS

Juan Marichal, Dominican Republic: 52

Luis Tiant, Cuba: 49

Mike Cuellar, Cuba: 36

Camilo Pascual, Cuba: 36

Fernando Valenzuela, Mexico: 31

Dennis Martínez, Nicaragua: 30

Adolfo Luque, Cuba: 26

Ramón Martínez, Dominican Republic: 20

Joaquín Andújar, Dominican Republic: 19

Pedro Martínez, Dominican Republic: 17

Juan Pizarro, Puerto Rico: 17

SAVES

Mariano Rivera, Panama: 526

Roberto Hernandez, Puerto Rico: 326

Jose Mesa, Dominican Republic: 321

Armando Benitez, Dominican Republic: 289

Francisco Cordero, Dominican Republic: 250

Francisco Rodriguez, Venezuela: 243

Ugueth Urbina, Venezuela: 237

Jose Valverde, Dominican Republic: 167

Guillermo Hernandez. Puerto Rico: 147

Antonio Alfonseca, Dominican Republic: 129

INNINGS PITCHED

Dennis Martínez, Nicaragua: 3999.2

Juan Marichal, Dominican Republic: 3,507

Luis Tiant, Cuba: 3486.1

Adolfo Luque, Cuba: 3220.1

Camilo Pascual, Cuba: 2930.2

Fernando Valenzuela, Mexico: 2,930

Pedro Martínez, Dominican Republic: 2827.1

Mike Cuellar, Cuba: 2,808

Livan Hernandez, Cuba: 2734.2

John Candelaria, Puerto Rico: 2525.2

STRIKEOUTS

Pedro Martínez, Dominican Republic: 3,154

Luis Tiant, Cuba: 2,416

Juan Marichal, Dominican Republic: 2,303

Javier Vazquez, Puerto Rico: 2,253

Camilo Pascual, Cuba: 2,167

Dennis Martínez, Nicaragua: 2,149

Fernando Valenzuela, Mexico: 2,074

Johan Santana, Venezuela: 1,733

Livan Hernandez, Cuba: 1,715

John Candelaria, Puerto Rico: 1,673

BASES ON BALLS ALLOWED

Dennis Martínez, Nicaragua: 1,165

Fernando Valenzuela, Mexico: 1,151

Luis Tiant, Cuba: 1,104

Camilo Pascual, Cuba: 1,069

Livan Hernandez, Cuba: 940

Adolfo Luque, Cuba: 918

Juan Pizarro, Puerto Rico: 888

Jose de Leon, Dominican Republic: 841

Mike Cuellar, Cuba: 822

Wilson Alvarez, Venezuela: 805

ERA

Mariano Rivera, Panama: 2.25

Juan Marichal, Dominican Republic: 2.89

Pedro Martínez, Dominican Republic: 2.93

Alejandro Peña, Dominican Republic: 3.11

Johan Santana, Venezuela: 3.12

Mike Cuellar, Cuba: 3.14

Jose Rijo, Dominican Republic: 3.24

Adolfo Luque, Cuba: 3.24

Luis Tiant, Cuba: 3.30

John Candelaria, Puerto Rico: 3.33

WINNING PERCENTAGE

Pedro Martínez, Dominican Republic: .687

Johan Santana, Venezuela: .670

Pedro Borbon, Dominican Republic: .639

Juan Marichal, Dominican Republic: .631

Carlos Zambrano, Venezuela: .607

Ramon Martínez, Dominican Republic: .605

Freddy García, Venezuela: .599

Bartolo Colon, Dominican Republic: .598

Teddy Higuera, Mexico: .595

John Candelaria, Puerto Rico: .592

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Players such as Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Miguel Cabrera, Omar Vizquel and Ivan Rodriguez have become household names in the baseball world.

The players mentioned above are among the best Latinos ever to have played in Major League Baseball.

It is often said that records are made to be broken, and before it is all said and done many of the aforementioned players will have their names listed in the record books as all-time leaders in several statistical categories for Latino players.

As of the end of the 2009 season, these are the All-Time Top-10 Latino Batting Leaders in the Majors.

GAMES

Rafael Palmeiro, Cuba: 2,831

Tany Perez, Cuba: 2,777

Omar Vizquel, Venezuela: 2,742

Luis Aparicio, Venezuela: 2,599

Julio Franco, Dominican Republic: 2,527

David Concepcion, Venezuela: 2,488

Rod Carew, Panama: 2,469

Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rico: 2,433

Ivan Rodríguez, Puerto Rico: 2,388

Roberto Alomar, Puerto Rico: 2,379

BATTING AVERAGE

Albert Pujols, Dominican Republic: .334

Rod Carew, Panama: .328

Vladimir Guerrero, Dominican Republic: .321

Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rico: .317

Manny Ramírez, Dominican Republic: .313

Magglio Ordoñez, Venezuela: .312

Edgar Martínez, Puerto Rico: .312

Miguel Cabrera, Venezuela: .311

Mateo Alou, Dominican Republic: .307

Robinson Cano, Dominican Republic: .306

RUNS

Alex Rodríguez, Dominican Republic: 1,683

Rafael Palmeiro, Cuba: 1,663

Roberto Alomar, Puerto Rico: 1,508

Manny Ramírez, Dominican Republic: 1,506

Sammy Sosa, Dominican Republic: 1,475

Rod Carew, Panama: 1,424

Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rico: 1,416

Omar Vizquel, Venezuela: 1,378

Bernie Williams, Puerto Rico: 1,366

Luis Aparicio, Venezuela: 1,335

HITS

Rod Carew, Panama: 3,053

Rafael Palmeiro, Cuba: 3,020

Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rico: 3,000

Tany Perez, Cuba: 2,732

Roberto Alomar, Puerto Rico: 2,724

Iván Rodríguez, Puerto Rico: 2,711

Omar Vizquel, Venezuela: 2,704

Luis Aparicio, Venezuela: 2,677

Julio Franco, Dominican Republic: 2,586

Alex Rodríguez, Dominican Republic: 2,531

DOUBLES

Rafael Palmeiro, Cuba: 585

Iván Rodríguez, Puerto Rico: 547

Manny Ramírez, Dominican Republic: 531

Edgar Martínez, Puerto Rico: 514

Tany Perez, Cuba: 505

Roberto Alomar, Puerto Rico: 504

Bobby Abreu, Venezuela: 483

Carlos Delgado, Puerto Rico: 483

Bernie Williams, Puerto Rico: 449

Rod Carew, Panama: 445

Alex Rodríguez, Dominican Republic: 445

TRIPLES

Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rico: 166

Rod Carew, Panama: 112

Juan Samuel, Dominican Republic: 102

Jose Cruz, Puerto Rico: 94

Luis Aparicio, Venezuela: 92

Tony Fernandez, Dominican Republic: 92

Omar Moreno, Panama: 87

Bert Campaneris, Cuba: 86

Tony Taylor, Cuba: 86

Cristian Guzman, Dominican Republic: 85

HOME RUNS

Sammy Sosa, Dominican Republic: 609

Alex Rodríguez, Dominican Republic: 583

Rafael Palmeiro, Cuba: 569

Manny Ramírez, Dominican Republic: 546

Carlos Delgado, Puerto Rico: 473

Jose Canseco, Cuba: 462

Juan Gonzalez, Puerto Rico: 434

Vladimir Guerrero, Dominican Republic: 407

Andres Galarraga, Venezuela: 399

Orlando Cepeda, Puerto Rico: 379
Tany Perez, Cuba: 379

RUNS BATTED IN

Rafael Palmeiro, Cuba: 1,835

Manny Ramírez, Dominican Republic: 1,788

Alex Rodríguez, Dominican Republic: 1,706

Sammy Sosa, Dominican Republic: 1,667

Tany Perez, Cuba: 1,652

Carlos Delgado, Puerto Rico: 1,512

Andres Galarraga, Venezuela: 1,425

Jose Canseco, Cuba: 1,407

Juan Gonzalez, Puerto Rico: 1,404
Orlando Cepeda, Puerto Rico: 1,365

STOLEN BASES

Bert Campaneris, Cuba: 649

Cesar Cedeño, Dominican Republic: 550

Luis Aparicio, Venezuela: 506

Omar Moreno, Panama: 487

Roberto Alomar, Puerto Rico: 474

Juan Samuel, Dominican Republic: 396

Omar Vizquel, Venezuela: 389

Luis Castillo, Dominican Republic: 362

Rod Carew, Panama: 353

Bobby Abreu, Venezuela: 348

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The first is Jake Peavy. Now I understand that their rotation was fine last year and Jake Peavy wasn't a part of it. However he's more than just a top of the rotation guy. From the things Mark Buehrle has said during the offseason as well as spring training, having Peavy in the rotation is giving the other members of the rotation the reassurance that even if they're not perfect, theres a bonafide "stopper" every five days.

Having Peavy healthy and in the roation also keeps the Sox from having to really rely heavily on a guy like Freddy Garcia. Sure, Sweaty Freddy still has something in the tank. However there's a huge difference between having him as a No. 5 starter who can be skipped over during important series, and a No. 4 starter who is an important cog in the rotation.

If Peavy were to go down, the resulting pressure on the other starters as well as the let-down of having an ace get injured might be too much for a White Sox rotation that already is under the pressure of having to possibly make up for a possible decline in production from the offense.

The second guy that must stay healthy for the Sox is Carlos Quentin. So far in Quentin's White Sox career he's had his fair share of injury problems. In the past the Sox were more prepared to withstand those injuries because they had other sluggers in the lineup. That's not the case anymore.

Quentin is now being depended on as, at worst, the No. 2 power guy in the lineup. If he were to have his injury from last year flare up again the Sox lineup would go from "abover average" to "Worse than the Royals" in a hurry.

Quentin's health is one of the reasons Ozzie Guillen is so eager to have a rotating DH spot, so that a guy like Carlos won't have to open himself up to too much wear and tear by playing the field everyday (I know that thought pains fans of NL teams.)

Last but certainly not least, two guys that the Sox can't afford to have get hurt are Bobby Jenks and Matt Thornton. The major concern here is that if either of these two were to get hurt, the other could become much less effective. If Thornton goes down, the bridge to Jenks becomes very unstable. Now a lead that Thornton would normally protect in the 8th gets blown by a guy like Scott Linebrink, and Jenks never even gets to pick the sunflower seeds out of his goatee and come in.

The same goes the other way if Jenks gets down. Thornton has been much more effective as a set-up guy than a closer. And if he's thrust into that role because of an injury to Jenks, then not only is his effectiveness diminished, but that set-up role becomes a problem as well.

The health of Peavy, Quentin, Jenks and Thornton is imperative to the White Sox season. As the Twins struggle with a solution to the loss of one of their best players, as a Sox fan all I can do is hope that one of our big four doesn't suffer the same fate.

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The Washington Nationals had released Elijah Dukes, their presumptive starting right fielder for 2010.

Team general manager Mike Rizzo has told the various media outlets that the decision was strictly a baseball one and had nothing to do with any off-field problems.

Washington Post beat writer Adam Kilgore reported this morning that the Nationals will replace Dukes from a group that includes Mike Morse, Justin Maxwell, Roger Bernadina, and Willie Harris, saying, “The Nationals believe they will get better production by platooning a combination of these players than by playing Dukes alone.”

Though this move has come as a shock, it makes perfect sense. His career numbers have been substandard, though they ooze potential. But the team has decided that all that talent and potential are not enough to offset his meandering, underperforming ways.

As Rizzo also said, the clubhouse makeup has now improved.

It was a good try. Dukes could have become a .300-35-120 star for the cost of a 19-year-old pitcher, Glen Gibson.

Now, Dukes is gone, and Gibson has returned to the organization.

It’s almost as thought it never happened—a mulligan, if you will.

So what becomes of right field?

There is only one player among the group Rizzo mentioned who hits well enough against both right-handers and left-handers to play every day: Mike Morse.

Here are the splits for Morse, Maxwell, Harris, and Bernadina based on a 550 at-bat season against both righties and southpaws (it’s easier to get a feel as to their potential that way):

Mike Morse

Vs. Right-handers: .273-13-82, .335 OBP, .384 SLG Pct.

Vs. Left-handers: .324-4-69, .376 OBP, .449 SLG Pct.

Justin Maxwell

Vs. Right-handers: .227-8-34, .320 OBP, .465 SLG Pct.

Vs. Left-handers: .286-24-72, .352 OBP, .429 SLG Pct.

Willie Harris

Vs. Right-handers: .256-6-32 (22 SB), .335 OBP, .387 SLG Pct.

Vs. Left-handers: .201-4-33 (25 SB), .288 OBP, .303 SLG Pct.

Roger Bernadina

Vs. Right-handers: .200-0-16 (24 SB), .291 OBP, .257 SLG Pct.

Vs. Left-handers: .300-0-0, (32 SB), .364 OBP, .301 SLG Pct.

Note: Roger Bernadina’s major league splits are based on just 80 at-bats. For a better comparison, I have included his minor league splits below, which total more than 1,600 at-bats.

Vs. Right-handers: .281-6-41 (22 SB), .370 OBP, .420 SLG Pct.

Vs. Left-handers: .264-3-34 (24 SB), .370 OBP, .335 SLG Pct.

If Rizzo wanted one man to become an everyday right fielder, Morse seems capable of handling that job, at least offensively. Here is his 162-game career average as a major leaguer:

.293-7-55, .355 on-base percentage, .409 slugging percent.

Defensively, he’s adequate at best, though Mariners blog Detect-O-Vision described his outfield defense as “a disaster” when Morse played in Seattle.

Maxwell’s defense is far better—some consider him to be the best defensive outfielder the Nationals have—and he can hit righties enough to play every day at some point. Here is his 162-game average:

.252-18-41, .333 on-base percentage, .409 slugging percent.

Neither Harris nor Bernadina could be expected to play every day.

The problem the Nationals face from a platoon perspective is that their two best hitters—Morse and Maxwell—are right-handers. Lefty Bernadina actually hits left-handers better, and Harris’ career .256 average against righties just isn’t enough.

Chris Duncan would be a possibility as a platoon partner if healthy. His 162-game career average against righties is very good: .270-29-86, .366 on-base percentage, .486 slugging percent.

But Duncan is not producing this spring, and the back problems that have sidelined him the past couple of years may still be a problem.

Duncan is not a right fielder either. The only reason he played left with the Cardinals is that he would never supplant Albert Pujols at first.

So Duncan is not an answer either.

The best hitting platoon would probably be Willie Harris and Justin Maxwell. This is what their production might look like based on career averages and the proper ratio of platoon at-bats:

Willie Harris: .256—2B: 15—3B: 8—HR: 4—RBI: 33—SB: 18—OBP: .340—SLG: 361

Justin Maxwell: .286—2B: 9—3B: 1—HR: 8—RBI: 25 –SB: 6—OBP: .352—SLG: .429

Again, based on past performance and career splits, the two would combine for the following:

AVE: .263—2B: 24—3B: 9—HR: 12—RBI: 60—SB: 24—OBP: .346—SLG: .387

Teams stocked with talent could afford this type of production from their right fielders, but the Nationals aren’t that type of team. They need a stronger bat from the left side.

If the Nationals really want to platoon right field in 2010, they will need to find another left-handed bat, but there are no remaining free agents who can provide some power from the left side. Geoff Jenkins could be that player, but he didn’t play in 2009.

My guess is that the Nationals will go with either Mike Morse or Justin Maxwell as their semi-regular right fielder, using Willie Harris against particularly difficult righties and in a super-utility role.

But there just aren’t the personnel available to give the Nationals a traditional lefty-righty platoon in right, at least for the moment.

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For every Tim Lincecum, there are many more Mark Priors. 

This situation is about more than just Strasburg's talent. This is about the Washington Nationals as a franchise. 

They made the move to D.C. in hopes of moving into a bigger market and increasing their fanbase. However, the baseball success has not followed. Lets be honest: it isn't hard to predict where the Nationals are going to finish in the standings. 

Then last offseason I saw a little sign of hope. They made an offer to Mark Teixeira. Teixeria clearly was the big prize of the free agent class and even though the Red Sox and Yankees were in pursuit as well, the Nats still took a shot. 

That shows me something.

That shows at least some signs of dedication to win and get better. From a business perspective it shows they are trying to put a better product on the field for their fans.

Well, we all know what happened with Teixeira and his impact on the Yankees. The Nationals still impressed me by picking up Adam Dunn as a consolation prize. Dunn is an elite power option that can drive in runs and all-in-all a positive move for the team. 

Another glimmer of hope for the Nationals was having the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft. Obviously the MLB draft isn't known for having the same immediate impact on a team as the NFL Draft would or even the NBA Draft. This year, however, was different.

The top prospect was Stephen Strasburg.

Almost every sports fan has seen his highlights on ESPN. We've seen Strasburg baffling hitters with a fireball fastball and a devastating breaking ball. He has an intimidating 6'4'' 220 pound frame and ESPN had already elevated him above all other prospects.

The Nationals drafted and signed Strasburg, and then the questions began. When will we see him in the Majors?

Strasburg has been putting on a show in spring training. Granted, Spring training success hasn't always equaled regular season success, but it is showing that the talent is for real.

And yet most reports are suggesting that Strasburg will start the season in the minors. Some have gone as far to suggest this situation is about the money that would have to be paid to Strasburg if he started the season in the MLB.

If this is the case, then the Nationals need to decide what direction they are going. They are willing to shell out the money for Teixeira, and rightfully so, yet they aren't willing to put a kid with all the talent in the world out on the field?  

Thanks to ESPN, Strasburg already has the ability to fill seats in Nationals Stadium. He has the potential to be the face of your franchise.

Yes, I know all the rules about young arms and how you have to "protect" them. Yes, I know all about how you don't want to impact him mentally by putting him in a situation he isn't ready for. However, I think Strasburg isn't just another young arm.

This kid has been in the spotlight. He has been on ESPN already. He has had the microphones in his face.

Lets be honest, I don't think the D.C. media is going to be all over this kid like the Boston, New York, or Philadelphia media would if he struggled early. They would be happy just to see someone that can do something special. 

Strasburg isn't going to win the Cy Young this year. He isn't going to lead Washington to the World Series. He probably isn't going to even get them out of last place in the NL East.

He is going to fill seats. He is going to sell jerseys. He is going to get the Washington Nationals some exposure. 

Let Stephen Strasburg do what you drafted him to do, Washington. Give him the ball on your home opener and let the kid do what he does best. 

Most importantly, show your fans that you are dedicated to them and turning the Washington Nationals franchise around.

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Sources tell the Tribune that the Cubs have asked for permission to build a 360 square foot sign that would rest 72 feet off the ground, likely blocking what has historically been the "Budweiser" roof across the street from the stadium.

In the last couple years, however, that red roof has been leased to other businesses, including the Horseshoe Casino. The Ricketts Family, now owners of the Cubs, have been clear since taking over the organization they want to expand the potential revenue sources for the team.

One major hurdle for this proposition is that, according to the reports, the new signage would change the "look" of Wrigley Field. Wrigley has historic landmark status with the City of Chicago, which handcuffs any significant changes that could/would be made to the structure of the stadium.

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Yesterday, he underwent brain surgery to remove the cavernous malformation in his brain.

Here is the statement that was released by the Boston Red Sox following his surgery:

“According to the Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Red Sox minor league outfielder Ryan Westmoreland today underwent successful surgery to remove a cavernous malformation in his brain.   Dr. Robert Spetzler performed the surgery.  Following the five-hour procedure, Westmoreland remains in the intensive care unit but has come through the surgery well.  Due to the complexity of this surgery, Ryan will face a difficult period initially before beginning his recovery.”

The announcement was made by general manager Theo Epstein.

Image courtesy lowellspinners.com.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @theghostofmlg.

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For those who were impressive but not quite there, we can expect them to be playing near Austin at Triple-A Round Rock. Others will find themselves at Double-A Corpus Christi (a very beautiful town, by the way).

As I read the list, I wasn't surprised. Chia-Jen Lo and catcher Lou Santangelo have been sent to minor league camp. So have the following: left-handed pitchers Fernando Abad and Polin Trinidad, righty pitchers Even Englebrook, Matt Nevarez, Jose Valdez, Henry Villar, outfielders Brian Bogusevic, Yordany Ramirez, and infielder Wladimir Sutil.

Considering Houston's saturation at catcher with Humberto Quintero, J.R. Towles and Astros catcher-in-waiting Jason Castro, Santangelo's demotion wasn't surprising. As for the pitchers, I know Houston has liked what it's seen from Lo (despite his name that conjures up thoughts of Jennifer "J-Lo" Lopez) and Nevarez.

Astros fans, are you surprised by the release of Alex Romero? He was hitting .364 (compared to Bogusevic's .071), but all four of his hits were singles. Two strikeouts and no walks in nine at bats. Coming into this season, Romero was a career .239 hitter with only two home runs in 280 career at-bats at the MLB level.

Be that as it may, I wouldn't make much of it. It's one of those situations where a player just didn't warrant keeping. Now we have to hope the Luck O' the Irish won't kick in for Romero and turn him into the 2010 World Series MVP on another club.

As for Bogusevic, he was drafted 24th overall by the Astros in the 2005 MLB draft, so the club obviously isn't ready to cut bait on their investment.

Richard Zowie is a Houston Astros blogger for Bleacher Report. Post comments here or e-mail Richard at richardzowie@gmail.com .

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Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Kevin Millwood, John Burkett, Steve Avery, and Denny Neagle are some of the top pitchers to toe slab for the Braves since 1991. 

The new rotation is highlighted by veterans Tim Hudson and Derrek Lowe, followed by youngsters Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson, with import Kenshin Kawakami rounding out the starting five.

The Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, Giants, Angels, and Rays all possess deep staffs with quality talent all the way through. 

With that said, it is hard not to include the Braves' starting five in the talk for the top rotation in the league.

Let's start with a run down of last year's numbers followed by projections for this year's staff.

2009 Season

MLB Ranks:

First in starter's ERA

Third in total ERA 

Third in WHIP

Sixth in strikeouts

First in quality starts

Ninth in walks allowed

As you can see, pitching was a strong point in Atlanta last year.  They lost one of their most productive pitcher's from last season in Javier Vazquez, but he will be replaced in the rotation by staff ace Tim Hudson.

Here is what to expect out of the Braves rotation in 2010, with Bill James' projections placed below each starter. 

Tim Hudson

Hudson is not quite the injury risk as some are making him out to be.  Outside of last season, which was lost due to Tommy John surgery, Hudson has pitched at least 29 starts in all but one of his full major league seasons.

He has had no lingering affects or setbacks since returning from the injury, which happened over a year and a half ago. 

Hudson was a top of the line starter before the injury, posting a 3.27 ERA over his last 56 starts prior to the surgery.

Hudson will return to form this year.  He may not post such a low ERA, but he will be a consistent pitcher who will land in the top-10 in ground ball percentage. 

James has Hudson starting just 24 games, but I do not agree with that.  I think he will stay healthy and start between 28-32 games this season, no injuries coming Hudson's way.

Bill James' Projection: 24 starts, 146 innings, 3.64 ERA, 89 strikeouts, 41 walks, 10-6 record, 3.82 FIP. 

Derek Lowe

Lowe is coming off of his worst season as a starter, but a revamped throwing motion should lead to better results in 2009.  Lowe was not injured at all last season and his poor performance was said to be a mechanics issue more than anything.

Lowe stated that he was holding his hands too low and not taking advantage of his big 6'6" frame on the mound.  He started off hot last season but was not able to make the changes to finish the year off as strong as he started.

Lowe's ERA of 4.67 was significantly higher than his FIP of 4.06.  This shows that Lowe was a bit unlucky in that he actually pitched better than his ERA portrays. 

Despite Lowe's poor season, he still came away with 21 quality starts out of 34 opportunities, which is a pretty solid number.  He was keeping the team in games for the most part throughout the season. 

Lowe should improve this season and be a solid middle of the rotation starter, here is what I project Lowe will do in 2010.

Bill James' Projection: 34 starts, 193 innings, 4.06 ERA, 110 strikeouts, 55 walks, 12-9 record, 3.95 FIP. 

Jair Jurrjens

Jurrjens had a breakout 2009 which saw him have the NL's third lowest ERA at 2.60. Even though Jurrjens is coming off of such a great season at just 23-years old, it will be hard for him to put together a comparable season in 2010.

Jurrjens was a bit lucky as his FIP was over a run higher at 3.68.  What this means is that Jurrjens was giving up too many batted balls that were fortunately hit to the right place, it also means that he was walking a bit too many batters for such a low ERA.

Jurrjens will regress this year, but not to a detrimental extent.  Jair will need to up his strikeout numbers, lower his walks, and get his ground ball rate back down in order to have an equally impressive season.

Bill James' Projection: 34 starts, 210 innings, 3.69 ERA, 153 strikeouts, 75 walks, 14-9 record, 3.76 FIP.

Tommy Hanson

If Hanson had started the year in the majors, he would have likely won the rookie of the year award.  The Braves may also have made the playoffs with a month more of Tommy Hanson rather than JoJo Reyes, one of the reasons I expect new prospect Jason Heyward to start with the big club.

Hanson's tremendous rookie season was no fluke.  In his 21 starts the only flaw in Hanson's game was that he walked a few too many batters, 46 in 127.2 innings. 

With Jair Jurrjens last season, Braves fans saw last year that a year's worth of experience at this level can help a player to drastically improve.  Hanson may not improve on his ERA, but lowering the walk totals should be a major focus for Hanson this season. 

He has the size, makeup, and talent to be an annual Cy Young candidate.  2010 may be the season he contends for his first award.

Bill James' Projection: 32 stars, 191 innings, 3.30 ERA, 206 strikeouts, 71 walks, 14-7 record, 3.63 FIP. 

Kenshin Kawakami

Kawakami was more successful than many give him credit for in 2009.  Kawakami started 25 games in 2009, moving to the bullpen after Hudson's return.  He pitched seven games in relief, and ended the season with 32 total appearances with a 3.86 ERA. 

Kawakami struck out 105 batters and walked 57 in his 156.1 innings his rookie season. Kenshin will also need to limit the walks, just like Hanson and Jurrjens, to sustain his success in 2010. 

Kenshin's numbers last season would have him as a number three on most starting staffs, but the Braves are fortunate to have the Japanese veteran in their five spot in the rotation. 

Kawakmi now has a major league season under his belt and will be accustomed to pitching on regular major league rest.  This should transition into better numbers in 2010 and more innings pitched as well.

James did his Kawakmi prediction prior to the Vazquez trade, so the numbers would have been skewed and have since been deleted from his official projections.

Since James does not have the projections, I will show CHONE's and Marcel's.

CHONE's projections: 24 starts, 146 innings, 4.44 ERA, 109 strikeouts, 49 walks, 8-9 record, 4.25

Marcel's projections: 131 innings, 4.19 ERA, 92 strikeouts, 50 walks, 6-9 record, 4.35 FIP 

These projections combined put the Braves' starter's record at 58-40, 18 games above .500.  In comparison, the Braves' staff was 65-49 last season. 

In my opinion, you have to project both Hudson and Kawakami over a full season in order to adequately project the rotation.  Neither have excessive injury histories and although both are in their mid 30's, 30 starts is plausible. 

If those projections were expanded to 32 starts, Hudson ends up with a 13-8 while Kawakami would end up at 11-12.  This would put the starter's record at 62-45, better than last season.

With the Braves getting better offensively and now having an experienced closer in Billy Wagner in the back end of the bullpen, more wins should come the Braves' way. 

The rotation will be a strength once again in 2010, and James feels that following the progression of Tommy Hanson would be wise as he will likely be the most productive starter on the staff. 

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Having not been blessed with an overabundance of skill on the baseball field, it is beyond my greatest expectations that I would ever have the chance to rub elbows with one of the chosen ones who has been blessed with extraordinary baseball skills.

As surreal as it seems to me, Cleveland Indians pitcher, Jason Grilli and I became buddies last November through our work with the award winning children's baseball book, A Glove of Their Own .  We have since become good friends over the six or so months that have passed.

Nearly every morning, the phone rings at my house in rural Massachusetts, and the name "Jason Grilli" pops up on the Caller ID.

I scratch my head in amazement that a "real-life baseball player" would be calling 'lil ol' me.  I answer the call and hear the voice of a bonafide major league pitcher on the other end of the line.

"It's time for Coffee with Grilli, man," chuckles the big right-hander calling from either his home in Florida or his hotel in Arizona. "On my way to the field and figured I'd give Civ a call."

I joke with Grilli, that the only thing we have in common is that he wears Number 49 on the back of his jersey and my left handed fast ball tops out at a high of 49 miles per hour.

In truth, however, we share a lot of the same beliefs and ideals about baseball, family, business, and life.  This has become a valuable friendship for both of us.

Grilli keeps my spirit high as I continue to try to solve my own personal unemployment crisis, and I try to motivate him as he pitches towards his next big league roster spot with the Cleveland Indians.

At the same time, we work together on his blog, Wild Pitch Marketing , where Grilli shares his keen business skills and I use my wordsmithing abilities.  A win/win for both of us.

Grilli's road to that roster spot took an unexpected detour last week, however, when he injured his quad muscle while running a drill towards the end of a practice session at the Indians Spring Training facility in Goodyear, AZ.

His emotions have run the full gamut from disbelief to heartache, to a brief period of why me, to acceptance and inspiration.

His career has in many ways become a lesson in overcoming obstacles and his recent injury presents him with yet another chapter.

As his Facebook status read last night on the eve of his anticipated surgery, "Ready for my wheel alignment tomorrow. Ready 'Steady' for your healing hands."

As he prepared for this morning's surgery in Vail, Colorado, we enjoyed our morning cup of joe and Grilli shared his thoughts on his off-season preparation, his injury, and his continued commitment towards pitching next season in the Major Leagues.

Todd Civin: You seemed to work harder during this off-season than ever before. Why was this camp so important to you?

Jason Grilli: This season was a new beginning for me.  The past two years were hard off the field, more from the standpoint of moving my family around the country.  We were ecstatic to be going close to home with a familiarity of a division I have spent a lot of time in.

I worked my butt off because I knew that I could help this team and mold my career to be one place for a long time.  I was so focused and still am. Just refocusing my energy into other things that I can control right now.  Getting healthy is priority one, but thankfully I have already started a backup plan with my company Perfect Pitch Marketing Group .

TC: How do you think you were progressing regarding gaining a roster spot?

JG: Even though I signed a minor league contract, I felt that my chances of breaking with the club were pretty solid. 

The Indians were aware of what I was capable of.  For years they have seen me pitch against them.  The fact that they have seen plenty of me from the other dugout in years past, and filtering other opportunities during my off-season, I felt great about being apart of an organization that I held in high regard before signing there.

TC: Explain how the injury actually occurred.

JG: My day was almost complete.  We were on our last two sprints and when I decelerated and stopped, my leg didn’t.  I was on the ground and was praying that my season wouldn’t be lost after all my hard work.  All I could think of was my family too, and how this would affect us all. 

TC: Your first thought when you went down and did you realize the severity of it?

JG: My season flashed before my eyes.  I was in some serious pain and my leg was cramping really bad.  I didn’t know the severity of it until the doctors revealed what had happened after my MRIs and X-Rays.  I am forever an optimist, but that was a big blow to take, to see that yet another challenge lay ahead of me. 

TC: You were one of two players that was injured that day, how did the training crew react?  Was yours the first or second injury?

JG: I actually saw the trainers carrying Jordan Brown in as I was walking to the conditioning field.  I was the second man down that day.  The training staff was incredible and took great care of me.

TC: What is the actual diagnosis and plan for recovery?

JG: The diagnosis is an extensive quad injury and I am going to see the best specialist for knees in the world, Dr. Richard Steadman in Vail, Colorado.  He has worked on Joe Montana, Kobe Bryant, The U.S. Olympic ski teams to name a few. 

He is world renowned and I am lucky to be seen and fixed by the best.  My recovery will begin after he does his part and the rest is on me.  I have been here before and know what work load is involved.  My goal is to pitch some winter ball before next season.

TC: Why you?  How has your attitude changed as each day has passed since the injury?

JG: I don’t know why me.  I feel that God has a plan for every one of us.  Some people scoff at that throwing out God references and all these cliches.  I am so fortunate and would take this injury over some of the daily struggles that so many other people are going through.  The sun comes up each day and I have to have a strong outlook. 

Baseball is my passion, but there is so much more to life than just that. I battle each day and go through the emotions, but know that this is fixable.  I just am looking forward to getting the surgery over so I can get to work on my recovery.  I will be in the Majors again next year!

TC: What has been the response of your fans, family, teammates?

JG: Everyone has been so supportive.  They have shed tears and felt bad for me, but they know the strength that I have and are feeding from it, too.  I have a great support team and collectively will get through it.

TC: Every cloud has a silver lining...have you found it yet?

JG: This is a time that I can be with my family while I rehab to perfect health.  I have my business to keep my mind off of missing an entire season.  I know that this time can be, and will be, put to good use.

TC: I know you are a spiritual person.  How has your faith in God helped you make sense of this?

JG: It is easy to blame God and wrestle with being upset with God as to why stuff in life happens. 

I don’t know the reason yet, but will find out down the road.  This is something that will draw me even closer to Him again. 

Life moves so fast and we take things for granted and tend to forget really what is important.  I just want to take a negative and create another positive from it again. There are people who are dying from wars, cancer, other serious diseases.  I feel blessed to know that this is a fixable thing.

TC: What will your season be like and how will you prepare for next season?

JG: The baseball season will be slow. I will follow how the Indians are doing and will surely root for them.  There were so many great guys I was hoping to share the season with.  I am focused on keeping my arm strong and get over the rehab portion so I can start where I left off.  My mind is strong.  I have already made the choice to deal with the cards that have been handed to me. 

Todd Civin is a freelance writer who writes for Bleacher Report, Sports, Then and Now, and Seamheads. He also shares his top stories on his blog The 'xoxo' of Sports. He is a supporter of Team Hoyt, the father/son marathon and triathlon team of Dick and Rick Hoyt. He encourages you to support their movement of "Yes, I Can" by visiting their Web site at www.teamhoyt.com .

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Supposedly, this had nothing to do with off-the-field concerns, of which there have been many over the years.

According to The Washington Post, it was simply about baseball:

Manager Jim Riggleman said it was a strictly baseball decision. “We like some of our other options in right field, really,” Riggleman said. “Elijah was great.”

To be honest, that’s hard to believe. Dukes is entering his age 26 season. Last year, he batted a mediocre .250/.337/.393, good for an OPS+ of 93. However, the year before, at age 24, he batted .264/.386/.478, good for an OPS+ of 127.

Dukes plays all three outfield positions, though how well is debatable. He put up a combined UZR of +11.6 in 2008, only to post a -9.6 last season. His defense seems to have suffered from the same regression his batting did.

Dukes has all the tools to be a good hitter and a plus defender. However, clearly Washington has decided that Dukes does not have the drive and focus to put it all together.

The Yankees spent much of the offseason searching for OF depth and currently are choosing between Brett Gardner, Randy Winn, Marcus Thames, and Jamie Hoffmann for the LF/CF position and two bench spots.

Could Dukes possibly be added to the mix? He doesn’t have Winn’s experience or Thames’ pure power, but Dukes has a higher upside than all four of those players I named.

In general, Brian Cashman tends to stay away from guys with questionable character, but if Washington really just felt it needed to open up a spot for other guys, this could be something worth exploring. You also have to wonder if going to a team with the star power of the Yankees would actually help a player like Dukes.

If the Yankees could bring him in on a minor league deal, it would most likely be worth the risk.

Most Commented Posts

• Nov. 24, 2009 -- Yankees 2010 Lineup Projections (26)
• Feb. 9, 2010 -- Play Fantasy Baseball Alongside the BBD Staff! (20)
• Feb. 26, 2010 -- Character Issues with Carl Crawford? (17)
• Mar. 7, 2010 -- Strawberry Says the ‘86 Mets Would be the ‘09 Yankees (15)

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The future Hall of Famer officially joined the TBS broadcast team yesterday but didn’t officially announce his retirement.

Here is the official press release from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc:

“Smoltz, who captured the Cy Young Award in 1996, will serve as a TBS analyst for the regular season, as well as the network’s coverage of the MLB Playoffs. Additionally, Smoltz will serve as an analyst for Braves games this season on Peachtree TV, alongside Johnson and 18-year Turner veteran Joe Simpson. Smoltz is no stranger to Turner Sports. The former eight-time All-Star was an in-studio guest analyst during the 2007 MLB Postseason on TBS and served as an analyst during the network’s coverage of the 2008 LDS. Previously, he served as an analyst for games on Peachtree TV while rehabbing an injury during the 2008 season."

“Joining Turner Sports’ Major League Baseball coverage is a great opportunity for me to stay immersed in the game that I love and I’m really looking forward to this experience. Having worked with TBS and Peachtree TV before, I am thrilled about the start of the 2010 season,” said Smoltz.

I have said for a long time that TBS’ coverage of Major League Baseball has been a Mickey Mouse production. Smoltz will help, but their analysts aren’t the problem—it’s the overall presentation of the product.

TBS has some pretty good analysts and color guys like Ron Darling, David Wells, and Dennis Eckersley. However, if they are surrounded by amateur hour, then their performance is overshadowed.

If indeed Smoltz does call it a career, he will retire with 213 wins, 154 saves, 3,084 Ks, a 3.33 ERA, and one Cy Young award. Very impressive.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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When I was just a bit younger I often worked in the service industries in various bars and restaurants where St. Patrick’s Day was just another work day. I didn’t celebrate or get drunk because it’s a busy day when I was relied upon.

Fortunately for me that wasn’t the case last year and I went out and had a blast celebrating alongside a good portion of NYC and I intend on doing so again this year.

With that in mind, this will be my only post on the blog today, but it’s okay because there really isn’t a whole lot going on today and maybe we’ll see some good posts from the other BBD writers as well.

Here are some stories to talk about though:

• It seems as if it is trendy to declare Phil Hughes the early leader
  in the 5th starter race.
• Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave Blues knows better though.
• Apparently, at least according to Bill Madden and his unnamed probably made up source, the Yankees are monitoring the Joe Mauer situation and could swoop in and trade for him if things fall apart.
• You should check out an article by friend of the blog Eddie Perez wrote at TYU about the 1985 Yankee team and how good they were.
• Also, if you are looking for Yankee tickets early, they accidentally revealed the Staten Island Season Ticket Holder code (thanks to NYY Stadium Insider for pointing that out).

My favorite story of the group is definitely Perez’s story about the 1985 team. Even though I was quite young at the time, those Yankees made a huge impression on me.

The offense was lead by my favorite Don Mattingly with the help of Hall of Famers Dave Winfield and Rickey Henderson . Ron Guidry was also still on top of his game as he won 22.

It is truly an underrated Yankees team. If the Yankees were a team without so much history, like say the Mets, that team would still be revered today instead of being an afterthought.

Related Stories

• March 16, 2010 -- The Yankees Tried to Trade for Denard Span (0)
• March 13, 2010 -- Developing Young Pitching Difficult For Yankees (3)
• March 11, 2010 -- The Possibility of Mauer in Pinstripes (10)
• March 11, 2010 -- Spring Training Stats Don’t Matter: Example A, Phil Hughes (3)

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In a 12 team league that has 25 man rosters, 400 players will get drafted. So just to be safe I started pouring over players who ranked below 450 in the average draft position.

Now these are not guys you should be drafting, unless, I guess they are your favorite player, you lost a bet, or you happened to name your team after the player. These guys should be strictly placed on your watch list, and picked just in case for reasons such as:

• Someone on your roster gets injured.
• Someone on your roster gets benched.
• You drafted a team of keepers and youngsters and failed to get players that produced.
• Your buddy has one of these previous issues, and you have a player you can dump to stick it to your buddy.

The last one I don’t actually recommend, but its fun to think about. Let the list begin!

SP – Manny Parra – Milwaukee Brewers – Rank: 483

Manny deserves better than this, he is the last SP on the list, and he is just barely ahead of Ken Griffey Jr.

However, last year Manny Parra had a 6.36 ERA, gave up home runs like it was his job (1.22 HR/9), and walked more batters (4.95 BB/9)….wait for it…there is more, he won 11 games last year! The wins category does not exist in my world, but I needed to find something positive to say.

Here is the situation with Parra. He strikes out lots of hitters, last year had issues keeping the ball in the yard, had even less uncharacteristically control, and has poor defense behind him.

Yet, all four Fan Graphs projections have serious regression to the mean (for Manny Parra this is a good thing). They all suggest Manny Parra can toss another 150 innings, get some decent strike outs, walk less, give up less home runs, and perhaps be fantasy useful.

Parra has wicked stuff, and if he can get hot, he will turn in some very positive starts for you. So if your pitching staff is weak, and you see Parra string a good start or two together, pick him up!  

He will be the type of player you need to look at small sample sizes to see great things, but even in those cases there is value.

C – Jason Kend…. I’m just kidding, next!

OF – Michael Saunders – Seattle Mariners – Rank 453

Michael Saunders is likely headed to Tacoma to torch AAA pitching for at least a little while. The Mariners went ahead and got Milton Bradley, Eric Byrnes, kept Ryan Langerhans, and saved Ken Griffey Jr to take turns in left field (maybe not so much Griffey, but possibly).

With that in mind we are not talking about a solid group of potentially amazing players here. Milton Bradley is feast or famine, Byrnes has everything to prove and probably will not have much to show, and Langerhans has good defense but only a flash in the pan offensively.

It is not hard to conceive a few injuries here, a few fights, lack of production, or a future trade for something from the Royals out of this group. If any of those things happen, Saunders is likely ready to bring his game to a full time gig.

Last year Saunders had to fight for every at bat and looked very poor doing it. However Saunders has a great bat, and he dominated AAA last year.

There are no guarantees that Saunders can put it all together at the Major League level, or that he will even get an opportunity to. But the projections systems show some promise, a slightly above average hitter in a half season of at bats. Possibly some homers, some speed, etc. He is a year away from being something really special, or yesterday's news, but since its free to watch players, mark him down.

SS – Mike Aviles – Kansas City Royals – Rank 445

Mike is slightly ahead of 450, but he counts for not being drafted. Last year KC GM Dayton Moore did the Mariners a favor by trading for Yuni Betancourt, and thus taking playing time away from Aviles.

Aviles is a super duper short stop that has an amazing glove. The nice thing about being a short stop is that he does not have to have a great bat to have some value.

Aviles will never hit double digit homers (check that Bill James seems to think so), but he is capable of being an average hitting short stop, assuming he gets a chance to play. So if you draft a short stop who is likely to get injured, Aviles might just be a great fill in at the right time.

At worst, he hits below average and blends in with the rest of the short stops who play with their gloves for value. But he is capable of being a decent hitter and filling in, in a pinch.

3B – Andy LaRoche – Pittsburgh Pirates – Rank 456

LaRoche is a talented player.

He crushed the ball in the minor leagues, he was a top prospect for the Dodgers, was coveted in trade rumors, and has a brother who plays in the Majors as well. This year Andy gets the starting job as 3B for the Pirates, and if he can stay healthy, and hit like he is designed to do, projections have him hitting league average.

Typically average is less than exciting, but remember we are taking players from the scrap heap here, so average has merit. Being average also means that you can have flashes of being really bad and really good.

LaRoche is a hot month, a few lucky bounces, and a game winning grand slam away from being the Pirates’ lone All Star, and he is just that for your fantasy team as well.

All the projections have him getting burned by defenses with a BABIP below average for hitters, and projections have him at 15 homers this season. If LaRoche can over achieve and hit 20 homers, and turn that .270 BABIP into a .290 BABIP, all the sudden you have Troy Glaus, Scott Rolen, or even a Gordon Beckham like production.

Obviously having your ceiling just creep the bottom of the fantasy level starters of 3B is not the greatest compliment in the world, but a free hitter who hits well, is one you need to be watching.

RP – Takashi Saito – Atlanta Braves – Rank 467

The list of bold predictions ends with a former closer, luckily he just might save the article.

That was a reach, but watching Saito might not be. The Braves signed Saito and Billy Wagner to be their eighth and ninth inning guys.

If your league counts holds, Saito is probably in draftable territory. If not, you are patiently waiting for Wagner to either collapse, or go down with an arm injury.

Saito is two years removed from being a 39 save closer for the Dodgers, but he is in the position to be a solid pick up in most leagues. By time May comes around, you will be mad that you passed on Brad Lidge who is back to his relief ace ways, and/or crying about the collapse of your closer X as it happens every single year.

Luckily you read this article and flagged Saito to come in and fill in some innings.

Saito still has ability according to the projections, and if the Braves give him the opportunity, you should be jumping all over the chance like Jose Canseco jumping on a chance to promote himself.

Saito is good for striking guys out, getting them out, not walking many, or giving up homers. He is 40 years old, but if given an opportunity, he could get 15 saves in a half season, which might push your team at some point this season.

This is it for my bold predictions in spring training. I do not expect anyone to agree with me on any of the points, but I do expect you to give me full credit when you are forced to pick one of them up and he has a hot week for you.

Actually no, take full credit, who am I kidding? Its almost April!

Quick shots: Honorable mentions!

1. 481 – Julio Lugo STL SS/2B
2. 473 – Luke Hochevar KC SP
3. 452 – Ian Snell SEA SP
4. 442 – Jeremy Heredia BOS OF

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According to Jim Duquette of the Sirius XM’s MLB Home Plate show, Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo is leaning towards sending Strasburg to the minor leagues to start the season. While nothing is yet set in stone, this would be a pretty smart move.

Strasburg has been impressive this spring. He has allowed four hits, walked one, and has four K’s in five scoreless innings of work. There is no doubt Strasburg has the talent to pitch in the majors now, but what’s the rush?

The Nationals aren’t going anywhere this year, and starting Strasburg right away could only do more long-term damage than good. The Nationals don’t want another David Clyde on their hands.

For those of you who are not familiar with Clyde, he was the first overall pick in the 1973 Draft by the Texas Rangers. Clyde didn’t pitch an inning in the minor leagues and was rushed to the majors because the Rangers’ owner at the time, Bob Short, wanted to sell tickets.

The Rangers burnt out Clyde and he lasted only five years in the major leagues, compiling an 18-33 record with a 4.63 ERA. I doubt the Nationals will be as careless with Strasburg as the Rangers were with Clyde, as Rizzo seems to have a pretty good grasp on the situation.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Now the Pirates have both Milledge and Church, while the Mets have Bay and Perez.

Neither the Pirates nor the Mets have outfielder Xavier Nady, who was the consideration for Perez (and reliever Roberto Hernandez, who lasted only two months with the Mets).

Nady was re-traded by the Pirates in 2008 to the Yankees for Ross Ohlendorf and a potential replacement, outfield prospect Jose Tabata (attributing Jeff Karstens and Dan McCutchen to Damaso Marte). The Pirates made out better with Nady because Ohlendorf and Tabata are probably worth a lot more than Perez and Hernandez.

Meanwhile, Bay was also traded in 2008 by the Pirates, who got Andy LaRoche and not a whole lot more for him. Bay became a free agent in late 2009 when the Red Sox declined to pay him more than $15 million a year for four years, while the Mets did top that offer.

Injured Ryan Church left the Mets when he was traded to the Atlanta Braves for Jeff Francoeur, a lower "ceiling" but more serviceable outfielder. Church was later released by the Braves because of his injuries, meaning that the Mets got the "better" of that trade. But the Pirates signed Church for just over $1 million, plus incentives, a good "speculation."

Bay is still a star, but he is probably no longer a superstar, with his best days behind him. Perez is still a question mark, although his better days may be ahead of him on the three-year cycle (he has historically pitched well in 2004 and 2007, with implications for 2010). Francoeur had a stellar rookie year in 2006 but has struggled since.

Ohlendorf was considered a replacement pitcher by the Yankees but now has the makings of a star after a few adjustments. Ditto for Tabata, who's something of a head case but who has lived up to his potential in the minors and could come to the Majors in 2010.

Milledge was another head case during his time with the Washington Nationals but who has gotten onto the "Tabata" trajectory a year earlier and might just be the new Jason Bay.

Andy LaRoche is no great shakes at third, but he is an adequate "placeholder" for Pedro Alvarez, a first round draft choice in 2008. If he recovers, Church might be a placeholder for Tabata or a very strong fourth outfielder (assuming that the Pirates move Garrett Jones to first base). For a million a year, the gamble is worth it.

The Mets ended up with Bay, Francoeur, and Perez, three has-beens. The Pirates ended up with Ohlendorf, Milledge, and Andy LaRoche, at least two of whom have great potential, as well as Tabata and Church in the wings.

One team made out far better in this sequence than the other. If this continues, they may even trade places, with the Pirates going to or near the top of their division and the Mets going to the bottom.

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Matt Garza, SP, Tampa Bay Rays

Garza had a mere 8 wins last year, which is baffling given his 3.95 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 189 Ks. The wins will return, as will his fantasy value.

Cole Hamels, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

The World Series and all the accolades may have gone to Hamels’ head. He just could not get it done last year, and the worst came during the playoffs when he just wanted the season to end. With Roy Halladay assuming the ace role, I think Hamels comes back with less pressure and lower expectations, and reclaims his spot among the elite fantasy pitchers.

Aaron Harrang, SP, Cincinnati Reds

I do not mistake him for a fantasy ace, but six wins? He is better than that. 

Brad Lidge, RP, Philadelphia Phillies

Talk about a tale of two seasons. I do not expect him to be perfect like 2008, nor a disaster like last year. If he can hold off Ryan Madson, he should have marked improvement.

Ricky Nolasco, SP, Florida Marlins

Nolasco saw his ERA rise to 5.06 last year. This from a guy who was 15-8 with a 3.52 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP a year earlier. Even if he lands somewhere in the middle, he will be a solid addition, especially when you figure for 190+ K's.

Roy Oswalt, SP, Houston Astros

I am not sure how much blame to attribute to the World Baseball Classic, but I am convinced it played a role in his sub-par 2009 season. Oswalt has been a rock, and I fully expect him to rebound.

James Shields, SP, Tampa Bay Rays

Big Game James went in the wrong direction, mainly with a sub-.500 winning percentage, and a un-James Shields-like 1.32 WHIP. Given his previous success, I am banking on last year being the exception.

Carlos Zambrano, SP, Chicago Cubs 
I expect the Cubbies to be better in 2010, which will help Zambrano’s attitude, which, in turn, will help his performance.

Also check out:
Bounceback Catchers
Bounceback Corner Infielders
Bouncebak Middle Infielders
Bounceback Outfielders

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I think it becomes a question of merit when you have someone that is downright dominating. For instance, take someone like Mike Maroth, who is currently in camp with the Minnesota Twins.

In the Puerto Rican League, Maroth started six games, carried a 2.60 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP in 34 innings pitched. That’s pretty good, but if you look at the fact that Maroth is a career journeyman and this is sub par talent he’s playing, the numbers are diminished.

What does it tell you when Julian Tavarez, who isn’t on a major league squad anymore, can throw 33 innings and carry a better ERA (2.45) and WHIP (1.12) in the Dominican League?

Where I’d start to get excited is with players like Francisco Liriano, who tore up the Dominican League during the playoffs. This is a league with the best teams, a playoff like atmosphere given the seriousness people take baseball in Latin America, and dominant numbers.

Liriano was stellar, starting seven games and carrying a 0.49 ERA in 37 innings pitched. You read that right, a 0.49 ERA in seven starts, including a win in the clinching game of the championship.

I’m gleeful if I’m a Twins fan about the prospects of Liriano coming back and being a productive member of the rotation this season.

In another instance of interesting winter league cases is the situation of Rafael Perez.

The Indians reliever started out doing what he normally does, but ended up starting five games during his time in the Dominican. Cleveland officials say the reason was to get him in a groove with his delivery, not to move him into the rotation, but Manny Acta and new pitching coach Tim Belcher didn’t dismiss the idea of it down the road.

What makes this weird is the absolute dominance Perez showed in the starting rotation. He pitched 27 innings, carried a 0.33 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP. Now he isn’t exactly a stranger to starting, as he came through the Indians’ system as one until the late stages.

But Perez’s sudden emergence down in the Dominican should give Indians fans some hope that the old “Raffy Left” is still in there somewhere.

How about on the prospect trail?

I look at a player like Jeff Samardzija of the Cubs and wonder what it exactly means. Now Samardzija played in the Mexican League, which is another question in itself.

What is the talent difference between the Dominican, Mexican, Venezuelan and Puerto Rican Leagues?

I’m assuming mostly Dominican players are going to stick with the Dominican League, but what about guys who are just down there, like Samardzija, to get work in? The point is, we don’t really know the talent level in each league and how it will compare to the others.

All we can really assume is that a league filled with Jason Simontacchi, Esteban Loaiza, and Karim Garcia (yes he’s still playing baseball!) is inferior to the Major Leagues and maybe even on par with Triple-A.

So if someone like Samardzija has had a wonderful time in Triple-A Iowa, but we’ve yet to see what he’s done at the Majors, can we really get excited about the 2.25 ERA in 24 innings pitched?

How about offensively with Wladimir Balentien hitting .348 with 14 RBI in 24 games during the Dominican playoffs? On a larger scale, young players with tremendous upside like Fernando Martinez and Alcides Escobar had fantastic stints in winter ball.

I guess the whole point is, there are some things to take away from the winter leagues. However, don’t look too far into them.

Jake Westbrook used the Puerto Rican league to get innings in and build up his arm strength in preparation for 2010 spring training after missing the entire 2009 season. It’s a great opportunity for some players to attempt to re-establish themselves in hope of a shot at the major leagues or young prospects to get more work in during the off-season.

Nevertheless, it isn’t a fair barometer of what you can expect from a certain player in the upcoming season.

Don’t Forget About Me

I always take an interest in some of the players that are “attempting comebacks” of sorts.

The most interesting to me is the comeback of Bobby Kielty , who is attempting to return in an unusual role.

Kielty wants to return to the game as a pitcher, with a very limited arsenal of pitches and also be an occasional pinch hitter off the bench.

It won’t ever happen in my opinion, but it is at least pretty cool to see him try. Unless his fastball and slider are out of this world, no man can survive off just those two pitches alone for an extended period.

The one reliever on my list is Byung-Hyun Kim , who reportedly has no interest in pitching in the minor leagues.

Guess that means we won’t see Kim in any organization when the season starts. The San Francisco Giants gave Kim a shot, but have chosen not to renew his contract yesterday. We haven’t seen Kim in a major league game since 2007.

And that sort of is the theme here. There are a few other players that were simply not in the game at all last year, yet have resurfaced for a comeback.

For guys like Paul Lo Duca, Jay Gibbons, and Kevin Mench , the possibilities of a successful return seem unlikely. Mench has had the best spring and he and Gibbons are at least coming off years in which they played.

Mench spent the year in Japan and Gibbons played in the Atlantic League after being cut by Florida. Lo Duca was pretty much disconnected from the playing aspect of the game.

Speaking of Japan, Colby Lewis is probably the guy making a “comeback” that could have the most success. Lewis is coming back from a two year stint in Japan in which he was very successful, even with the bat.

After hitting five home runs as a pitcher in two years with Japan and of course showing some of the promise he showed with Texas coming up, he is back with the Rangers. Lewis not only signed a decent paying two-year deal, but he’s been slotted into their rotation to start the season.

Lewis says he’s matured and is a much better pitcher this time around, but the real test will come when he gets back onto the mound to face major league pitching.

Finally, Jim Edmonds is continuing on the NL Central circuit, this time with Milwaukee. After part of 2009 spent with Chicago, the long-time Cardinal stands a good chance to make the Brewers roster.

Edmonds really was a big help to the Cubs in 2008 and after a year off in 2009 in which he spent playing golf, Edmonds very well could provide the same type of help to the Brewers off the bench.

I’m surprised he didn’t just retire last year, because I think he’s established that he can still make a major league team.

Speaking of retirements, let’s not forget the names that hung it up this off-season. Tom Glavine and Randy Johnson are two of the top pitchers of the past 20 years and they’re both moving on. They could very well be joined by John Smoltz fairly soon.

Smoltz was a candidate to comeback at a point in the season, but his new job as an analyst and commentator seem to make retirement likely.

One of the most prolific home run hitters of the past 20 years has also called it a career. Frank Thomas was also joined by fellow outfielder Brian Giles and Nomar Garciaparra recently in retirement. Thomas will really test the Hall of Fame in terms of their stance on the designated hitter.

More than half of his career was spent hitting bombs out of the designated hitter spot, but Thomas deserves serious consideration, if he isn’t already considered somewhat “in.”

It could be an interesting Hall of Fame competition in a few years with Thomas, Glavine, Johnson and even Smoltz up on their first ballot.

And if Pedro Martinez doesn’t come back in 2010, he’ll surely be in there as well.

"2010 MLB Manifesto" is a part of a month-long series of articles that are previewing the 2010 MLB season. For the other parts of "2010 MLB Manifesto " ,other features, and a schedule, click here .

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And it’s not, because this is baseball, the sport of second chances.

Perhaps some of my optimism has to do with my belief that the Tigers are going to be more like the ’06 team than the ’09 team this year, although as I say that I cross my fingers, because we should all be wise to remember that the ’06 team collapsed at the end too, only that year they had the Wild Card to fall back on.  

When the trade that sent fan-favorite, Curtis “Good Guy” Granderson to the New York Yankees hit Southeast Detroit’s airwaves, the words “fire sale” spread like…well, wildfire. Fans called into the local radio station 9.71 WWJ in the way only Michigan fans know how: Sarcastically and full of exasperation (remember, this is the state that hosts the Detroit Lions).

Oh man! They’ve given up already! You mean to tell me that the economy is so bad in this state that Mr. Ilitch is making Dombrowski sell off his contracts? Granderson?!? What about the Ordonez mess?!?

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Tigers, Mike Ilitch is the legendary entrepreneur and owner of the Tigers and Red Wings of hockey. Dave Dombrowski is the Tigers President, CEO and GM.

The answer became obvious very quickly; of course not.

If they were selling off contracts, they would not have enabled Magglio Ordonez to play enough at the end of the season so they could grant his option year of $18 Million, they would have sought something for Miguel Cabrera, whose 8 year $152.3 Million contract runs through 2015, they would not have extended Justin Verlander for 5 years and $80 Million, nor would they have signed Johnny Damon for $8 Million this year.

Simply put, and I hesitate to say this for fear of a lot of people making hullabaloo about it, Dave Dombrowski knows what he is doing. He knows that his payroll of nearly $130 million will plummet to just over $55 million in the offseason. He knows that his team is good enough to win now and next year and he will lose over $48 million from players who are not expected to be major contributors in 2010 and definitely will not in 2011.

A-Jax

This leads us back into the Curtis Granderson trade. His skills and talent aside, his contract was going to increase dramatically over the next three years, and the team saw that for his talent level, they could receive a considerable amount of potential at a much cheaper price.

The result was a three team trade: Detroit sent Curtis Granderson to New York and Edwin Jackson to Arizona. The Tigers received center field prospect Austin Jackson and reliever Phil Coke from New York and pitchers Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth from Arizona. The Diamondbacks received Edwin Jackson and New York prospect Ian Kennedy.

The trade was phenomenal for Detroit. They shipped out nearly $40 million in potential payroll and received four players: two potential stars, one solid pitcher, and one potential reliever.

I ask: How could anyone not like that trade? And in turn, how could you not like Austin Jackson? He may have never experienced a major league game, but 23-year-old fleet footed A-Jax has lit up spring training with a .433 batting average in 30 at bats. His 13 hits are third in the league through Tuesday’s play. He has 4 extra base hits and 9 runs scored in the eleven games he has appeared in.

Yet, that isn’t what impresses the team, notably manager Jim Leyland.

Jackson has walked six times while only striking out in four at bats. He has worked deep into counts and, as Leyland says, “The thing that I’m most impressed with, so far-knock on wood- he hasn’t swung at bad balls. He’s laid off some pretty tough pitches…that’s the No. 1 thing…that’s made a great impression on me.”

Isn’t there that little mental edge a player gets when he hears his manager raving about the quality of his play? Throw in Reggie Jackson’s comment about how he was the best athlete in the Yankees organization and you can’t help but smile if you are a Tiger fan.

Jackson has impressed many people this spring, if none more than his manager, and although it’s way too early to predict anything, the trade looks as if it wasn’t a good thing. It was a great thing.

Bu-Boesch

Managers and scouts alike love it when players appear to figure everything out when there were never any real expectations in the first place. Such could be the case with Brennan Boesch, the Tigers' 24-year-old prospect out of Cal, a former third round pick in 2006.

The right fielder slugged his first home run of the spring Monday in the Tigers 10-7 win over Toronto.

Overall, Boesch is hitting .267 this spring, not an overly impressive figure, but when you throw in the fact that his eye required 11 stitches on March 2 after a wind-blown ball sent him to the hospital in an exhibition game against Florida Southern College, you can understand.

Boesch is 4 for his last 11 and his home run Tuesday sparked conversation from Leyland. “Big-time power,” he said after watching the prospect come off the bench and hit the home run to right field on a 1-2 pitch.

He has incredible poise at the plate. There is potential in his smooth swing, and a clever demeanor when he expresses his bi-lingual skills.

Perhaps we are staring at the heir to right field next year. Perhaps not, all we know is, whenever you spark conversation off a home run, you take it with a smile, and whenever you are given an opportunity, you relish it, both of which Boesch has done.

Other Rookies of note

Scott Sizemore broke out of his early spring slump when he pulled a hanging breaking ball deep to left on a line for a leadoff homer in the Tigers win over Toronto.

Recovering from a fractured ankle in October, he has gotten off to a slow start at the plate, but he has shown more with the glove than expected. On one play in particular on Tuesday he went up the middle on a difficult chopper hit by Phillies’s center fielder Shane Victorino and made a slick pick. He then fired an off-balance throw going away from the bag to get Victorino.

“To be honest,” Leyland said, “he’s a little like (Placido) Polanco. He’s serious, gets his work done and his personality is even-keel. And that’s the way Polly is. That’s pretty good.”

More good words from another rookie who, like Jackson, is expected to make the team out of spring training and start at second.

Casper Wells, the 25-year-old center fielder from Grand Rapids, Michigan is hitting .318 this spring and is slugging .682. Although center field belongs to Jackson, Wells is battling for one of the last roster spots with Clete Thomas, Don Kelly, Ryan Striebly, and the aforementioned Bu-Boesch.

Gustavo Nunez, at 22, has little chance to make the club this spring as his bat is far from ready. But if they could just put him in the field, they would. Nunez has the glove of a god, his defense “ready for the big leagues.” Perhaps he is the reason Dombrowski stuck with Adam Everett for one more year.

Joshua Worn is the author of the blog,   Two On, One Out ,  as well as a Syndicated Writer and Feature Columnist at The Bleacher Report .  If you have comments or questions,  you c an reach him at  thebaseballglutton@comcast.net .

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The 19-year-old prospect remained in intensive care at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix this evening, but he “came through the surgery well,” according to a release from the ballclub. The surgical procedure lasted five hours.

The club’s statement said that Westmoreland “will face a difficult period initially before beginning his recovery.”

As reported previously , Westmoreland underwent surgery to remove a cavernous malformation of the brain—a congenital condition of abnormally thin blood vessels that developed in his cerebral cortex (brain stem). These vessels were seeping blood into the surrounding brain tissue, putting pressure on the brain.

The surgery, performed by Dr Robert Spetzler of the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ, was deemed to be necessary as there’s a risk the additional pressure may have caused some neurological damage which could affect various functions, including movement and vision.

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And in just two short weeks, America’s Pastime begins in full swing as Major League Baseball players across the globe recommence for the 2010 season.

With the new season comes high hopes of rebuilding or contending in 2010, and the Houston Astros aim for the latter in what appears to be a fairly-weak National League Central.

Based on early results (I know Spring Training does not mean a whole lot, but Houston looks pretty solid mid-March), I believe the Astros will absolutely be contenders for the NL Central crown this season.

Astros ace Roy Oswalt has looked especially good this spring, as Houston’s star right-handed pitcher has yet to give up a run in the Grapefruit League. He appears to be headed towards an All-Star season.

First baseman Lance Berkman, who is out of Spring Training due to knee surgery, hopes to be ready for Opening Day as Houston prepares for what many may call a growing year.

Regardless of what you want to call the Astros 2010 campaign, they will be entering a division that is definitely up for grabs.

And if Houston can nail down a solid rotation led by veterans such as Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez (who has struggled in ST but thankfully it is just March), there is no doubt that they will be contenders this year.

Houston also has a new skipper at the helm, and that will likely be a good thing as Brad Mills appears to fit the Astros like a perfectly-oiled glove.

Offensively and defensively speaking, the Astros appear to be heading into the season with a similar lineup to the 2009 season, though they are hoping for much different results.

With a fairly-stacked and very speedy outfield along with a defensive-minded infield, look for the Houston Astros to make a run for the NL Central this season.

It is only mid-March, but the very best season in professional sports begins in just two short weeks…

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

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The Good

Bruce is continuing to show what he is really made of. He hit his second homer of the spring off Edwin Jackson in the third inning. He is currently batting .391 while striking out only four times in 23 AB.

Stubbs finally broke out of his shell with a 2-for-3 performance against Arizona with 2 RBI. The one game brought his average up 74 points to .174. He's hardly burning up the league, but at least he is showing signs of life.

Drew Sutton raised his average to .385 with a 1-for-2 outing while playing third base today.

Janish continued playing well, raising his average to .364 by hitting his second homer of the spring. He looks like he is making Orlando Cabrera work to keep his job. Janish only has hit two homers in his 90 games with the Reds during the regular season.

The Bad

Scott Rolen is having a terrible spring, batting only .176, and he's without a hit since March 8 against Kansas City.

The Ugly

Brandon Phillips continues to struggle at the plate. He wore a size three collar today, making him 2-for-20 during the spring.

When is Yonder Alonso going to show some promise? Through Tuesday's game, he is batting an anemic .071 with five strikeouts in 14 AB. He has shown no power and no run production at all.

Other news

Juan Francisco didn't get to make any plays in left field. The wind was blowing badly, and he nearly fell while chasing a foul ball into the fence. The way Rolen is playing, the Reds may need him at third base.
 
Aroldis Chapman is scheduled to make his first start of the spring on Wednesday against Milwaukee.

This article is also appearing on A Sports Moment

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But the oldest of them all is out on the field, shirt off, and iPod on full blast, undergoing intense abdominal and strength workouts that most of us could not do at the age of 26.

That man is 42-year-old closer Trevor Hoffman. Before each and every game, Hoffman does that workout—whether he pitched the day before or not. This dedication has led him on his endeavor to becoming baseball’s all-time saves leader.

Hoffman remains in peak physical shape throughout the year—whether in season or off.

All of this work has paid off in a large part for Hoffman. And if my word doesn’t satisfy you, allow his career stat line to do the job: 2.73 ERA, 591 saves (most all time), 820 games finished (most all time), 985 games, 9.5 K/9 IP, 2.5 BB/9 IP, 1.041 WHIP, 0.8 HR/9 IP, seven time All-Star, 1999 NL Champion—and the most famous entrance song: “Hell’s Bells” by AC/DC.

That should just about say it all.

During the 2008-09 offseason, Brewers GM Doug Melvin signed Hoffman to a one-year deal. It turned out to be a great move. Hoffman went 3-2 with an incredibly low ERA of 1.83, saving 37 games. He only gave up two long balls all season and garnered his seventh career All-Star appearance, pitching a scoreless inning for the NL.

He was so stellar that he didn’t give up a single run until two-and-a-half months into the season—on June 14, which was also his first blown save. For the greater majority of the season, he was unhittable.

Hoffman’s go-to pitch—the one he can use in any count, any situation, and even when the hitter knows it’s coming and still can’t hit it—is the change-up. Opposite of Johan Santana’s change-up, Hoffman's pitch uses a circle grip.

It clocks in the vicinity of 79 or 80 mph—compared with his fastball, which is around 86 or 87 mph. This is incredible because most closers throw gas at 95, such as Detroit’s Fernando Rodney, who regularly reached 101 mph.

Hoffman's change-up appears to be a fastball coming out of his hand, judging by his arm speed—but it slows down and drops at the last split second.

Evidence of the filth of the pitch came in a series with Cincinnati in late May. Ahead by one in the ninth and with the go-ahead run at the plate in outfielder Jay Bruce, Hoffman threw him three consecutive change-ups—all of which Bruce whiffed on for the final out as the Brewers won, 3-2.

Two days later, with Milwaukee once again up in the ninth and Bruce batting, Hoffman threw him three more change-ups—and Bruce once again looked foolish, missing them all and allowing the Brewers to win.

Along with his change-up, Hoffman is famous for is entrance song, “Hell’s Bells." The song opens with the deafening sound a bell profoundly ringing, eventually followed by a guitar solo and words.

For a quiet guy like Hoffman, such an intense and intimidating entrance is quite surprising, but it works. When he steps out of the bull pen and that first bell rings, you can simply look over at the visiting dugout and sense intimidation.

And if they think that’s intimidating, just wait until they face his change-up.

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It could be that V-Mart is at the crossroads of his career as the injury bug hit him during 2008. If he can remain relatively healthy, then Martinez should put up decent numbers in '09. He's 30; given his track record, I expect Martinez to steal playing time from Kelly Shoppach. He is 1B-eligible, as well.

He managed to flourish even without Barry Bonds in the lineup and put up career-best numbers (33 doubles, 95 RBIs) and hit .292. The question remains whether he can duplicate that success or not. I think not as the Giants went free-agent shopping so he may get some protection in that respect. His numbers should be pretty good but don't expect '08 numbers from Molina.

If he can remain healthy during the '09 campaign, then he can jump into the elite pack of catchers; as it were, he had decent stats for a perennially underachieving Pirates squad (.318, 15 HRs, 69 RBIs). Again, he needs to stay healthy.

8. Mike Napoli, Los Angeles Angels

Good power obviously (20 HRs, 49 HRs), but can he stay healthy? He should play more than 78 games this coming season and you can expect at least 25 HRs from Napoli. If he can hang on to the starting catching gig from Jeff Mathis, he will flourish.

An intriguing player. It helped that he played in the thin air of Colorado, but he hit just as well as he did in Denver (.897 OPS on road, .893 OPS at home). He hit 18 HRs in only 333 at-bats, so that should give you an idea of what his potential is. If the elites are gone when your turn comes up, grab Ianetta.

He is the benefactor of having a decent Rays lineup batting ahead of him, so the pressure wasn't as pronounced. Don't look for true power from him as he is more a contact hitter (.295 BA in '08). But he is only 25 years old, so his numbers can only get better. A good catcher to have on your squad if you're not looking to be overly dependent on catcher production.

Sleepers: Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants (1B and 3B-eligible); John Baker, Florida Marlins; Taylor Teagarden, Texas Rangers; A.J. Pierzynski, Chicago White Sox

Tomorrow: First Base