ESPN Fantasy Baseball Blog

Posted by Eric Karabell

It's not normal practice for players on the disabled list to get traded, but the San Diego Padres were apparently desperate to move Jake Peavy and his large salary, and the Chicago White Sox were more than pleased to complete a deal that nearly occurred two months ago.

The problem for fantasy owners is when will Peavy actually pitch again this season? The former Cy Young winner hasn't been on the mound since early June after tearing a tendon in his right ankle, and while the right-hander is making progress in his rehab assignment, there might not be much fantasy value here in one-year leagues. Peavy has a 3.97 ERA and 1.18 WHIP this season, and certainly leaving the Padres for any team with a decent batting order will result in better run support.

Then again, will that run support -- when he's healthy -- outweigh the fact Peavy cannot call Petco Park home anymore? Home runs get hit at U.S. Cellular Field. It's a lot tougher to do so at Petco Park. Peavy would likely see quite the adjustment in his stats; for the record, Peavy has a 3.58 ERA in eight starts at home this season, and a 4.60 ERA on the road. In his career, Peavy's splits are similarly lopsided, with a difference of more than one run between his home and road ERAs. Fantasy owners shouldn't forget about Peavy in 2010, but view this much like we did the Matt Holliday defection from Colorado to Oakland. That trade hurt Holliday's numbers, but he remained a top-30 hitter on draft day. Even if we're told he's 100 percent healthy, I'm doubtful Peavy would be ranked in my top 10 for starting pitchers next season. He should be good, but not the Peavy we've come to expect.

For this season, I'm not expecting more than 10 starts for Peavy with the White Sox, so fantasy owners shouldn't overreact in AL-only leagues, and those in mixed formats should try to stash him away for later, but they were doing that anyway. The White Sox will need to scramble a bit to fill the rotation spot, and I don't see a fantasy winner there in the short term. You don't want Bartolo Colon, trust me.

The Padres pick up a few major league-ready arms in Aaron Poreda and Clayton Richard, along with Adam Russell and Dexter Carter. Poreda has been a top prospect in the Chicago organization for a few years, and while the White Sox had used him in relief, he should be starting. Poreda is a high-upside left-hander who could really thrive in a large ballpark like Petco. The Padres could take their time with him, but his is a name to learn for 2010.

Those in AL-only leagues are probably disappointed Richard is gone, because he had pitched well of late. Like Poreda he is left-handed, but he's older and more mature, and should go right into the Padres' rotation. Richard had pitched eight innings in each of his past two outings and allowed one run in each. Again, put any fly ball/strikeout pitcher in San Diego and he can become interesting for fantasy owners. I think of the four pitchers the Padres received, Richard can help fantasy owners the most this season.

Posted by Eric Karabell

It's not surprising that Victor Martinez was traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Boston Red Sox, as it was being talked about much of this week, but Clay Buchholz was not included in the deal. Fantasy owners were looking for assurance that Buchholz would remain in some team's rotation the rest of 2009. Sorry, folks, we can't guarantee it. The Red Sox dealt pitchers Justin Masterson and a pair of minor leaguers to get Martinez, but they still have incredible rotation depth. The Martinez addition gives the Red Sox help at catcher and first base from a power-hitting switch-hitter who initially was having a really good season.

Then again, the Red Sox probably aren't concerned about Martinez's hitting trends this season, but fantasy owners should not overlook this. Martinez has seen his batting average drop each month this season, from .386 in April to .321 in May, .240 in June and .175 so far in July. I don't think that's a coincidence. He missed much of 2008 with multiple injuries, and hey, he's a catcher. Players at that position tend to get tired faster and at a far more noticeable level than other position players. Of course, Martinez is an upgrade over the older Jason Varitek, but most catchers see their numbers drop in the second half. It's generally not a good idea in fantasy to trade for any catcher after the All-Star break for this reason. Do I view Martinez any differently for fantasy now that he's in Boston? Not really. It's a deeper lineup and the people at the top get on base at a higher clip, but he already was playing every day and already was owned in every league, and while he was trending downward, he's still a top-three backstop in fantasy.

Varitek is the No. 13 catcher on ESPN's Player Rater -- Martinez is second, incidentally -- but you can forget about him keeping up his production with Martinez stealing playing time. I expect Martinez to play pretty much every day somewhere, giving Varitek, Mike Lowell and possibly David Ortiz days off. Varitek hit 10 home runs the first two months of the season, and since June 1, he has hit three. Is he tired, or did he just have a very good unsustainable start to 2009? How about both? Adding Martinez actually helps Varitek owners, in a way, since now they'll think about dropping the Red Sox captain; most people who own Varitek might not have been paying attention to his downward power trend. Ultimately, Varitek and Lowell lose value and probably aren't ownable in standard leagues, but neither was in much demand. This move also puts pressure on Ortiz, who has hit .220 in July. With off-field pressure adding to what has been a disappointing season, it's possible Ortiz could end up in a lefty-righty platoon with Lowell.

As for the Cleveland angle, the versatile Masterson has a terrific arm, and that's what the Indians really need. He could start and at this point be the team's ace by default, or he could fit into the bullpen. In two seasons in the majors, Masterson made 15 starts with the Red Sox, going 6-5 with a 4.03 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. Walks were a problem, and Masterson hit 11 batters in 89 1/3 innings. He was better as a reliever, posting a 3.42 ERA and superior strikeout rate. We don't know how the Indians will use him, but if he's in the rotation, he'll be a borderline add in 10-team leagues. That's what Masterson was groomed to be, and while he might not be a fantasy ace immediately, he is only 24 and would interest me more for 2010.

Nick Hagadone is a 23-year-old lefty who had Tommy John surgery a little more than a year ago, so he won't be making any fantasy impact this season and probably not next season, either. Like Masterson, the Indians have to make a decision on what role Hagadone will have, but there's little debate about his upside. It's huge. Peter Gammons has compared him to David Price. Red Sox officials felt Hagadone had ace potential, more so than Masterson, and Baseball America named him the organization's No. 3 prospect before the season. The Red Sox still have plenty of depth in their rotation for future seasons, so they could afford to deal Masterson and Hagadone. The Indians get a 6-foot-6 strikeout option who could anchor their staff by 2011.

Bryan Price is another hard thrower, a former first-round pick who is 22 years old and was getting hit around as a starting pitcher in Class-A ball. There's upside here, and the Indians have three young arms who all could make significant impacts in future years.

As for who is going to knock in runs for the Indians the rest of this season and in 2010, well, they certainly didn't get anyone from Boston to help with that. Andy Marte was called up from the minors recently to play first base, and while most fantasy owners remain skeptical he'll ever hit enough to play a corner infield spot, he did alter his swing this season and hit .327 with 18 home runs at Triple-A Columbus. Give Marte a shot in AL-only leagues now that Ryan Garko and Martinez are gone. He's going to play. Matt LaPorta is still in the minors, by the way, but should be in left field relatively soon. He's a potential middle-of-the-order bat. As far as catcher goes, Kelly Shoppach becomes the full-timer for now, but his .207 batting average outweighs any power potential he offers. Lou Marson was picked up in the Cliff Lee deal and sent to Triple-A. Expect him to be with the Indians by September and to get a long look.

The reason Lowell's value doesn't change much in Boston is that Adam LaRoche already was taking playing time from him, as Kevin Youkilis moved over to third base. The Red Sox traded LaRoche to the Atlanta Braves for Casey Kotchman, but Kotchman doesn't hit enough to warrant regular playing time. He is a terrific fielder but fits better off the bench than LaRoche did. Don't expect Kotchman to play very much.

LaRoche becomes -- again -- the everyday first baseman for Atlanta, where he hit 65 home runs in his first three major league seasons, ending in 2006. If you lost him in NL-only leagues a few weeks ago, it's time to get him back. He is a noted second-half hitter and isn't really a bad player, despite the recent trades; he did hit 25 home runs in 2008 with Pittsburgh. He'll fit in nicely protecting Chipper Jones and Brian McCann in the batting order, and knock in runs. He's a big winner today.

Posted by Eric Karabell

It might look odd that the free-falling Cincinnati Reds were buyers on trade deadline day, picking up Scott Rolen from the Toronto Blue Jays, but this is a move for 2010 as well. Rolen is one of the top fielding third basemen in baseball, and he was hitting a career-best .320, though with not much power. Adding him to a lefty-leaning lineup is a good move and certainly helps Reds pitchers. Then again, Rolen is 34 years old, and the Reds did give up a guy who hit 26 home runs last season, as well as prospects. Those in NL-only leagues shouldn't get too excited about Rolen, but he is worth owning. His value in mixed leagues doesn't change much.

Toronto gets Edwin Encarnacion, a butcher at third base but someone who does hit for power. Encarnacion missed much of this season with a wrist injury, and he didn't hit for average last season anyway. Encarnacion is 26 and could be a nice power source in 2010, so keep him on your radar for then, but don't expect him to do much the rest of this season, as he has continued to struggle since coming off the DL.

Josh Roenicke has been someone I had pegged as Cincinnati's future closer, and he had been in the majors a few times this season, pitching effectively in 13 1/3 innings. Down at Triple-A Louisville, he saved 12 games, and he instantly becomes a dark horse for saves in the Toronto bullpen. Scott Downs has struggled of late, and he's not a young guy. Jason Frasor likely would get the call over Roenicke in the short term, but don't forget about the UCLA product in 2010.

This was one of two deals the Reds pulled off at the deadline with AL East teams.

They also traded the versatile Jerry Hairston Jr. to the Yankees for minor leaguer catcher Chase Weems. On the surface, this doesn't mean very much to fantasy owners. Hairston hit a stunning .326 in half a season for the Reds in 2008, but few believed he could sustain that batting average this year. He didn't, hitting near his career mark of .259.

Hairston doesn't bring much power to the table, but he can steal a base, and it's possible the Yankees, with the infield set, will use him as an option in center field. Brett Gardner broke his thumb and isn't expected back for a few weeks, and Melky Cabrera is about all they've got. Hairston could get on a hot streak like last year, but overall, the Yankees just added some cheap depth. Those in AL-only leagues might be interested if he steals 10 bases the rest of the way, but then again, that's about the best he could do.

Posted by Eric Karabell

The Florida Marlins picked up Nick Johnson from the Washington Nationals for Double-A pitcher Aaron Thompson, which is an underrated move. Johnson hasn't hit for power this season, but at least he's been on the field for most of his team's games. Injuries, you see, have been quite the problem for Johnson. He is hitting .295 with an on-base percentage over .400, which means he's a lot more valuable to a major league lineup than Emilio Bonifacio, who runs like the wind but can't get on base, doesn't have power and is not a good third baseman.

Expect the Marlins to move Jorge Cantu to third base, and Johnson to hit near the top of the Florida batting order and get on base quite a bit. If you own Bonifacio, tough luck, but his playing time should have been cut months ago. Johnson is owned in only 17 percent of ESPN standard mixed leagues, and if you didn't want him before, not much changes after this trade.

Washington can move Adam Dunn to first base, where he probably can't hurt the team and its pitchers as much as when he was in the outfield, so that's good news. The Nationals should promote Elijah Dukes from Triple-A Syracuse and see whether they've got a part of their future in place. Dukes is hitting .288 for the Chiefs with three home runs and five stolen bases in 19 games. Nyjer Morgan and Josh Willingham are playing every day in the Washington outfield, and maybe Austin Kearns or Willie Harris get to play more, but you might not even notice.

That was one of two deals the Nationals made Friday. The Rockies helped pick apart the Washington carcass by giving up minor leaguer pitchers Ryan Mattheus and Robinson Fabian to get lefty reliever Joe Beimel. Once upon a time, Beimel was named by former Nationals manager Manny Acta as next in line to close, but that never happened. The Rockies have one of the best closers right now in Huston Street, and Beimel will help newly acquired Rafael Betancourt in a set-up role. There's no fantasy value here on the Colorado or Washington side.

Posted by Eric Karabell

The Minnesota Twins haven't been getting very much from their shortstop position since, hmm … since they traded Jason Bartlett to the Tampa Bay Rays before last season. How's Delmon Young workin' out, anyway? But that's a separate issue. The Twins have been getting a .632 OPS from Nick Punto and Brendan Harris, so acquiring Orlando Cabrera from the Athletics represents an upgrade. However, it's not as if this move makes the Twins playoff-dangerous, either.

Cabrera is hitting .280 and can run a bit, but the last time he hit more than 10 home runs in a season was 2004. For pure fantasy purposes, Cabrera isn't one of those shortstops you have to own, as evidenced by the fact that he's a free agent in nearly half of ESPN.com standard leagues. He's ranked No. 17 at the position on our Player Rater and is on pace to finish the season with six home runs, 66 RBIs, 18 stolen bases and 66 runs scored. His value doesn't change much in this trade to a contending team. If you didn't want to add him before, I can't say this move makes him much more attractive.

The Twins have been using Denard Span and Joe Mauer in the first two spots in the batting order, and adding Cabrera's .318 on-base percentage shouldn't alter that line of thinking. Assume Cabrera will hit at the bottom of the order, where his run-scoring potential will not improve. Yes, the Twins score more than the Athletics, but 366 of Cabrera's 414 at-bats this season had come from one of the first two spots in the batting order. Not anymore. Cabrera has been hitting better since the All-Star break, with a .381 batting average and four stolen bases, but he's nothing special. Neither are Punto and Harris, utility men who should remain that way. This move could signal the end of a major league run for second baseman Alexi Casilla, a monumental bust this season, as Punto and Harris could and should usurp his playing time.

Oakland picks up Tyler Ladendorf, a shortstop who was Minnesota's second-round draft pick in 2008. Ladendorf profiles as a strong defender in time, and he was hitting .322 at two stops in the minors this season, most recently in the Class A Midwest League. Yet he's at least two years away from the bigs. The Athletics likely will give Bobby Crosby a chance to play shortstop regularly, but the former rookie of the year just can't hit anymore. Crosby is batting .222 this season with a .636 OPS. The team should try out a kid at the position, but nobody who is major league-ready jumps out at me as deserving a chance.

• One other trade to report: The Dodgers traded Claudio Vargas to the desperate Brewers for utility guy Vinny Rottino. Vargas has battled an elbow injury this season and has barely pitched. He won 11 games for the Brewers in 2007 and helped the Mets some last season, but his career ERA is 4.89. Injuries to Dave Bush and Jeff Suppan have left the team in dire straits for help. Well, these are dire straits. You don't want Vargas in a fantasy league, and Rottino is 29 years old and lacks a natural position. It's doubtful the Dodgers will promote him to the majors.

Posted by Eric Karabell

Guess this answers the question about whether the Seattle Mariners are buyers or sellers, eh? Jarrod Washburn is having a terrific season, one not enough fantasy owners have noticed, and now he's moving to the Detroit Tigers. For Washburn, he'll get a chance to appear in the postseason again (he made seven postseason starts for the Angels over the years). And the Tigers, like the Phillies with Cliff Lee, didn't have to give up their top prospects for a significant rotation upgrade.

The Tigers trade pitchers Luke French and Mauricio Robles to the Mariners, and since French was in the Detroit rotation and made five starts, Washburn likely will just replace him. French hadn't done a bad job, but the 23-year-old lefty was living dangerously, allowing 16 hits in his past two starts, covering 10 1/3 innings. He's not a big strikeout pitcher, nor was he one of Detroit's top prospects. The Mariners could place him in their rotation or send him to the minors, but regardless, there's not much fantasy value here. Robles is 20 and won't be a fantasy factor for awhile, if ever. The Mariners moved salary, more than anything else, and this could open up a rotation spot for Ian Snell. The former Pirate should be in the majors.

For some reason I cannot fathom, Washburn began this week owned in less than half of ESPN's standard mixed leagues. Even now, he's up to only 58 percent, despite having a better season than all but 16 starting pitchers on our Player Rater. The guy is leading the American League in WHIP and is third in ERA, having allowed only three runs in his past five starts, for a .74 ERA. Sure, Washburn has a career ERA on the wrong side of 4.00, and I can understand some ambivalence toward a guy who normally was a very hittable lefty and not a strikeout guy. However, he learned a new sinker, and it's clearly working. Time to reevaluate Washburn in fantasy. I think 20 starts certainly are enough of a sample size this season to add him at this point.

Ultimately, I don't think Washburn's value changes a whole lot with this trade. The Tigers haven't exactly been a murderer's row offensively, but they have scored more runs than Seattle. The ballpark change won't help Washburn, but he's pitched at Comerica Park eight times, and while his ERA is a bit inflated, I wouldn't read anything into that. This is a new pitcher. Figure Washburn, who has won eight of 20 starts, could win a greater percentage down the stretch. But what this trade deadline deal really points out is that Washburn should have been owned in fantasy in the first place.

Posted by Eric Karabell

Fantasy owners shouldn't be at all surprised that the Baltimore Orioles finally traded closer George Sherrill. We've been preparing people for this day for a while, in "Relief Efforts" and other online content, in podcasts, and on television. Sure, last-place teams like the Orioles need closers, too, but generally not 32-year-old lefties with limited experience in the role who don't figure to develop with a young team.

The Dodgers, on the other hand, have one of the most overworked bullpens in baseball, and they desperately needed help for Jonathan Broxton, Hong-Chih Kuo, Ramon Troncoso and pals. Entering Thursday, Dodgers relief pitchers had thrown an amazing 350 innings, with only the Padres' bullpen logging more. Of the teams with the seven bullpens logging the most innings, only the Dodgers would be playoff participants if the season ended today.

Sherrill will certainly help, but from a fantasy perspective, don't expect saves. This is the danger of owning closers on bad teams: They sometimes get dealt and become set-up men for good teams. Broxton, abused or not, has been fantasy's top closer this season, in part from his seven wins, but he also leads all relief pitchers in strikeouts and is among the league leaders in saves. Troncoso, a 26-year-old right-hander, leads all major league relief pitchers in innings. Kuo just returned from an elbow injury that three months ago was rumored to possibly be career-ending. The Dodgers badly needed Sherrill to help set up Broxton. I don't envision saves coming the left-hander's way.

The Orioles now need someone to save games, and don't think this is a meaningless role. Sherrill had 20 saves for a team with 43 wins, which is not a bad percentage at all. The obvious choice would be the team's main set-up man, Jim Johnson, a ground-ball-inducing right-hander who leads the Orioles with 14 holds, and pitched in with two saves as well. Johnson has a solid 3.17 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, but he isn't having quite the same season he did in 2008, when he threw 68 2/3 innings and allowed nary a home run. Johnson has already given up five home runs, and right-handed batters held a .296 batting average against him. Johnson could pick up 10 or more saves the rest of the way, so he's worth adding in pretty much any format, but he's no guarantee to be successful.

Other Orioles who could be in the mix for saves are Danys Baez, Cla Meredith, Kam Mickolio, Jim Miller and Chris Ray. Baez has 114 career saves, mostly for the Rays and Indians, and has a 1.16 WHIP this season. Of course, he could be trade bait as well, even after the Friday deadline. Meredith was recently acquired from the Padres and, like Johnson, is known for inducing ground balls. Mickolio has been up and down from Triple-A Norfolk this season, but has been a strikeout option at each level of the minors. Miller is the current closer for Norfolk and has 16 saves for the Tides. He also picked up 10 saves for the Tides last season.

Ray closed for the Orioles in 2006-07 before needing Tommy John surgery. He was expected to challenge Sherrill for ninth-inning duties this season, but didn't have much command with the Orioles. He's been on the DL for a biceps injury most of July, but is on a rehab assignment now and should be promoted soon. Johnson should get Baltimore's saves, but it wouldn't surprise me if Ray got back into the picture, since he does have that experience.

The Orioles pick up third baseman Josh Bell and pitcher Steve Johnson, both of whom have been at Double-A Chattanooga recently. Fantasy owners shouldn't expect either of these players to contribute for the Orioles this season, but take a look at Bell in long-term keeper leagues. Bell is an interesting power prospect who was ranked No. 8 in the Dodgers organization by Baseball America. He had hit 11 home runs and 30 doubles this season, and he could fit into the Orioles' major league plans by 2011. Johnson had made two starts at Double-A. He turns 22 on Friday, and at least one Orioles follower should be pleased by his acquisition: his father, Dave, who also pitched for Baltimore and is one of the team's broadcasters.

One final thing on this deal: We've discussed in depth this season how the Orioles appeared to fleece the Mariners in the Erik Bedard trade after the 2007 season, with Chris Tillman and Adam Jones the young names you know. Sherrill was part of that deal, and now he's been flipped for two of the Dodgers' top 15 prospects, both of whom figure to appear in the majors. Sure, the Orioles just dealt their closer, a fellow who was an All-Star in 2008, but if Bell and Johnson continue to develop, it will be worth it. Wise fantasy owners in deeper leagues make deals like this as well, trading for young depth and picking up throw-ins who matter later. The Bedard trade is the one that keeps on giving.

Posted by Eric Karabell

The Pittsburgh Pirates are at it again. But hey, while their fans will probably recognize the names being sent elsewhere and won't know who is joining the organization, don't assume it's a bad trade. I like the Wednesday deal for them in which the longtime starting middle infield was moved out West, as well as the Lastings Milledge trade a month ago. Dealing John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny to the Cubs for Kevin Hart, Jose Ascanio and Josh Harrison also makes sense. Patience is a virtue, and the Pirates are moving salary for young players with upside.

The Cubs pick up a very good left-handed set-up man in Grabow, who probably will be asked to help out in the seventh inning, because Carlos Marmol is the eighth-inning guy. Grabow certainly isn't likely to figure into the saves picture. Kevin Gregg has a strong hold on the role and is performing well. Marmol is destroying left-handed hitters to the tune of a .115 batting average, but Grabow can help Angel Guzman and Jeff Samardzija earlier in games, and his acquisition means Sean Marshall is freed up to start, which could be needed now that Hart's rotation spot is open until Ted Lilly returns.

Gorzelanny was doing very well at Triple-A Indianapolis, resurrecting his career with a 2.48 ERA in 15 starts, but figures to head straight to the Cubs' farm club in Iowa rather than Wrigley Field. He is left-handed, though, and could pitch in the majors later in the season in the bullpen, or he could force his way into the rotation. Like Ian Snell, who was dealt Wednesday, he was good a few years back when he won 14 games, but probably needed a new start somewhere else.

Hart will get to keep starting, which could be good news after his last two outings, when he really cut down on the walks. Hart's outing Thursday was his second consecutive strong performance -- he was dealt right after the game -- as he went six innings in each and walked a total of three hitters. Hart made four starts for the Cubs, and in the first two he walked five hitters in each. He has not been a strikeout pitcher in the majors, nor has he been terribly unhittable, so it's hard to project that 2.60 ERA (which was 2.08 before Thursday) to stay that low, but the Pirates likely will give him Virgil Vasquez's spot in the rotation and see what he does. Hart is 26, and it's been rumored that the Padres wanted him in the Jake Peavy trade talks. His ultimate role could be starter or reliever, but in NL-only leagues, he does have value. He probably had a bit more value with the Cubs, but with the Pirates, he doesn't figure to be bumped out of the rotation.

Likewise, Ascanio could end up in a number of roles as well. Who knows, he could supplant Matt Capps as closer at some point, since he did pick up double-digit saves in the minors in both 2007 and 2008, and he is a hard thrower. Oh, and Capps hasn't pitched very well. This season, the Cubs used Ascanio as a starter at Iowa, and he excelled, posting a strong strikeout rate and giving up only one home run in 12 starts. As for Josh Harrison, he's speedy infielder playing in Class-A ball. A sixth-round pick in the 2008 draft, the 22-year-old is likely a few years away.

Posted by Jason Grey

With the Giants apparently comfortable with their second examination of second baseman Freddy Sanchez's knee, they decided to send highly regarded pitching prospect Tim Alderson to the Pirates to acquire him and fill their hole at that position.

Sanchez's fantasy value doesn't change much, and he'll continue to be the player he has been the past few seasons (batting average in the .300 range, but with little power or speed) in his new home. He's listed as day-to-day for now and should be back in the lineup soon.

What the deal does is give Delwyn Young a chance to get regular at-bats as the Pirates' second baseman. The 27-year-old has definite offensive potential and has been waiting for a chance to play every day, and it appears he might finally get his opportunity as the team evaluates if he can be an option there in 2010. Young's defense at second base is still a work in progress, and is likely going to be a negative in terms of holding on to a starting job. However, he could be a quietly effective producer in deep mixed leagues, hitting for batting average with a little pop if he gets regular at-bats down the stretch. I'm assuming Young is already rostered in most NL-only leagues. If he's not, he should be picked up immediately.

"It's tough to say because he hasn't played that much," manager John Russell told the team Web site about Young's defensive progress. "I don't know if I would be totally accurate because he hasn't played out there much. We'll have to see how [his defense] progresses ... So far, so good with the limited look."

The inclusion of Alderson was mildly surprising as it was expected the Giants might be able to pull off a deal without including Alderson or Madison Bumgarner by giving up a pitching prospect like Kevin Pucetas instead. I profiled Alderson extensively back in late April.

His strikeout rate has plummeted since moving to Double-A, as he's fanned just 46 in 72 2/3 innings. His fastball command hasn't been quite as sharp as it was last season, and he's learning to make his plus curve less of a chase pitch. However, he still profiles as a potential third or fourth starter in the big leagues who could get an audition in Pittsburgh as soon as next season.

Posted by Eric Karabell

Cliff Lee is the No. 30 starting pitcher on ESPN's Player Rater, but don't blame him for failing to live up to what fantasy owners had hoped for, based on his draft-day spot. Lee is having a better season than many of the pitchers ranked ahead of him, but thanks to low run support and a nightmare of a bullpen, Lee has a record of 7-9. No, he wasn't putting up the same numbers he did in his Cy Young season of 2008, when he went 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA, but Lee is still pretty good. Good enough to be the new ace of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Indians get plenty of youth in this deal, sending Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco to the National League, but the immediate winner from the Cleveland perspective is probably Matt LaPorta. Francisco was playing pretty much every day, and one would assume LaPorta's call up -- just days after Andy Marte got promoted following the Ryan Garko trade -- is somewhat imminent. LaPorta can hit for power. He might not be up by this weekend, but it shouldn't be long, and nobody's blocking him now. He's someone to watch in fantasy.

The actual prospects heading to the Indians could all have bright futures, but probably not this season. Carlos Carrasco had struggled with home runs and walks, and is not likely to make a fantasy impact yet, even if he is thrown into the proverbial fire right away. Lou Marson is a catcher who hits for average, but generally not for power. In theory, he could be the AL version of Florida's John Baker, I suppose, but he's nothing to get too excited about. Marson should play over Kelly Shoppach, though.

Victor Martinez might be the next player to be traded, what with the Tribe getting a major league ready catcher and promoting Marte to play first base, but clearly there aren't enough at-bats for everyone. By the way, the future behind the plate in Cleveland is likely Carlos Santana, who is currently hitting very well at Double-A Akron, but Marson is not a bad stopgap at all.

The Indians also picked up Class-A pitcher Jason Knapp in the deal, and utility infielder Jason Donald, an Olympian who figures to see time at second base, shortstop and third base, but is no lock to become a major league regular.

The biggest name in the deal is, of course, Lee, who should see his statistics marginally improve as he pitches in the National League. Anyone who gets to strike out pitchers instead of facing designated hitters should see a bump in numbers, and it's possible Lee could be much better. Then again, the Phillies' bullpen is a bit leaky at the back end, but Lee has been known to finish what he starts.

Fantasy owners might be worried about the home ballpark change, but Lee has not been giving up home runs since his resurrection at the start of last year; he has allowed 22 home runs in 53 starts, so even going to a relative launching pad in Philly, don't presume the long ball will be a problem. Lee should get more run support, and if he makes 10 to 12 starts for the Phillies, he should win a better percentage than he was in Cleveland. Among 91 pitchers with 100 or more innings this season, Lee ranked 84th in run support. No Phillies pitchers have such a problem.

Francisco is clearly going to lose playing time, however, since the Phillies have a trio of All-Star outfielders all healthy and playing well. He's likely to replace John Mayberry Jr. as the fourth outfielder, caddying for Raul Ibanez in the late innings and pinch hitting against lefties, so he does warrant attention in deep NL-only leagues. If you own Francisco in a mixed league, though, it's time to look elsewhere.

Also affected by this deal is Rodrigo Lopez, who did nothing wrong as the Phillies' fifth starter, winning in three of his four turns. Alas, it was not Pedro Martinez who ultimately pushed Lopez aside, but Lee. Tough to argue against that one. Lopez and Martinez don't figure to start for the Phillies now, with Lee, Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ, Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton all pitching effectively. Maybe they can join Brett Myers in middle relief in September.

Cliff Lee is a Philadelphia Phillie. Roy Halladay, obviously, is not. We'll see where the Blue Jays turn now.

Posted by Eric Karabell

There isn't a whole lot of fantasy interest in the big Mariners-Pirates trade because the players involved aren't generally owned in mixed leagues. Jack Wilson doesn't hit enough, Ian Snell hasn't pitched well enough and Jeff Clement ... well, what about Clement?

The Pirates figure it's worth a shot to take this former No. 3 overall pick from 2005, and I agree, it is. Even if Clement is no longer a catcher, as many suspect to be the case, he always has been able to hit, at least in the minor leagues. Clement didn't figure to be in Seattle's plans any more, despite producing an OPS that hovered around the .900 mark most of this season at Triple-A Tacoma.

The Pirates will send him to their Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis, see for themselves whether he's an option behind the plate and probably give him some major league at-bats in September. From a fantasy aspect, there's no need for Ryan Doumit owners to panic, and Garrett Jones is in no danger of losing at-bats. Steve Pearce might not play as much in September if Clement comes up, but if he would just hit, playing time would be assured somewhere. There is opportunity on the Pirates, that's for sure. Clement does have catcher eligibility for this season in fantasy but probably will not in 2010.

Will Clement be any better than the recently traded Adam LaRoche was? Probably not, but the Pirates get a younger option who does have upside. Who knows, maybe Clement can catch some, maybe he can hit 30 home runs. Most people are skeptical, as am I, but he should be a major leaguer soon. The Pirates have made a decent investment, similar to the Lastings Milledge one in that they get a once-interesting prospect on the cheap.

The Pirates pick up Clement, shortstop Ronny Cedeno and three minor league prospects who aren't deemed close to contributing at the major league level for Wilson and Snell. For financial reasons, it made sense to move Wilson, an expensive, flashy fielding shortstop who really needs to hit eighth -- or ninth -- wherever he goes. Snell obviously was not going to pitch for the Pirates again. Some say it was his wish to be demoted to the minors, but rumors abound. Cedeno isn't much of a hitter, but he costs a lot less than Wilson and doesn't embarrass himself in the field. So from the Pittsburgh perspective at the big league level, Cedeno replaces Wilson, and there's not much fantasy adjustment to be made.

The Mariners probably will use Snell in the rotation right away. In 2007, the right-hander was a valuable fantasy asset despite winning only nine games, as he fanned 177 hitters, and had a 3.76 ERA and usable 1.33 WHIP. He was awful last season, though, as his ERA jumped to 5.42. Could it be he just didn't want to be a Pirate anymore? He wouldn't be the first.

Snell was terrible this season, too, got demoted and then was awesome in six minor league starts, allowing four earned runs in 37 1/3 innings. That's a 0.96 ERA, and he struck out 47 hitters along the way. Snell still has a potentially electric arm and is a sleeper pickup the rest of this season, I suppose, but make sure you have a bench in case he's bad. As for Wilson, he's an upgrade on offense and defense from what the Mariners have, but he still is not a valuable fantasy asset.

Posted by Eric Karabell

Now I see what the Oakland Athletics were doing when they dealt Huston Street and prospects they didn't want to acquire Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies this winter.

The haul they received in moving Holliday to the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday might not seem more attractive, but one name in it should certainly interest fantasy baseball owners.

Holliday is not having nearly as poor a season as many in fantasy baseball believe. In fact, a hot July has vaulted his statistics, other than batting average, to a pace similar to what he did for the Rockies last season. Holliday hit 11 home runs and stole 12 bases for the Athletics, while hitting .286. He was on his way to a 20/20 season, and would have threatened to score and knock in 100 runs. That's not worth complaining about. He's not even close to the top 10 of biggest fantasy disappointments, and he was playing very well of late.

In St. Louis, Holliday will certainly do no worse, but it's all about perspective. One would assume Holliday will inherit the valuable cleanup spot for the Cardinals, protecting Albert Pujols in the batting order, so there will be men on base. Then again, Pujols tends to knock in lots of runs himself. Expecting Holliday to go on some kind of offensive rampage in the final two months is unrealistic. Busch Stadium still isn't Coors Field, though it is a lot easier to hit in St. Louis than in Oakland. Holliday had very similar home/road splits this season, so I'm not assuming a ticket out of Oakland makes him, well, Pujols.

Expect Holliday to continue on his path to decent power numbers, probably a 25-100 season, and there's no reason he can't steal the occasional base, as well. In short, he gets better statistically, but don't go overboard. The Cardinals likely will drop rejuvenated Ryan Ludwick a spot in the batting order, which simply means more men on base for him. Ludwick is the No. 12 outfielder on ESPN's Player Rater over the past 30 days, one spot ahead of Holliday, and he has legitimate 30-home run power. Wow, the Cardinals should really improve after making this trade. Consider that Cardinals left fielders had hit .212 this season -- mostly the recently dumped Chris Duncan -- with a .635 OPS. Holliday is a monster improvement. With Colby Rasmus entrenched in center field and Ludwick playing well, this means Rick Ankiel is irrelevant in fantasy, unless the Cardinals move him. Feel free to part ways with Ankiel, if you haven't already.

The reason I like this move for the Athletics is because third base prospect Brett Wallace has all the makings of a future star. He was the No. 2 prospect in the St. Louis system according to both Baseball America and ESPN.com's Keith Law, and the No. 57 fantasy prospect for this season, as noted back in March by our own Jason Grey. The seemingly low ranking was merely a product of Grey believing the Cardinals would not rush Wallace to the big leagues, not an indictment of his future value. For keeper leagues, Wallace might have made Grey's top 10.

Wallace might not play very much for the Athletics this season, so I would caution those in one-year leagues from using up a top waiver position to get him. Wallace began this season in Double-A and performed well enough, but wasn't hitting for a ton of power. With Triple-A Memphis he had hit better of late, but again, this is a 22-year-old kid who could use more seasoning. Fantasy owners always want their rookies promoted right away, and they have unreasonable expectations.

Wallace remains a relative butcher at third base, on the level of Ryan Braun a few years back. While his bat would probably translate to the majors right away, his glove probably doesn't just yet, so there's little need to rush him. In 2010, however, expect him to be the starting third baseman who could hit at least 20 home runs and bat .275 as a rookie. I don't think the lefty-hitting Wallace will be Ryan Braun, but he has impressive power.

While Wallace was the Cardinals' No. 2 prospect (after Rasmus, incidentally), Clayton Mortensen came in at No. 6 on the Baseball America list. Mortensen is a 24-year-old right-hander who doesn't really project as an ace, but could be a back-of-the-rotation starter. Mortensen pitched one game in relief for the Cardinals in June, and it didn't go well. His stock rises a bit going to Oakland's spacious stadium, since he's a ground-ball pitcher and not a big strikeout guy, but again, it's premature to expect Mortensen to help fantasy owners this season. I do expect the Athletics will use him as a starter pretty much right away, since they're not sending superstars out there now (Gio Gonzalez allowed 11 runs in his start Monday) but the numbers would worry me. Mortensen had a 4.37 ERA and 1.30 WHIP for Memphis, including getting torched for 11 hits and six runs against Nashville earlier this week. He's not Tommy Hanson or David Price.

Don't expect your Athletics starting pitchers to win many games the next two months thanks to the gaping hole in the Oakland lineup. Scott Hairston has been hitting third since his acquisition, which isn't really a good thing. Jack Cust is what he is, and the outfielder who picks up the playing time in left field isn't someone likely to save a fantasy roster. Rajai Davis can run. Ryan Sweeney can't stay healthy. Travis Buck hasn't broken out. Anyone else want to see what Aaron Cunningham could do playing every day? I would, but would it be worth it in a 10-team league? Shane Peterson is the most unknown of the prospects heading to Oakland, but he's 21, hasn't played above Double-A ball and doesn't have much pop yet. Next.

Ultimately, only one player in this major trade was on fantasy rosters to start with, and Holliday is the one affected the most, as he again switches leagues -- sorry to those in AL-only formats -- but let's not presume his numbers are going to change so much he becomes a top-10 talent. That was last year, and the air was a lot thinner.

Posted by Jason Grey

Adam LaRoche's owners in NL-only and deep mixed leagues are feeling a little sting right now (well, as much sting as you can feel when a player is hitting .247) because they now have a player who has gone from having an everyday job to a part-time one.

The Red Sox acquired LaRoche to give them the depth they've lacked at the corner-infield slots, freeing Kevin Youkilis to slide over to third base and give Mike Lowell and his surgically repaired hip a little more rest in the second half. Although Red Sox manager Terry Francona uses his bench a bit, LaRoche will sit more than start, as Youkilis and Lowell remain the primary names in the lineup.

Francona told the team's Web site that Lowell generally will not play more than three or four games in a row, so LaRoche will sub for him from time to time. AL-only owners hoarding their free-agent acquisition budget money for an impact player will need to wait a little longer, because LaRoche won't earn enough playing time to be that guy despite his power potential, unless Lowell's hip takes a turn for the worse or injury strikes Youkilis or David Ortiz.

The Pirates were looking to get out from under the balance of LaRoche's $7.05 million salary for the season and were not expected to make a run at re-signing him. They received two minor leaguers in return who are not worth fantasy consideration. Argenis Diaz is a 22-year-old, 5-foot-11, 155-pound defense-first shortstop with no pop and very little speed who may not even hit for much batting average. Hunter Strickland is a 6-5 right-handed pitcher who has shuttled between starting and the bullpen. He lacks an out pitch and is having problems putting batters away even in Class A ball.

However, the deal means that the red-hot-hitting Lastings Milledge finally should earn a promotion back to the big leagues, where he'll battle Brandon Moss and Delwyn Young for playing time in left field. Garrett Jones will slide over to first base. Milledge likely already is reserved in NL-only leagues, but he would become a deep mixed-league consideration (thanks to his speed) if it looked as though he were a lock to start five or six times per week.

Posted by Eric Karabell

As a lifelong fan of the world champion Philadelphia Phillies -- hey, why not milk that for as long as I can, right? -- I didn't see the need for the team to sign Pedro Martinez. The future Hall of Famer hasn't pitched to the level of that moniker in years. He'll tax the bullpen and has never been known as a good clubhouse presence, and ultimately, I'm not sure he's anything better than the team's current options for the fifth-starter role. Alas, here he is. Should fantasy owners be skeptical as well?

The Phillies didn't spend a great deal of money to sign Martinez, only a million bucks in actual salary, with the rest based on incentives, so this is basically a no-risk move. If Martinez pitches well, good for the Phillies and good for fantasy owners who take the chance. If he does not pitch well, it's not as if the Phillies spent so much money that it makes acquiring Roy Halladay impossible. $1 million is a lot to normal people, but in baseball, I understand the reason behind adding an available three-time Cy Young winner for two-plus months of a season when he passes the team's tests for performance in simulated action as well as doctors' poking and prodding him. Plus, the Phillies can keep all their prospects.

The problem is expecting Martinez to be any more successful these final 2½ months than Rodrigo Lopez had been, or whomever else the team would throw out there, including Drew Carpenter and Carlos Carrasco. Sure, Lopez had pitched only twice for the Phillies, but he wasn't walking anyone in the majors or minors, and the former Oriole has a couple of 15-win seasons on his résumé. He's not Pedro, but the Pedro we saw with the Mets last season wasn't Pedro, either. From a Phillies standpoint, they must feel that Lopez, whose ownership in ESPN.com standard leagues peaked at 0.7 percent last week, can't pitch effectively for 10 more weeks, and that Carrasco needs more work in the minors. Fantasy owners tantalized by Carrasco's potential will need to wait awhile.

On the surface, it sure appears that Martinez got strafed last season, despite a good defense and a terrific pitchers' park behind him (5.61 ERA and 1.57 WHIP). You know how sometimes writers can make numbers tell the story and make the point they want? It's tough to make these numbers look good.

Then again, Martinez made seven starts in August 2008, going 2-1 with a 3.83 ERA and a usable strikeout rate. We assume he's merely a five-inning pitcher, but that month, he averaged more than six innings per start. His WHIP was 1.29. He wasn't that bad. Even I was surprised when I did further research. He was bad in June and September but did fine in August. Maybe the Phillies believe he can recapture that magic in August, and the low risk of adding depth was worth it. Again, I see that as a possibility.

Martinez hasn't even met his Phillies teammates, and he's already on the disabled list with a mild shoulder strain, but I consider that more of a procedural move. The team clearly wants him on a rehab assignment rather than just starting randomly in the minors, but fantasy owners need not read into this. It doesn't affect his timetable to the majors. He would need to make a few starts somewhere before joining the major league club anyway, so Lopez will get a few more chances to prove himself.

In terms of what to expect statistically, the Phillies claim Martinez has thrown well recently and has kept himself in good shape. If either of those weren't the case, I doubt he would have been signed. It's not as if they wanted to keep him away from the Mets, you know. Maybe we should broaden our horizons and expect a decent performance from Martinez, possibly similar to what Lopez has done in two starts. If he makes 10 starts in two months, can we hope he throws 60 innings, strikes out 50 and keeps his peripheral numbers in a place that wouldn't hurt fantasy owners, like an ERA around 4 with a 1.35 WHIP? Sure, I suppose I could see that. Maybe Martinez tired this past September, and that was the reason he permitted 19 earned runs in 22 innings that month. If anything, the current state of his arm should be good because he has had 10 months of rest.

I don't think there's a ton of upside here for anyone in fantasy, especially for those in 10-team standard leagues. If you're in an NL-only league or a 20-team mixed format -- with pretty much every starting pitcher owned, including the likes of Lopez -- I suppose it's not a bad idea to stash Martinez away in case he performs well. That is assuming that, like the Phillies, it's a no-risk proposition for you. Don't drop Kyle Lohse or Randy Wells for the honor of owning Martinez, but like anyone else, if you have a bench spot open, take a look and see what happens. I've been down on the possibility of his signing with the Phillies, but even I have to admit this could work out in the short term.

Posted by Pierre Becquey

As far as trades go, Jeff Francoeur for Ryan Church is as perplexing in a baseball sense as it is in a fantasy sense. Underachieving outfielder for underachieving outfielder; there aren't going to be too many ripples from this pebble. Francoeur is still an everyday player, taking over Citi Field's right-field corner. The change of venue shouldn't affect him too much; though the sample size is insufficient to make a long-term comparison, Turner Field wasn't exactly a launching pad. If you've been playing Francoeur, there's no reason to stop. There's no compelling reason to go trade for him, either, unless you're looking to catch lightning in a bottle and think that the change of scenery will somehow translate into Francoeur becoming a more patient hitter; Francoeur's walk rate has taken a step backward this season, after being merely mediocre the past two seasons, contributing to his unacceptable .282 on-base percentage, which is just two points better than Church's current batting average. Will this out-machine thrive in the pressure cooker of New York? Stranger things have happened, but I wouldn't bet my season on it.

Ryan Church moves to his third NL East team in three seasons and, according to the Atlanta Braves' official Web site, will platoon with Matt Diaz and occasionally replace Garret Anderson in the lineup. Expect fewer at-bats, and for his 10 percent ownership in ESPN standard leagues to drop accordingly; while he's on the "right" side of the platoon as a left-handed hitter, Diaz hits righties almost as well as he hits lefties, only with significantly less power. Church will need to produce to get his at-bats. That said, facing even fewer left-handers, against whom he is hitting .249/.318/.381 (average/on-base/slugging) the past three seasons, versus .284/.364/.501 against righties, could make him more valuable as a fourth or fifth outfielder in NL-only leagues, while keeping him a viable matchups play in shallower formats.

Posted by James Quintong

The curse of Relief Efforts strikes again. My colleague Eric Karabell often bemoans the fact that a top closer lands on the DL or loses his job mere hours after the Relief Efforts column is posted on Wednesday afternoons. Now, I have a first-hand experience with this as I filled in for Karabell this week and soon the Marlins' Matt Lindstrom was placed on the DL with a sprained right elbow.

Lindstrom, who also struggled with elbow issues during spring training and the World Baseball Classic, will not be allowed to throw for at least four weeks and likely will be out until well into August.

I already marked down Lindstrom in this week's Relief Efforts after two very shaky outings over the past week. He allowed two runs in the ninth inning and had two more runners on base before escaping with a save against the Yankees on Sunday. On Tuesday, he allowed four straight two-out singles and was charged with three runs as the Orioles wiped out a three-run, ninth-inning deficit. Lindstrom was relieved by Brian Sanches, who subsequently allowed the game-tying hit. (The Marlins, however, did win the game.)

Lindstrom was 14-for-16 in saves (he wasn't officially charged with a blown save for Tuesday's debacle because he left with the Marlins still leading) but sported a 6.52 ERA, so it wasn't like he was a lights-out closer. However, he was still firmly in place as the closer before going on the DL. Now, the Marlins have a scramble on their hands in replacing Lindstrom.

Top setup man Kiko Calero landed on the DL with a shoulder injury over the weekend, so he's out of the mix for now, but could be a contender when he returns. So it appears Leo Nunez, who leads the team with 13 holds but also has a so-so 4.13 ERA, will be next in line for saves, although he left Tuesday's game with a sprained ankle after giving up two runs without getting an out. Nunez said the injury wasn't serious, so he might be the first guy to get a look if he is good to go. He's currently owned in 2.6 percent of ESPN.com leagues.

The next viable option is lefty Dan Meyer, who is arguably the second-best arm in the pen this year behind Calero. Meyer actually has better numbers against righties (.155 BAA against righties, .191 BAA against lefties), so he's proven that he's not just a lefty specialist. Plus, Meyer is actually healthy, so he might be the best bet of them all, at least in the short term. He's practically unowned in ESPN.com leagues (just 0.9 percent), so go grab him if you're desperate.

Other potential options include righty Brian Sanches, who allowed the game-tying hit Tuesday in relief of the ineffective Lindstrom but has given up just one earned run (but two unearned runs) in 15 1/3 innings for a 0.59 ERA (but also has a 14:8 strikeout-to-walk rate and 1.37 WHIP), and lefty Reynel Pinto, who has a 2.22 ERA and just came back from the DL himself.

Posted by Jason Grey

The Padres called up right-handed hitting first baseman Kyle Blanks -- their best position prospect -- from Triple-A for this weekend's series with Oakland. Blanks is a natural first baseman, but he's made 15 starts in left field this season, and with Adrian Gonzalez not going anywhere, the team is looking for Blanks to play another position.

Blanks is a monstrous 6-foot-6, 285-pound slugger with power and patience, and is quite athletic for his size. It has been reported that he has handled left field better than many expected, to the point he might be acceptable there in the majors, given his bat stays hot. He hit .325 at Double-A last year with a .404 on-base percentage and 20 homers, his second straight year with that kind of production, putting up similar numbers at high Class-A in 2007. He hit .283 with 12 homers in 66 Triple-A games prior to getting the call, with a .393 OBP, offsetting 63 strikeouts, and he posted a 1.106 OPS against southpaws. Most big righty sluggers with long levers are susceptible to be being beaten on the inner half of the plate, but Blanks understands his swing well enough to trade some power for more bat control to good effect. He has enough plate discipline to eventually keep the strikeouts somewhat reasonable for a player with his power output. He's been a little more eager to offer at offspeed stuff away since being promoted this year, but I think he can tighten that up.

Though it's possible Blanks may not stick around in the big leagues after this weekend, both Chase Headley and Kevin Kouzmanoff need to start turning it on a bit or Blanks could be in the mix for more at-bats in left field (with Headley shifting to third in place of Kouzmanoff if need be.) Regardless, the 22-year-old Blanks is an intriguing power prospect to watch, even if he's in the wrong park to take advantage of it.

• Although Mike Carp is a solid first-base prospect, don't expect much in the near future. He's a left-handed hitter who will turn 23 years old at the end of the month. He has handled his first exposure to Triple-A pitching well, hitting .293 with 10 homers in 211 at-bats and handling the strike zone well enough to post a .412 OBP, earning a promotion when Erik Bedard went on the disabled list.

This may only be a temporary stay in the big leagues, as Russell Branyan , who missed Thursday's game because of his grandfather's funeral, is expected back this weekend. With Branyan putting up a .307 batting average and slugging just less than .600, Carp won't be taking at-bats from him any time soon, and Ken Griffey Jr. blocks Carp as a left-handed DH. Carp has played left field in five games at Triple-A this season, so he could stick around and get some time there. I don't see the Mariners wanting to keep Carp on the bench in the majors when he could be playing every day at Triple-A, so he's not a likely fantasy consideration at the moment. Long-term, Carp has drawn a lot of comparisons to Mike Jacobs scouting-wise for his statistical profile, but Carp has the potential to hit for a better batting average with less power thanks to better plate discipline. He's a decent prospect but I don't think he's ready to hit in the big leagues just yet, and he may not get an extended chance to prove that notion wrong.

Posted by Eric Karabell

It seemed inevitable after Brad Lidge suffered through another tough weekend and blew a pair of saves, but now he's officially on the disabled list and can let his sprained right knee heal properly. I didn't have any inside information that the Phillies would place him on the shelf, but I mentioned in Relief Efforts last week that J.C. Romero's return to the Phillies after a 50-game suspension would be the impetus for giving Lidge rest. Now it has happened.

Fantasy owners shouldn't panic here. In fact, I would argue that this move makes Lidge a better buy-low option for the rest of the season than if he had tried to pitch through the knee pain and continued to struggle. It was obvious that he wasn't himself, as if the six blown saves and seven home runs allowed weren't enough of a hint. Lidge had seemed to have righted himself after blowing a pair of saves at Yankee Stadium a few weekends ago, including saving all three wins in a series sweep of the lowly Washington Nationals, but then the Dodgers touched him this past weekend. Lidge's ERA is 7.27. After a few weeks off, hopefully he can return to being the dominant closer who didn't blow any saves in all of 2008, including the Phillies' World Series run.

Ryan Madson becomes the team's closer for the next two weeks, and there's little reason to fear that Philly's top reliever this season won't do a good job. Madson has a 2.22 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 28 1/3 innings, with 31 strikeouts and nary a home run allowed. It is important to note, however, that Lidge isn't likely to need more than 15 days on the DL. Add Madson if you have the room, but this is not likely to become anything permanent, so don't go trading a key offensive player for what might be a short-term statistical edge. Some closers have gone on the DL this season and been out longer than expected -- Jose Valverde jumps to mind -- but Lidge really shouldn't be out more than the minimum time.

Madson could earn 10 saves during that span, for all we know, or he could get two or three. Or none. The Phillies face the rival Mets and tough Red Sox this week, then play four more series against American League East teams, so saves aren't assured. The point is, every save might matter in your league, and Madson should earn some. But I wouldn't bet on his getting saves during the final three months of the season. Lidge really should be OK.

The reason Romero's return from suspension was so critical here was that the Phillies really didn't have a replacement for Madson in the eighth inning. Now they do. Romero is not a left-handed specialist, though he does tend to dominate lefty hitters. In three appearances since coming back, Romero has tossed three innings without allowing an earned run and has picked up two holds. The eighth inning is now his for the next two weeks, and it's possible, though unlikely, that he'll pick up an occasional save.

This is a good move for the Phillies and, although it might not seem like it, fantasy owners stand to win as well. Keep Lidge on your bench, sign Madson for a few weeks and wait this out.

Posted by Jason Grey

The key player in the Matt Holliday trade will get a chance to see what he can do a mile high.

The Rockies called up Carlos Gonzalez yesterday after he hit .339 with 10 homers, a .638 slugging percentage, 59 RBIs and six steals for their Triple-A farm club in Colorado Springs. Granted, that's a great hitter's environment, but those are still some impressive numbers.

New Rockies manager Jim Tracy immediately addressed how he would work Gonzalez into the lineup, telling the Denver Post, "It's going to be interesting to see how I figure all of that out, but when you have close to 60 RBIs, I'll accept the challenge. We are not bringing him in to be a part-time player, I can tell you that. And we'll leave it at that."

Seth Smith and Ryan Spilborghs would appear to be the odd men out in this scenario, as it is expected that a lineup featuring Gonzalez in left, Dexter Fowler in center and Brad Hawpe in right will be out there most days, with Smith occasionally seeing some spot starts against southpaws. Another potential scenario, as posited by long-time Rockies beat man Tracy Ringolsby, is that Smith, Fowler and Gonzalez will rotate among the left and center field slots so that each gets roughly five starts per week. The bottom line is Gonzalez is going to play.

The 23-year-old Gonzalez did not fare well in his first exposure to big league pitching last season while with the A's (who acquired him as part of the Dan Haren trade with the Diamondbacks.) Gonzalez hit just .242 in 302 at-bats, with four homers, four steals and a whopping 81 strikeouts against just 13 walks. The biggest issue for him is going to be making sure that strikeout rate improves this time around. He has a tendency to overswing and expand the strike zone a bit too much, but he has very good bat speed and the ball jumps off his bat when he makes contact.

Many scouts have compared Gonzalez's tools to that of the Jays' Alex Rios, with slightly less speed. He's had some maturity issues in the past, but Tracy made a point of mentioning that he did everything the club asked him to do when they sent him down in spring training.

Given his struggles at the big league level last season, you can probably take a "wait-and-see" approach in shallower mixed leagues, although you might want to consider spot-starting him when the Rockies are at home if you can. In deeper mixed leagues, the upside is worth a look if you're struggling to find production out of your last outfield or utility slot.

Posted by Jason Grey

What's that old line about "best laid plans?"

Back on April 27, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen told the Arlington (Ill.) Daily Herald, "This kid should play a full season down [in the minors.] If you see him in the big leagues, we are in trouble. I want this kid to be a real big-league player. I don't want him to come here and fill up a spot, and then go back to the minor leagues."

Fast forward to just more than a month later, and the "kid," last year's eighth overall pick in the draft, infielder Gordon Beckham, has been summoned to the big leagues. Wilson Betemit was designated for assignment.

At the time he was selected out of the University of Georgia, Beckham was seen as a polished college hitter who would move quickly through the minors, and that's exactly what has happened. Beckham had been seeing time in the middle infield, but also added reps at third base recently, increasing the speculation that he was on the fast track. Chris Getz and Jayson Nix are struggling offensively at second, Josh Fields is slumping at third, and Alexei Ramirez has only just started to heat up. It seemed like only a matter of time.

The middle infield pool in ESPN leagues has been a relatively bare cupboard this season, so from that perspective, this promotion should not be treated lightly. The South Siders are not bringing Beckham up to sit, and the playing time alone should make him a strong consideration.

"He's going to play," Guillen told the team Web site. "Where [is] he going to play? We are going to find out how we are going to start him. We'll move him around, play a little bit of third, second and help [Ramirez] play a little shortstop. But I have to get him at-bats." This means that Beckham likely will gain eligibility at third eventually, providing fantasy owners additional flexibility later in the season.

There's little doubt Beckham will hit in the big leagues, but are we expecting too much, too soon? After all, we're talking about a player who has played just 59 games as a professional, not counting his stint in the Arizona Fall League.

Beckham hit .299 with a .366 on-base percentage and a .497 slugging percentage in 38 games at Double-A, and .464 with six doubles in seven Triple-A games before getting the call. He has impressive bat speed, a good understanding of the strike zone, and doesn't get fooled by off-speed stuff. His power is still in development, as he's more of a gap hitter who can take the ball to all fields at this stage of his career, but his home park will help in that department.

Beckham had initial difficulties adjusting to wood bats last season, but impressed scouts at the AFL with his ability to make adjustments in his swing quickly, a trait that could help him get off to a good start in the major leagues.

Is it too much to expect mixed league value right now? Well, value is relative. Given the available options I've seen in the middle infield in many mixed leagues, I'd certainly try to take a chance to see if I can hit on some of Beckham's upside. The other options will likely still be there later if it doesn't pan out. Some may question the wisdom of pursuing rookies in shallower mixed leagues, but sometimes you just try to put yourself in a position to get lucky if you're struggling with a particular lineup spot.

Posted by Nate Ravitz

On this morning's Fantasy Focus podcast , Matthew Berry and I discussed how embarrassing it must have been for Jordan Schafer when he learned that the Atlanta Braves were sending him down to Triple-A Gwinnett and replacing him with a guy -- Gregor Blanco -- who was hitting .242 in the minors. Well, perhaps the Braves were embarrassed, too, as they swiftly moved to acquire outfielder Nate McLouth from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for three minor league prospects, pitchers Charlie Morton and Jeff Locke and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez.

McLouth will take over in center field for the Braves, sparing us all from the Blanco project. Although he's hitting just .256 so far this season, McLouth still has generated the power (9 home runs) and speed (7 stolen bases) that made him a fantasy darling in 2008. There's no reason to expect his production to be affected significantly by the move to Atlanta, although it's at least worth noting that the Braves rank dead last in the majors in stolen base attempts this season and were near the bottom in 2008, as well.

The big news from the Pittsburgh perspective is the Pirates' announcement that they will purchase the contract of outfield prospect Andrew McCutchen to replace McLouth on the roster. McCutchen, 22, is hitting .303 through 49 games for Triple-A Indianapolis, with four homers and 10 stolen bases. With 17 walks against just 24 strikeouts in 201 at-bats, he has shown excellent plate discipline, a skill that should help him adapt quickly to the majors and avoid the fate of -- for instance -- someone like Schafer. McCutchen should be the every-day starter in center field and has a chance to hit a handful of homers and steal 15 bases the rest of the season. Owned in less than 1 percent of ESPN.com leagues, he's a must-add in NL-only leagues and deserving of consideration in mixed leagues with at least 12 teams.

As for the players the Pirates acquired in today's trade, none deserves immediate attention in most fantasy leagues. Morton, 25, was having a nice season for Gwinnett, posting a 2.51 ERA in 10 starts. He struggled in his first run through the majors last season for the Braves, with a pitiful 1.2 strikeout-to-walk ratio (48 Ks, 41 BB). He could get a shot in the Pittsburgh rotation this summer, at which point he'll merit consideration in NL-only leagues.

Locke, a 21-year-old southpaw, was pitching for High-A Myrtle Beach and not pitching especially well. Keith Law rated Locke the No. 6 prospect in the Atlanta system entering the 2009 season, and he certainly has talent, but only players in very deep keeper leagues need to pay attention to him right now.

Hernandez has played 52 games for Double-A Mississippi this season, hitting .316 but showing little else. With no home runs and just 10 stolen bases in 18 attempts, he's still a work in progress and unlikely to hit the big leagues in any kind of meaningful role before 2010. Still, at 21, he's an excellent prospect who came in fifth in Law's organization rankings.

Hanson called up

Although it was not directly related to the trade, the Braves announced a major call-up of their own. Tommy Hanson, the top pitching prospect in the system, will make his major league debut Saturday, starting against the Milwaukee Brewers. The decision came the same day the team cut ties with Tom Glavine. Hanson will take the rotation spot of Kris Medlen, who is being sent to the bullpen as Jorge Campillo is placed on the disabled list. In 11 starts for Gwinnett, Hanson posted a 1.49 ERA with an incredible 90 strikeouts against just 17 walks in 66 1/3 innings. Fantasy owners have been tracking his progress for some time now, as he's already owned in 9 percent of ESPN.com leagues. That number will rise in a hurry. Hanson has the skills and opportunity to be a top-50 pitcher the rest of this season, although obviously there could be some bumps along the way.

Posted by Tristan H. Cockcroft

"It's time."

That was literally the quote from Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail on MASN on Tuesday night, and it sums up the collective feelings of the fantasy baseball community regarding a news item that has been long in coming …

Matt Wieters, considered the best prospect in all of baseball (Keith Law's preseason top 100 prospects), will be called up by the Orioles and is scheduled to make his major league debut Friday.

Considering the sheer volume of questions fantasy owners have been asking about Wieters from the preseason through the first seven-plus weeks of the regular season, perhaps the better statement would be "It's about time." People had been practically itching to see this kid play. As of a little after 8:30 p.m. ET Tuesday night, Wieters remained available in roughly 30 percent of ESPN leagues. Unless you were among the first to read this post, your chance might already have passed.

Why such a delay in Wieters' promotion? You've heard the speculation before; arbitration and free-agency concerns in the long term, widely believed to be the same reason the Rays kept David Price in the minors until this past Monday. Keep a kid in the minors a few weeks longer than necessary, save a few nickels a couple years from now. Hey, it's 21st-century baseball.

Interestingly, our preseason estimates had the Orioles waiting until at least June 1, and probably closer to June 15, to promote Wieters. We weren't off by much, only a couple of weeks, but with Wieters set to debut May 29, he will be available to the Orioles for 114 of their 162 games (70.3 percent). Our preseason projections called for 300 at-bats, a .287 batting average, 13 home runs and 46 RBIs. Considering that a typical starting catcher generally gets about 75 percent of the playing time, and a typical team gets a bit short of 600 at-bats from its backstops, Wieters might stand a chance at 325-350 at-bats. In other words, our initial projection might be shortchanging him.

That presumes, of course, that Wieters is up to play and that he's ready to hit right from the start. To the first point, the Orioles wouldn't call up their top prospect to have him ride the pine, especially not having suppressed his earning ability for this long. Wieters should get at least 70 percent of the remaining starts behind the plate, rendering Gregg Zaun useless in fantasy leagues, and that assumes Zaun, not Chad Moeller, even sticks around as the No. 2 option.

To the second point, Wieters has done nothing but rake throughout the minor leagues. He's batting .285 with five home runs, 26 RBIs and an .849 OPS in 38 games for Triple-A Norfolk this season, having improved those numbers with a .299 batting average and .919 OPS in 24 contests this month. Those numbers look suspiciously similar to our preseason projections, no? Meanwhile, for his minor league career, Wieters has batted .338 with a 1.005 OPS in 168 games, having obliterated the pitching in the Class A Carolina League and Double-A Eastern League in 2008.

Here's the best part: Some projection systems might suggest we're being conservative with our Wieters expectations. He's a once-in-a-generation prospect, one many feel can rival the kind of rookie impact a player such as Mike Piazza had for the Dodgers back in 1993. That kind of upside is present.

Even in the worst-case scenario -- that Wieters needs a little time to get acclimated to big league competition, particularly the challenge of handling the Orioles' shoddy pitching staff -- he's the kind of player with certain top-10 fantasy potential at his position. In fact, I'd call him a top-5 catcher candidate from Friday forward and point to Geovany Soto's standout rookie year of 2008 as the baseline expectation. Given the choice, I'd take Wieters over Soto. I'd probably take him over Brandon Inge, Jorge Posada and Bengie Molina, too, and I'd be tempted to forecast a stronger finish for him than Russell Martin (although I admit I'm not a Martin fan). Joe Mauer? OK, no. We have to be realistic!

But that says one thing clearly: If somehow the other owners in your league have left this kid out there for the taking, by all means, snatch him up before it's too late!

Mets promote Fernando Martinez

Wieters might have been the hotshot prospect getting headlines Tuesday, but he was beaten to the majors by another top prospect; the Mets promoted Fernando Martinez from Triple-A Buffalo and immediately installed him as their starting right fielder.

Such are things with the injury-riddled Mets; on a busy Tuesday, they placed Ryan Church and Jose Reyes on the disabled list, and announced that Carlos Beltran will be sidelined until Friday with a bone bruise of the right tibia. Those moves might lead some to wonder whether Martinez's promotion is only a short-term thing, but rest assured, the Mets wouldn't summon him if he weren't set to play regularly for at least a couple of weeks. Even after Beltran's return, Martinez presumably will remain the starting right fielder ahead of Angel Pagan, who manned center field Tuesday, as long as he's hitting.

As to whether Martinez will hit, he was a .291 hitter with eight home runs, 28 RBIs and an .889 OPS in 42 games for Buffalo, flashing better pop than he had in any of his three previous professional seasons. From 2006 to 2008, he averaged 12 homers per 500 at-bats, not the kind of power that will wow fantasy owners. Considering Martinez didn't even turn 20 until this past October, though, such a delay in his developing power isn't unexpected.

Of course, that means Martinez is still 20, although now a 20-year-old major leaguer who has yet to bat higher than .292, hit more than 10 home runs or steal double-digit bases in any professional season, and one who has averaged one strikeout per 4.9 at-bats as a pro. He's a tremendous athlete, but last I checked, "athleticism" isn't a rotisserie category. Lastings Milledge was a somewhat similar Mets outfield prospect who wasn't quite ready to take the fantasy world by storm in his rookie season, so some caution is advised.

NL-only owners should grab Martinez based on his raw potential. Of course, without the standout minor league results of a hitter such as Wieters, it's hard to recommend him as an instant pickup in shallow leagues. Monitor him, though, and be prepared to pounce if he gets off to a hot start.

Posted by Pierre Becquey, ESPN.com

It has been a busy day on the transaction wire, but no team made a bigger splash than the Tampa Bay Rays.

The long and short of it: There are saves up for grabs, and a rotation spot that could go to David Price.

First, the bullpen situation. The Rays placed Troy Percival on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis. That means that, like last season, the team is going to rely on an experienced bullpen to close out games. The main candidate is Dan Wheeler, who was second on the Rays last season with 13 saves. Wheeler's ERA is an ugly 5.40, but most of the damage was done in a bad mid-April stretch in which he gave up seven earned runs and three of his four home runs allowed in just 2 2/3 innings. He has not surrendered an earned run in 11 of his 12 outings since, recording four holds but also two blown saves. Wheeler is owned in only 17.3 percent of leagues as of this morning, so grab him now if he's available.

Grant Balfour recorded four saves of his own last season and was a dominant force in the bullpen. He has struggled so far this season and isn't getting strikeouts at the same astounding rate (82 in 58 1/3 innings last season), so it wouldn't make much sense to think he would leapfrog Wheeler without having his best stuff available. Still, if Wheeler were to struggle, Balfour could find his way into a few save situations of his own. Balfour, owned in 5.2 percent of leagues, is worth picking up for that reason.

The dark horse? Recently recalled Jason Isringhausen, he of the 293 career saves and surgically repaired elbow. He looked OK in his two outings against Oakland this week, allowing a hit and a walk against a strikeout in two innings. He's also pitched 11 innings in the minors, splitting time between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham, with mixed results. Is he ready to be given the ball in the ninth inning? If we are to find out, the above two candidates would likely have to flame out or both be unavailable. The Izzy speculation would be for deep AL-only leagues only at this time.

As for J.P. Howell, ostensibly the best reliever Tampa has in the bullpen right now? The lefty did get three saves last season, but he's so valuable in middle relief and multiple-inning situations that it would likely take a couple of tough lefties coming to bat to see him get the call in the ninth. Still, he deserves to be on your watch list.

What was that you said about David Price?

Scott Kazmir joined Percival on the DL on Friday with a right quadriceps strain. Whether that is the root cause of his decreased velocity and struggles this season or whether it's merely adding injury to the insult known as his current ERA and WHIP, that is not the speculation that is of most interest to fantasy owners. In making their transactions, the Rays called up a relief pitcher, Dale Thayer, ostensibly to add depth to the middle relief corps with Wheeler being pressed into closer duties. So who takes Kazmir's next scheduled start on Monday? All signs point to the major league return of David Price, and since he's available in 20 percent of leagues, it's worth checking your waiver wires to see if he's there. Price did struggle a bit for Triple-A Durham earlier this season, but he has since righted the ship, has struck out 35 batters in 34 1/3 innings and has little left to prove at that level. Once he's back, he should be back for good, and it will be Jeff Niemann pitching for his job when Kazmir is ready to return. The only strike against Price, however, is that the Rays have had him on a strict pitch count. Don't expect him to go deep into any game, at least not at first, as the team closely monitors his workload. That means that, along with fantasy owners, Price will have extra incentive to watch how things shake out in middle and late-inning relief.

Posted by Tristan H. Cockcroft, ESPN.com

Manny Ramirez, a fantasy superstar of a decade and a half, was suspended by Major League Baseball for 50 games beginning Thursday for violating the MLB Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment program. The specific infraction was not announced by the league, but Scott Boras, Ramirez's agent, told ESPN's Peter Gammons that the slugger did not test positive for steroids, but for a drug prescribed by a doctor for a medical condition.

This is earth-shattering news in the world of fantasy and has the impact of an atomic bomb. From a pure fan's perspective, this puts the notion of "Manny being Manny" in an entirely new light. He now joins a list of tarnished heroes that includes Rafael Palmeiro, who incurred a suspension in 2005, and Alex Rodriguez, who admitted in February to using steroids in the past.

But for our purposes, what's most painful, and what's the most immediate impact, is this: If you own Ramirez, prepare to be without the man drafted 23rd overall in the preseason and currently sitting at No. 37 on the Player Rater until July 3.

More frustrating: Ramirez will not be DL-eligible in ESPN leagues, as suspensions are not considered one and the same with the MLB disabled list. If you own him, you're going to have to burn a bench spot to retain him, and considering the type of hitter he is, in most every circumstance you're going to have to do it. However, he has been removed from the undroppables list, so if you feel like you have to cut him from your roster, you now have that option.

But let's not claim fantasy owners are the ones most hurt by this news; the impact on the Dodgers' lineup will be potentially devastating.

Consider that in the 80 games that Ramirez has played since coming to L.A. at last year's trade deadline, the Dodgers as a team have scored 399 runs, or almost exactly five per game (4.99 to be precise). In the 111 games the Dodgers were without Ramirez since Opening Day 2008, which includes both his three days off since his trade and the portion of 2008 before the trade, they have scored 462 runs, or 4.16 per game.

Breaking that down further, consider the performance difference between Ramirez and the man most likely to replace him in left field for the next two months, Juan Pierre.

In 302 games in his Dodgers career, Pierre has a .291 batting average and 72 RBIs. According to Baseball-Reference.com, he has 133 runs created during that time (an average of 0.4 per game). By comparison, Manny Ramirez has a .380 batting average and 73 RBIs in his Dodgers career -- in just 80 games. He has 100 runs created in that time, or 1.3 per game. In fact, Manny has as many extra-base hits in his Dodgers career as Pierre does in his (46), and Manny has also drawn more walks (61-57). As a result, his OPS as a Dodger is more than 500 points higher than Pierre's (1.200-.677).

Now, that undercuts the fact that for fantasy, Pierre is a heck of a lot more valuable commodity than for the real-life Dodgers over the next 50 games. A two-time National League stolen-base leader and four-time 50-steal man, Pierre becomes an instant steals gold mine, at the low, low price of a free-agent pickup in many leagues; as of the Ramirez news' breaking, he remained available in 96.6 percent of ESPN standard leagues.

Not that Pierre's year-to-date statistics -- a .355 batting average and one stolen base in 21 games -- are paces he's likely to maintain back in an everyday role. Expect the batting average to drop and the steals to rise, at least until Ramirez's July 3 return date.

A stat to support that: Since the Dodgers traded for Ramirez, Pierre has made 18 starts and appeared in 61 of 83 games, batting .303 and being successful on only five of 10 steals attempts, attempting a steal once per 11.8 plate appearances. Before the deal, by comparison, he had made 233 starts and appeared in 241 of 270 games in his Dodgers career, batted .290, been successful on 100 of 122 steals attempts and averaged one per 8.6 plate appearances. I'd argue, having watched Pierre regularly during his Marlins days, that he's the kind of player whose "wheels" -- his legs, which are his true moneymakers -- work best when they're spinning on an everyday basis.

In other words, if you pick up Pierre today, you can probably count on close to a .290 batting average, and maybe as many as 15-20 steals. After all, while the Dodgers suffer with the drop-off in run production going from Ramirez to Pierre, one thing Joe Torre's team is sure to do to make it up is try to generate more runs on the base paths.

What of the man called up to replace Ramirez on the active roster, Xavier Paul? The 2003 fourth-rounder isn't much different from Pierre in size (6-foot, 195 pounds, to Pierre's 6-foot, 180), is left-handed like Pierre and might not vary much in skill set, either. Paul is more likely to provide the Dodgers with a little pop if he can sneak in a handful of starts during Ramirez's absence, but he's less experienced than Pierre, and a little less likely to make consistent contact, having averaged one strikeout per 4.1 at-bats for his minor league career. Owners in deep NL-only leagues might want to stash Paul for the help he might provide in the stolen-base category, but he shouldn't play more than once or twice a week.

A few others who will suffer:

Orlando Hudson: One of fantasy's most pleasant surprises, Hudson can't help but cool off without Ramirez batting behind him in the order. Hudson was a .345 hitter in the No. 2 hole in 28 starts this season, and if that still doesn't make you a believer in the "lineup protection" that Ramirez can provide, this might: After the Ramirez trade, Andre Ethier batted .368 in 45 games the final two months of 2008, largely batting in Hudson's current spot.

Andre Ethier: Though not as drastic a hit as Hudson will take or that he might have had he remained in that No. 2 spot in the order, Ethier nevertheless plated either Hudson or Ramirez on 11 of his 27 RBIs this season. One must assume his current pace of 151 RBIs is bound to tumble a bit as a result.

Dodgers starting pitchers: Naturally, fewer runs scored means less run support. Check out how the Dodgers' current five have fared in run support per nine innings: Eric Stults (13.31), Chad Billingsley (8.63), Clayton Kershaw (7.64), Randy Wolf (4.91) and Jeff Weaver (3.00). Billingsley, the one with the best ERA (2.21) and WHIP (1.03) of the group, is the only one who shouldn't be particularly affected, and that's more because of his potential to keep up his pace.

And now one who might benefit:

Jonathan Broxton: Not that fantasy owners are about to complain about eight saves, a 0.64 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 13 relief appearances, but Broxton's value could improve … or at the very least stay somewhat close to its current level atop the relief-pitcher position on the Player Rater. After all, fewer runs mean closer leads to protect.

Might Ramirez himself suffer even after his July 3 return? Let's not call that possibility impossible; that's more than two months' missed time and it could be difficult for him to find his groove immediately upon returning. Unfortunately we have no way of knowing for sure, and it's that lingering doubt that does put his remainder of 2009 in slight question for fantasy. Chances are he'll remain productive, though what will be interesting to see is the impact on the option year of his contract for 2010. If Ramirez can't come back as his usual self in the season's second half, surely he'll exercise the option. Keeper-league owners should keep that in mind, as this does increase the level of uncertainty regarding his prospects for a productive 2010 campaign.

One thing's for sure: Ramirez's reputation has almost assuredly been tarnished, no matter the end result to his career.

Posted by Jason Grey, ESPN.com

Matt LaPorta owners were no doubt disappointed when the club chose to activate Dave Dellucci in place of the injured Travis Hafner, but that disappointment didn't last long, as LaPorta was also summoned to the big leagues one day later.

Manager Eric Wedge stated that LaPorta would initially be used as the right-handed complement to the lefty Dellucci at the DH spot, and seeing time against southpaws, it is entirely possible that LaPorta starts grabbing more and more at-bats as the season rolls on. Dellucci could turn out not have much left in the tank (although he did get four hits in his season debut), and Ben Francisco could continue to struggle, meaning LaPorta could start seeing more time at a corner outfield spot.

The Brewers drafted the 23-year-old LaPorta in the first round in 2007 because they thought they were going to get a player with both power and patience, and the fact that the Indians acquired him as the centerpiece of the CC Sabathia trade shows they pretty much agreed with that assessment. LaPorta may hit in the .270 range, but he has the potential to hit 35 to 40 homers and post a good on-base percentage.

He hit .279 with 22 homers, a .386 on-base percentage and a .529 slugging percentage in 101 games last year, when he was split between two Double-A clubs. He followed that up by hitting .361 and slugging .611 in spring training, and actually showing some improvement defensively at the corner outfield spots. His eventual defensive position had been a question mark since he was drafted, but he should be acceptable in the outfield given his bat. He carried his spring momentum to Triple-A at the start of the season, where he hit .333 with five homers and 11 extra-base hits in 21 games.

LaPorta blends a good eye with good pitch recognition. He sets up with a wide base, gets a good load and shifts his weight well during his swing to generate a lot of juice in his bat, and can elevate balls lower in the strike zone and take balls out of the park to any field, with the proverbial "light tower" power. Obviously, since he's a rookie with just 75 at-bats above Double-A, there is risk involved for fantasy players in the short term as LaPorta adapts to big league pitching, but there is no denying his potential.

Obviously, AL-only leagues need to be all over LaPorta if he is somehow available, but will the playing time be there for mixed leaguers?

"We're going to take it day by day," Wedge told the team Web site. "But he's coming up here for a reason. He's been swinging the bat well down there."

That's hopefully a sign that LaPorta may not sit too much, which is what we're looking for in order to deploy him in mixed leagues, in which you generally need to have a player who's playing every day at each position if you're going to be competitive. If nothing else, take a chance: Grab him and stash him on your reserve list if your team is in need of a power infusion, because he's one of the best power-hitting prospects we're going to see this season.

Posted by Tristan H. Cockcroft, ESPN.com

The tax man apparently isn't alone in raking in a tidy profit this April 15 … baseball's doctors have been garnering a healthy share of business.

Three of fantasy baseball's better-known names -- or at least ones widely owned -- landed on the disabled list Wednesday, a group that includes Red Sox right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka, Yankees right fielder Xavier Nady and Cardinals right-hander Chris Carpenter.

Matsuzaka: Arm fatigue

The Red Sox placed Matsuzaka on the DL on Wednesday afternoon, hours after he lasted only one inning in his start against the Angels. The team said afterward that he was lifted early due to "arm fatigue," something certain to have critics pointing to his participation in March's World Baseball Classic. He had surrendered nine runs on 14 hits and five walks in 6 1/3 innings in his first two starts of the regular season, though in his defense, he had a 1.90 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in five spring starts between the Grapefruit League and WBC, with the only warning sign in that month that he walked seven batters in nine innings after returning to the Red Sox in mid-March.

Perhaps a few weeks' rest will help cure what ails Matsuzaka, but for now, Justin Masterson, who tossed four shutout innings in relief of Matsuzaka on Tuesday, will step into his rotation spot. Masterson, available in more than 95 percent of ESPN leagues, warrants at least a short-term pickup even in mixed formats, as a ground-ball-inducing rotation member of one of the more successful teams in baseball.

Masterson was 4-3 with a 3.67 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in nine starts for the Red Sox in 2008, numbers that at least paint the picture of a matchups type for fantasy. His primary weakness is being a little susceptible to walks and extra-base hits to left-handed hitters; he has allowed one walk per 7.3 plate appearances in his career against lefties, compared to 13.4 versus righties, and has a 120-point swing in slugging percentage allowed between the sides. That's something to keep in mind when evaluating his matchups for as long as he remains in the rotation, as even in his first week in the rotation he'll be a two-start pitcher battling the Yankees, a lefty-heavy offense, in his second turn.

Speaking of how long Masterson might be in the rotation, the main reason he got the call over Clay Buchholz, who is currently working in Triple-A Pawtucket, was that Buchholz pulled a hamstring muscle during a workout earlier in the week. Buchholz might miss a turn through Pawtucket's rotation, but might be a candidate to step in should he string together a couple of dominant starts, or if Masterson struggles in his new assignment. If you're a Buchholz owner, keep him on hand, as his value does get a bump up with the news.

Nady: Elbow injury

On Wednesday, Nady had an MRI on his right elbow that he injured making a throw in Tuesday's game. The outfielder said the initial report "didn't look great" and manager Joe Girardi said Nady will be placed on the disabled list, although neither provided any further details.

He will be reexamined by a Yankees team doctor on Thursday. However, according to the New York Daily News, Nady told some teammates that he's likely headed for season-ending surgery.

It's poor timing for Nady, a contract-year player who thus far had to deal with the added motivation of a red-hot reserve pressing him for playing time: Nick Swisher.

Not that it's the way he'd have hoped to crack the lineup as an every-day player, but Swisher's value gets a significant boost with the news. He'll step in as the regular right fielder after having to squeeze in time previously between that position, first base, left field and designated hitter in the season's first week and a half. Even in that uncertain role, Swisher was on a massive tear, batting .458 (11-for-24) with four home runs, 11 RBIs and four walks, helping him to an unreal 1.744 OPS through eight games.

The Yankees would surely have found creative ways to get Swisher into their lineup fairly regularly anyway, but fantasy owners in the 38 percent of ESPN leagues in which he is available should scoop him up now while they have the chance. Sure, he endured a miserable 2008, but all the reports on Swisher's adaptation to life in pinstripes thus far have been glowing, and at his best, which is where he seems to be these days, he's capable of 30-plus home runs, a near-.500 slugging percentage and .375 on-base percentage, rates that make him a strong candidate for 100 each in runs and RBIs.

Unfortunately, the news isn't exactly good for anyone but Swisher himself, as without Nady (and Alex Rodriguez for a couple of more weeks) the Yankees' lineup now leans extraordinarily left-handed. This might be a team quite susceptible to individual matchups, and that's a valuable tidbit for fantasy fans, who can pick and choose times when their left-handers are scheduled to face the team.

Carpenter: Rib-cage strain

In news that would take hardly anyone by surprise, Carpenter landed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a strained left rib cage, one that forced him from his scheduled Tuesday start after only three innings. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch after that game that Carpenter "looks like he's going to be out for a while," which is to be expected, accounting for the right-hander's checkered injury past.

Fortunately for Carpenter, the fact that his injury wasn't an elbow or shoulder problem does give him hope of returning this season, but unfortunately what was shaping up as a potential bounce-back campaign has already been derailed after only two starts. To count on him to make more than 15 in 2009 at this point might be asking too much.

Instead of promoting Carpenter's rotation replacement Wednesday, the team summoned Chris Perez and Mitchell Boggs from Triple-A Memphis to deepen the bullpen for a few days. It's Perez's promotion that warrants fantasy attention; he was in the mix to close for the team and the eventual winner of that spring battle, Jason Motte, has done nothing to prove he deserves to retain it. Though Ryan Franklin seems the Cardinals' current go-to man in the ninth inning, with a hot start Perez might squeeze his way into that mix. If you're in a deeper-mixed or NL-only format or just have a deep enough bench to afford to stash him, Perez is well worth adding based on the prospect of future saves.

The Post-Dispatch also reports that P.J. Walters will assume Carpenter's rotation spot, but he'll pitch Friday instead of Carpenter's turn on Sunday in order to keep the rookie on regular rest as well as avoid having him debut on national television at Wrigley Field on Sunday night. A change-of-pace type, Walters had a 3.48 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 86 career minor league appearances, though he struck out nearly a batter per inning. Fantasy owners should take a wait-and-see approach to adding Walters, but there's a chance he'll have some NL-only matchups value with time.

Posted by Christopher Harris, ESPN.com

Couple of big names in the news this afternoon:

• It appears Gary Sheffield will, in fact, get the chance to hit his 500th home run in the majors after all. And Dwight Gooden's nephew will get to do it with the New York Mets. Sheff might not make the Hall of Fame (for various reasons), but he will try to win a place in the hearts of Mets fans and New York writers. A week after getting the ax from the Tigers, Sheffield has a home.

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Marlon Anderson figures to be cut in the wake of Sheffield's signing for the veteran's minimum (the Tigers will pay the remainder of his $14 million salary), and Ryan Church could see some of his playing time diminish. While sources initially told the New York Post that Sheffield will be used as a right-handed pinch hitter, I have to imagine there's a decent chance Church could sit against some lefties, and Sheffield could get some starts.

Does that mean you should consider Sheffield for your fantasy team? In any but the deepest mixed league, absolutely not. It's hard to see where more than, say, 200 at-bats come from in the Mets' lineup, and then there's the not-so-small matter that Sheff hit .225 last season and .178 this spring. In a deeper NL-only league, though, the option of using Sheffield as a late-round flier makes sense. After all, he'll be swinging for the fences to put some distance between himself and No. 500, and home runs are home runs. Just don't expect a ton of 'em.

• The Mariners announced Friday that Ichiro Suzuki's lightheadedness and dizziness over the past few days is related to a bleeding ulcer, and that he will be placed on the 15-day disabled list and miss the start of the regular season. He's expected to miss only the first week of the season (his DL stint will be retroactive to March 31), but it's still a bit of a stink sandwich for his new fantasy owners. This is the first DL stint of the venerable outfielder's career.

In his place, it's possible that Wladimir Balentien could get a few starts in right field, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Ken Griffey Jr. play the field for a week to say hello to his old fans in Seattle, whereupon a combination of Chris Burke and/or Mike Sweeney could DH.

The biggest question here is, if you're drafting this weekend, should you stay away from Suzuki? I think it would be foolhardy not to drop him a little bit in your rankings, if only because you're getting about eight games fewer than you expected from him over the course of the season. But I'm not taking him completely off the board. The M's seemed to waver about even making this move at all but decided that since it was a borderline call, and since team doctors thought a week's worth of down time would help recover from his fatigue, they played it safe. Then again, what you don't want to happen is to see Suzuki's speed begin to leave him around July, because if you're drafting him in, say, the second round of a mixed league, you're counting on him for a ton of steals. (Note: I'm apparently doing a bit of wavering myself.) I can see holding off on Ichiro until late in the third round of a mixed draft, to be safe, but if your league mates are all still petrified of the guy, I'd still grab him. I don't see a massive drop in his stats as a result of this news.

Posted by Christopher Harris, ESPN.com

Lots of news today. Let's get to it:

• The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that Scott Baker has been placed on the 15-day disabled list because of "right shoulder stiffness," and thus won't be able to make his Opening Day start. Francisco Liriano will pitch in his place (on three days' rest, no less). Baker threw in a minor league game Wednesday night, a 58-pitch outing in which he gave up no runs but reportedly developed some stiffness, and the team decided to take the safe route with him. Baker, who signed a four-year, $15.25 million contract last month, told reporters he found it "tough to get loose between innings" during Wednesday's start but "hopes to miss just one start." The Star-Tribune hints that R.A. Dickey might be the Twins' fifth starter in Baker's absence.

• The Seattle Times reports that Ichiro Suzuki visited with a doctor Thursday to discuss the fatigue and dizziness that has bothered him the past couple of days. The Mariners reportedly believe Ichiro's condition is entirely related to being worn down by the World Baseball Classic, which would be cold comfort to his fantasy owners. Ichiro is expected to rejoin his teammates in Las Vegas on Saturday.

• The Houston Chronicle reports that Roy Oswalt had to leave his final spring start Wednesday because he felt light-headed, Ichiro-style. The Astros seem convinced that Oswalt was merely dehydrated, and that he'll be fine for Opening Day.

• Lance Berkman started his first spring game since last Friday, going 1-for-4 against the Astros' Double-A affiliate. He had been dealing with biceps tendinitis. It appears he'll be ready to go when the regular season begins, though it'll be worth watching him closely the first couple weeks.

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• As my colleague AJ Mass reported in Thursday's camp notes, Huston Street is going to be the Rockies' closer to start the year; Colorado made it official Thursday afternoon. Manny Corpas will thus be the eighth-inning guy. Don't forget about Corpas, though. Since Street will enter his final year of arbitration in 2010, the Rockies could decide to deal him if and when he excels in this role. At that point, Corpas likely would re-take the closer's job.

• In a rather surprising move, the Cardinals sent Joe Mather to Triple-A on Thursday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. For a time in late February and early March, Mather looked like the safe bet to start the season at third base for the Cards, in place of the injured Troy Glaus. But David Freese took advantage of Mather's terrible second half of spring play and won the job. Freese ripped up Triple-A in 2008, with 26 homers, 91 RBIs and a .306 average, but few seemed to believe the third-base gig was his in St. Louis. But Mather's demotion indicates Freese's leash is rather long. He's worth a look in deep mixed leagues, especially since Glaus now looks unlikely to return before the All-Star break.

• Another Cardinals name you've heard a ton about over the past couple of springs, Colby Rasmus, appears likely to make the big league club, according to the Post-Dispatch. He'll likely platoon in left field with Chris Duncan, and also back up center field and right field. He's a solid late-round pick in an NL-only league, but I'm still skeptical he'll produce enough contact at the plate in '09 to warrant a mixed-league spot. He has plenty of upside, though.

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• Finally, the Post-Dispatch also reports that Chris Carpenter called his calf injury a "non-issue," despite the fact that it caused him to be scratched from a minor league start.

• The Twins' official Web site reports that Joe Mauer hit off a tee again Thursday, and plans on catching a bullpen session "sometime this week." Mauer's biggest problem with his bad back has reportedly been running, which he hasn't attempted yet, and the Twins aren't expecting to have their All-Star catcher back until May at the earliest. But at least it's good news that Mauer seems encouraged.

• The Twins' site also reports that while Justin Morneau has missed three straight games because of a pulled muscle in his back that he suffered taking batting practice Tuesday, Morneau doesn't believe he'll miss any regular-season action.

• Brewers slugger Ryan Braun returned to Milwaukee's spring lineup Thursday and went 0-for-4. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Braun's thumb contusion isn't bothering him much any longer. In my opinion, his ribcage injury is still much bigger news and is worth watching. Braun had a terrible September last year because he was limited by a similar injury.

• The St. Petersburg Times reports that B.J. Upton will begin the season on the disabled list, as expected. Upton will continue to rehab his surgically repaired left shoulder and play in minor league games while his teammates begin the season on the road. He hopes to be ready to play right around when he's eligible to be activated, on April 11. By the way, Jason Isringhausen will begin the season on the DL, too, meaning Troy Percival's job as Tampa's closer is safe for the moment. Emphasis on for the moment.

• Cameron Maybin told a Marlins Web site reporter that he's not going to focus on hitting homers this year, but rather use his legs to produce steals and runs. The same article divulged that Maybin won't be a full-time leadoff hitter for Florida, at least not to begin the year. Against lefties, Maybin will hit in the top spot, but against righties, he's likely to be the No. 8 hitter, although if John Baker struggles in the No. 2 hole, Maybin could bat there. To start the year, the Marlins expect Emilio Bonifacio to hit leadoff against righties.

• Not only has Andruw Jones made the Rangers' Opening Day roster, but the Star-Telegram of Fort Worth reports that Jones is likely to be the team's starting DH and hit cleanup against lefties to begin the year. That's a pretty dramatic change in value for a guy who looked unlikely to stick with the big club as recently as a week ago. Jones definitely has value in an AL-only league now.

• The Phillies' Web site is reporting the team "still has a shot" to sign Gary Sheffield. Sheffield wants a situation in which he can maximize playing time, and Philadelphia offers nothing close to a starting gig, with Jayson Werth in right, Shane Victorino in center and Raul Ibanez in left. But one other team reportedly in the running at the moment, Cincinnati, doesn't appear to have a full-time opening, either. Sheffield's agent told reporters there was a third team in the mix, and there has been speculation that team could be Tampa, though the New York Daily News seems to think it might be the Mets. Regardless, the agent also said Sheffield "won't rush to sign." There's not a ton of evidence that the mercurial Sheffield has a lot left in the tank, but he'd be an option for the power-needy in a deep league, depending on whether he can find legit playing time.

• Brad Penny pitched five innings Thursday, allowing three runs, five hits and no walks against the Twins in his final spring start. The Boston Globe reports that if Penny feels OK on Friday, he probably has sewn up the Red Sox's fifth-starter gig to begin the year. That means Clay Buchholz is likely ticketed for Triple-A Pawtucket, which is a shame because he had a terrific spring. You can still bank on Buchholz making starts for the big club at some point this season; in fact, I still peg him as a more valuable fantasy commodity than Penny.

• The Miami Herald reports that the Marlins have named Anibal Sanchez their fourth starter and Andrew Miller their fifth starter. Neither guy is recommended in a mixed league, and Miller is really entering a make-or-break year for his status as a supposed ace.

• The Tigers announced Thursday that Jeff Larish has made their big league squad over Brent Clevlen. Larish, 26, is still a fair power-hitting third-base prospect, though he'll likely strike out too much to become a regular anytime soon. He could wind up being the left-handed-hitting side of a platoon at DH with Marcus Thames, if Thames (a career .231 hitter against righties) struggles. I like Larish as an AL-only sleeper.

• The Detroit Free Press reports that rookie Rick Porcello has officially made the Tigers' Opening Day roster, and that he'll make his major league debut April 9 against the Blue Jays. He's only 20 years old but certainly is highly touted. Still, it's tough to see a ton of fantasy success for him right away. He has never pitched above Class A, and didn't post a dominant strikeout rate at that level last year.

• The Nationals placed Anderson Hernandez on the DL because of a strained hamstring, but according to The Washington Post, he'll likely miss the minimum time and return as the team's starting second baseman by the season's second week. Ronnie Belliard will fill in.

• The Padres sent Emil Brown to their minor league camp, which isn't a huge surprise or a massive fantasy story. But it's worth remembering that Brown posted over-.800 OPS seasons in '05 and '06 for the Royals, and was considered a possible late-career breakout guy as recently as last year with Oakland. Now he's 34, and probably is done as a fantasy player.

• Ugliness will predominate in the Orioles' pitching staff, and all the more so now that the team has chosen Mark Hendrickson to be its fifth starter. The super-tall lefty has actually acquitted himself quite well as a reliever over the past couple of seasons, but he's crummy as a starter. In 2008, after he got past the 45th pitch of any outing, Hendrickson's ERA was 8.57 and his WHIP was 1.80. This won't go well. Hendrickson is reportedly holding the rotation spot of Rich Hill, whose sore pitching elbow required him to begin the year on the 15-day DL. The rest of Baltimore's rotation reportedly includes Jeremy Guthrie, Koji Uehara, Adam Eaton and Alfredo Simon. Yuck!

Posted by AJ Mass, ESPN.com

Opening Day is a special time of the year for fantasy baseball fans, but sometimes we put far too much emphasis on whether or not a player will be in the starting lineup or even the big league roster that first game. After all, it's a marathon and not a sprint, and just because a player like David Price or Matt Wieters isn't in the majors today doesn't mean they're not worth drafting. Similarly, just because a manager makes a decision on who his closer is going to be on Opening Day doesn't mean that pitcher will still be in that role come September, or June, or even the end of April.

Case in point, the Detroit Free Press reports that Jim Leyland has decided Fernando Rodney, and not free-agent signee Brandon Lyon, will be the man he turns to if the team needs a save on Opening Day. But that doesn't mean Leyland has "made a decision" that will have long-lasting impact. As Leyland told the paper, "Does that mean he's going to come in every time? I don't know that. I wouldn't make a big deal that I named Fernando Rodney the closer, because I really haven't. But he's going to close that first game, hopefully."

Judging by both pitchers' spring stats, there's not a lot to be excited about here. Rodney has a 7.00 ERA and Lyon is barely better at 5.73. However, unlike with the Cubs where newcomer Kevin Gregg outpitched the returning Carlos Marmol, this may just be a case where Leyland is going with the more familiar of two evils. Rodney did save 13 games last season, and as Leyland points out, he's healthy and throwing the ball with more control than last season.

Certainly if Rodney is successful out of the gate, he'll likely stay in the role. But if he falters at all, Leyland likely would not hesitate to go to Lyon. And once Joel Zumaya's sore right shoulder stops bothering him and he's ready to rejoin the team, don't be surprised to see him get a few save opportunities as well.

• While the Tigers' bullpen may be in flux, the starting rotation has taken shape, as Rick Porcello has beaten out Nate Robertson for the No. 5 job, according to the Detroit News. Porcello is making the jump from Class A Lakeland, and although he pitched well this spring, with a 2.63 ERA in 12 2/3 innings, it's probably too soon for fantasy owners to be reaching for him, except in deep AL-only leagues, or perhaps as a late-round flier in a long-term keeper league. In fact, we're skeptical about all Tigers pitchers, even the experienced ones like Justin Verlander, who was hammered by the Braves on Wednesday for seven runs in five innings. If Verlander repeats Wednesday's outing on Opening Day, there may not be a lead for Fernando Rodney to protect.

• Gary Sheffield won't have to worry about who is closing games in Detroit, after being sent packing by the team. But he might just end up in Cincinnati, if the reports from the Dayton Daily News are to be believed. "Sheffield and [manager] Dusty Baker have a history and they talked yesterday," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty told the paper. "He has to clear waivers ... but we'll talk. We have interest because he would be a legitimate big right-handed bat to add to our lineup." Clearly the Reds had no problem unloading "big left-handed bats" like Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn, but adding Sheffield wouldn't be such a horrible idea with the alternative being the likes of Chris Dickerson and Jonny Gomes.

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• Meanwhile, in Colorado, the Denver Post is reporting that Clint Hurdle has finally named a winner in the Rockies' closer competition after hemming and hawing longer than Ryan Seacrest on an American Idol results show. The paper says that Hurdle will give the job to Huston Street over Manny Corpas, who has concerned the team with a lack of velocity on his sinkerball.

Street, acquired from the A's in the Matt Holliday trade, started the spring poorly, but blamed a sore right quadriceps on those initial poor outings. However, Street has allowed only one run over his past nine games, so apparently the problem has gone away. The uncertainty of who would get the nod from Hurdle is probably the reason Street's ADP is so low, as he's currently the 28th relief pitcher being selected in ESPN drafts, behind the likes of injured Trevor Hoffman and Joey Devine, and non-closers like Carlos Marmol and J.J. Putz. If Hurdle follows through on the announcement Thursday, that certainly will change.

• Street is also being drafted about 40 spots later than Brian Wilson of the Giants. But the San Francisco closer hasn't thrown a ball in over a week because of an infected finger on his throwing hand. The San Francisco Chronicle asked Bruce Bochy if Wilson would be ready for Opening Day, and while the manager said he wasn't concerned, he also wouldn't say outright that Wilson would be ready to go. The Giants don't play their first game until Tuesday at home against Milwaukee, so there's a little extra time for Wilson to heal. However, if he's still not ready to go, don't be surprised to see veteran Jeremy Affeldt in the game come crunch time.

• Andruw Jones appears to be safe in Texas, as the Rangers released outfielder Frank Catalanotto. According to the Dallas News, the decision was made in part because Jones can provide the team with a right-handed bat since there are so many left-handed pitchers in the AL West, and Catalanotto is a left-handed hitter. Jones, for his part, may have sealed the deal when he hit the game-winning home run in Wednesday's game. Jones said he feels good, but let's not go crazy here. Jones will probably be used as a part-time DH with an occasional outfield start. He's no longer an everyday player, so value him accordingly.

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• The Dallas News also reports Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Kris Benson, Brandon McCarthy and Matt Harrison, are the lucky five to make the Rangers' rotation. That means Scott Feldman and Jason Jennings, who combined for 31 starts in 2009, will start the season in the bullpen. Benson is the big surprise, as he hasn't pitched in the majors since 2006, after tearing his rotator cuff. However, after a 2-0 record in 17 innings this spring, the Rangers felt he had earned a second chance.

• Chris Shelton did about all he could do for the Mariners this spring, hitting .460 in 50 at-bats. And yet, the one thing he can't do is pitch. Manager Don Wakamatsu had nothing but positive things to say about Shelton. "I think he's a professional hitter,'' he told the Seattle Times. "He's somebody you can trust at the plate and gives you a good at-bat … the fact that we're looking to go a different route is no knock on him at all."

In other words, with the Mariners deciding to go with 12 pitchers on the big league roster, that left only four bench spots for hitters, and the Mariners would rather go with the veteran presence of Mike Sweeney in a limited role and have Shelton get a full slate of at-bats in Triple-A. Still, as long as he keeps hitting, there's no reason to believe Shelton won't find himself in the majors before the season is over.

Posted by AJ Mass, ESPN.com

No, it's not a cruel April Fool's Day joke. Ryan Braun really did get injured Tuesday night, but don't panic ... it doesn't appear to be incredibly serious.

Braun no doubt is thrilled to see his calendar reading April 1, because March was really not good to the Brewers slugger. First, he aggravated a strained muscle at the back of his rib cage while playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Then, on Tuesday, Braun got another scare when he lost a line drive off the bat of Brian Giles in the lights, and the ball struck his throwing hand. Braun left the game and went to the hospital for some X-rays, which were negative, according to the team's Web site. Still, manager Ken Macha is not the least bit amused and is hoping this doesn't turn into something worse.

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"Hopefully, they got it iced up good," Macha said. "But that's a small joint. With a little bit of inflammation, it's going to be tough. It's his top hand, too."

Braun is being listed as day-to-day, but for his fantasy owners, we can only hope he's gotten all the bad luck for 2009 out of his system already.

• Joey Devine, who was expected to share the closer's job in Oakland with Brad Ziegler, is headed for the disabled list, according to the San Jose Mercury News. Devine has had recurring pain in his right elbow and will be examined by Dr. James Andrews next week, which speaks to the concern the A's have with their reliever. If it is discovered that Devine needs surgery, it's unlikely he would pitch at all in 2009.

This means the bulk of the closing duties now lie square on the shoulders of Ziegler, who opened his major league career with a record 39 consecutive scoreless innings. However, manager Bob Geren hasn't ruled out the possibility of throwing a few extra arms into the ninth-inning mix.

Geren told the paper that Russ Springer and Santiago Casilla will also get some save chances on days when Ziegler is unavailable. "Casilla is definitely throwing the ball right now where I would have confidence putting him in the ninth inning," Geren told the paper.

Devine's shelving once again underscores the importance of not paying for saves in your fantasy draft, but those of you who were relying on Joey should probably snatch up Ziegler (assuming he's available) before the final verdict on the injury comes down.

• Meanwhile, Royals fans might also be skeptical when they hear the news that Luke Hochevar has been sent to Triple-A Omaha instead of Sidney Ponson, but again it's a case of contracts versus performance. Hochevar, the team's first overall pick in 2006, had a 3.86 ERA in five spring outings, which was light years better than the 9.58 ERA put up by Ponson in two starts.

Unfortunately for the young pitcher, the Kansas City Star reports that Ponson has a clause in his contract that that allows him to become a free agent if he's not on the big league roster by May 1. So while Ponson has not been impressive, the team would much rather have Hochevar pitch regularly in the minors for a month and hope that Ponson works out his problems than to keep Hochevar with the team, using him only occasionally when a fifth starter is called for, and to let Ponson become a free agent.

• The Phillies have released Geoff Jenkins, which opens up a spot on the roster for another right-handed outfield bat off the bench. And the rumor mill is working overtime, insinuating that just-released Gary Sheffield might be that bat. According to the Phillies' official Web site, Ruben Amaro Jr. has indeed contacted Sheffield's agent to gauge his interest in joining the defending World Series champions.

Of course, Sheffield won't be able to DH with the National League team, but that wouldn't bother Sheffield. "I can go out there on an everyday basis and play in the outfield," Sheffield told the Web site. "That's what I yearn for. I want to be in the outfield. At the same time, it kind of puts you in a box when you accept the DH role, because people start labeling you as that's all you can do. And that's not the case."

Still, Sheffield has played fewer than 20 games in the outfield over the last two seasons, and with Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth slated to start, there isn't really an open spot for everyday play. We're not sure Sheffield would sign on for such a limited role, but at least he's getting some offers. So, even if it's not in Philadelphia, it probably won't be long before he ends up on a roster somewhere.

• The Astros acquired Jeff Keppinger from the Reds for a player to be named later, and likely will use him as part of a third-base platoon with Geoff Blum. Originally, the Astros had planned to go with a platoon of Blum and Aaron Boone, but after Boone's heart condition was brought to light, it was clear that Houston would be bringing somebody in before the start of the season.

That someone is Keppinger, who hit .351 and slugged .515 against left-handers last year. In addition to playing third base against southpaws, the versatile Keppinger likely will be called on to spell Kazuo Matsui and Miguel Tejada from time to time, just to give those players a day off. While the move doesn't mandate that hot third-base prospect Chris Johnson will return to the minors for a little more seasoning, that's probably how things will shake out.

As for the Reds, the move made sense since Keppinger was out of options, and Alex Gonzalez, who missed all of last season with a microfracture in his left knee, has been deemed healthy enough to return to action on a regular basis. As Walt Jocketty told the Cincinnati Enquirer, "They were looking at a right-handed bat. We resisted it at first. But with our situation -- [Alex Gonzalez] probably being ready -- there wasn't going to be much playing time for Kepp. This is probably a better situation for him." Either Adam Rosales, or possibly Paul Janish, will be the primary beneficiary of the trade, claiming Keppinger's roster spot, but neither will have any fantasy impact unless Gonzalez goes down again.

• The Detroit Free Press reports that the Tigers have been talking to the St. Louis Cardinals about trading Detroit's Ryan Raburn in exchange for some pitching prospects. Raburn, who can pretty much play any position on the field, would be far more suited for an NL bench spot and has become expendable since the Tigers acquired outfielder Josh Anderson from the Braves. Either way, it's apparent that Raburn will not be coming north with the Tigers and that Jeff Larish likely has passed Raburn on the organization's depth chart.

• Perhaps part of the appeal for the Cards would be the news that the timetable for Troy Glaus' return has been scrapped. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that the team now has "no idea" when Glaus will be ready and that a team source recently suggested any forecast of a return before June is "extremely optimistic."

That means David Freese, who hit who hit 26 homers and drove in 91 runs at Triple-A last year, may well be the team's everyday third-baseman, especially since the other candidates for the job (Joe Mather, Brendan Ryan, Joe Thurston and Brian Barden) have been underwhelming this spring -- perhaps even underwhelming enough to cause the team to look to Detroit for some help fielding that spot.

• Clint Hurdle may not have decided on a closer yet, but according to Colorado's official Web site, he has decided that Dexter Fowler will be on the Rockies roster for Opening Day. The 23-year-old outfielder hit .335 in Double-A Tulsa last year, but struggled in his September cup of coffee last season and started slow this spring. However, after a 16-for-45 (.356) stretch, to go along with his amazing speed both on the bases and in the outfield, Fowler showed the team enough to beat out Scott Podsednik for a roster spot. Although it appears the Rockies' outfield is set with Seth Smith in left, Ryan Spilborghs in center and Brad Hawpe in right, Hurdle says he's going to use Fowler "regularly." This may mean that the left-handed hitting Smith might be sitting against lefties, as Fowler is a switch-hitter, and if Fowler does well in that capacity, perhaps he starts seeing action against right-handed pitching as well.

Posted by Eric Karabell, ESPN.com

Sometimes a minor trade occurs in the final days of spring training and it gets buried because the names aren't interesting to fantasy owners. So it is that we report the Braves traded Josh Anderson to the Tigers on Monday for Rudy Darrow. Ho hum, right?

Well, while Anderson is no longer on my sleeper list because his playing time is likely to take a hit in a star-studded Detroit outfield, this is actually big news in fantasy: The Braves appear willing to let prospect Jordan Schafer start the season in center field. No Anderson, no Gregor Blanco, it's time for Schafer to get his chance, and that is very interesting for fantasy.

Schafer was someone fantasy owners started to watch a season ago, but that season went awry with a 50-game suspension for testing positive for human growth hormone. Schafer hit and ran enough after a slow start with Double-A Mississippi to stay on the fantasy radar, and this spring he's hitting .373. He's already major league-ready defensively, but how much will he help owners this season? I don't think he's on the level of Cameron Maybin just yet, maybe not even Colby Rasmus (who now might not make the Cardinals after all) for sheer cumulative numbers in home runs and steals, but Schafer is an upgrade fantasy-wise over Anderson and Blanco, a potential top-50 outfielder and borderline draftable in mixed leagues right now. And I also like this move for middle infielders Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar. It's assumed each will hit in the top two lineup spots now, whereas with Anderson around, one of them was in danger of hitting low in the lineup. Schafer, a lefty hitter who hasn't proven he can hit lefty pitchers, is likely to hit seventh or eighth. The Braves need outfield production in 2009, just one season after getting arguably the worst numbers from its outfield in the majors, and Schafer does have upside.

As for the Tigers, Anderson gives them a bona fide backup center fielder in case something befalls Curtis Granderson, a guy who can play all three outfield spots, a left-handed hitter and someone who can also steal a base. That said, despite moving quickly through the Houston chain before bring traded to Atlanta for Oscar Villarreal in November 2007, Anderson has never been viewed as a top prospect like Schafer was. He's merely a backup. Detroit is counting on Carlos Guillen, Granderson and Magglio Ordonez for big numbers, but Guillen is hardly durable, and current fourth outfielder Marcus Thames is an all-or-nothing power bat and not a strong fielder. The team released Gary Sheffield on Tuesday (more on that below) to make room for Anderson, but we do wonder if this means Clete Thomas, Ryan Raburn and possibly Brent Clevlen won't make the team. Anderson should end up with around 300 at-bats this season, and he could steal 15-20 bases and hit for a decent average. Consider him a decent dollar pick in AL-only formats.

As for Darrow, I'm surprised the emerging sidearmer was dealt with the Tigers' bullpen being such a mess right now. Joel Zumaya is on the DL, Fernando Rodney and Brandon Lyon have been ineffective this spring, and the other relievers the team is likely to keep are either unproven (Ryan Perry, Eddie Bonine) or past their prime (Scott Williamson, Juan Rincon). The Braves won't need the sinkerballer Darrow on their major league roster let alone anywhere near the back end of the bullpen, so in terms of fantasy value, Darrow probably lost an opportunity leaving an ugly bullpen for a decent one.

• As for Sheffield's release, I can't say it's a big surprise. The guy did hit only .225 a season ago, and he's 40 years old. It is stunning the Tigers would eat $14 million, though. I think some team will sign Sheffield on the cheap, but fantasy owners should note the potential for 20 homers isn't worth the bad batting average. He might be done helping mixed-league owners.

• I'm normally a cautious fantasy drafter, often eschewing hitters with low on-base percentages because I feel it limits their upside in other categories. As a result, many readers and listeners, and even those in the Bristol office, have been surprised to see me heavily touting second-year middle infielder Alexei Ramirez. He easily made my top 50, and I'm expecting big things from him in 2009. Of course, the knee injury Ramirez suffered when he slid into home plate Monday could change all that. For now, we have to hope Ramirez simply cut his knee and did no other damage, but we'll keep an eye on this.

• In other news from White Sox camp, the team released Jerry Owens. No, he's not necessarily headed to Triple-A, he's just gone. Owens entered camp as the leading contender to lead off and play center field, and that combination, along with his blazing speed, surely enticed fantasy owners. This guy could steal 50 bases even with a .300 on-base percentage. A month into spring training he still couldn't hit a lick, and manager Ozzie Guillen realized Owens wasn't his man. Look for Owens to find work elsewhere -- the Reds seem to always target players like this -- but his fantasy value is nearly gone. Dewayne Wise and Brian Anderson will platoon in center field, and neither are overly interesting in fantasy, although we should note Wise was a perfect 9-for-9 in steal chances with the big club, in only 57 games.

• The Phillies ended speculation about who will pitch Opening Night against the Braves -- remember, it's this Sunday on ESPN and ESPN Radio -- by officially ruling out Cole Hamels. Instead, the lefty will pitch the day before in an exhibition game against Tampa Bay. Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee says he's encouraged about the progress Hamels and his elbow have made, and targets April 10 for his first start. Regardless, fantasy owners should not be concerned; very few pitchers make every single start in a season, and even last year Hamels made "only" 33. Brett Myers is expected to start Sunday. If you own Hamels, you don't want him pushed too hard. You want better numbers in 30 starts, not a chance for 34 starts and an elbow injury.

• The news on John Lackey of the Angels is worse, though. The team used the teasing word encouraged to describe the latest MRI results on Lackey's right elbow, but there remains inflammation, and the best-case scenario has the right-hander returning in late April or early May. Fantasy owners should act more cautiously with Lackey; that's a month of starts, and he had a similar injury that cost him even more time in 2008.

• The Cardinals still haven't made it official that Jason Motte is the team's closer, but now we have some closure that it won't be Chris Perez, at least not initially after he was sent to Triple-A Memphis. Perez, the team's first-round pick in 2006 and still likely the closer of the future, could still get his chance in the majors this season, but it's now Motte's job to lose, and there are no indications he's going to lose it. He's not a top-20 closer yet, but with his stuff, all he needs is experience, and he'll get there soon.

• Yes, that was me saying "I would never draft Rich Harden" on the Baseball Tonight Fantasy Special last week, and I stick by the comment. On Monday, Harden threw 4 2/3 messy innings against the Royals, allowing three home runs and five earned runs. Harden hadn't pitched in more than two weeks after suffering food poisoning. It's always something with this guy. Harden pronounced himself ready to go. We'll see him again in spring training at least once, as he's not scheduled to pitch in the regular season until April 10. I'm skeptical that he'll make 20 starts in 2009, though I'm sure they will be really good ones.

• Will Ohman finally found work Monday, waiting until the final week of spring training to sign his below-market contract with the Dodgers. Ohman has no fantasy value, but now that Joe Torre has another lefty, more of a one-out guy to work with (like Joe Beimel a year ago), it could signal Hong-Chih Kuo is the next in line for saves if Jonathan Broxton struggles. Many teams are reluctant to use their lone lefty to close games, preferring to spot them in key spots in the seventh or eighth innings. Now that Ohman can do that, Kuo is freed up for work later in games.

• I haven't seen many official lineups announced recently, but they're coming. Mets manager Jerry Manuel tipped his hand Monday, saying left fielder Danny Murphy was going to hit second in the order, between Jose Reyes and David Wright. Murphy bats left-handed and will surely see better pitches in the No. 2 spot, as opposed to the No. 8 spot, where Luis Castillo is rightfully buried. It's tough to be high on Castillo, and this move doesn't help. Murphy, however, could be a real breakout performer, a double-double guy with strong plate discipline.

• The Indians placed corner outfielder Dave Dellucci on the 15-day DL because of a strained right calf, clearing the way for prospect Trevor Crowe to make his major league debut. Crowe has slipped quite a bit in prospect rankings, as the former first-round pick hasn't hit much in the minors. But he is 6-for-6 in stolen bases this spring, and the Indians might not have the longest leash with starting corner outfielders Shin-Soo Choo and Ben Francisco.

• When an office worker gets carpal tunnel syndrome, it's certainly not fun, but they're not throwing 90-mph fastballs a thousand-plus times a season. Many fantasy owners probably have carpal tunnel syndrome, but how many major league pitchers do? Few hurlers can produce nasty pitching lines like Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo, who managed to allow 14 hits and 10 runs in 4 2/3 innings Sunday, in a spring game! Arroyo now blames his poor spring performance on carpal tunnel, which could lead to a DL stint. Must be typing too much. Speaking of which, time for me to stop typing.

Posted by Jason Grey, ESPN.com

• Yankees manager Joe Girardi announced that Brett Gardner has won the center-field competition over Melky Cabrera, and this is a significant fantasy development given Gardner's speed and stolen base potential. He went 13-of-14 in stolen base attempts in just 127 at-bats last season, and has averaged 49 steals per year in his past three seasons of pro ball. He has some on-base ability, and though he won't hit for any pop, Gardner has the potential to be the kind of fantasy contributor like Scott Podsednik was, back when he was playing every day from 2003 to 2006.

As for Cabrera, he'll remain on the roster as a reserve outfielder, with Nick Swisher also around to grab some at-bats. Even playing five times per week, Gardner has the potential to have some mixed-league value if you're desperate for speed, though you might want to be cautious about deploying him in head-to-head leagues.

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• Eric Chavez, who has been out for much of the spring while dealing with his surgically repaired shoulder, is expected to play Monday, which would be the first time this spring that he has played in consecutive games. If things go well this week, he could be on the roster when the season opens. Of course, how many at-bats he's going to be able to take before inevitably winding up on the disabled list again is a complete wild card given his checkered injury history, but if he's healthy it means Daric Barton likely will start the season at Triple-A.

• Dustin McGowan continues to have discomfort in his own surgically repaired shoulder, and the team Web site quoted manager Cito Gaston as saying, "I don't know when he's going to come back, I really don't. I'm not sure if he's going to come back at all this year." With McGowan still experiencing pain, it's probably safe to remove him from your draft lists in AL leagues.

The Jays are also not expecting Casey Janssen, who was penciled in for one of their rotation spots, to be ready before May, as his progress has slowed from a shoulder injury. He's still just throwing lightly off flat ground.

• Stephen Drew's strained abdomen apparently was not too serious, as he returned to action Sunday and had two hits. He should be all set for the start of the season if there are no setbacks this week.

• The Indians' team Web site reports that Victor Martinez will catch anywhere from 90 to 130 games this season, and play first or DH the rest of the time. The bottom line is he will be in the lineup on most days somewhere. What this means is Kelly Shoppach most likely will catch two of out of every five days. At the very least, he will be the personal catcher for Cliff Lee. As expected, Martinez will cut into a good chunk of Ryan Garko's and Travis Hafner's potential playing time.

• The Mariners sent Jeff Clement back to Triple-A to work on his defense; the signing of Ken Griffey hurt Clement's chances of seeing time at DH. Rob Johnson will back up Kenji Johjima for the time being. It's possible Clement may be down for only a month or two, waiting for an injury to open up a spot, but given his defensive woes and his two previous knee surgeries, another position may be in his future.

• Matt Lindstrom threw a successful bullpen session Sunday as he recovers from his WBC shoulder injury, and he's expected to face live hitters Tuesday. If all goes well, he'll be on track to be the Marlins' closer on Opening Day, but he's being kept out of games in case the team needs to backdate a short stint on the disabled list.

• The Tigers put both Joel Zumaya (shoulder) and Dontrelle Willis (anxiety disorder) on the disabled list, and don't have a timetable for either to return.

• Though Max Scherzer technically will start the year on the disabled list, it's just a procedural move. He will remain in extended spring training to get ready for his first start on April 14, but set to begin the season.

• Manager Ken Macha put Carlos Villanueva back in the running to close games for the Brewers while Trevor Hoffman is out, after Villanueva pitched better in recent weeks. He also mentioned Todd Coffey as a consideration. Hoffman played catch Sunday and is still expected to miss the first couple of weeks. For now, expect a couple of early saves out of Villanueva.

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• Kelvim Escobar was touching 94 mph in a minor league game this weekend in his comeback from shoulder surgery, and the Angels are hopeful they can plug him into their depleted rotation in May. Don't forget about him in AL-only leagues, as he should be available in the endgame.

• Pirates GM Neal Huntington told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Andrew McCutchen is "making it tough" to send him back to Triple-A to start the season, but reiterated that Nyjer Morgan is the starting left fielder. McCutchen was eventually reassigned to the minors Sunday. Despite that news, Morgan's hold on that position is extremely tenuous, and he can't afford a slow April.

• Though it is not official yet, it appears that Micah Owings will start the year as the Reds' No. 5 starter, with Homer Bailey a part of the bullpen. Owings will have to get off to a good start to keep his role, but he could be a deep sleeper in NL formats.

• Franklin Morales is another deep sleeper for NL formats, especially as it appears he won the Rockies' fifth-starter job by default Sunday when Greg Smith left his spring start with the proverbial "dead arm." That said, the Rockies' schedule gives them three days off in early April, so they won't need a fifth starter for much of the month.

• Cha Seung Baek left his Sunday start with a forearm strain, putting his first scheduled start of the season, on April 8, in jeopardy. By all accounts, the strain appears to be mild, so he may just wind up missing one outing at the beginning of the season. Baek is an endgame play in NL leagues given his repertoire and favorable home park, but has to show he can be durable enough to take the ball every fifth day.

• With the Padres trading Chris Burke to the Mariners on Sunday, it means Rule 5 pick Everth Cabrera will make the club in a reserve role, and his speed (73 steals last season), makes him worth a spot on NL-only reserve lists. He's going to have to show that big league pitchers can't knock the bat out of his hands, but his wheels and glove are assets.

Posted by AJ Mass, ESPN.com

Lou Piniella apparently has gotten tired of holding that second shoe, since he's been keeping it aloft all spring. Based solely on spring performances, it was clear that Kevin Gregg had done enough to win the closer's job in Chicago. For one thing, he was there in front of the manager's eyes, throwing 8 1/3 shutout innings in nine appearances for the Cubs, while Carlos Marmol struggled for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. Still, Piniella declined to give Gregg the job outright, continuing to hold out hope that Marmol would come around. Finally, though, on Sunday, Piniella made the call we all expected, as the Chicago Tribune reports that Gregg has been named the Cubs' closer.

Marmol certainly has struggled this spring, with a 4.50 ERA and five hit batters in eight innings with the Cubs. However, Piniella definitely had reason to be confident in Marmol. He had a 2.68 ERA in 82 appearances for the Cubs last season, including seven saves to go along with 114 strikeouts. He was also incredibly effective against the first batter he faced, a key asset for any potential closer. The combined on-base percentage for the first hitter to face Marmol in a game for the season was a mere .185.

Now Gregg has saved 61 games over the past two seasons, but that was in Florida, and it's always difficult to expect a manager to have confidence in a pitcher he hasn't seen day in, day out. That's why the hesitation to name him the closer wasn't surprising. And there is some reason for concern. Gregg's OBP for the first batter to face him last season was .278 and he isn't exactly a strikeout machine, with only 58 K's in 68 1/3 innings in 2008.

Still, Gregg has the closer's job for the time being and Marmol does not, meaning that Marmol's current place as the No. 12 overall relief pitcher (ADP: 123.4) is due for a huge and immediate decline. Likewise, Gregg should find himself far higher than No. 31 (ADP: 219.3) very quickly. But remember, folks, that it isn't even April yet, and the tide can change very quickly. If you've already drafted Marmol, there's no need to throw him back into the free-agent pool just yet. He may well end up the Cubs' closer at some point this season, and could find himself reaching double digits in saves even if Gregg has a lot of success in the position.

Meanwhile, in Seattle, Brandon Morrow told the Seattle Times that he is the team's closer; today, tomorrow, and for the foreseeable future. Now the team and manager Don Wakamatsu have yet to confirm this bit of breaking news, but the fact the Mariners released closer candidate Tyler Walker certainly doesn't do anything to contradict Morrow's view. Morrow said a permanent move to the pen, and away from a potential spot in the starting rotation, was his idea. "Once they traded J.J., I thought, I kept going back and forth and back and forth,'' he told the Seattle Times. "Two or three weeks before I came to them with it, it's really kind of been just weighing on me. I just felt like a big relief when I went back to the bullpen because I feel that's like my home now. I've been there two years and I don't know if I could go back.'' This news, if it proves to be true, will certainly benefit the likes of Ryan Rowland-Smith, who will probably get the starter's spot many felt belonged to Morrow and effectively kills any fantasy value that relievers Miguel Batista, Roy Corcoran, or the injured Chad Cordero might have had. After all, if the Mariners go with Brandon today, come the summer, they're certainly going to continue to go to Morrow.

Posted by A.J. Mass, ESPN.com

The news keeps getting worse for the Angels. The L.A. Times reports that John Lackey is expected to start the season on the disabled list. Manager Mike Scioscia told the paper that "right now, it's definitely unlikely" Lackey will be ready to pitch the April 6 season opener against Oakland. An MRI showed inflammation in Lackey's throwing elbow and with the starting rotation already depleted because of injuries to Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar, this was probably the last thing that the team needed to hear.

The missing trio, and their combined 252 career wins, were supposed to anchor one of the deepest staffs in the league, but now Joe Saunders and Jered Weaver will be joined in the rotation by the likes of Dustin Moseley and his 5.52 career ERA, the inexperienced Nick Adenhart, who didn't make it out of the sixth inning in any of his three May starts last season, and Shane Loux who last started a game in the big leagues back in 2003. For his part, Scioscia is trying to put a positive spin on things: "We have starting pitching depth, but right now we're stretching it as far as we're comfortable with," Scioscia told the Times. "But we're very comfortable with the way Adenhart is throwing, the way Loux has been throwing, and Moseley is reaching his projected talent level -- he's throwing the ball as well as he has in his life. Obviously, any rotation without Lackey, Santana and Escobar is not going to be as strong, but we have confidence these guys are going to give us a chance to win."

Still, this latest development has to give all fantasy owners pause before selecting one of the Angels' injury-ravaged trio; certainly Lackey will no longer be given No. 1 starter status in ESPN standard drafts, and with such a hit to the starting pitching as a whole Brian Fuentes' value as closer is also sure to plummet, as those save situations, at least for April, should be few and far between. I think it might be time for the Angels to give Pedro Martinez a call. After his strong performance with the Dominican Republic team in the World Baseball Classic, several teams expressed interest in the veteran, but few have as dire a situation as the Angels … and the Angels' situation is dire, especially after Shane Loux's performance on Friday -- he allowed seven earned runs in only four innings against Arizona. If Loux doesn't do much better in his next start -- Wednesday in the spring finale against the Rangers -- Fern Cuza (Pedro's agent) had best be waiting by the phone.

Posted by Christopher Harris, ESPN.com

• The Braves announced that starting pitching phenom Tommy Hanson won't make the major league club, reassigning him to Triple-A. Considering Hanson has thrown 98 innings above Class A, this wasn't completely unexpected, but the young righty did post a 2.45 ERA and fan 14 batters in 14 2/3 innings in four spring appearances. As the Rays are doing with David Price, the Braves might simply be trying to limit Hanson's major league service time; if they bring him up in late May, Hanson (and Price) will avoid becoming Super-Two players, and thus have their arbitration eligibility delayed a year. Now, the Rays avoided this issue with Evan Longoria in '08 (after they sent him down at the beginning of April) by signing him to a six-year deal with three club-option years, so he's under Tampa's control until he's 31. But that hasn't happened (yet) with Price or Hanson, which leads me to believe we won't see either guy in the first third of the season.

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• The Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles will send catching prospect Matt Wieters to the minors Monday. The 22-year-old prospect has hit .343 so far this spring, but these demotions of stud prospects are less about whether the team can get help from a player right away and more about saving a year of eligibility. Gregg Zaun will be Baltimore's catcher to begin the year, and Wieters likely will come to the majors in late May.

• There was lineup news out of the Bronx on Thursday, as Joe Girardi has decided to flip-flop Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter in the Yankees' order. Jeter will now be the leadoff hitter, while Damon will hit No. 2. Newsday reports that Girardi "likes the way Damon has looked" while hitting second this spring, which encouraged him to make the change. The newspaper also speculates that this could mean Brett Gardner is ahead of Melky Cabrera for the Yankees' center-field gig: If Gardner hits ninth, moving Damon to second would split up the two left-handed hitters in the order. Fantasy-wise, this could mean a slight runs bump for Jeter, but those who interpret this as an indication that the shortstop will steal more bases are probably mistaken. After thieving just 15 and 11 bags the past two years, that part of Jeter's game seems to be on the serious wane.

• Charlie Manuel told The Philadelphia Inquirer that his Opening Day lineup will include both Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz. This had been expected, but in Utley's case, it's still very nice to hear. Whether or not you can still draft Utley as fantasy's best second baseman depends on whether you believe his surgically repaired hip can hold up to six months of pounding. I tend to think he'll have a small drop in production, but that he's elevated himself back to being the No. 1 2B. But I think I'd still be too scared to grab him in the first round of a mixed league.

• The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Brewers management told Ryan Braun not to swing a bat for the next few days because of the strained muscle in his side. Braun told reporters the injury is a "non-issue," and that the team is being overcautious, and that an MRI reportedly showed no significant damage. But Braun has also said that his current injury is related to the one that caused him to struggle through most of last September, so the Brewers' concern seems justified. The team does still expect Braun to be ready to go for Opening Day.

• The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Lou Piniella expects to decide on the Cubs' closer this weekend. He'll be choosing between Carlos Marmol, who struggled in the World Baseball Classic, and Kevin Gregg, who's been relatively unconscious this spring. This is clearly a very important fantasy decision, and I'm guessing Sweet Lou is looking for any excuse to pick Marmol. But Marmol got lit up Thursday night, allowing two runs in an inning. We'll get the official word on this decision before Monday.

• As for another NL closers' battle, the Rockies' Clint Hurdle tells the Denver Post he'll choose between Huston Street and Manny Corpas in the next few days, and that Street has narrowed the gap between the two pitchers with some fine spring outings of late.

• The L.A. Times reports that Brian Fuentes looked better in his Thursday outing, though they didn't discuss whether his velocity actually returned. Angels manager Mike Scioscia still seems adamant that his new closer will be ready to go on Opening Day, though. Fuentes has a stiff back, which bodes poorly for a ton of use this year. I'm treading just a little bit lightly right now when it comes to Fuentes.

• Francisco Cordero had another terrible outing Thursday night, walking two, throwing a wild pitch and allowing three runs in two-thirds of an inning. Like Fuentes, Cordero has had velocity troubles this spring. The Reds don't seem to think their closer is hurt, but he's another guy you need to be wary of right now, if only because he's returning from ankle surgery. If Cordero were to spit the bit early in the year, one assumes Jared Burton or David Weathers would get first crack. If that were the case, I'd certainly like Burton more.

• The L.A. Times reports that Ervin Santana officially will miss the season's first month because of a sprained ligament in his elbow. The good news is that Santana has already begun a throwing program, and, barring a setback, looks likely to avoid surgery. The Angels' rotation is in relatively dire straits right now: Kelvim Escobar probably won't be ready to go at the season's outset, Santana is out and John Lackey has elbow tightness that caused him to miss his most recent scheduled spring start. Joe Saunders and Jered Weaver are fine (so far), and Dustin Moseley seems penciled into the rotation because of Escobar's recovery from shoulder surgery. Now Nick Adenhart and Shane Loux look likely to battle for Santana's rotation spot (Adenhart has the lead there). If Lackey can't go on Opening Day, both of those kids could find themselves in the rotation.

• So much for Justin Duchscherer as my favored sleeper. The Duke's draft value was super-low through all of March because of elbow problems, but in recent weeks he had been making noise about how he felt better, and thought he might even be ready to pitch in the season's first week. Scratch that. The A's official site reports that Duchscherer didn't last an inning Thursday night in a minor league game, and is now virtually certain to start the year on the disabled list. Bob Geren told the San Francisco Chronicle that there's no chance Duchscherer pitches the first week of the regular season, and the paper suggests that "exploratory surgery might be the next step." That isn't good.

• Cole Hamels threw a 48-pitch bullpen session Thursday, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, and reported no pain in his left elbow. He's scheduled to throw 70 pitches against the Red Sox on Saturday.

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• Chad Billingsley, who was scheduled to throw a bit on the side to test his strained groin Thursday, didn't perform that test and was scratched from his next spring start, according to the Dodgers' official site. The team is reportedly still hoping Billingsley will throw a bullpen session Friday.

• The Braves announced that Rafael Soriano might begin the year on the disabled list because of a strained muscle in his side. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Braves aren't exactly sure of the extent of Soriano's injury, which occurred Tuesday, so there's a chance he'll be OK to go to start the year. But it sounds as though they're bracing for the worst from their primary setup man.

• No need to worry about Torii Hunter's face, which was struck by a batted ball that bounced off the center-field wall and smacked his nose. Hunter returned to the Angels' lineup Thursday night and drilled two homers.

Posted by AJ Mass, ESPN.com

In the course of just a few months, David Price has gone from a legendary playoff hero to a member of the Triple-A Durham Bulls. When the move in which the Tampa Bay Rays sent David Price down to the minors came across the transaction wire Wednesday, no doubt many fantasy owners had to read and reread the announcement so that it could sink in, since it seemingly came out of nowhere. After all, Price currently has an ADP of 166.1, making him a No. 4 starter on fantasy staffs in mixed leagues, and now he won't even be the No. 5 starter for the Rays in April.

So what happened? After Price's last scheduled start was rained out, the writing was clearly on the wall. Manager Joe Maddon told the New York Times that, simply put, Price needs a bit more work in order to make it in the big leagues as a starter. "Everybody saw him on the big stage last year pitching in brief spurts as a relief pitcher," Maddon said. "He's going to be a starter with us, and there's a difference with that. If you look at his track record in the minor leagues, he has done well, but a lot of high pitch counts after four or five innings, etc. We don't want that to be a part of his game."

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The added benefit of the demotion, from the Rays' perspective, is taking the "Joba Rules" approach with their young phenom-in-waiting. Maddon told the Tampa Tribune that starting Price in the minors will make it easier for the Rays to limit his innings, keeping him under wraps in the hope that he can join the Rays later in the season and be fresh enough to lead them into the postseason again. That means if you've got a solid staff and can avoid injuries, he's still worth snagging to keep on your bench until he's ready, a la Matt Wieters.

Of course, the problem is this means that the No. 5 starter will be either Jason Hammel or Jeff Niemann, both of whom have struggled to show much consistency this camp. Hammel has a 4.95 ERA this spring, while Niemann lowered his ERA to 6.32 with a decent outing against the Pirates on Wednesday. Neither pitcher has much fantasy value since it's clear they're just going to be keeping the spot in the rotation warm for Price, but it makes you wonder if this "protect Price" plan will be worth it if the Rays end up missing out on the playoffs because Niemann goes 0-for-April and May while Price counts his pitches in North Carolina and waits for the call.

• Ryan Braun left Wednesday's game against the Dodgers after walking twice in two trips to the plate, and not swinging the bat at all. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Braun had some "right-side stiffness" which may indicate that the Brewers' slugger might still be feeling the effects of the injury he exacerbated while playing in the World Baseball Classic. Braun, for his part, was optimistic: "I'm OK. They know it's not 100 percent, but I wanted to get some at-bats." However, the team will likely not take Braun's word for it, so don't be surprised if you hear that an MRI and further tests are being done.

• John Smoltz threw off the mound in a bullpen session, marking his first "action" as a member of the Boston Red Sox. Smoltz's shoulder seemed no worse for the wear after his first 40-pitch session throwing to a crouching catcher, though he was taken by how surprisingly weird the experience was. "I can't explain the awkwardness. I didn't think it would be that awkward," Smoltz told the Boston Globe. "I've been doing this for a long time, but it was awkward. But, I've not gone that long without being on the mound." Awkward or not, Terry Francona viewed it as a huge positive step and says the target date of June 1 for Smoltz' first appearance hasn't changed.

• Shawn Hill, who was signed by the Padres after being released by the Nationals (in what was likely a cost-cutting move, and not a reflection of his ability), will be on the mound Friday against the A's. While Hill may eventually be an asset to San Diego in the rotation, it's far more likely that Hill will start the season in a different capacity. As Bud Black put it on the team's Web site, "It might be a little unlikely he can help us as a starting pitcher [initially]. In the bullpen ... possibly." That's not exactly a ringing endorsement, so perhaps it's best for you to leave Hill to the waiver wire.

• Remember when Jason Marquis was a hot fantasy commodity after going 15-7 for the Cardinals in 2004? Anyone? Bueller? Over the past few seasons, pitchers like Aaron Cook and Ubaldo Jimenez have had enough success that the old adage of "avoid Rockies pitching" was becoming completely passé. Enter Marquis, who entered this spring penciled in as the Rockies' No. 3 starter. After an incredibly ugly outing in which he gave up 12 runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Angels, his ERA is now 14.14, and yet, he's still probably the best option in camp -- better than Jorge De La Rosa and Franklin Morales, at least, both of whom have been nearly as ineffective. Yet all three may well end up in the rotation come Opening Day. You know what? With all apologies to Cook and Jimenez ... avoid Rockies pitching!

• The Tigers are hoping they can get through this last week of spring games without any further incidents. First, Adam Everett sprained his ankle on the first play of the game Wednesday, sliding hard into second base. Everett limped off the field without assistance but will likely sit out several games, so the Tigers may actually break camp without having played a game in March with their complete Opening Day lineup intact. (Curtis Granderson, Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Guillen and Miguel Cabrera were gone all month due to the WBC.) Then, Nate Robertson got hit with a throw on his left thumb trying to convert a double play. While the Detroit Free Press reports that the injury was also just a sprain, it likely means that Robertson will not be able to make his next scheduled start. This could be the "break" that Tigers top prospect Rick Porcello needs to beat out both Robertson and Dontrelle Willis for the final spot in the Tigers' rotation.

• Meanwhile, the White Sox might be looking at a far more experienced rotation than they could have hoped for. Bartolo Colon pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings against the A's, walking no batters in the process. Ozzie Guillen & Co. were thrilled that Colon topped 90 mph on the radar gun for the first time all spring, but that wasn't the best news. As Guillen told the Chicago Tribune, "One thing about it is when he wanted to put something on the ball, he wasn't high. When he tried to reach, the ball was around the plate. That's more important." Colon is scheduled for one more start Monday, and if all goes well, he just might replace Clayton Richard in the rotation out of the gate. Between Colon and the return of Jose Contreras, the White Sox would have the experience of 465 career starts at the back of their rotation. That's a huge increase from the start of the spring, when Richard, Jeff Marquez and Lance Broadway (and their combined 10 big league starts) were the leading candidates for those spots.

Posted by Tristan H. Cockcroft, ESPN.com

Chad Billingsley owners -- or those planning to target him in upcoming drafts -- you can stop holding your breath now. The right-hander, who left Monday's game with a strained right groin muscle, apparently won't miss significant time, pushing back his between-starts bullpen session only by a day or two. In fact, he told the Dodgers' official Web site on Tuesday that the injury is similar to one that bothered him early last spring.

"I did it the first day we threw to hitters," said Billingsley. "I took three days' treatment, did a touch-and-feel [bullpen session], two days off and then a simulated game. This seems the same, so we'll treat it and get back on schedule."

Billingsley remains scheduled to start the third game of the regular season for the Dodgers. With news that the injury is minor, he can be drafted confidently as a top-20 starter. In fact, it wouldn't shock me if a healthy Billingsley could contend for top-10 status; he won 16 of his final 28 starts with a 2.75 ERA and 1.28 WHIP.

• The news on Cole Hamels was positive as well, as the left-hander tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings in a minor league game Tuesday, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out five. But more importantly, he reported no pain, tightness or swelling in his elbow, according to the Phillies' official Web site, and remains on schedule to make his first start of the season April 10 at Colorado. Hamels said Tuesday that the anti-inflammatory injection he received March 17 has cured his elbow woes, so fantasy owners can apparently resume regarding him as a top-10 fantasy starting pitcher.

• Shairon Martis, whom you might recognize as the guy who threw a no-hitter for the Netherlands in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, tossed six shutout innings of three-hit baseball Tuesday, retiring seven of the final eight batters he faced. According to the Nationals' official Web site, that has him in the thick of the rotation race in Washington, battling rookie Jordan Zimmermann and sophomore Collin Balester for the final two spots. Zimmermann has pitched effectively enough to probably land one of those two, perhaps the No. 4 role, meaning Martis might be the fifth starter the first time the team needs one April 19. NL-only owners might find a little matchups value in Martis, but Balester, looking like a cut candidate, is no longer sleeper-worthy.

• More rotation news: The Indians reassigned Jeremy Sowers to their minor league camp Tuesday, making it almost certain that Scott Lewis will begin the year as their fifth starter, according to the team's official Web site. Anthony Reyes will be Cleveland's No. 4 starter. Both pitchers have a decent amount of AL-only sleeper appeal, with Reyes almost a fringe mixed-league pick, at least in those formats 12-plus teams deep.

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• Turning our attention to the Orioles' rotation, the team removed David Pauley from consideration Tuesday, narrowing the field for the final three spots to six candidates: Danys Baez, Brian Bass, Adam Eaton, Mark Hendrickson, Hayden Penn and Alfredo Simon. Unfortunately, none of those names is appealing from a fantasy perspective, but the relevance here: Rich Hill, the most sleeper-worthy on the original list of candidates, is no longer in the mix because the soreness in his elbow is likely to land him on the disabled list.

• By the way, fellow Orioles starter Koji Uehara struck out seven batters while allowing one run on three hits in 3 2/3 innings Tuesday in his first start since returning from a strained left hamstring. He should be back on track to serve as the team's No. 2 starter, though the adjustment to the U.S. game, coupled with his having to face the loaded American League East lineups of the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees, makes him a risky bet for consistency in fantasy. He's more an AL-only or matchups type than a mixed-league value.

• Wandy Rodriguez marked a successful return from a fingernail issue by pitching four shutout innings Tuesday without any lingering effects, according to the Astros' official Web site. He allowed just two hits and two walks in his longest outing of the spring, and was able to throw his curveball without any issues. Rodriguez might have his next start moved up by a day to Saturday in order to be ready for opening week, but the Astros could also play things conservatively and use him as their "fifth starter." Fantasy owners can treat him as a decent late-round mixed selection, as he seemed to even out his dominant-at-home, terrible-on-the-road trend in a surprisingly decent 2008.

• Michael Young suffered a setback in his first game back from a tight left quadriceps, leaving Tuesday's game after one inning when he aggravated the muscle, according to the Rangers' official Web site. His status remains day-to-day, but it's cutting into a bit of a spring hot streak for him: He has eight hits in his past 12 at-bats. Young should be fine by Opening Day, but his status bears watching the next few days, as he needs as much time as he can get adjusting to his new position of third base.

• Matt Lindstrom, who is working his way back from a rotator-cuff strain, has resumed throwing on flat ground. However, the Marlins' official Web site reports that he's questionable to be ready by Opening Day. He will pitch off the mound for five minutes on Friday and then face batters in batting practice if all goes well, but won't return to a Grapefruit League game until at least a week from now. With Lindstrom's status up in the air, the team's Web site notes that Leo Nunez is the clear front-runner to close in Florida on Opening Day. Logan Kensing is in the mix for a set-up role.

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• It didn't take long for Manny Ramirez to get his swing back. He homered and flied out to the warning track Tuesday in his second game back from a strained hamstring, and plans to return to his traditional position of left field Wednesday, reports the Dodgers' official Web site. It appears Ramirez should be fine well in advance of Opening Day.

• Brandon Morrow pitched an inning Tuesday in his return from a forearm injury, and the Everett Daily Herald reports that the right-hander declared the outing a success. He served up a home run in the outing, but was pleased with his fastball command and his breaking ball. Morrow won't have enough time to get his workload up to the point where he'll be in the opening-week rotation, so he'll presumably begin the year on a minor league rehabilitation assignment if he's not switched to the bullpen. The Daily Herald suggests, though, that Morrow will still be groomed to start, so draft him expecting that.

• Braves prospect Tommy Hanson threw five no-hit innings against minor leaguers in an intrasquad game Tuesday, according to the team's official Web site. He threw first-pitch strikes to 15 of 21 hitters and struck out eight, but remains on track to begin the season in Triple-A ball. Coming off a standout spring and rating as the team's top pitching prospect, though, Hanson should be one of the first players recalled if there's an opening in Atlanta's rotation. He's a prime keeper-league prospect and an NL-only sleeper.

Posted by Eric Karabell, ESPN.com

• Tigers relief pitcher Joel Zumaya threw off a mound Monday, his first time doing so in three weeks since dealing with a sore shoulder and muscle cramps. Zumaya's throwing session lasted about five minutes, and he's scheduled to have more extensive sessions in the coming days. Tigers manager Jim Leyland remains skeptical Zumaya will be on the team's active roster when the season opens. However, after seeing incumbent closer Brandon Lyon serve up not one, not two, not three, but four home runs in the sixth inning against the Red Sox on Monday, Leyland might aim to accelerate Zumaya's recovery. Fernando Rodney wasn't much better than Lyon, as he allowed three runs in his one inning of work Monday.

• In that same Red Sox-Tigers game, a hurler who fared much better was former Dodger Brad Penny. His Grapefruit League debut with Boston was a success, as he needed only 33 pitches to breeze through three hitless innings. Penny and John Smoltz aren't expected to be on the team's Opening Day roster, but each could be smart dollar choices late in auction drafts.

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• Speaking of the Red Sox, current or otherwise, those who have already drafted former slugger Manny Ramirez have dealt with bigger question marks this offseason than his recent hamstring injury, but it was a good sign to see the slugger hitting Monday. Ramirez went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts as the Dodgers designated hitter, claiming he was running at about 60 or 70 percent. Ramirez is scheduled to DH Tuesday against the Mariners as well.

• The Angels don't have anyone like Manny, but they also got good news Monday about someone who could play a major role. Kelvim Escobar won 18 games in 2007, then missed all of last season with a torn labrum in his shoulder. He retired four hitters in a minor league appearance, and manager Mike Scioscia was impressed by his velocity. Escobar is one of those late picks in AL-only leagues who could really help fantasy owners.

• Cardinals manager Tony La Russa confirmed Monday that third baseman Troy Glaus would not appear in a spring training game as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery. Glaus was hoping to play in March and come off the DL in mid-April, but now the Cardinals are targeting early-to-mid May as more realistic. Glaus hasn't had any setbacks, but isn't progressing as quickly as the team would prefer. I view him a bit like I do Alex Rodriguez in that he shouldn't be discounted in drafts too much, since he can be productive in his four-plus months of action. In the meantime, David Freese and Joe Mather remain the top options to replace Glaus early in the season, although neither looks appealing in standard fantasy leagues.

• In better Cardinals news, starter Chris Carpenter tossed a spring-best 76 pitches against the Nationals on Monday, and his ERA remains a pristine Blutarski-like 0.00. Carpenter did allow a pair of unearned runs, but otherwise his five innings were spotless, with three hits allowed, no walks and six strikeouts. Carpenter is being drafted in most ESPN leagues at this point, but he's quickly becoming more than merely a sleeper, and instead someone to depend on.

• The Cardinals news just never stops: Young reliever Chris Perez threw 25 pitches in a bullpen session, and reported no pain in his balky shoulder. The team didn't announce when Perez would throw again, but it's believed Jason Motte is the leader for April saves anyway.

• It was a bit surprising when the Nationals cut starting pitcher Shawn Hill last week, despite how oft-injured the right-hander had been. Hill has had bouts of success in the past, and well, the pitching-starved Nationals could use the help. Hill ended up signing with the San Diego Padres, another club that clearly needs rotation help. Hill might actually make the rotation out of spring training, since Josh Geer, believed to be the No. 5 starter, was optioned to Triple-A Portland on Monday. The team's fourth starter is Kevin Correia. If Hill can get and stay healthy, he could certainly be effective in spacious Petco Park.

• White Sox hurler Gavin Floyd comes off his breakout season, winning 17 games with a 3.84 ERA after years of never quite making it in Philadelphia, and now he's been rewarded with a four-year contract for $15.5 million. Fantasy owners seem to believe unilaterally last season was a fluke, as his average live draft position is 59th among starting pitchers. Floyd shouldn't be moved up merely because the White Sox locked up a young starter for a reasonable price, but he might remind people he was pretty good and deserves to be drafted higher.

• Those who remember what damage Chris Shelton did in April 2006 also can't forget what a bust he has been pretty much every month after that. Shelton hit 10 home runs and knocked in 20 runs that wonderful month, then added just eight homers and 38 RBIs in the 11 months of regular season play since. On Monday the Mariners decided ancient Mike Sweeney had made the club, likely signaling Shelton's pending exit. Shelton has been one of Seattle's top hitters this spring, slugging .763, but it appears Sweeney will get to help Russell Branyan at first base. In other surprising Mariners news, Endy Chavez is slated to start in left field, with prospect Wladimir Balentien backing him up. Makes no sense at all, but then again, Jeff Clement is headed to the minors, Carlos Silva has a rotation spot and Ken Griffey Jr. will steal at-bats from kids like Balentien.

• Young Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley left his Monday start after two innings with a groin strain, which the team is calling minor. Billingsley had allowed four runs to that point. According to Billingsley, removing him from the game was precautionary, and he remains on track to pitch the third game of the regular season. The fact a pitcher got hurt and can't blame the WBC for it hasn't been mentioned, but I'm sure it's coming.

• Speaking of the WBC, congrats to both Japan and Korea for an exceptional championship game. I don't think fantasy owners learned a whole lot from the tournament, but it was mostly good baseball. Sure, it appeared half of Team USA went down with injury, but I don't think it affects fantasy baseball. Matt Lindstrom is throwing again, and could be ready to close Opening Day. David Wright, Ryan Braun and the right side of the Boston infield will be ready with plenty of time to spare as well. If anything, those who play fantasy in the United States were able to see how good international competition can be. For example, if electric young right-hander Yu Darvish, who won Monday's title game for Japan, decides to become the next Daisuke Matsuzaka and play ball regularly in the U.S., many fantasy owners can say they scouted him once upon a time.

Posted by Jason Grey, ESPN.com

• Trevor Hoffman's strained oblique muscle may not allow him to be ready for the start of the season, as he's not expected to throw for at least another week. Manager Ken Macha has been vocal in his displeasure with the spring performance of Carlos Villanueva and indicated Seth McClung could be a candidate for some early saves if he is not needed in the rotation. Hoffman isn't expected to miss too much time at the start of the season, so don't downgrade him significantly.

• Rays manager Joe Maddon confirmed that after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery and being hit on the hand by a pitch Saturday, B.J. Upton likely will not be ready for the team's opener and should miss the Rays' six-game road trip to start the season. Gabe Kapler likely will start in center field for the first week. The team does not want to play Upton until he's 100 percent healthy, so you'll need to find a replacement for those first games.

• After missing all last season with a shoulder injury, Curt Schilling officially announced his retirement on his blog Monday. During his peak, Schilling was one of the top pitchers in fantasy, thanks to his high strikeout totals, low ERA and WHIP and ability to win plenty of games for good Diamondbacks and Red Sox teams. With this news, you officially can take Schilling off your draft boards.

• It was announced that Chris Getz won the second-base job for the White Sox, but it's not a job he's likely to keep the whole season. Getz profiles more as a utility player, while Gordon Beckham has been very impressive this spring, indicating he could make his big league debut as early as this season. Though Beckham likely will play shortstop in the minors, he could take over the job from Getz at some point this year if he has a strong start at Triple-A.

• Ricky Nolasco looked in midseason form in his latest spring start, working seven innings of the Marlins' combined no-hitter against the Tigers on Sunday, walking one, striking out eight and facing the minimum 21 hitters. There are no questions about Nolasco's ability to repeat his breakout performance of last season. But questions still remain whether he can stay healthy after his workload last season, which came after he missed most of the previous season thanks to an elbow injury that was treated with rehab instead of surgery. If he keeps taking the mound every fifth day, the strong numbers will be there again.

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• James McDonald is making a late push for the Dodgers' fifth-starter job. It was expected that he would begin the season in the bullpen to limit his innings a bit, but none of the other candidates (Claudio Vargas, Eric Milton) has been impressive this spring, opening the door for the 24-year-old. He's an endgame play in NL-only leagues.

• David Price threw four scoreless innings with four strikeouts against the Yankees on Sunday, keeping his name alive to make the final roster. He is expected to start the season in the minors because Jeff Niemann and Jason Hammel are both out of options. However, neither of those two has pitched well lately, and both are the subjects of trade rumors. Have no fear: If Price is sent to Triple-A, he likely won't be there long.

• The chances are increasing that top prospect Rick Porcello could be the fifth starter for the Tigers when the season opens, as manager Jim Leyland ruled out Zach Miner this past weekend, leaving just Nate Robertson and Dontrelle Willis as the other candidates. Both Robertson and Willis have had awful springs; Robertson has looked better in his past two outings, but still has to pitch well during the final two weeks. Regardless, expect Porcello to see a good amount of big league time this season, and his potential demands attention in AL formats, even if they aren't keeper leagues.

• Justin Duchscherer, battling a sore elbow, will throw a bullpen session Monday in the hopes of being able to appear in a minor league game later this week. Considering we've added this problem to the chronic hip issue that has required surgery each of the past two offseasons, we can't expect a significant amount of innings out of Duchscherer this season.

Speaking of the A's rotation, Vin Mazzaro was roughed up again on Sunday, meaning he likely is out of consideration for the open fifth-starter spot as well as Duchscherer's spot for however long he is out. With Gio Gonzalez having been ruled out because of a sore shoulder, top prospects Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill appear to be the leading candidates for the job. Both have pitched well this spring, and both are good enough to make the leap from the low minors and have some fantasy impact. Anderson has more polish and command, so he has a better chance at immediate success, but both should be on your radar screen. They are worthwhile reserve-list plays in mixed leagues if you want to take a chance on some pitching.

• J.D. Drew, who was hit on the hand by a pitch Friday, saw the swelling go down Sunday and hopes to be back in the lineup on Wednesday.

• White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said Brian Anderson will platoon in center field with either Dewayne Wise or Jerry Owens, and that battle will go down to the last days of camp. The winner of that battle of left-handed hitters will get the lion's share of at-bats, and their speed potential will give the winner some quiet value in AL-only play.

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• Mike Napoli finally got back behind the plate, playing five innings in an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday. Stealing bases against him was not allowed, but it was an important step in his recovery from shoulder surgery. He's not likely to be ready for the team's opener, but Angels hope his official return to the squad won't be too long after that. He has been playing long toss and making practice throws to second in full gear.

• The Seattle Times is reporting Jeff Clement could head to Triple-A to get regular at-bats to start the season while the club carries Rob Johnson as the backup catcher temporarily. It would be a surprising move, but the fact remains that Clement could spend a month or two in the minors at the season's outset.

• With both Gaby Sanchez and Dallas McPherson battling injuries, Emilio Bonifacio has been turning some heads at third base for the Marlins, leading the club in at-bats this spring and raising the possibility that Jorge Cantu could be the starting first baseman when the season begins. If that occurs, Bonifacio would start the season across the diamond. Watch this situation closely during the next couple of weeks. Bonifacio has no pop but could hit for a decent average with some speed.

• With David Freese playing in spring games in big league camp again, and Joe Mather in an 0-for-19 slump that has caused him to take a couple of days off to work on his swing, the Cardinals' third-base job for the first month has not been decided just yet.

• Scott Lewis may be the front-runner for the Indians' fifth-starter job after throwing five scoreless innings Friday. He's trying to beat out Jeremy Sowers and Aaron Laffey, and the soft-tossing lefty definitely will be a sleeper in AL leagues if he wins the job. He has the most upside of the three remaining candidates.

Posted by Christopher Harris, ESPN.com

• The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that potential Cardinals closer Chris Perez won't pitch for the next "several days," after the reliever required an arthrogram earlier in the week to figure out why he was having shoulder discomfort. The team claims Perez has an impingement related to tendinitis, which they don't consider serious, but this is the second time Perez has been scratched from throwing in a week. This news, combined with how well Jason Motte has thrown over the past couple of weeks, would appear to put Motte down as the heavy favorite to begin the year getting saves in St. Louis. According to the Post-Dispatch, he's consistently hit 98 mph with his fastball this spring, though his slider reportedly isn't a finished product.

• The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Fausto Carmona was hit in the right forearm by a comebacker in an intrasquad game Thursday. X-rays were taken and were reportedly negative, and the Indians will take another look at Carmona's arm Friday, but are hopeful their pitcher emerged relatively unscathed.

• Chipper Jones told the Braves' Web site that he anticipates returning to action at the beginning of next week. Jones injured an oblique playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, and hasn't seen any action since March 8. The Braves still don't seem to be concerned that Jones could miss any time to start the season.

• Similarly, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Trevor Hoffman doesn't expect to miss the beginning of the season because of his injured oblique. In Hoffman's case, though, the Brewers haven't yet set a timetable for his return.

• And hey, let's go for the injured-oblique update trifecta. Ryan Braun reportedly will try some "light drills" Friday while trying to return from his injured intercostal muscle. Like Jones, Braun hurt himself playing for Team USA, though unlike Jones, Braun is still with the national team, and hopes to be able to play again before the end of the tournament. It's difficult to imagine the Brewers will let that happen, but it does sound like a good sign.

• Let's make it four injured-torso updates! Dustin Pedroia reportedly will return from the strained abdominal muscle he injured while playing for Team USA, and get back in the Red Sox lineup Friday against the Pirates. Pedroia had previously told Boston fans (and, by association, fantasy owners) not to worry too much about his injury, and it appears he was right.

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• The Houston Chronicle reports that Miguel Tejada will receive only probation, and not jail time, for lying to federal prosecutors in a steroid investigation. There didn't seem to be much chance of Tejada missing time this year because of this incident, and that appears to be the case. Draft (or in my case, don't draft) Miggy as you normally would.

• The A's official Web site reports that possible closer-to-be Joey Devine was able to throw a 20-pitch bullpen session Thursday and reported no problems. He hopes to throw one more session Saturday, and if all goes well, could be back in a spring game Monday. He still looks like the choice to open the season as Oakland's fireman.

• Lou Piniella announced Thursday that Sean Marshall will be the Cubs' fifth starter to begin the year, getting the nod over Aaron Heilman, who'll be in the team's bullpen. Marshall is a decent NL-only option. The big lefty posted a 3.86 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP mostly out of Chicago's bullpen last season.

• The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that new Brewers manager Ken Macha is considering occasionally using Jason Kendall as his leadoff man, as he often did when the two men were in Oakland. Kendall probably still won't be of much fantasy use, but guys like Rickie Weeks and/or J.J. Hardy could find their spots near the top of the Brewers' lineup in jeopardy under such conditions.

• Kenshin Kawakami, whom the Braves have penciled into their rotation from the moment they signed him as a free agent from Japan, had to be scratched from his start Thursday night because of "shoulder fatigue," according to the team's official Web site. According to the site, the injury "isn't considered serious," but Kawakami needs to avoid all the setbacks he can. He hasn't looked good yet against big league hitters.

• Scott Rolen, who had to leave Wednesday's spring training game because of a strained back, will attempt to take batting practice Friday. The Blue Jays' official site reports that Cito Gaston hopes Rolen will be able to get back into the lineup this weekend.

• The New York Daily News reports that Mets catcher Brian Schneider is day-to-day with a strained right knee and calf. The New York media had issued all kinds of breathless and troubled reports about Schneider's health potentially being a serious concern, but apparently the Mets don't agree, at least not yet.

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• All those clever souls who've drafted Andruw Jones in AL-only leagues may need to give up the dream early. Rangers GM Jon Daniels told the Dallas Morning News Thursday that Jones looked unlikely to be added to the team's 40-man roster Friday, the day Jones may opt out of his contract if he's not officially with the big club. Jones may yet accept a minor league assignment by the Rangers, but he's almost certainly not going to have any big league gig to start the season.

• Rangers manager Ron Washington told the Morning News that Chris Davis will play first base exclusively this year, with Michael Young playing third. Davis will retain his third base eligibility in fantasy leagues for '09, but don't expect him to keep that eligibility after that.

• In the World Stops Turning Department, Russell Branyan stole two bases for the Mariners on Thursday in a split-squad win over the Padres. Suffice it to say if Branyan reaches that level of steals production for the entire season, his fantasy owners will be very lucky.

• Rick Porcello, the Tigers' bonus baby starting pitcher, was scratched Saturday because of a torn fingernail, but came through a side session fine Thursday, meaning he'll throw in a game Friday against the Yankees. He's never pitched above Class A, but Jim Leyland contends that Porcello is a legitimate candidate to be Detroit's fifth starter. While Jeremy Bonderman did pitch two scoreless innings Thursday, his pitch count per outing in his return from major shoulder surgery is still quite low, and he may yet have to begin the year on the disabled list.

Posted by AJ Mass, ESPN.com

Aaron Boone never has been short on heart as a baseball player, but sadly, his career might be coming to an end as a result of a faulty aortic valve. Boone has left Astros camp and will undergo open heart surgery to repair a condition he has been aware of since his playing days at USC in the early 1990s.

It's not an emergency situation, but as Boone announced Wednesday, "I'll need surgery to correct the problem. Initially, my doctors thought I could delay corrective surgery for some time. But because of some variations in my condition, they are now advising me to deal with the problem sooner rather than later."

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Boone has been little more than a role player over the past three seasons, but the Astros were hoping he'd be able to platoon at third base with Geoff Blum. Now, Chris Johnson, the team's best power-hitting prospect according to Baseball America, will get a chance to stick with the team. But since Johnson is hitting only .231 with one home run and six RBIs so far this spring, general manager Ed Wade has not ruled out the possibility of a trade.

"If we think there's a need at the end [of camp], there's going to be guys available," Wade said. "I got a call today from a club that's got a guy that they want to make available if we have the need."

However, that's an issue for later on. For now, all are wishing Boone a speedy recovery. Although doctors speculate that after this season-ending surgery, he will be able to play baseball again sometime down the line, since he is 36, this might well be the end of his career. "Am I going to recover well enough to play baseball again? Probably. Will I play baseball again? I don't know at this time. We'll cross that bridge when I get there," he said.

• Hanley Ramirez, the current No. 1 overall pick in ESPN live drafts, still is suffering from some rotator cuff tendinitis and has not played since Saturday. Ramirez had spent much of the spring at the World Baseball Classic playing for the Dominican Republic team, which was eliminated by the Netherlands last week. Whether or not Ramirez overdid it during the intense competition is unclear, but for now, the team is convinced this is not something that will linger. "He'll be fine. He should be good to go in a couple of days," Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest told the Palm Beach Post.

• The Red Sox might be rethinking this whole World Baseball Classic concept. First, Dustin Pedroia suffered a minor strain in an abdominal muscle, and now, Kevin Youkilis is on the shelf for Team USA. Youkilis returned to Red Sox camp with an injury to his left ankle. The Boston Globe reports he was checked out by the medical staff and diagnosed with a mild ankle sprain and mild Achilles tendinitis. The infielder had two MRIs on Wednesday, both of which were negative, according to the team. Youkilis hit three home runs in the first two rounds for the United States but now will be a spectator for the remainder of the tournament.

• Mets fans, are you prepared for Livan Hernandez? With Tim Redding expected to begin the season on the disabled list because of a weakened shoulder, it appears Hernandez is leaving the competition for the fifth starter's job in the dust. He pitched five strong innings against the Braves on Wednesday, allowing only one run and lowering his spring ERA to 3.07. Compare that to Freddy Garcia, who was tattooed for five runs in two innings in relief of Hernandez. There still is time until a decision needs to be made, but manager Jerry Manuel certainly has noticed what Hernandez has done so far.

"Well, I tell you what, he was pretty good," Manuel told Newsday. "He has a good presence about him on the mound, in the dugout, and it's like he brings a little different energy for us. So I would have to say that he's put himself in a real good position."

• Rays closer Troy Percival has looked good so far this spring after undergoing offseason back surgery. However, that doesn't mean he's going to be out there in the ninth inning of every close game come April. Manager Joe Maddon told the St. Petersburg Times that he just might have another pitcher in mind for some of those early season save situations.

"I don't want to just get him out there and start pushing him on a daily basis,'' Maddon said. "If we were to get hot and then you've got 3-4 wins in a row that are close situations, that would be counterproductive to get him out there that many days in a row."

So who does Maddon intend to be Percival's understudy? None other than Jason Isringhausen, himself coming off elbow surgery. "If we were able to figure out how to get [Isringhausen] within the mix, then of course you'd be able to bounce it back and forth, and obviously that's been in the back of my mind," Maddon said. Perhaps there's more life left for baseball's Izzie than Izzie on "Grey's Anatomy."

• Nix Jayson Nix from the White Sox's second-base competition. The Chicago Tribune reports Nix re-aggravated his right quad, the same injury that caused him to miss 10 days of action earlier this month. As a result, the White Sox don't think Nix will be ready for Opening Day. That probably seals the deal for Chris Getz to be the starting second baseman and leadoff hitter for the White Sox when the games start to count. Getz is hitting .364 this spring, and Ozzie Guillen told the paper he's impressed with the youngster. "He's swinging the bat good against good pitchers. That's what I need from him, give me good at-bats and the rest of it will take care of itself," Guillen said.

Brent Lillibridge also is in the mix, but his versatility makes him far more valuable as a utility man. The other option is Gordon Beckham, whose chances of making the roster have improved greatly with Nix's injury and the demotion of Dayan Viciedo to Triple-A. Although Beckham probably needs a bit more time in the minors, Guillen has ruled nothing out, since there are several weeks of spring training left. A lot can happen in that time.

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• Joe Torre has declared Hiroki Kuroda will be the Dodgers' Opening Day starter, according to the Los Angeles Times. With the Dodgers having a day off April 7, they won't need a fifth starter for the first two weeks of the season. The expected rotation of Kuroda, Randy Wolf, Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw would line up so that Billingsley would get the start against the Giants on April 13, the Dodgers' home opener.

• The Washington Post reports former Dodger Joe Beimel has signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Nationals. In 2008, the left-hander went 5-1 with a 2.02 ERA in 71 relief appearances for Los Angeles. And although the team says the timing was coincidental, it also cut Shawn Hill. By severing ties with the pitcher now, the team won't have to pay him all the $775,000 he was set to earn. For the past three seasons, Hill was besieged by injury, missing close to 100 days of action with right elbow soreness in 2006, dealing with a strained left elbow in 2007 and undergoing reconstructive right elbow surgery in 2008. Hill looked healthy so far this spring, but you can't blame the Nationals for this move.

As acting general manager Mike Rizzo put it, "We thought the uncertainty of what he's going to bring to us on a daily basis was really the factor behind us releasing him. He's healthy for now, yes, but we don't know how long that is going to be for." It looks like top prospect Jordan Zimmermann now is a lock for the rotation, which most likely also will include John Lannan, Scott Olsen and Daniel Cabrera.

• Tom Gorzelanny won't be doing much for fantasy owners this season. In 2007, he went 14-10, and many thought that would be a launching point for the pitcher. He was a hot sleeper pick before the 2008 season but simply didn't pan out, and now the lefty has been sent to Triple-A by the Pirates. His spring work in 2009 has been disappointing to say the least, with a 7.00 ERA in nine innings of work. Still, the move comes as a bit of a surprise, as the candidates for the final spot in the Pirates' rotation now are Jeff Karstens and Virgil Vasquez, neither of whom is the slightest bit appealing fantasy-wise. As Pirates GM Neal Huntington told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, "No one really took the [final] two starting jobs and put the stranglehold on them, so we had to make an interpretation according to what we saw."

Posted by Tristan H. Cockcroft, ESPN.com

So I've got good news and bad news for you. Which do you want first?

What's that, you say? You want the bad news first? So grim, you are; must have already had your draft and are terrified of bad news. Well, here it is: Cole Hamels is a long shot to make his Opening Day start, reports the Phillies' official Web site.

So what's the good news then, you might ask? Well, fortunately for Hamels, the MRI (and dynamic ultrasound) he underwent Tuesday revealed no structural damage to his left elbow, the one in which he has had inflammation for weeks. The specific diagnosis: inflammation in the posterior lateral aspect of the elbow.

Hamels told the team's Web site that he experiences tightness in that elbow every spring, but typically it subsides within a week or two. That it lingered beyond that point this year put his status into question, and now the team will approach his health cautiously, letting Hamels dictate how quickly he's ready to proceed.

As for that timetable for recovery, Hamels received an anti-inflammatory injection Tuesday, and is expected to resume his throwing program Thursday. If that approach is successful, he might be able to pitch in a minor league or Grapefruit League game early next week. Unfortunately, the reason for his doubtful Opening Day status is that he was only up to the low to mid-50s with his pitch counts before the examination, and two or three more spring starts might not provide enough for him to get that number at or above 100.

So how should fantasy owners proceed with drafting Hamels? Chances are the Phillies will be as conservative as possible with their ace left-hander, especially since he missed almost the entire 2004 minor league season with elbow issues and spent nearly a month on the disabled list with a left elbow strain during his 2007 sophomore season. A two-week, season-opening disabled list stint is possible, and at the very least, Hamels' owners (or prospective owners) should expect a one- or two-start absence.

Hamels is currently being tabbed the No. 6 starting pitcher in ESPN live drafts, but with news of his injury, it might be an appropriate plan of action to drop him behind Jake Peavy, Dan Haren, and perhaps behind No. 9 Roy Oswalt as well. Be aware, though, that might amount to only a one- or two-round drop, perhaps as little as 15 to 20 spots.

Still, stay tuned, because Hamels' health should be closely monitored looking forward.

• The news Tuesday was more promising for another elite, a left-handed starter who calls the National League East his home: Johan Santana tossed four innings of six-hit, two-run baseball against minor leaguers. He struck out five batters and didn't allow a walk while throwing 56 pitches, and reported no problems with his elbow. Newsday reports Santana's velocity was in the 87- to 89-mph range, but at his current pace, barring a setback, he shouldn't have any problems bumping that up a notch while getting his pitch count up to regular-season standards. Chances are, he'll be the Mets' Opening Day starter, meaning he again belongs in your top two starters overall, probably No. 1.

• KSLG 1380 AM in St. Louis reports that with three weeks to go in spring training, Jason Motte, and not Chris Perez, is the current leader in the race to close for the Cardinals. In the event Motte retains that status, Perez most likely will be sent to Triple-A Memphis, partly because the more experienced Josh Kinney would be kept around as a set-up man. At this point, treating Perez like the clear top guy in your closer ranks seems foolish, though all three relievers do warrant consideration as NL-only late-rounders. Don't be surprised if the Cardinals have multiple pitchers manning that role the entire year.

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• According to that same report, top prospect Colby Rasmus will be on the Cardinals' Opening Day roster, in which case it's a virtual certainty that he'll be the team's starting left fielder. Chris Duncan owners (or prospective owners) take note; his value stands to take the biggest hit. I'm not one of the biggest Rasmus fans around, because his batting average took a hit in each jump up to Double- and Triple-A, which suggests to me an adjustment period need be expected. However, it's important to remember that he has managed double digits in homers and steals in each of his three full professional seasons, including his miserable 2008. It's unclear whether Rasmus would be an everyday player or not -- I'd call keeping him around to play sparingly (one to two times a week) a foolish decision -- but his stock will soar with news he'll be on the team. Consider him a mid- to late NL-only pick and a mixed-league sleeper since it's hard to imagine him not playing at least three or four times a week, though again, I'd be concerned about a possible adjustment period.

• Expect to see Brett Myers' draft stock rise in the upcoming days, after he tossed 5 2/3 shutout innings of seven-strikeout baseball Tuesday against a Reds lineup comprised of mostly regulars (OK, regulars and Ryan Hanigan). Myers, an enigma for much of his career, did breeze through the second half of 2008 plus playoffs with a 3.35 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 16 starts, rescuing what initially seemed like a lost season. He's certainly worth more than his current No. 48 ranking among starting pitchers in ESPN live drafts, perhaps as many as 10 spots higher at his position.

• It seems like every member of the Brewers' bullpen is battling some sort of health issue this spring, and now you can toss the team's closer onto the pile; the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Trevor Hoffman has a strained right oblique. It's considered only a minor thing, but manager Ken Macha does have a minor concern that Hoffman needs to pitch on consecutive days before spring training ends. There's plenty of time for that, but let's not forget that the guy is 41 years old, so rehabilitation might not be as quick for him.

As to who might close should Hoffman miss regular-season time, Carlos Villanueva struggled mightily Tuesday, allowing five runs on five hits in 1 1/3 innings. After the game, Macha expressed his displeasure to the team's official Web site, though in criticizing his reliever, he did offer some insights as to the team's ninth-inning emergency plan.

"I'll talk to [Villanueva], maybe talk to [pitching coach] Billy [Castro] and see what our plan of attack is," Macha said. "With Hoffman down, I asked Billy, 'Who's your closer if he can't go?' He answered, [Villanueva]. I said, 'Well, he hasn't had any good outings this spring.' Now you have to look at what your alternatives might be."

Not that Villanueva should be written off yet, but statistically speaking, Mark DiFelice (5 IP, 0 ERs, 6 K's) might find himself in the mix for a set-up role at his current pace.

• Exhibit A in the case against heavily weighing spring statistics: Cliff Lee was pummeled for 10 runs (nine earned) in 2 2/3 innings Tuesday, bringing his spring ERA to 18.90. He admitted to the Indians' official Web site afterward, though, that he was merely working on his fastball location, doing the kind of tinkering that is often common with pitchers in March. Generally speaking, when veteran pitchers have a disastrous outing like this, you shouldn't fret unless there's evidence an injury was responsible.

• The Rangers face a Friday deadline to decide whether to place Andruw Jones on the major league roster. According to the team's official Web site, Marlon Byrd's quick recovery from knee surgery and standout spring make it unlikely the decision will be in Jones' favor. Byrd has 10 hits in his past 20 at-bats and is batting .364 (12-for-33) for the spring, but even with that performance he might not crack a Rangers outfield that probably will have David Murphy in left field, Josh Hamilton in center and Nelson Cruz in right on Opening Day. With Jones gone, Byrd, Cruz and Murphy would become safer AL-only selections, but Jones' rebound potential would take a hit losing the prospect of hitter-friendly Rangers Ballpark helping his cause in 2009.

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• Hunter Pence left Tuesday's game with a bruised left knee he suffered awkwardly sliding into home plate, though he told the team's official Web site that he has merely a "bone bruise" and that his early exit was "precautionary." Check the Astros' lineups the next few days, though, to ensure it's nothing more significant.

• Max Scherzer's Cactus League debut was both rocky and brief; he was pounded for five runs (one earned) on three hits while recording only two outs Tuesday. The Arizona Republic reports that his velocity was down -- 91 to 93 mph from his usual mid-90s -- and he fell behind in the count to nearly every hitter. Still, that's to be expected to an extent from a pitcher who missed as much time as he has due to shoulder problems. Fortunately for Scherzer, he can be slotted in as the team's fifth starter, meaning he won't be needed until April 14, giving him plenty of time to get up to speed. Fantasy owners shouldn't downgrade him based on this outing unless he fails to show much improvement in his next turn; if he doesn't, then Yusmeiro Petit might be a candidate to take that fifth-starter role.

• Exciting news: Sidney Ponson signed a minor league contract with the Royals on Tuesday, fresh off his solid performance in the World Baseball Classic (4.00 ERA in two starts). He'll actually get an opportunity to compete for a rotation spot, which is more a statement about the Royals' lack of alternatives than it is an endorsement of his talent. Perhaps AL-only owners can find streaming value in Ponson if he makes the team, but this is a signing that probably shouldn't excite the fantasy masses.

• Mariano Rivera made his Grapefruit League debut Tuesday, tossing a perfect inning, including eight of 11 pitches for strikes. He has made a smooth recovery from offseason shoulder surgery and looks entirely safe to select as a top-three fantasy closer.

Posted by Eric Karabell, ESPN.com

There's plenty of time.

That seems to be the prevailing opinion from managers who are dealing with injured ballplayers. Sure, if this was July we might see Randy Johnson or Manny Ramirez making visits to the disabled list, but in mid-March, with the season nearly three weeks away, why rush things?

For Johnson, who expects to win his 300th game with the San Francisco Giants this season, he's going to miss his Wednesday start against the Cubs with soreness in his biceps. The team views skipping Johnson's start as precautionary, or as manager Bruce Bochy noted, "normal spring training stuff." Fantasy owners are making Johnson the No. 45 starting pitcher off the draft board in ESPN leagues, ahead of Aaron Harang and Brett Myers, among others who also tend to strike hitters out. Of course, none of them will be 46 years old in September.

Meanwhile, it's hard to believe, but Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez is in the news again! No, it's not a contract issue this time, but a hamstring, one which will cause him to miss at least the next week. Ramirez hurt the hamstring a week ago, then aggravated the injury in Sunday's game. The Dodgers have no reason to rush Ramirez back to the lineup, since the guy could hibernate for a month, fall out of bed and still rake. Thus there's really no reason for fantasy owners to worry, either. There's also no reason for you to be even more tempted to draft the team's top reserve outfielder, Juan Pierre, though it is likely Ramirez will need some downtime during the season as well.

• An injury that should affect fantasy drafts, however, is the one to Marlins closer Matt Lindstrom, suffered in Sunday's World Baseball Classic game. An MRI on Monday showed Lindstrom has a strained right rotator cuff, and he's been advised to avoid throwing a baseball for at least a week to 10 days. The Marlins can't be pleased that their closer apparently was hurt before he entered Sunday's game, and participating in a non-team event. He could be lost to the team in April, which will certainly create more debate about the timing of the WBC in the future. Leo Nunez appears next in line for saves, and we'll keep you updated as to whether or not Lindstrom will be able to throw by April.

• I know it seems like it, but not everyone in baseball is injured right now. Still, this might seem like really bad news: The Orioles will start the season with Matt Wieters in the minors. Team president Andy MacPhail confirmed this Monday to the Baltimore Sun, but really folks, this is not a surprise at all. Fantasy owners knew this was coming. As MacPhail points out, even if Wieters looks ready, he still has a mere 200 at-bats in Double-A. The catcher will report to Triple-A Norfolk for a month or so, but don't be too scared about drafting him. Even in five months, he can still be a top-10 fantasy catcher. This news shouldn't send starting backstop Gregg Zaun's stock rising in fantasy drafts, either.

• OK, after a brief respite, back to injury news! Seattle Mariners lefty Erik Bedard pitched an inning Monday and pronounced his sore butt to be just fine. Mariners Nation can rest easy. "Just warming up I knew I was fine," Bedard said. Bedard has been a pain in the, well, butt for fantasy owners, but few pitchers have 200-K upside like he does.

• Good news from Yankees camp, as the MRI on second baseman Robinson Cano's right shoulder showed no damage, and pitcher Damaso Marte got a clean bill of health on his upper chest and left shoulder area. Cano is a top-10 second baseman in drafts and Marte might be next in line for saves should something befall closer Mariano Rivera, so the team obviously doesn't need them to join Alex Rodriguez on the disabled list. By the way, fantasy owners who keep asking when A-Rod will get DL eligibility: When the Yankees make the official move, then we will, and that's when fantasy owners can.

• Fantasy owners might not want to draft any Washington Nationals pitchers except closer Joel Hanrahan, but take a look at what 22-year-old right-hander Jordan Zimmermann has been doing lately. Zimmermann allowed two hits over four scoreless innings Monday, and hasn't allowed an earned run in 12 1/3 innings. The Nationals are likely to give the kid a rotation spot, and while he probably doesn't warrant attention in 10-team leagues, Zimmerman does have a bright future. This could be a case where spring stats do matter.

• Fantasy owners don't seem too excited in drafting Conor Jackson, despite a decent all-around game that includes a .287 career batting average and double-digit stolen bases in 2008. Jackson told the Arizona Republic he doesn't intend to alter his approach at the plate to hit for more power. That's not really what fantasy owners want to read.

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• Monday was a big day for the Houston Astros. Not only did they seem to solve a brutal catching situation by signing Ivan Rodriguez to a one-year deal, but the Houston Chronicle reported the team has narrowed its final choices to pitch to Pudge every fifth day to … drum roll please … Jose Capellan and Russ Ortiz. Man, I can't wait to see how this ends up! Capellan was once a top Braves relief prospect, but when they dealt him away for nothing, it gave me and many others the impression he just wasn't that good. Ortiz, despite a 20-win season to his credit, hasn't done much well the past four seasons. Rodriguez might be a future Hall of Famer, but the back end of the Houston rotation isn't near the same level.

• Speaking of fifth starters, the Dodgers haven't settled on their final starter, and now it appears the conversation will continue sans Jason Schmidt, who continues to deal with repercussions of his ailing shoulder. Schmidt has been pitching, but not recovering quickly. The implication is that he could be part of the rotation at some point but won't be ready in early April. For now, the Dodgers don't have an obvious choice for the final rotation spot, with Eric Milton, Eric Stults, Claudio Vargas and Shawn Estes in the mix. Don't be shocked if Pedro Martinez rumors persist in Los Angeles.

• Tuesday shapes up as a big day in baseball, with the USA team aiming to avoid elimination against Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, but also Phillies ace Cole Hamels will have his left elbow checked out in Philadelphia. It could be nothing, or it could be a really big deal for the world champs and fantasy owners.

Posted by Tristan H. Cockcroft

Besides entertainment value, the World Baseball Classic is serving another important purpose: giving veteran free agents a chance to showcase their talents for 2009 regular-season work. Such is the case with Ivan Rodriguez, who parlayed a hot start in the WBC into a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Astros on Monday.

Pudge has certainly demonstrated during the WBC that he can still hit; he batted .600 (9-for-15) with two home runs and 18 total bases in four games. That's quite a turnaround from his miserable finish with the Yankees in 2008; he batted .219 with a .580 OPS in 33 games for them, one of the most miserable stretches of his entire career.

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Problem is, it's going to take more than four games of an exhibition for Rodriguez to prove he's still a productive enough hitter. His home run total has slipped in each of the past four seasons, to seven in 2008, his lowest total since his rookie year of 1991. Rodriguez also slugged .394, his lowest number in 16 years. He posted a .319 on-base percentage, but has been beneath .300 in two of the past four seasons.

Rodriguez will get his opportunities in Houston, with Humberto Quintero and J.R. Towles his primary competition this spring. Neither of the two stands much of a chance at bumping this probable Hall of Famer. That Quintero and Towles were batting a combined .162 (6-for-37) this spring pretty much cinches Pudge's starter status on Opening Day.

In the most likely event, the Astros will keep Quintero as Rodriguez's little-used backup, a more appropriate role for him, while returning Towles, a rookie bust in 2008, to Triple-A for more seasoning. If anything, Rodriguez's arrival in Houston cancels any chance for Towles to enjoy a bounce-back 2009, barring, of course, an injury to the veteran.

As for Rodriguez's draft value, he's capable of at worst batting .270 with 8-10 home runs, making him the kind of No. 2 catcher who won't hurt you. NL-only owners will need to look at him in that kind of role at the very least, though his mixed-league appeal remains limited at this advanced stage of his career. He's not the kind of guy I'd be excited to land as my second backstop in a mixed league, unless it's 16 or more teams.

Posted by Jason Grey, ESPN.com

One of the perils of being in a league that drafts early is that you have to sweat out the spring injuries, hoping all of your guys make it in one piece to Opening Day.

In that regard, this past weekend was not a good one, even as we wait for the results of a second-opinion exam on Joe Mauer's back.

Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia told Red Sox fans to "calm down" after he suffered a strained left abdominal muscle that knocked him out of the World Baseball Classic. He might as well have been saying it to his fantasy owners. It was originally thought to be an oblique injury, which would have been a bigger issue that could have sidelined him for a month or two.

Pedroia felt some pain while swinging a bat, but his injury is expected to require just some rest. It's not certain when he'll be ready to get back in the field, but this ultimately shouldn't impact his availability for Opening Day, so don't knock him down your draft lists. There's still plenty of time for him to recuperate a bit and be ready to start the season.

His partner in the Sox middle infield was not as lucky. Julio Lugo, who was the favorite to win the starting shortstop position, will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery. It will not be known how long Lugo will be out until he undergoes the procedure, but it will be at least three weeks and perhaps more depending on what they find. This gives Jed Lowrie the starting job, and also raises questions about how well Lugo will be running when he does return, as his main fantasy asset is speed. This development makes Lowrie even more of a viable option for the mixed-league endgame, especially because the shortstop pool is relatively weak compared to recent seasons.

• Persistent discomfort and tightness in his elbow has Cole Hamels headed back to Philadelphia for an MRI on Tuesday. While he does not feel pain when he throws, the elbow continues to tighten up between innings. It's not viewed as too serious at this juncture, but it's serious enough to get it checked out a bit more thoroughly. Tread cautiously in drafts for now, just in case, as this is enough to drop him a round or two until we know for sure it's not anything more serious. Hamels had a strained left elbow that forced him to the disabled list for a month in 2007. There's a possibility that even if it's not too serious, his Opening Day assignment could be in jeopardy.

• Sticking with the elbow theme for a minute, the news continues to not be good for the A's Justin Duchscherer. Already a health risk for this season after offseason surgery on his ailing hip for the second year in a row, Duchscherer had to shut down his long-toss session Saturday due to recurring pain in his elbow. He received a cortisone shot and won't be ready for the start of the season. There are also rumblings that he could wind up being moved to the bullpen to protect his health a little better. This situation creates another opportunity in the A's rotation, and the club is seriously taking a look at prized prospects Brett Anderson (four scoreless innings Sunday) and Trevor Cahill quicker than expected because of it. Another prospect, Vin Mazzaro, is also making his case this spring. Do not overlook Anderson, especially, in AL-only drafts.

• Finally, some good elbow news, as Ervin Santana has begun his throwing program after experiencing tightness, but will still miss a good portion of April as he gets back into his routine and gets stretched out. Still, it's a good sign that we'll be able to get 25 starts of Santana's fantasy goodness.

• Unlike Pedroia, Braves third baseman Chipper Jones really is dealing with a strained oblique muscle, and though he was able to play Saturday against Puerto Rico in the WBC, he felt it grab while taking some swings Sunday. Asked if he thought he would be ready for Opening Day, Jones said: "I hope so as long as we take care of it now and don't come back too soon and have this linger. This is one of those things that can linger, especially for a switch hitter."

• Two more players left Sunday's WBC game for the U.S. Ryan Braun departed in the eighth inning with what was termed a "sore right side," but told the team Web site after the game he was "fine. It's precautionary more than anything else. Just tightened up on me a little bit." Yet another bullet dodged, it seems.

• Marlins closer Matt Lindstrom also left Sunday's WBC tilt with a tight right shoulder, and he will undergo an MRI on Monday. "I still had arm strength," he told the team Web site. "The muscle in my shoulder was slowing my arm down, and I kind of felt it a bit." Lindstrom believes his soreness is just a little inflammation that will calm down. For now, it may not be anything that will delay the start of his season. If it does, Leo Nunez may be a candidate to get some early saves. The club has already reassigned hard-throwing Jose Ceda -- whom they acquired in the Kevin Gregg deal and is looked at as a potential future closer -- to minor league camp after his own shoulder trouble prevented him from throwing early in camp.

• Manny Ramirez departed Sunday's game with a sore left hamstring suffered while chasing after a fly ball. He's the proverbial "day-to-day" at the moment. Keep in mind that for all of his offensive production, he's been under 500 at-bats in two of the past three seasons, so be prepared to deploy some short term fill-ins from time to time.

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• Cubs manager Lou Piniella announced that Mike Fontenot would be his starting second baseman, but that Aaron Miles would still likely see 350 at-bats as the backup at second, third and short. Fontenot can hit for average, and actually has double-digit pop, which you wouldn't expect from such a diminutive player, so there's some quiet value to be had here in NL formats.

• Chase Utley went 0-for-2 in his first action of the year Sunday, playing four innings at second a day after playing in an intrasquad game. It's a good sign that Utley could be ready when the season starts.

• Nomar Garciaparra (who, if you think about it, could have been the Yankees' third baseman if he had waited another week to sign) made his spring debut this weekend and had two hits. He's expected to see time all over the infield this year, at least until his inevitable injuries kick in.

• Gary Matthews Jr., recovering from offseason knee surgery, also made his own preseason debut, grounding out in his only at-bat. He's ahead of schedule in his recovery, but it's still hard to see how he gets more than 250 at-bats this season given how crowded the OF/DH slots are with the Angels.

Posted by Christopher Harris, ESPN.com

• Mets Nation can breathe something of a sigh of relief Friday morning, as Johan Santana made his spring debut against the Marlins on Thursday night. He wasn't particularly good: He allowed four hits and three runs in 2 2/3 innings, but did throw only 10 pitches in a perfect first frame. His velocity reportedly was down a bit from where it usually is, but that's to be expected. Most important is that the elbow tightness that caused Santana to be scratched from his first spring start hasn't recurred, and Santana no longer looks in danger of missing Opening Day. Until we hear that he's had another setback, it's safe to draft Santana as you normally would, which is to say: optimistically, if cautiously. He has seen his velocity slip a bit the past couple years overall, and he is coming off knee surgery. But he's certainly one of the top starting pitching options in fantasy (if not the top).

• The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Brad Lidge was able to throw an inning in Wednesday's intrasquad game after missing time with a sore forearm. He allowed a home run to J.J. Furmaniak, but came through the session without pain. He can go back to being one of the NL's top fantasy closers, though a season as perfect as 2008 isn't likely to recur.

• The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that Ken Griffey Jr. is "slotted to split time between left field and DH, depending on his health," which potentially puts playing time for Jeff Clement in serious jeopardy. Kenji Johjima continues to be the Mariners' top catching option, and if Griffey can't play the field, you'd likely see some combination of Wladimir Balentien and Endy Chavez in left. Clement could still find time at first base, where he's taken some grounders this spring, if Russell Branyan doesn't work out as the starter (not hard to imagine that happening), and it's not as if Johjima's playing time is sacrosanct. But anyone drafting Clement assuming even 400 big league at-bats may be deluding him or herself.

• Just when you thought the Mariners' closing gig couldn't get any messier, the team signed Chad Cordero on Thursday. Cordero is coming off shoulder surgery and reportedly isn't ready to begin pitching in games, but if he's able to make it to the big league squad at some point this season, he's probably got more closing chops than anyone in a group that includes Miguel Batista, Mark Lowe, Roy Corcoran, Tyler Walker and David Aardsma. Cordero is not draftable right now in any but the very deepest AL-only leagues, but we should all stow the name deep in the recesses of our saves-hungry minds.

• MLB.com reports that the Mets continue to discuss the possibility of signing Ivan Rodriguez. Of course, they've currently got Brian Schneider and Ramon Castro behind the dish, so they'd have to make space by ridding themselves of one of those two less-than-exciting players. While Castro is an intriguing offensive guy when he's healthy, he's just not durable enough to rely on; it wouldn't be a shock to see Pudge wind up in some kind of time-share with Schneider before March is over. Of course, Rodriguez was awful in 2008, so it's hard to see how he helps your fantasy team much in '09.

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• ESPN's own Jerry Crasnick reports that the Dodgers have discussed the possibility of signing Pedro Martinez. Los Angeles definitely seems in need of a fifth starter, as Jason Schmidt and Claudio Vargas have looked pretty messy this spring. But Joe Torre did tell ESPN's Tim Kurkjian that while he has had conversations about Pedro, the Dodgers haven't even gone so far as to contact the Hall of Fame righty. It's been pretty funny to partake in AL-only and NL-only drafts early this spring, because Martinez has regularly been drafted in the final rounds of both flavors.

• Chris Carpenter pitched four scoreless innings Thursday against a Red Sox lineup that included Julio Lugo, Jason Varitek, Jed Lowrie and, well, not much else. But hey, the Cardinals have to be thrilled that Carpenter has pitched eight scoreless innings so far this spring, no matter whom he's been getting out. Watch him as the spring progresses, but Carpenter may be on the verge of making himself quite relevant in mixed leagues, in his return from elbow surgery.

• The Chicago Tribune reports that Bartolo Colon has been cleared to start a spring training game for the first time this spring on Monday. Colon had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow last fall, and has reportedly been impressive in side sessions. He's still probably an option in only a deep AL-only league at this point.

• Jorge Posada is expected to catch his first game of the spring this Sunday. How his shoulder holds up this year will be one of the Yankees' primary stories in '09. You know, outside that whole Alex Rodriguez business.

• Vernon Wells performed running drills for the first time since he hurt his left hamstring on Wednesday, and reported "feeling good." He hopes to be able to play in a game by next week, which would be good news, considering initial reports had him tearing the hamstring and possibly missing the start of the regular season.

Posted by AJ Mass, ESPN.com

Normally after an MRI, when a team learns that one of their players has an inflamed joint in their back and might not be ready to play by Opening Day, they're upset. In the case of Joe Mauer, the Twins are actually quite relieved. Mauer, who led all American League hitters with a .328 batting average in 2008, had surgery in December to remove a kidney obstruction, and when he was unable to run without pain, the team feared the worst. "Yeah. We were thinking it could be something huge, the way it has been going," manager Ron Gardenhire told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He added that team doctors were going to step up the medication Mauer has been taking in an effort to get him on the field as quickly as possible: "I don't know what he's been taking, but they are going to go with something more aggressive."

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Because Mauer has been able to do all the things a catcher needs to do -- catch and throw, as well as swing a bat -- the team is optimistic that it won't be too long before he can run as well and possibly even see some action before the end of spring training. Mauer had only one steal in 2008, so it's not like speed was something you were drafting with him anyway, so as long as he can get rid of this inflammation, he shouldn't have to miss much time. Which is a good thing, because neither the Twins, nor fantasy players for that matter, will want to be relying on the likes of 38-year-old Mike Redmond for any length of time. That said, it's hard to justify keeping a catcher with a bad back inside your top-60 rankings, so Mauer has been bumped down to No. 83 in our overall rankings, and to fourth among catchers" behind Brian McCann, Russell Martin and, now, Geovany Soto.

• Josh Willingham joined the Nationals in a trade from the Marlins in November, but now there may not be any place to put him. The team is pretty much ready to go in the outfield with Adam Dunn, Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes. Dunn could move to first base, but for now, the plan is for Nick Johnson to start there, at least until his brittle body breaks down again. Willingham can also catch, but the team has Jesus Flores penciled in behind the plate. "Somebody is going to be sitting on the bench. It's going to happen unless [the Nationals] make a move. I never sat on the bench ever [for a full season]," Willingham said on the Nationals' official Web site. He's saying the right things in public, for now, at least. But he did meet with manager Manny Acta about his situation, and declined to say what the result of their talk might have been.

Acta was a little bit more forthcoming. "He is as good as advertised as a person," Acta said. "As a player, he takes his job so seriously. He doesn't need to show what he can do. I've seen him 18 times [a year] for the last four or five years. He is a high-character guy. People were not lying when they were telling me that." Still, that could all be positive spin, just in case some trade offers come Washington's way. In the end, these things have a way of working themselves out, and we wouldn't be surprised to see Nick Johnson as the eventual odd-man-out, either through a trade or another injury, but until this situation does get settled, don't be willing to go overboard for Willingham.

• Braden Looper threw a bullpen session Wednesday, his first work since straining a ribcage muscle earlier this spring. Manager Ken Macha was happy with what he saw, as this likely puts Looper on course to be ready by Opening Day, as opposed to being placed on the disabled list. "I felt really good," Looper told the Brewers' team Web site. "I was a little fatigued at the end, but that's going to happen when I've only played catch for a few days. I feel healthy, and everything was down [in the strike zone]. That's a good sign, being able to pull the ball down."

• They can put whatever positive spin they want on things, but the Astros are hurting at catcher. First, Toby Hall's contract was voided by the team after he opted to undergo shoulder surgery in February. Then, former first-round pick Max Sapp, who had been a long shot to make the team, had a seizure at his home earlier this week. In the offseason, Sapp nearly died as a result of viral meningitis, but the Houston Chronicle reports that this latest incident probably was just a reaction to his medication. "I feel fine," Sapp said. "This is just for 24 hours." Sapp hopes to be released from the hospital today. Other than Sapp, there are three catchers in camp, playing for two spots, and frankly, none of them has been the least bit impressive. The trio of Humberto Quintero, J.R. Towles and Rule 5 pick Lou Palmisano are a combined 4-for-39 this spring. It makes you wonder, with Ivan Rodriguez playing so well in the World Baseball Classic, homering twice for Puerto Rico in their game against Panama, why the Astros haven't even sniffed his way. Rumor has it that Pudge might be looking to sign with the Marlins, but still, either he or fellow free agent Paul Lo Duca would have to be better options than what the Astros have in-house, wouldn't they?

• Chipper Jones says he will stay with Team USA, and hopes to play in the second round of the WBC. Jones missed Wednesday's game against Venezuela after suffering a mild strain of an oblique muscle over the weekend, but took batting practice and fielded some grounders before the game, declaring himself fit enough to play going forward. Ironically, it is precisely because Jones has been hurt so many times over the years that he's not worried about yet another injury. "If I hadn't had a couple dozen of these during the course of my career, I'd probably be a lot more cautious," Jones said on the Braves' official Web site. "But I know that it was a mild strain." Braves fans can start breathing again, at least for now.

• Jim Thome is not making it easy for fantasy owners to draft him this season. The White Sox slugger, who pretty much is restricted to DH duty because of his perennial bad back, was unable to even do that in Wednesday's game against the Brewers. Ozzie Guillen was forced to insert Ben Broussard in his lineup after Thome's back tightness flared up again. Thome has only had 14 at-bats so far this spring, and won't be making the trip to Surprise, Ariz., for the team's game against the Royals on Thursday. Still, Ozzie is apparently not the least bit concerned, telling reporters that "… spring training is hard for everyone. You get up and spend a lot of hours here swinging the bat and running around. It's different. Everybody at some point is going to be sore in spring training." That may be true, but if the season hasn't even started yet and Thome is too sore to play, how will his back hold up over a 162-game schedule?

Posted by Tristan H. Cockcroft, ESPN.com

For the second straight season, a much-ballyhooed reliever-turned-starter is dealing with injury issues. (But this time, it's not Joba Chamberlain.)

According to the Seattle Times, Brandon Morrow, the Mariners' closer for much of 2008, might miss the start of the season due to tightness in his right forearm. He tested his arm with a 22-pitch bullpen session Tuesday but continued to feel pain, and has been shut down indefinitely. Incredibly, Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu believes Morrow has enough time to be ready for the start of the season.

"It's going to be tight, but we still think we have some time," Wakamatsu said. "It depends on how fast he comes back from this. We'll just see where he's at. Another week, or a week and a half, and he's no further along, there's going to be some concerns."

Morrow's woes might lead fantasy owners to question the strategy of shifting pitchers from reliever to starter in-season, something that was done with both Morrow and Chamberlain in 2008. Not that there's any clear evidence that the boost in workload is responsible for their health issues -- Chamberlain is supposedly fine this spring -- but it could be a factor.

The No. 56 pick among starters in ESPN Live Drafts thus far, Morrow should see his draft stock slip looking forward, especially considering that forearm issues often lead to elbow problems down the road. It's not yet time to scratch him from your list entirely, but in mixed formats, the 56th starter generally slots as an end-of-your-staff type anyway. At this point he's more of a reserve pick in mixed leagues, and a back-of-your-staff AL-only choice.

• Speaking of Chamberlain, he held the Reds to one run in three innings Tuesday, helping ease concerns about his wildness in his previous outing. He had walked four of five batters he faced in his previous start, leading some to wonder whether maybe he too was dealing with health issues. Chamberlain appeared fine in this turn, though, and remains a breakout candidate with only moderate risk in mixed formats.

• Sticking with the Yankee theme, Mariano Rivera threw his first live batting practice session of the spring Wednesday morning, according to the team's official Web site. He hasn't reported any problems with his surgically repaired right shoulder through four mound sessions, and he will throw another session Saturday before potentially making his Grapefruit League debut Monday. With no clear setbacks for Rivera thus far, he should be a perfectly safe top-5 fantasy closer on draft day.

• A change in the closer guard might be afoot in Colorado, where the Denver Post reports Manny Corpas has an opportunity to grab the job over the next several days due to Huston Street's health issues and sluggish spring. Street has been dealing with a quadriceps injury and served up six runs on two home runs in his 1 1/3 innings of work in the Cactus League. I'm still of the mind that the Rockies know their best chance at showcasing Street for a midseason trade is by having him close initially, but based upon his performance the two should be drafted fairly close together. Certainly, handcuffing the two is recommended.

• Garret Anderson might miss two or three weeks with a strained right calf, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He initially suffered the injury during pregame warm-ups Friday, though the team expects he should be ready by Opening Day. Anderson is more an NL-only choice than a viable mixed-league bet, and if this lingers any longer, it could help open the door for a Brandon Jones/Matt Diaz left-field platoon.

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• Ubaldo Jimenez has returned to the Rockies, his Dominican Republic team having been ousted from the World Baseball Classic. He's coming off a WBC-record 10-strikeout effort Tuesday. He lasted four innings and 65 pitches, and for the spring has tossed nine shutout innings, allowing six hits with 17 K's. Rockies pitchers do have a limitation in terms of their fantasy upside, since Coors Field makes it tough for them to maximize their ERA/WHIP potential, but Jimenez is shaping up thus far as one of the more appealing late-rounders. He's being picked 76th among starters on average this spring, far too low for a guy with his talent.

• Brad Penny is scheduled for his first spring training game Friday, an intrasquad contest at the team's minor league complex, according to the Red Sox's official Web site. He threw 20 pitches of batting practice Tuesday and reported no issues with his shoulder, and if he gets through Friday's test with similar results, he'll presumably join the team's Grapefruit League rotation sometime next week. Picking Penny in AL-only leagues as anything more than a late-rounder presents high risk, but don't ignore him with the news on him becoming more promising.

• The Rangers' official Web site reports that free agent Ben Sheets, who is recovering from elbow surgery, is doing his rehabilitation work at TMI Sports Medicine in Arlington, Texas, which is owned by the team's doctor, Keith Meister. While the Rangers claim there is no connection, it's interesting from the aspect that the team is precariously thin in starting-pitching depth and was linked to the right-hander in offseason rumors. Of course, Sheets' fantasy value would tumble if he landed in Texas because of its bandbox ballpark, and he's at best a 10-to-15-start pitcher for 2009 besides.

• Though Brandon Webb's results -- three runs on four hits in three innings -- left a bit to be desired, the right-hander told the Diamondbacks' official Web site he was pleased with his work in his return to the spring rotation Tuesday. "As long as you get your work in and stuff, it's not that big of a deal, because the intensity and I think the batters' approaches totally change," he said. Webb threw 49 pitches in his return from forearm stiffness, and it's important to remember he has a history of poor spring statistics. Case in point: He had a 7.90 ERA last spring, yet won his first nine starts of the regular season. Don't fret much about Webb, a certain top-10 fantasy starting pitcher.

• Sleeper alert: Prospect Trevor Cahill tossed three innings and allowed one run for the Athletics on Tuesday, giving him a 2.00 ERA in his nine spring frames thus far. Though he's likely to begin the regular season in the minors, Cahill might yet be a dark-horse candidate for a rotation spot, especially with Justin Duchscherer's status still somewhat uncertain. At worst he's a reserve pick in AL-only formats, and with his ground-ball tendencies, Cahill might be quick to adapt to big league competition once promoted.

Posted by Eric Karabell, ESPN.com

Normally fantasy owners shouldn't be too concerned about a big-time fantasy option possibly missing a week or two of the regular season. However, in the case of Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer, an MRI scheduled for Tuesday could prove to be big news that, like a certain Yankees third baseman, really affects the draft boards.

Mauer has been hampered by back pain, and that in turn has slowed his recovery from offseason kidney surgery. He has yet to appear in a spring game, being relegated to conditioning drills, and the Twins have reacted -- until now -- as if their top player would always be ready for April. It doesn't appear that fantasy owners were too worried, either, about Mauer's recovery in spring drafts, as the two-time American League (and defending) batting champion is currently being selected in the top 50 and as the No. 2 catcher overall, even though he's No. 56 overall and third at his position in ESPN's fantasy rankings.

Mauer's fantasy detractors point to a lack of power -- he has reached double digits only once -- but then again, there are no catchers with a career .317 batting average and multiple batting titles, and he's been largely durable. The Twins would turn to Mike Redmond if Mauer misses much time, sort of the Cody Ransom of Minnesota. If he could do the job in a short period of time, fantasy owners might take a look. If Mauer's medical tests prove he needs a longer-term recovery, however, he won't be going in the top 50 anymore.

By the way, unless you've been living in a cave (one without cable and Internet), you're aware Alex Rodriguez won't be playing for awhile. He had what doctors term successful hip surgery Monday, and rehab is scheduled to begin immediately. I'm optimistic -- since I own the guy in soooo many leagues -- that A-Rod will return in May, which is why I wouldn't let him go past the end of Round 2 in drafts. Of course, that's not where I drafted him. Anyway, as for Ransom, at whom I would take a late look in AL-only formats, he did not appear in Monday's loss to the Blue Jays, and he's hitting .241 this spring with a home run.

• Uh-oh, Chipper Jones is hurt again, and a month before the season starts. The Braves' third baseman seems to attract oblique strains, one of the culprits in his missing an average of more than 30 games a season recently. Jones isn't scheduled to play for Team USA in what is a meaningless Wednesday tilt, but he could return for the weekend. This shouldn't affect Jones' value in drafts. You know he's no Cal Ripken Jr. in terms of durability, but how many guys can hit .350?

• Good news for the Mets: Johan Santana is set to make his spring debut Thursday against the Marlins. This doesn't necessarily mean Santana will be ready to make his Opening Day start, by the way. All it means is he's scheduled to pitch, and a whole lot of Mets fans -- and fantasy owners -- will be watching and probably overrate his performance. Remember, with his balky elbow, his throwing is the key; the stats won't matter much.

• The Rays have many options to close games, but that in itself is the problem. In our projections we've got Dan Wheeler leading Tampa Bay, with more saves than Troy Percival, Grant Balfour and J.P. Howell combined. Percival, however, probably has the job when he's healthy. On Monday, according to the Rays' site, he proclaimed himself ready for April after throwing 42 pitches in a bullpen session. "I'm still going to be a work in progress, but physically, I feel great," he said. As closer handcuffs go, if you select Percival, make sure you have Wheeler as well.

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• Old-pitcher alert in White Sox camp: Both Bartolo Colon and Jose Contreras threw live batting practice Monday, and each could appear in a spring training game later this week. The White Sox could actually have room for both in the rotation, after Mark Buehrle, John Danks and Gavin Floyd, as only Clayton Richard seems to have a reasonable shot to stick in the rotation among the young pitchers. While those in fantasy might laugh, Colon was somewhat effective in seven starts with the Red Sox last season, earning a 3.92 ERA and 1.38 WHIP, while Contreras was a 2006 All-Star.

• The Orlando Cabrera signing in Oakland pretty much destroyed any value Bobby Crosby had, but then again, it's not like Eric Chavez is the picture of health at third base. Crosby manned the hot corner Monday and didn't make any errors but went 0-for-3, a hitting line we've grown accustomed to. If Crosby ends up qualifying at second base and third base, along with shortstop, he'll become more interesting in fantasy, even if he doesn't hit much. Chavez, by the way, has been shut down with right shoulder pain. Ironically, the A's signed Nomar Garciaparra, who also will end up missing many games, but he can do more for fantasy in half a season than Crosby over six months.

• In retread Texas Rangers news, Andruw Jones and Kris Benson haven't had great springs, and as of now don't appear to be in line for significant major league work. However, Monday was a good day. Jones hit his first official home run of the spring, while Benson allowed only one hit and fanned four in three strong innings. Benson can be sent to the minors for a month, which seems a likely scenario. Both these guys seem like worthwhile dollar options in AL-only formats.

• Spunky White Sox second baseman Chris Getz -- really, all the competitors for that job seem spunky to me -- hit an inside-the-park home run Monday. Nobody in this job battle is having a terrific spring (Brent Lillibridge, Jayson Nix), but keep in mind the White Sox aren't set at the top of their lineup, either. Jerry Owens, who seems the leader in the center-field race, is 0-for-3 in stolen-base attempts, and since that's basically what he does, it's not a good sign.

Posted by Jason Grey, ESPN.com

You are likely well aware of the big news from this weekend, that Alex Rodriguez indeed will undergo surgery on his hip that will sideline him for six to nine weeks.

Stephania Bell has a fantastic take on the issue here.

For what it's worth, in the famed League of Alternative Baseball Reality experts league that drafted Sunday after the news came out, A-Rod was brought up for $20, advanced to $21, went to $22 and that was it. It could wind up being the steal of the draft if A-Rod is able to bounce back from the surgery close to normal. He hit .302 with 35 homers, 103 RBIs and 18 steals despite missing almost a month last season. However, one would expect his base stealing to potentially be curtailed to ease the stress placed on his hip.

• Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Ervin Santana will open the season on the disabled list with tightness in his elbow. He first started having trouble in an intrasquad game Tuesday. He's going to try to play catch later this week, but the teams will take it slow with him, and Santana will need at least a few weeks to build up his arm to the point he's ready to start games during the regular season. For now, plan on him missing the first month if all goes well.

In good news for the Angels, Kelvim Escobar is way ahead of schedule in his rehab from surgery to repair a torn labrum. He could be back in the team's rotation by the end of May, according to the Los Angeles Times. Wait and see in mixed leagues, but he's a good endgame play in AL formats.

• The Cardinals made an early decision on who will play third base for them in the first month of the season while Troy Glaus is out, anointing Joe Mather as the starter after he showed enough to convince the club he could handle the position defensively. The team assigned David Freese and Brett Wallace to minor league camp. Freese was the front-runner for the job, but an Achilles tendon injury that he suffered in a car accident right before camp set him back, and he's still unable to play the field. Mather can provide some pop in NL leagues for the first month, and then likely will be a backup at the infield and outfield corners, potentially squeezing out enough playing time to be useful in deep leagues.

• B.J. Upton reported no pain in his surgically repaired shoulder after his first session of batting practice this weekend, but admitted it's not at full strength yet, putting his availability for Opening Day in doubt. That said, if he does miss some time, it likely wouldn't be longer than a week or two.

• Todd Helton made his spring debut Sunday, hitting a monstrous homer to deep center field estimated at over 450 feet. He's still expected to receive regular rest for his surgically repaired back this season, which will give Ian Stewart some more playing time, but that kind of power has been missing from Helton's game in recent seasons, so this is a good sign.

• A's manager Bob Geren said he was not ruling out prized prospect Brett Anderson as a part of the Opening Day rotation if Justin Duchscherer's injury woes continue. Although the team has multiple alternatives, they don't have Anderson's upside, so he has a chance to pitch his way onto the roster. He made his first start against the Indians' regulars Sunday, and allowed no runs and two singles in 2 2/3 innings.

In other news from A's camp, closer Joey Devine has been sidelined with elbow tendinitis the past few days. This is a situation we'll have to monitor. If you didn't think it was necessary to handcuff Devine with Brad Ziegler before, this might change your mind. We'll keep you posted in case this is more than just some common spring soreness.

• White Sox prospect Gordon Beckham has been impressive in camp thus far, and in Sunday's game against the Dodgers, he batted leadoff and hit three doubles. The second baseman could contend for big league at-bats as soon as this season, given that the competition in front of him (Chris Getz, Jayson Nix, Brent Lillibridge), is relatively unexciting.

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• The Baltimore Sun reported that although it still seems unlikely to happen, the Orioles have had internal discussions about signing Pedro Martinez.

• Yovani Gallardo faced 10 batters this weekend in a start against the Royals, and got just two of them out, walking three and struggling with his control. However, try not to read too much into one bad spring outing; the wildness is uncharacteristic, and he's still a pitcher you definitely want to target this season.

• Brad Penny continues to throw bullpen sessions in his recovery from shoulder issues, but there is still no timetable for him to pitch in an actual game yet, putting his original timetable of being ready by April 15 in doubt. Any delays in his return would benefit Clay Buchholz, who has been impressive in camp thus far, and is a sleeper reserve list play in mixed leagues for those looking to stash away some pitchers with upside.

• Matt Joyce hasn't had a spring at-bat yet due to tendinitis in his lower leg, which isn't helping his case to beat out Gabe Gross as part of Tampa Bay's right field platoon with Gabe Kapler. Joyce is a popular sleeper in AL formats due to his power potential, but he could be headed to the disabled list or the minors once the season opens.

• The Braves' team Web site reported that Josh Anderson is the leading candidate to begin the year as the team's starting center fielder. Given his stolen base potential, he's well worth pursuing in NL leagues, and could be a factor in deep mixed play if he keeps the job.

Posted by Christopher Harris, ESPN.com

• If it's my day to write our spring training blog, Joba Chamberlain must be in the news. Joba faced five Team Canada batters in an exhibition Thursday afternoon: He walked four, allowed a hit, threw a wild pitch and didn't get anyone out. Youch. The Yankees pulled Chamberlain with the bases loaded and no one out in the first inning after he had walked in two runs. Chamberlain told reporters afterward that he felt fine physically, but that his mechanics were simply messed up. It was March 5, so it's not exactly time to panic. But on the same day we learned Alex Rodriguez may need hip surgery, this wasn't something the Yankees needed to see.

• My buddy AJ Mass noted yesterday that Juan Pierre is the odd man out in the wake of Manny Ramirez finally signing with the Dodgers. Despite the fact that Pierre started the spring with 12 hitless at-bats before finally getting a base knock yesterday, he still came out and told the team's official Web site that he wants to be traded.

"They gave us permission to talk to teams and try to find a situation that can work out for everybody, and that's all I can ask for," Pierre said. It's true that Pierre is no more than a fourth outfielder in L.A., but that's richly deserved. He can run, but that's just about it, and every year he's vastly overrated by the fantasy community. Because he takes so few walks, his runs totals are never as high as they should be, and he's a terrible waste of a roster spot when it comes to the power categories. Pierre has three years and a whopping $28.5 million left on his contract, so good luck engineering that trade.

• Mariners lefty Erik Bedard was stellar again Thursday, pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings against the Angels, fanning three, walking one and allowing a single hit. He hasn't given up a run in two outings so far this spring. If this keeps up, he's going to be mighty tempting as a mixed-league sleeper in a few weeks.

• Mariners righty Brandon Morrow, who's looked upon as a sleeper in AL-only leagues, was scratched from his Saturday start because of soreness in his pitching forearm. Morrow has the repertoire for a closer, but Seattle seems to be sticking with the plan of trying him in the rotation first, and allowing the likes of Miguel Batista, Mark Lowe, Roy Corcoran, David Aardsma and Tyler Walker to battle for the closer's gig. Morrow is next scheduled to pitch a week from Friday. If he doesn't make that start, it might be time to worry.

• Matt Wieters went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI while hitting cleanup for the Orioles Thursday. He's hitting .462 and slugging .833 through his first 12 spring training at-bats, making the fantasy world drool over him all the more. I don't expect Baltimore to break camp with Wieters on the big league squad, if only to trim a season off his major-league service time. But he's going to be one interesting hitting catcher when he arrives sometime in 2009.

• Oft-injured speedster Ryan Freel stole his fifth base of the spring for the Orioles on Thursday. Freel figures to play pretty much only against lefties, at least to start the year, but could wind up a cheap source of AL-only speed if he finally stays healthy.

• Brewers fifth starter Braden Looper told the team's official Web site that he was "encouraged" by his recovery from a tight oblique muscle. Manager Ken Macha said there was still a chance Looper could get back on the mound "soon," which would enhance his chances of getting in enough spring work to be ready to start the season off the DL.

• Rangers reliever C.J. Wilson, who racked up 24 saves in 2008 but probably will set up in '09, left Thursday's game against the Padres when he was hit in the pitching hand by a grounder. The Rangers say X-rays were negative, but this doesn't hurt Frank Francisco's bid to lock down the closer's role.

• Shawn Hill of the Nationals couldn't make his start Thursday because of continued pain in his pitching forearm, and the team's official Web site reports that Hill is scheduled to visit Dr. James Andrews on Friday. Six words you don't want associated with your fantasy pitcher: "scheduled to visit Dr. James Andrews."

• Rockies reliever Taylor Buchholz, who posted a 2.17 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP in a set-up role for Colorado last year, will miss the next four to six weeks because of a sprained pitching elbow, according to the Denver Post. Apparently, though, an MRI revealed a "partial tear" in Buchholz's elbow, which does lead one to wonder why Buchholz told reporters he had a sprain. But the team doesn't seem to believe he needs surgery right now. Either way, he'll miss the entire spring, and looks likely to begin the season on the DL.

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• ESPN's own Buster Olney reports that the Cardinals reached an agreement Thursday with reliever Dennys Reyes. Reyes was very good in '08 as a lefty set-up man for the Twins, posting a 2.33 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. He was also lights-out in '06. In deep NL-only leagues, he'll be a bullpen option.

• The Giants demoted Keiichi Yabu and Kelvin Pichardo to Triple-A Fresno on Thursday. Yabu, in particular, makes for an interesting case, as NL-only fantasy players know he was good for a 3.57 ERA and a respectable 48 strikeouts in 68 relief innings last year for San Francisco. He evidently has no shot to make the team in April.

• The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Eric Gagne is scheduled to undergo an MRI on his pitching shoulder Friday. He's in camp on a non-roster deal and hasn't been able to throw yet; if tests don't show structural damage, he'll try to get back on a throwing program soon, but it's looking less and less likely he'll help out in the Brewers bullpen. Don't be fooled by the name: Trevor Hoffman is the closer in Milwaukee, with Gagne far out of the picture.

• The Giants released Dave Roberts and swallowed his $6.5 million salary rather than keep him as an extra bench player. Roberts can't stay healthy (he has never played in more than 129 games in a single year, and got into just 52 in '08 for San Francisco), but he's just two seasons removed from a 31-steal season. He can't do much more than run, but even at age 36 (he'll be 37 in May), Roberts figures to find a part-time gig with someone in the majors.

Posted by AJ Mass, ESPN.com

This has not been a good offseason for Alex Rodriguez. First we had the whole steroid issue, but it was expected that the hubbub would fade into the background, especially if no disciplinary action is handed down as a result of the revelations. But on Thursday, his older brother, Joe Dunand, told Enrique Rojas of ESPNdeportes.com that Rodriguez will have surgery to remove a cyst from his right hip and that the resulting rehabilitation would take about 10 weeks.

The story took a couple of turns late in the day, as Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, confirmed that A-Rod had a torn labrum in his hip in addition to the cyst. However, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that Rodriguez would undergo conservative treatment in order to avoid an operation. If Rodriguez were to have surgery, Cashman said the three-time AL MVP would miss up to four months of action.

If we took Dunand at his word and assumed Rodriguez ends up missing action only until mid-May, how far would you drop him on your draft lists? Let's put the number of missed games for A-Rod at about 35. That means you would be paying for about 127 games. Well, last season's numbers of 35 home runs, 103 RBIs and a .302 batting average were accomplished in only 138 games, so it wouldn't be too farfetched to assume that you'd be able to get similar numbers from Rodriguez, assuming a complete recovery in that time frame. But even so, that would probably drop him out of the first round, and into the mid-to-late second round.

The problem is that if Rodriguez does need surgery, 10 weeks of recovery time is probably a very optimistic forecast. ESPN.com's own Stephania Bell says that if surgery is needed, it is unlikely (though not impossible) that he would be back on the field for the Yankees as quickly as Dunand is intimating, and that it would be closer to the four months that Cashman suggested. That puts a whole new spin on things, because if Rodriguez could possibly be out until perhaps the All-Star break, there's no way you can pay full price for what may end up being a half-season of action.

If you halve Rodriguez's pre-cyst projection to 22 home runs and 65 RBIs, you're looking at someone contributing at a level far closer to Adrian Beltre (ADP: 114.3) and Alex Gordon (ADP: 149) than David Wright (ADP: 4.9) and Evan Longoria (ADP: 26.4), both of whom have already moved to the top of third base pecking order with the latest news.

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Let's say Rodriguez follows the Yankees' current approach of avoiding surgery, sitting out the World Baseball Classic as a precaution, and heading into Opening Day feeling fine. Is it still worth it to make Rodriguez the overall No. 1 selection and wait at the edge of your seat all March long, waiting for the other shoe to drop? I don't think so.

Given the uncertainty across the board about his status, Rodriguez drops from the No. 1 overall player in ESPN.com's rankings to No. 31, the top of the fourth round. If you do decide to select him, you must make sure that you snare a second option at the hot corner sooner rather than later, just to cover yourself, and I don't mean taking Cody Ransom either. That may end up being Plan B for the Yankees, but it won't work for you. And for those of you who already have drafted Rodriguez, perhaps it might be the best option to try to get maximum value out of him now, before the worst fears become reality.

Posted by AJ Mass, ESPN.com

Who is Yu? He's Yu Darvish, the 23-year-old pitching sensation who went 16-4 with a 1.88 ERA last season for the Nippon Ham Fighters. Darvish threw four no-hit innings against China in the first game of the World Baseball Classic in the wee hours Thursday morning, as Japan won 4-0, a far cry from the 18-2 drubbing it gave China in the first WBC in 2006. While buzz over Darvish has been building for some time, the fact is that he's not coming to the majors any time soon. Sure he could probably fetch a hefty posting fee, a la the $51 million the Red Sox paid for the right to negotiate with Daisuke Matsuzaka after the last WBC, but with the current state of the economy, it is unlikely that many teams would be able to afford the asking price. So don't get too excited. It may be a few years before Darvish becomes eligible for your fantasy roster.

But it's hard to get excited by any pitching performance in the Classic, not only because the level of competition in some of these early games leaves a lot to be desired, but also because players are simply not yet able to play at their peak performance levels. How else can you explain Ichiro Suzuki, Kosuke Fukudome, Kenji Johjima and Akinori Iwamura going a combined 0-for-11 against the likes of -- not Cliff Lee -- but Chenhau Li. The point is that while you should enjoy the games for what they are. Don't go changing your draft lists as a result of anything that happens in this tournament, short of a major injury, because it doesn't tell you anything.

• Speaking of injury, Shin-Soo Choo may not be sticking around for South Korea's opening game Friday against Taiwan, at least not if the Indians have their way. According to a report in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Choo is suffering some soreness in his surgically repaired left elbow, and Cleveland would prefer the outfielder get checked out by team doctors. Choo started last season on the disabled list, and the Indians are hopeful that their planned starting right fielder doesn't have a similar start to 2009.

"At this point the Indians' wishes are to get him back here so we can examine him," general manager Mark Shapiro told the paper, "just because we're not comfortable with him being somewhere else and experiencing an injury." If Choo's injury does force him to miss action, Dave Dellucci would probably be the initial beneficiary, but any significant absence might eventually see the Indians decide to press Matt LaPorta into service sooner than expected.

• In Mariners camp, Ken Griffey Jr. saw his first action with his old team, walking and flying out in two plate appearances as a designated hitter against the Australian WBC squad. Seattle has said it will take things very slowly with Griffey, who had arthroscopic knee surgery only four months ago. But for the first time out at least, the knee held up fine and all is well, at least as far as Griffey is concerned.

• For Miguel Batista, the game did not go nearly as well. Batista, one of the candidates to claim the Mariners' closer job, allowed four runs in only two-thirds of an inning. Roy Corcoran and Mark Lowe also got roughed up in the contest, so Batista probably remains in the lead in the competition that may well last the entire spring.

• Brandon Webb got roughed up by a Team Mexico that includes Jorge Cantu, Alfredo Amezaga, Scott Hairston and Adrian Gonzalez ... and he couldn't be happier. Despite allowing six runs in 1 1/3 innings, Webb, who had been bothered by forearm tightness, said he felt fine, and that's far more important than results at this time of year.

"No issues with the forearm. The arm felt really good," Webb said on the Diamondbacks Web site. "Just to go out there and get your emotions, your adrenaline and all that stuff to calm down is kind of tough in the first outing. I had that going through me."

Besides, with so many major league hitters on Mexico's roster, giving up a few runs is nothing to be embarrassed about. That wouldn't be the case if you were a pitcher facing Team Netherlands, which has no current big leaguers in the lineup. That's the no-win situation Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo faced in his Wednesday outing, so take from his four scoreless innings of work what you will.

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• Aaron Poreda, the young White Sox pitching prospect with a fastball that regularly flirts with 100 mph, had another solid relief outing, picking up a win again the Cubs on Wednesday. Poreda projects to be a big league starter in the long term, but with the team hoping to have Bartolo Colon and Jose Contreras healthy by the middle of April, there's likely to be no room in the rotation for Poreda. It's possible that a few more solid bullpen outings could earn Poreda a spot on the roster, as insurance in case either Colon or Contreras suffers a setback. The Chicago Tribune reports that both veterans increased their bullpen sessions Wednesday to 45 pitches, with more intensity than previous sessions. The pair will throw another bullpen session Saturday, and if all goes well, they'll move on to throwing live batting practice.

• Another team with a pair of pitchers on the mend is the Angels. Mike Scioscia tells the Los Angeles Times that Jered Weaver should be able to make his first Cactus League start in seven to 10 days, and should have enough time to be ready for his first scheduled start of the regular season. Kelvim Escobar is also ahead of his recovery schedule from shoulder surgery. He should be able to make at least one appearance on the hill before the end of the spring, though Scioscia expects Escobar to start a 30-day minor league rehab assignment once camp breaks. "He's making some great strides," Scioscia said on the Angels' official Web site. "He won't be ready for Opening Day, but if he keeps making strides, he's going to surprise everybody with how quickly he recovers from this."

• J.D. Drew tells the Boston Globe that he's ready to return to the Red Sox lineup Friday. Drew flew back to Boston on Sunday to receive a cortisone shot in his lower back. Drew explained what the problem was, "More than anything, it's just -- we were talking about some of the residual stiffness I had throughout the offseason, and really wished I could get rid of it. So I worked with a chiropractor … He thought that may be the main cause of that residual stiffness, when I'm sitting around, riding on airplanes, sitting around the house." Drew says he's fine, but this bears watching. It may be a case where you pre-emptively bench Drew occasionally, especially for the first game of road trips after a long plane ride.

One last follow-up to the Manny Ramirez signing: My colleague Tristan Cockcroft wrote Wednesday that the odd man out in the Dodgers outfield surely will be Juan Pierre. After going 0-for-3 Wednesday in a game against the Giants, Pierre continues to be oh-fer the spring. If there's any fight left in Pierre, we've yet to see it, and it's even more unlikely that a trade will be forthcoming unless he does something to show he still has a little bit left in the tank, especially with the ridiculous $28.5 million price tag that comes with his services.

Posted by Tristan H. Cockcroft, ESPN.com

It took four long months, but finally, Manny Ramirez has a team.

Ramirez -- predictably -- will be back with the Dodgers, after he agreed in principle Wednesday to a two-year, $45 million contract, reinstalling him as the team's everyday left fielder and No. 3 hitter.

It's a role in which Ramirez thrived following his trade from the Red Sox on July 31; he batted .410 (87-for-212) with 21 home runs and 63 RBIs in 61 games for the Dodgers, postseason included. Some say it was the result of added motivation to show the Red Sox their mistake in dealing him; some suggest it was his contract-year status. But whatever the reason, Ramirez produced a three-month stretch to rival almost anyone's this decade. That he managed a fourth-place finish in MVP voting in the National League despite only 53 games played for Los Angeles demonstrates his immense impact.

Now, it's highly unlikely that Ramirez will come close to a .400 batting average, an RBI-per-game pace or 50-plus homers in 2009, and some might wonder how motivated he will be with contract security once again. However, since the 36-year-old slugger's deal includes an opt-out clause after this season, might it not suit him to maintain an MVP-caliber performance to improve his contract standing in eight months?

Expect a decline in Ramirez's numbers, although not a devastating one. In his worst season of the past decade, he still hit .296-20-88 hitter in 133 games, and outside of that 2007 campaign, he averaged .322-39-119. That's a potential top-25 fantasy player, and it's not one you should worry about having missed much of the spring. With one month between now and Opening Day, Ramirez should be in playing shape in plenty of time.

For the record, and this draws back to the word "predictably" in the second paragraph, our projections mostly presumed Ramirez would return to L.A. in 2009, meaning little to no change to his draft-day value. We had him forecasted for .319-32-107 numbers and the No. 29 draft position overall, and with his deal now done, you can pick him there -- or perhaps a few spots sooner -- with increased confidence.

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Most hurt by Ramirez's return to Los Angeles is Juan Pierre, who returns to the fourth-outfielder role he occupied following July's trade. Pierre started only 13 of the Dodgers' final 54 regular-season games and one in the playoffs, and didn't seem at all himself on the base paths, stealing only four of 10 chances (playoffs included). He no longer is mixed league worthy and brings only fourth- or fifth-outfielder value to NL-only leagues based on the prospect he can steal 20 or so bases in a reserve role.

Another tasty tidbit: If Orlando Hudson hits second as has been rumored, he perhaps will benefit most from Ramirez's return, getting a boost in runs scored and better pitches to hit. Once the top 10 second basemen are off the board, don't wait much longer to grab Hudson, a potential value especially in NL-only formats.

Tristan H. Cockcroft is a fantasy analyst for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.

Posted by Tristan H. Cockcroft, ESPN.com

• Johan Santana's elbow tightness is apparently severe enough to prevent him from being the Mets' Opening Day starter. Pitching coach Dan Warthen told Newsday that Santana, who is scheduled to throw another bullpen session Wednesday morning, won't appear in a Grapefruit League game before March 18, eliminating any chance of him being ready for the April 6 opener in Cincinnati. Santana is penciled in for April 11, the Mets' fifth game of the regular season, but that his in-season schedule is already being altered suggests a disabled-list stint might be next if he suffers any further setbacks. It's not panic-button time regarding his draft-day value, but it's something to keep in mind.

• The New York Times reports that Alex Rodriguez might skip the World Baseball Classic due to a hip injury. He is expected to fly to Colorado on Wednesday to see a hip specialist after an MRI exam this past Saturday showed a cyst. A-Rod did play for the Dominican Republic on Tuesday despite the cyst, going 1-for-3, but the Yankees probably wouldn't want him to risk further injury by playing through it in the WBC. It's only a minor issue that shouldn't affect his draft status, especially if he takes that precaution.

• ESPNdeportes.com's Enrique Rojas is reporting that Manny Ramirez has agreed to a deal with the Dodgers. However, neither the team nor Ramirez's agent Scott Boras would confirm the news, although it appears the sides are getting close to a deal. Right now, ESPN fantasy owners aren't too concerned about Ramirez's status, as he has an average draft position of 26.2, a third-round pick, although it could rise slightly when he officially finds a home.

• Braden Looper might be disabled-list bound, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Manager Ken Macha told the paper that the team plans a conservative approach with the right-hander after Looper experienced tightness in his left oblique while warming up in the bullpen this past Saturday. Looper won't throw again for 10-12 days, leaving little wiggle room for him to be ready for Opening Day. Scratch him off your draft lists in all but the deepest NL-only leagues. Seth McClung is expected to stand in for him for now.

• Randy Johnson was up to his old tricks on Tuesday, striking out seven Diamondbacks in three scoreless innings of work. That brings his spring total to nine K's in five innings, allowing one run on three hits total. It's still pretty early in the spring, but keep the "Big Unit" in mind as a potential mixed-league value, realizing that few fantasy owners are going to put much stock in a 45-year-old pitcher. Johnson did finish 2008 the 35th-ranked starting pitcher on our Player Rater, and this year he'll call home a ballpark much more conducive to masking the effects of the aging process.

• Don't read too much into Joe Nathan's withdrawing from the WBC; the shoulder injury that forced him out isn't an issue. He completed a 25-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday and reported no further pain or soreness in his AC joint, according to the Twins' official Web site. Such minor bumps and bruises are somewhat common with pitchers at this early stage of the spring, but it appears Nathan is in the clear.

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• Sean Marshall took an important step towards nailing down the vacant fifth-starter role for the Cubs, tossing three perfect innings against an Athletics lineup that included Jack Cust, Matt Holliday and Jason Giambi. It's good timing for him; competitors Aaron Heilman, Chad Gaudin and Jeff Samardzija will each make a start in the next two days, having to play catch-up. Marshall, a soft tosser with a 4.08 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 26 starts the past two seasons combined, could be an NL-only late-round value if he's the eventual winner. For one thing, run support won't be a problem for him.

• Prospective Trevor Hoffman owners have to be happy to hear that neither Eric Gagne nor David Riske is pitching in live games yet. Riske, coming off surgery to remove a bone spur from his elbow, will throw batting practice on Thursday, but the news for Gagne is more dire; the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that he has been shut down indefinitely due to a shoulder injury. Hoffman should begin 2009 with about the most job security a closer can hope for, but this news might also elevate Carlos Villanueva's sleeper potential as a "next in line" candidate.

• Justin Duchscherer was scheduled to have his elbow examined with an MRI on Tuesday, though the team's official Web site described it as "precautionary." We'll have to wait to hear whether he'll begin the season on the disabled list, but in the meantime, of interest is that the San Francisco Chronicle lists Edgar Gonzalez the most likely rotation stand-in, with Jerome Williams also a candidate. Neither pitcher seems to be a fantasy option even in AL-only formats, and the team's top three projected starters -- Dana Eveland, Sean Gallagher and Dallas Braden -- don't seem all that much more appealing.

Tristan H. Cockcroft is a fantasy baseball, football and hockey analyst for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.

Posted by Eric Karabell, ESPN.com

While Manny Ramirez continues to play hard-to-get, the other high-profile unemployed baseball players are desperately seeking work and agreeing to stunning contracts they probably thought they never would have to face. It is, after all, March. Not much time left to haggle.

On Monday, Orlando Cabrera became the latest to take a one-year deal for less money than he wanted, as the useful fantasy shortstop agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal with the Oakland Athletics.

Cabrera certainly appears to be on the downside of his career, but statistically, he still has something to offer. Even sans an actual job, Cabrera was selected in the later rounds in our first two ESPN mock drafts, as well as in other industry drafts in which I participated. The shortstop position isn't particularly strong, so a fella who generally hits between eight and 10 home runs, steals about 20 bases and has batted no worse than .281 in the past three seasons becomes a de facto top-15 shortstop and decent middle infielder. When we at ESPN originally projected Cabrera, we didn't know where he'd end up, but a season pretty much like his 2008 campaign seemed fitting. Moving to Oakland for what might be a full season (or less, if he becomes trade bait) shouldn't change things much.

The A's didn't have obvious choices for the top of their revamped lineup that sunk the team in 2008. However, it has received major upgrades this offseason. For example, Cabrera isn't a star hitter by any means, but compared to the below-average plate work of incumbent Bobby Crosby the past two seasons, he looks like a Hall of Famer. In fact, the shortstop could end up batting first; last season for the White Sox, Cabrera received 588 of his near-league-leading 730 plate appearances hitting leadoff. Cabrera's on-base percentage in that spot was only .341, but he scored runs. Cabrera is durable, so even if he doesn't raise that on-base percentage in Oakland, he's going to be a candidate to score 100 runs with Matt Holliday and Jason Giambi hitting after him.

Meanwhile, Crosby's once-promising career has hit a crossroads. The A's could use him in a utility role, but with a .239 career batting average and very little health or production since he was the rookie of the year in 2004, there's little reason to look at him in fantasy. Plus, the team reportedly is wooing another utility infielder, Nomar Garciaparra, which could make Crosby more expendable.

• Remember when Homer Bailey was supposed to be a fantasy ace? Well, let's not give up hope yet. With a career ERA of 6.72 in 17 starts, Bailey certainly has struggled, but it's premature to give up on him. The Reds haven't guaranteed Bailey a rotation spot, but with outings like Monday's, in which the 22-year-old permitted a mere two baserunners over three shutout innings against the Pirates, it will be tough to send him back to Triple-A Louisville.

• Phillies right fielder Jayson Werth made his spring debut Monday after missing time due to a strained right shoulder. The Phillies didn't seem particularly worried, and neither should fantasy owners be concerned, despite Werth's sketchy health track record. He finally has a starting role locked up in the spring and should remain a productive right fielder with the possibility for 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Another Philly people were beginning to worry about is closer Brad Lidge, who had a successful bullpen session Monday and might pitch in a game next week.

• Closer alert! Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu named three right-handed relief pitchers as having stood out in the competition for the saves, and … drum roll, please … they are: Roy Corcoran, Mark Lowe and Miguel Batista. This should excite everyone, notably Mariners fans. OK, so none of this is a surprise, although newcomer Tyler Walker has closing experience and wasn't mentioned. He still has a few weeks.

• More closer news! Those who own Matt Capps in keeper leagues need not worry, but nobody in spring training has more saves than Pittsburgh right-hander Evan Meek, who registered No. 2 Monday. While Capps' job is not in jeopardy and spring stats couldn't mean less when it comes to saves since the closers generally pitch around the fourth inning, Meek's strong spring -- he has allowed only one baserunner in three scoreless innings -- probably moves him to the top of the setup class and next in line for saves. After all, Capps did miss nearly two months of 2008 with a sore shoulder, and the Pirates don't have a top-heavy bullpen. Meek is probably the right-hander next in line for saves.

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• Speaking of sore shoulders, it might be time for the Tigers to really worry about Jeremy Bonderman's. Bonderman was sent back to Detroit on Monday to have his shoulder examined, as he's dealt with soreness after offseason surgery. The Tigers have a competition for their fifth starter job, one Dontrelle Willis doesn't seem to be winning, so if Bonderman starts the year on the DL, Willis might make the rotation by default.

• Carlos Zambrano seems to be going rather late in spring drafts I've seen, but that might cease if he continues to mow through hitters like he did Monday. Zambrano struck out three of the six Diamondbacks he faced as he comes back from his worst season since 2002. In other Cubs news, manager Lou Piniella refused to name his Opening Day starter. Until this becomes an actual fantasy category, we'll worry about it later.

• Dodgers shortstop prospect Ivan DeJesus -- no, not the one the Phillies dealt Larry Bowa and Ryne Sandberg to the Cubs for back in … oh, forget it, I'm no longer bitter -- broke his left tibia sliding into home plate Monday and might be sidelined for the season. There are few fantasy repercussions here, other than my fond memories of his shortstop father, and the fact that the Dodgers aren't as deep at shortstop should something befall Rafael Furcal. Chin-Lung Hu hasn't hit major league pitching yet, and DeJesus was the Dodgers' minor league player of the year in 2008, so this could be lost opportunity for him.

Eric Karabell is a senior writer for ESPN.com who covers fantasy baseball, football and basketball. He has twice been honored as fantasy sports writer of the year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. His new book, "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments," was published by Source Books and is available in bookstores. Contact Eric by e-mailing him here.

Posted by Jason Grey

Those owners that selected Johan Santana in early drafts are breathing a little bit better this morning.

The Mets' ace threw 31 pitches on Sunday to test his left elbow, which had developed some tightness after his previous throwing session, and things went well enough that a trip back to New York for an MRI or other further tests was canceled, according to the team Web site. Although the winter storm warning for New York was a small factor in the fantasy ace not traveling, it was largely because Santana said his elbow felt fine after throwing only fastballs and changeups.

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He is scheduled to throw another bullpen and at least two batting-practice outings before appearing in an actual game. Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen said that would put Santana on track to making his spring debut on March 13. If it's later than that, Santana might not be ready to begin the season. While we'll continue to monitor the situation, it appears Santana has dodged the proverbial bullet for now.

• Not only is he trying to recover from a second surgery on his right hip, but A's starter Justin Duchscherer is also dealing with a sore elbow. According to the Contra Costa Times, the best-case scenario has Duchscherer making his spring debut on March 12. There were already concerns that the Duke may not pitch more than 150 innings this season given the hip woes that have cut his seasons short the last two years, and now there is an additional issue to throw into the mix. Yes, the numbers were stellar when Duchscherer took the mound last year, but how well he's going to hold up remains a serious question mark.

• Brandon Webb threw a bullpen session without any issues on Sunday, and it appears he is past the forearm tightness that gave him problems last week. There should be no concerns with him going forward.

• Speaking of forearm tightness, Brad Lidge has yet to appear in a spring game due to that issue, according to the News Journal, but as of now it doesn't appear that this will affect his readiness for Opening Day.

• Josh Hamilton left Sunday's spring game due to a strained Achilles tendon suffered while he was running the bases, but said after the game he'd be back in the lineup if it were a regular-season game, so it doesn't appear to be too serious.

• According to the team Web site, A's third baseman Eric Chavez, recovering from yet another shoulder surgery, didn't experience any setbacks in a set of throwing drills on Sunday, and could make his Cactus League debut in the field later this week. It's possible Chavez could be a mild sleeper in AL-only play, but not much more given his injury history.

• He wouldn't be ready to pitch until midseason due to offseason shoulder surgery, but Curt Schilling hinted this weekend that he may not be done with baseball just yet, and that he would be interested in returning with only the Cubs or the Rays. Stay tuned.

• The Orioles' team Web Site reported that George Sherrill will remain the O's closer, and that Chris Ray will serve in the primary setup role, at least at the season's outset. However, if Ray shows that he's back to his old from, and Sherill continues to struggle with right-handed hitters, those roles could flip-flop at some point. The smart move would be to make sure to handcuff Sherrill if he's one of your primary save options.

• The Orioles also scratched starter Rich Hill on Sunday due to stiffness in his elbow. Hill, a potential sleeper this season, is expected to win one of the open slots in the O's rotation. He told the team Web site, "there's no big concern," that it was just precautionary.

• Eric Byrnes' battle for playing time in a crowded Arizona outfield has not been made easier by the fact that he is still not able to run the bases at full speed following injuries to both hamstrings last year, and it may hold him out of games for the next couple of weeks. Byrnes is going to be relegated to a platoon role against left-handed pitching unless he earns more at-bats.

• The Royals' Billy Butler left Sunday's game after being hit on the hand with a pitch. He'll be re-evaluated today, but told the team Web site that "it's painful" at the moment.

• Don't forget about Chris Carpenter in drafts this year. The Cardinals' starter pitched two hitless innings in his spring debut, and appears on track to be part of the Opening Day rotation.

• Rich Harden threw live batting practice on Saturday for the first time this spring, and is on track to pitch in a game in about a week. You know what to expect from Harden, and the over/under is at about 125 innings, so it's all depending on how lucky you're feeling.

Posted by Christopher Harris

• The New York Daily News reports that Joba Chamberlain will be on an innings count of around 150 this season. That may be wise, considering Chamberlain only threw 100 1/3 innings in 2008, and missed time late in the season because of a shoulder issue. However, it will put a damper on his fantasy value. For the moment, the Yankees still consider Chamberlain to be exclusively a starter. But there's a chance that, once again, the team could make him a setup man down the stretch if they're worried about overuse.

• The Daily News also reports that Johan Santana will be scratched from his Friday exhibition outing against Team Italy because of stiffness in his pitching elbow. Santana says he's fine, and that he fights this kind of discomfort every spring, but the Mets aren't taking any chances with him, especially since he's returning from knee surgery. Keep an eye on whether he's able to take his turn in the middle of next week.

• Speaking of the Mets, Jose Reyes hit two homers Thursday against the Marlins, one against Rick VandenHurk (a grand slam) and another against Willie Collazo. Most notable about the effort was that Reyes was hitting third in the batting order. There's been some noise about moving Reyes down in the lineup, and perhaps him swinging for the fences was an effort to show he could handle it. In the end, I certainly expect he'll be the leadoff man.

• Another twist in the ongoing Manny Ramirez saga: The Dodgers put out a news release Thursday night indicating that the slugger rejected their latest offer, reportedly for two years and $45 million. In the statement, owner Frank McCourt said he felt his team was negotiating against itself and that "when his agent finds those 'serious offers' from other clubs, we'll be happy to restart the negotiations." The L.A. Times reports that Ramirez rejected the offer because it contains $25 million in deferred payments. Drafting Ramirez is still a relatively safe thing for fantasy owners to do, but it is slightly less likely that he'll be a Dodger. But Manny likes money. I'm betting when push comes to shove, he'll be playing somewhere in the majors in April. I still think it'll be with the Dodgers.

• Milton Bradley introduced his quads to the Cubs on Thursday, leaving a Cactus League game in the first inning because of a pulled muscle in his left leg. The Chicago Tribune reports that Bradley is day-to-day, and that the injury isn't considered serious. But, really, does anyone have any doubt about how this movie ends? If you pay full value for Bradley's 2008 statistics here in '09, you're a fantasy fool.

• The Tribune also reports that the Cubs consider Sean Marshall the favorite to land their fifth-starter role, and that Jeff Samardzija is likely to begin the year in the bullpen. Samardzija would be a more intriguing NL-only fantasy option if he remains a starter, so his dynasty-league owners might hope that the Cubs go ahead and send him down to Triple-A, where he can continue to start and wait for a big-league rotation opportunity. Meanwhile, Marshall made his spring debut Thursday, giving up a run and four hits in two innings to the Brewers.

• The Detroit Free Press reports that Jeremy Bonderman has been scratched from his scheduled start in Saturday's spring training game because of stiffness in his shoulder. Bonderman is attempting to come back from surgery to remove a blood clot in his shoulder, and will throw a simulated game before the Saturday game.

• Joel Zumaya pitched a hitless inning for the Tigers against the Nationals, walking one. Most importantly, he reported no pain in his surgically repaired shoulder. While Brandon Lyon and Fernando Rodney are currently ahead of Zumaya in the battle to be Detroit's closer, and while Zumaya doesn't touch triple digits with his fastball any longer, he could be ready to start the season, which could put him in the short-relief mix.

• Takashi Saito pitched a perfect inning in his first Grapefuit League appearance Thursday against the Pirates, fanning two. His partially torn elbow ligament, which he chose not to address with surgery, hasn't been an issue so far in Red Sox camp. Clearly, if Saito stays healthy, he'll make one of the league's best setup men for Jonathan Papelbon. But that's a big if.

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• Phil Hughes pitched two scoreless innings against the Rays on Thursday, though he did hit two batters and walk another. He also fanned two. At the moment, there isn't any room in the big-league rotation for Hughes, who'll almost certainly begin the year at Triple-A. But there are some potential cracks in the Yankees rotation's health, which could make Hughes an option for AL-only owners later in the year.

• In that same game, Wade Davis hurled two perfect innings for the Rays against New York, including three strikeouts of some fellows you may have heard of: Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano. Davis might be a candidate to make the major-league rotation in an organization without tremendous starting pitching depth, but Tampa is already breaking in David Price as their fifth starter, and unless someone gets hurt or Andy Sonnanstine spits the bit, Davis is probably spending most of 2009 at Triple-A. Remember the name, though.

• And while we're touching on kids who've whet fantasy appetites in the past, how about Homer Bailey, who pitched a scoreless inning, fanning two, against the Twins on Thursday. Bailey seems like he's 30 years old, but he's still only 22, and the Reds plan to give him a chance to win their fifth starter's job this spring.

• The Dodgers signed Doug Mientkiewicz to a minor-league deal, according to the L.A. Times. Mientkiewicz played 37 games at first base last year and 33 at third, providing him with some surprising positional eligibility. Of course, he also only got 285 at-bats with the Pirates. Even if he makes the Dodgers' big-league roster, it doesn't seem likely he'd get that many ABs unless someone important gets hurt. And I can all but guarantee you he has more letters in his last name than he'll hit homers in 2009.

Posted by AJ Mass

When word got out that general manager Ned Colletti was nowhere to be found yesterday as the Dodgers prepared for their first spring training game in Arizona, the buzz began. Could Manny Ramirez be ready to return? The buzz grew louder as sources began to report that Colletti and team owner Frank McCourt were in Los Angeles, preparing to meet with Ramirez' agent, Scott Boras, to try to get a deal done. But as ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports, all that buzz has yet to produce any honey: While an offer remains on the table, the two sides have yet to come to an agreement. However, for fantasy owners, while there may not actually be a signature on a dotted line yet, the writing is clearly on the wall. Eventually, a deal will be struck, possibly as soon as today, and Manny will once again be sporting Dodger blue come Opening Day. Even if these talks drag out for another week or two, there's no need to worry about the type of production you'll get from Manny in 2009. He'll hit around .310, with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs, even with only a limited amount of work this spring.

Hitters simply do not require all that much work to get ready for the start of the season -- a point echoed by the manager of the other Los Angeles franchise, Mike Scioscia. After watching Vladimir Guerrero take batting practice for the first time all week, the Angels' skipper was confident that his slugger would make a full recovery from his offseason knee surgery. As he told the Orange County Register, "We have a lot of time with Vlad. We're going to keep him involved with baseball activities as much as we can. ... He should have no problem at all getting ready for the season and the time he needs to put in down there." Scioscia added that even though Guerrero may not play in live games until the middle of March, it should only take 10 games for him to be all set to go for the 2009 season. If that's all the work a rehabbing player needs to get going, then surely a healthy player like Manny Ramirez wouldn't need more time than that to get back into the swing of things.

In other news from around spring training camps ...

• Forget all the off-the-field issues, the press conferences and the talk of a "mystery cousin." None of that matters for people thinking about drafting Alex Rodriguez for their fantasy team as long as he can keep those distractions from affecting his on-field play. Despite getting booed by some fans in Dunedin at the start of yesterday's spring training opener, A-Rod hit a two-run homer and walked twice in his first action of the spring. It's only one game, but barring any new, unforeseen revelations, things should only get easier for the Yankees' third baseman as time marches on.

Dusty Baker is still Dusty Baker. The Reds shut out the Rays 7-0 on Wednesday, and both Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto pitched three innings in the contest. To be fair to Baker, both Reds hurlers are prepping to throw for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, and consequently are further along in the process of getting their arms ready for the level required for "real competition." However, Baker's decision to have his staff throwing that much this early in the spring is in stark contrast to the philosophy of most pitching caretakers. Case in point: Tim Lincecum threw one inning for the Giants on Wednesday and called it a day. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that pitching coach Dave Righetti had Lincecum on a 25-pitch limit, and after throwing 18 pitches in the first inning, the team had seen enough. That kind of caution seems to make sense to us, but apparently, not so in Cincinnati.

• St. Louis prospect Colby Rasmus played the entire game, going 2-for-5 with a double and a walk for the Cardinals. Tony La Russa has gone on record as saying he'd like to continue his practice of batting his pitcher in the eighth spot in the lineup, with a "second leadoff hitter" in the nine-hole, and he considers Rasmus as a real candidate for that job. "He's going to get prime consideration to hit there if he's in the lineup," La Russa told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch last week. "If you accept the premise that your No. 9 hitter is your second leadoff hitter, then anybody you'd consider to hit leadoff is going to also be considered to bat ninth. That's where he fits."

• The Giants' Travis Ishikawa hit two home runs against the Indians on Wednesday, making a huge statement that San Francisco might want to stop shopping around for a better first-base option. That statement seemed to be heard. "He's our first baseman right now," manager Bruce Bochy told the San Jose Mercury News. "Ishi's got a great look about him right now. He's confident. He looks like he wants to take this job and run with it." After the club passed on Joe Crede, Ishikawa's only real competition for the job is John Bowker, but because Bowker still has minor league options and Ishikawa does not, Ishikawa has a huge leg up in this competition.

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• In Astros' camp, Chris Johnson is attempting to make a name for himself. The third-base prospect homered off the bench in Houston's 6-3 win over the Nationals on Wednesday. Third base for the Astros is far from locked down, with the current plan seeming to be a ragtag platoon of Geoff Blum and Aaron Boone. While our own Jason Grey rates Johnson No. 61 in his list of the Top 100 Prospects for 2009 and pointed out that he wasn't all that impressed with Johnson in the Arizona Fall League, perhaps Jason wasn't there the same day manager Cecil Cooper was. "I saw him in the Fall League," Cooper told the Houston Chronicle, "and he hit two of the longest home runs I've ever seen. I'm not going to rule him out. The kid has tremendous ability."

• Brandon Moss started in right field for the Pirates, apparently suffering no lingering effects from the surgery he needed on his left knee, which ended up being far less invasive than the team feared. Right field is where he'll likely be on Opening Day, and with Nate McLouth in center field, only one outfield spot is up for grabs in Pittsburgh. The competition for it seems to be between Nyjer Morgan, Eric Hinske, Steve Pearce and Andrew McCutchen. However, odds are that spot will go to young speedster Morgan. This week, manager John Russell told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he's looking to go forward with speed. "We've given ourselves an opportunity to have a more dynamic lineup, as far as getting guys on base, getting them moving and bringing them in." The Pirates finished 29th in the majors in steals last season, so having Morgan -- who has stolen 190 bases in the minors -- in the lineup every day would seem to be a large step in the direction Russell wants his team to run.

Posted by Eric Karabell

Andruw Jones had a lot to prove at this time last season, aiming to show Dodgers fans his final year in Atlanta, in which he batted a career-worst .222, was a fluke. Jones had hit 26 home runs and batted in 94 that 2007 season with the Braves, and he signed a two-year deal with Los Angeles. Then he hit .158 in 75 games, with a near unfathomable .505 OPS. Fantasy owners, and apparently the Dodgers, weren't pleased.

It's safe to say Jones has even more to prove this spring, as he's in camp with the Texas Rangers on a minor league contract, signed only a week before spring training opened. Yep, a five-time All-Star with 371 career home runs and 10 Gold Gloves has fallen so far he's just trying to make a team, any team. Few believe Jones, soon to be 32, can do it, and certainly there are quite a few fantasy owners harboring ill will to the wasted draft pick that was Jones a season ago.

While it's merely an intrasquad game and the Rangers are hardly known for their pitching, Jones made a good impression Tuesday with a home run, double and three RBIs off Kevin Millwood and Luis Mendoza. On Monday Jones had two hits in the first intrasquad game. "My timing was better," Jones told the Rangers' web site. "I was keeping my body from moving, trying to be still and square toward the pitcher. It paid off."

Jones clearly lacked bat speed in his stint with the Dodgers, but we do have to remember he's two seasons removed from 26 homers, and in 2005-06 he mashed 92 home runs. The power probably remains, and maybe it's best the entire 2008 experience is forgotten. The Rangers aren't desperate for outfield bats, with Josh Hamilton tentatively being flanked by David Murphy and Nelson Cruz, while Marlon Byrd is also in the picture, but there could be opportunity. For one, Cruz hasn't had much success at the major league level, Murphy has one season as a regular and the team's designated hitter, Hank Blalock, isn't exactly the picture of health. If Jones can hit in spring training games, this might get interesting after all. Arlington is, after all, a nice place to hit.

• Meanwhile, another forgotten veteran on a minor league deal looked good Tuesday, as Kris Benson threw batting practice and is expected to start the Rangers' first Cactus League game, Wednesday against the Royals. Benson has been fantasy irrelevant even longer than Jones, but all it will take for him to earn a rotation spot is relative health, and average performance, as the Rangers have three, maybe four, starting spots filled.

• Fantasy owners might not care about Benson, but Erik Bedard certainly interests them, and the strikeout lefty passed his first spring test when he faced live hitters Tuesday, tossing a scoreless inning in an intrasquad game. Bedard's 2008 season was derailed by injury, ultimately leading to a cyst being removed from his pitching shoulder and tissue removed after the season. When he was on the mound, he was effective, striking out 72 hitters in 81 innings, with a 3.67 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. A year earlier, of course, Bedard was a fantasy darling with the Orioles, fanning 221 hitters and finishing fifth in the Cy Young voting. The Orioles dealt Bedard to the Mariners for a bevy of prospects, including center fielder Adam Jones. Bedard is expected to be healthy enough to start the season in the Seattle rotation, possibly pitching on opening day. Bedard is ranked as our No. 42 starting pitcher, but that's with only 18 starts. If it looks like Bedard is healthy, he could be a top-10 starter.

• Another starter on the mend is the Mets' John Maine, and like Bedard, he looked strong in an intrasquad game, tossing two scoreless innings and striking out two. Maine had September surgery to shave a bone spur in his right shoulder, failing to capitalize on his breakout 2007, when he won 15 games and fanned 180 hitters. Like Bedard, Maine's preseason rank on ESPN is cautious, at No. 60, but he can certainly become a lot more popular should he show he's healthy over the next month.

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• There's no end to the news about starting pitchers, since they are handled with far more care in spring training, so we'll try to be brief. For the Diamondbacks, Max Scherzer threw a bullpen session Monday and claimed his shoulder felt fine, this after the right-hander reported soreness and stiffness in January. The Diamondbacks could opt to start Scherzer in the minors or on the disabled list in April, as the team will not need a fifth starter until April 15, and it's likely the team will monitor his season innings closely as well.

• The Twins weren't planning on Boof Bonser being a member of their rotation, but they did expect the right-hander to make the team as an innings eater in the bullpen. Instead, Bonser is ticketed to start the season on the disabled list as he will need exploratory arthroscopic surgery to relieve soreness in his pitching shoulder joint. Bonser struggled the past two seasons, after making a strong debut in 2006. Allowing a career .316 batting average against versus left-handed hitters appears the culprit for his career 5.12 ERA. Former Mets prospect Phil Humber, one of the many acquired in the Johan Santana trade, could make the bullpen with Bonser out. The Twins also announced Scott Baker will start opening day.

• Those fantasy owners who overdraft phenom David Price this spring won't want to hear this news, but the Rays acknowledge Price might not even make the team. He is, after all, only 23, with 19 2/3 major league innings -- regular and postseason -- under his belt, and according to the Tampa Tribune, the Rays have to find a roster spot for Jeff Niemann, Jason Hammel and Mitch Talbot, each of whom is out of minor league options. Price could be terrific this season, but don't be surprised if he starts the season at Triple-A Durham.

• Speaking of the Rays, potential closers Troy Percival and Jason Isringhausen, with a combined 645 career saves between them, have each thrown bullpen sessions this week and the team will continue to ease them into the relief corps. The Rays have arguably the deepest bullpen in the league, and can turn to Dan Wheeler, Grant Balfour and others for saves, but it's likely Percival is first in line if he's healthy. As for Isringhausen, who like Percival previously pitched for the Cardinals, he's not a lock to make the team.

• Let's talk hitters! White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, trying to overcome his worst season since 2003, told the Chicago Sun-Times he wouldn't block a potential trade, even though he has the right to do so as a player with 10 years in the league, and five with the same team. Konerko, who hit .240 with only 22 home runs, would seem an odd choice to be dealt, as the White Sox don't have an obvious replacement first baseman. Jim Thome is the designated hitter, and none of the extra outfielders at the major league level have extensive experience at first base. We project Konerko to bounce back quite a bit, with 29 home runs and 85 RBIs.

• Also out of White Sox camp, the lineup for the Wednesday Cactus League opener is out, and it has catcher A.J. Pierzynski batting second, with shortstop Alexei Ramirez hitting sixth. Pierzynski actually received more than two-thirds of his 2008 plate appearances in the No. 2 spot, where he delivered a low .307 on-base percentage. Why Ozzie Guillen would make the same mistake in 2009, who knows? Ramirez isn't exactly Todd Helton when it comes to on-base percentage either, but at least he has some upside, and plenty of speed. Don't read into the lineup arrangement for the first spring game, but if it's a trend, it would mean more runs scored for Pierzynski, and more RBI opportunities for Ramirez.

• Finally, we close with the Cubs and the daily Lou Piniella statement fantasy owners don't understand. Already this winter everyone was trying to figure out why Piniella told reporters Kevin Gregg might be his closer over Carlos Marmol and how Aaron Miles had the leg up to play second base and bat second, with a perfectly good Mike Fontenot awaiting his chance. On Tuesday, Piniella told reporters his leadoff hitter -- for now, he's staying there -- looked in great shape and would steal 30 bases. For the record, Alfonso Soriano stole 19 bases in each of his first two Cubs seasons. He did average 31 home runs, however. We project Soriano as the No. 4 outfielder in fantasy, with 25 steals. What's next, Lou? Are you going to tell us Rich Harden is healthy?

Posted by Jason Grey, ESPN.com

• Mets manager Jerry Manuel told the New York Daily News there wouldn't necessarily be a platoon in left field between Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis. Manuel feels Murphy can hit left-handed pitching, even going so far to say that if he wanted to get Tatis' bat in the lineup against southpaws, it might be right fielder Ryan Church who sits, and not Murphy. This would also allow Manuel to keep Tatis as a right-handed option off the bench. The bottom line is that the projected bump in Murphy's at-bats should move him a little bit up on your draft lists.

• Seeking to confirm the organization's faith that he can handle the starting shortstop job this season, touted rookie Elvis Andrus has been hampered by a sore wrist early in camp, according to the Fort-Worth Star Telegram. Andrus might miss a few games while this reportedly minor injury heals. It has caused him to miss three days of batting practice. Andrus' stolen-base potential make him an in interesting mixed-league sleeper this year, though his batting average might not be up to par in his rookie year.

• The Tampa Tribune has reported that Matt Joyce has been hampered by a sore right calf in camp. Again, it's way too early to be overly concerned with something like this, but it's worth nothing because Joyce is not guaranteed a job. While it has been assumed that Joyce will be the platoon partner of Gabe Kapler in right field and that it's his job to lose, he still has to beat out Gabe Gross for the job, with rookie speedster Fernando Perez also in the mix. Joyce is a sleeper hitter this season due to his power potential, but he's still going to have to earn his playing time.

• Travis Hafner's surgically repaired shoulder isn't ready to play in games yet, but he did take the important step of finally taking outdoor batting practice with his teammates Sunday, according to the team Web site. He will face some live pitching in the first week of March and then hopefully be ready for game action. Some players' power never really returns in the same way after a major shoulder injury (Shawn Green comes to mind), but given Hafner's level of production before he was hurt, he could be a viable, cheap draft-day gamble if he starts hitting the ball well this spring.

• The Detroit News is reporting that Dontrelle Willis has abandoned his trademark high leg kick in an effort to correct the mechanical issues that contributed to his meltdown last season. Willis is competing for the fifth starter spot with Nate Robertson, Zach Miner, and rookie Rick Porcello, and might be a reserve-list play in AL leagues if he has a good spring and shows he can throw consistent strikes again.

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• The Rockies' team Web site reported that Todd Helton's surgically repaired back might not be ready for Opening Day. Obviously, this situation needs to be monitored throughout the spring, as any further issues with Helton mean more at-bats for Ian Stewart. Manager Clint Hurdle already said during the offseason that Helton would play a "reduced number of games" when he returned, but didn't elaborate on how many that would be, though he did tell the Rocky Mountain News that Stewart will "get a large number of at-bats."

• D-backs outfielder Chris Young told the East Valley (Ariz.) Tribune that he wants to get back to being aggressive on the bases this season after his stolen-base total was cut nearly in half last year from 27 to 14. While this might be the usual spring noise, Young did say the same thing at the All-Star break last season, and wound up stealing nine of his bases in the second half in 129 fewer at-bats.

• Derek Jeter is battling a sore right hamstring, but told the team Web site Sunday that it is "really not an issue" and that he doesn't expect it to hamper his preparations to play in the WBC.

• Andy LaRoche, expected to be the starting third baseman for the Pirates, remains bothered by back spasms, and will miss the team's spring opener on Wednesday. However, he did take soft-toss batting practice and some grounders Sunday, indicating the problem shouldn't be too serious.

• John Maine is adding a curveball back to his repertoire, and has been throwing a lot of them during camp thus far, according to the team Web site. Former pitching coach Rick Peterson was not a fan of Maine throwing his hook, but new pitching coach Dan Warthen is on board with Maine bringing it back into his arsenal as a fourth pitch. The 2006 season was the most recent time Maine had incorporated it regularly, and it could wind up helping him remain a solid fantasy pitcher again this season.

• According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the A's are still actively pursuing Orlando Cabrera to be their starting shortstop, but only want to pay around $5 million on a one-year contract, which is not what Cabrera is seeking at the moment.

Jason Grey is a graduate of the MLB Scouting Bureau's Scout Development Program and has won two Tout Wars titles, one LABR title and numerous other national "experts" competitions.

Posted by Christopher Harris, ESPN.com

The Atlanta Braves have signed Garret Anderson to a one-year, $2.5 million contract (according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution), and Anderson is expected to join the team in the next two days.

This signing comes as many of the older free-agent outfielders have chosen destinations other than Atlanta. Ken Griffey Jr. narrowed his choices to the Braves and Seattle before picking the Mariners, Adam Dunn went to the Nationals, Bobby Abreu went to the Angels and, of course, Manny Ramirez is still out there. Anderson therefore will occupy one of the final corner outfield spots left in this particular game of musical chairs.

Anderson has spent his entire 15-year career with the Angels (in fact, he spent his first four years as a "California Angel"), so he'll obviously have to adjust to National League pitching. He goes to a pretty good hitters' park in Atlanta. And he's likely to occupy left field full-time and hit in the middle of the order, unless he just absolutely can't compete against lefties, in which case he'll probably platoon some with Matt Diaz. So the opportunity should be there for Anderson.

The problem, however, is production. In 557 at-bats last year, Anderson managed only 15 homers, making 2008 his fifth straight season with fewer than 20. His on-base percentage hasn't exceeded .336 for four seasons, and he hasn't driven in more than 96 in five, despite regularly hitting in the middle of a pretty good batting order. He'll be 37 in June and I simply don't see him as a viable mixed-league option. In an NL-only league? Sure, he'll deserve a roster spot, but considering his OPS has been below .789 in four of the past five years, he's nothing to get excited about. If you pay a lot for Anderson, you're buying a name, and the long-ago memory of a 30-homer, 100-RBI batter.

Christopher Harris is a fantasy baseball, football and racing analyst for ESPN.com. He is a six-time Fantasy Sports Writing Association award winner across all three of those sports. You can e-mail him here.

Posted by Christopher Harris, ESPN.com

Joe Crede to Twins

The Chicago Tribune reported Saturday that Joe Crede has agreed to a contract with the Minnesota Twins. Terms of the deal weren't available, but the Tribune seems pretty sure, having posted a mini-retrospective of Crede's time with the White Sox on its Web site, and also mentioning the first date (April 10) that Crede will return to U.S. Cellular Field as a Twin.

If Crede can stay healthy (which is a mighty big if), he represents a major upgrade at third base in Minnesota, where Brendan Harris was starting to look like the starter. Instead, Harris can go back to where he belongs, a utility role, and Brian Buscher can play in the minor leagues. The fly in this particular ointment is Crede's back, which has required surgery in consecutive seasons. He played only 47 games in 2007, and after beginning '08 with seven homers and 22 RBIs in April, he wound up playing only 97 games total and having that second surgery last fall.

And let's face it: Crede doesn't exactly blow you away with on-base skills, either. He's got a career .306 OBP and has failed to post a batting average above .248 in either of the past two seasons. But he's got thunder in that bat and is moving to the HomerDome, so if you can convince yourself he'll be healthy, you have to assume 25 homers is within reach. That doesn't make him a must-start guy in mixed leagues, but in an AL-only league, Crede will be a fixture in your lineup, right up until the day he goes on the DL.

Jason Isringhausen to Rays

For those who feel tempted to draft Troy Percival in fantasy leagues, it might be wise to check out what's going on down in Tampa. The Rays continue to stockpile relievers in mini-Red-Sox fashion, presumably at least in part because they're quite concerned that Percival's surgically repaired back might not be ready to go in April. To that end, the team announced Friday that it signed Jason Isringhausen to a minor-league deal.

Isringhausen himself is damaged goods: He had elbow surgery in September and was just awful throughout 2008, posting a 5.70 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP while blowing seven of 19 save chances. But he did tell the Tampa Tribune that he's healthy now, and he was very good as recently as '07 (2.48 ERA, 1.07 WHIP). He's 36, though, so you do have to wonder if Izzy's got it in him to bounce back from what turned out to be pretty severe elbow troubles.

This all will bear watching. The Rays now have Isringhausen, Percival, Dan Wheeler, Grant Balfour, J.P. Howell, Joe Nelson, Brian Shouse and Lance Cormier in the bullpen, with guys like Jeff Niemann and Jason Hammel knocking on the door (Chad Bradford is out after elbow surgery of his own). That's probably not as good a relief staff as Boston has stockpiled (Jonathan Papelbon, Takashi Saito, Hideki Okajima, Ramon Ramirez, Manny Delcarmen and Justin Masterson), but some of the same principles apply: throw a lot of guys against a wall and see who sticks.

For now, Tampa claims that Percival is their Opening Day closer, but we'll see. If Izzy winds up looking good in the spring, he could make the big-league club and be an eighth-inning guy, and there's a chance he gets in the mix for saves. But Wheeler seems a likelier solution to Percival problems, and I still think Howell might be the best pitcher in the group. Right now, I'm not leaping to draft Isringhausen. But stay tuned.

Orlando Hudson to Dodgers

The Dodgers rightly decided that Blake DeWitt wasn't going to be their 2009 answer at second base, signed Orlando Hudson, formerly of the Diamondbacks, to a one-year deal that could reach $8 million with incentives.

Hudson is probably a little overrated as a fantasy player. He's never driven in more than 67 runs, never hit more than 15 homers, never topped 87 runs and never hit better than .294 except for last season when he injured his wrist and played only 107 games. But the fact remains that at what may be fantasy's current weakest non-catcher position, the O-Dog is at least relatively solid in four offensive categories. (He's not a steals guy.)

His value to the Dodgers is higher: Hudson's a very good defensive player whose presence will probably shave some fraction of a run off L.A.'s team ERA. In addition, if your league uses on-base percentage as a statistic, O-Dog is all the more valuable fantasy-wise, considering he hasn't posted a season OBP worse than .354 the past three seasons. He's also staying in the NL West, which means he won't have to adjust all that much to new pitchers (though having to face Brandon Webb and Dan Haren won't be fun). Overall, though, I wouldn't definitively put Hudson among, say, the top 10 second basemen in fantasy. He's still at best a middle-infield candidate in a mixed league.

As a result of this signing, the Dodgers figure to send 23-year-old DeWitt to the minor leagues despite a not-terrible rookie season in '08: .264 AVG/.344 OBP/.728 OPS. Still, with Casey Blake locked in at third, Hudson at second and Mark Loretta the utility man, there really aren't many at-bats for DeWitt in the majors, though he'll be the first guy called up if anyone gets hurt.

Christopher Harris is a fantasy baseball, football and racing analyst for ESPN.com. He is a six-time Fantasy Sports Writing Association award winner across all three of those sports. You can e-mail him here.

Posted by Christopher Harris, ESPN.com

• All-everything fantasy second baseman Chase Utley told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Thursday that he gives himself a realistic chance of being ready for Opening Day. "My chances are fair to quite fair," Utley said. This is potentially the beginning of tremendous news for Utley's pre-draft value; if his surgically repaired hip allows him to go right away in April, he's probably going to be undervalued in most fantasy drafts. Healthy, he's an obvious first-rounder. (See Stephania Bell's take on Utley's injury ).

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• Panic among Alfonso Soriano owners abated a bit Thursday, as Lou Piniella backed off his musings about moving Soriano out of the Cubs' leadoff spot, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. While there's little question that Soriano could hit just about anywhere in Piniella's lineup, he'll almost certainly maximize his fantasy value in the lead base-stealing spot. Of course, that means his legs have to stay healthier than they've been the past two years, when he's stolen only 19 bases each season.

• Speaking of leadoff hitters, Joe Torre ruffled some Rafael Furcal owners' feathers Thursday when he told the Los Angeles Times he may rest Furcal as much as once per week during the season. Now, while the sentiment of keeping Furcal healthier than this past year (when the shortstop played in only 36 games) is terrific, the idea of limiting him to as many as 15 percent fewer at-bats than his potential maximum sounds just awful. For example, from 2002 to 2006, Furcal averaged 153 games a season. Chop off a game per week, and that could bump him down to as few as 130 games, which would no doubt lop off some of the many, many runs and stolen bases Furcal's owners anticipate. Clearly, though, it's February, and we shouldn't jump off a bridge just yet.

• And just to get all the lineup news out of the way at once, Dusty Baker told the Cincinnati Enquirer that Brandon Phillips will be the Reds' cleanup hitter again this year. That sounds potentially bad for a guy who's supposed to run a lot, but Phillips hit in the four-hole in 114 games this past year (and 27 games elsewhere), and in those 449 cleanup at-bats managed 19 homers and 19 steals. He'll be fine.

• Did I say the lineup news was done? I lied. A quick note from the Denver Post indicates the Rockies are thinking about using Ryan Spilborghs as their leadoff hitter now that Willy Taveras is plying his trade in Cincinnati. That officially makes Spilborghs a mixed-league sleeper.

• The Denver Post also reports that Rockies lefty Jeff Francis will undergo exploratory surgery on his pitching shoulder next week and miss the entire season. The former 17-game winner and first-round draft pick was a mess all through 2008 because of shoulder troubles. Unfortunately, until doctors know exactly what's wrong with his arm, it's hard to forecast a return to glory for Francis. But we'll know more next week.

• The Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles and Brian Roberts will make Roberts's four-year contract extension official Friday. Roberts will earn $40 million over those four seasons, which makes him much less likely to be traded to a team like the Cubs, who were hot and heavy for him at the beginning of 2008. Roberts figures to play in Baltimore for at least most of the next five years.

• The Sun also reports that Felix Pie has been a no-show at Orioles camp to this point because of visa problems. If you're still salivating for some five-tool goodness from Pie, though, don't worry: he's expected to be in America soon. Of course, this begs the question: Why in the world are you still salivating over Felix Pie?

• Jered Weaver told the Orange County Register he's dealing with shoulder soreness, but that it's the same thing he battles at the beginning of every spring training, every season. It sounds like nothing, but keep an ear to the ground just to be sure; Weaver lasted until the 18th round of our first ESPN.com experts' 10-team mock draft this week, despite double-digit wins, 152 strikeouts and a WHIP below 1.30 in 2008. He's not a stud, but he's eminently ownable.

• Tony LaRussa told the Cardinals' official Web site that Joel Pineiro will be the fifth man in the team's starting rotation to begin the season. This is the first time since 2005 that the team has basically known its starting rotation before a single spring training game. Barring injury, the rotation will be Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Kyle Lohse, Todd Wellemeyer and Pineiro. Hey, I didn't say they were all great. I just said the Cardinals know who they are.

• Tom Glavine and the Braves finally arrived at an incentive-laden one-year contract with a $1 million base salary, and Glavine seems pretty well inked into the Atlanta rotation. He'll be 43 by Opening Day, of course, and was awful in 13 starts for the Braves in '08 before requiring shoulder surgery. He could get double-digit wins, but Glavine will continue to be a non-strikeout-acquiring WHIP-killer who should be avoided in all but the deepest NL-only leagues.

• Brewers prospect Mat Gamel, who would appear to have shot at filling an opening at third base because of Bill Hall's torn calf muscle, has a "shoulder impingement" according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, and won't be allowed to throw for the next week or two. Gamel's stick would make him an intriguing NL-only rookie right away if he makes the big league club, but of course, this doesn't help. Then again, it's not like the Brewers haven't ever rushed a sweet-hitting, terrible-fielding third baseman to the majors before, right, Mr. Braun?

• The Indians designated former bonus baby third baseman Andy Marte for assignment Thursday, giving them 10 days to trade or release him. While there's still a chance Marte winds up accepting an assignment to the Tribe's minor-league system, there may be another big league club willing to take an up-close look at all that potential that's never come to fruition in the bigs.

Christopher Harris is a fantasy baseball, football and racing analyst for ESPN.com. He is a six-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association award winner across all three of those sports. You can e-mail him here.

Posted by AJ Mass, ESPN.com

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday, all the writing was on the wall for Ken Griffey Jr. to join Chipper Jones in the Atlanta Braves' lineup. Unfortunately for Braves fans and owners in NL-only leagues, the writing was not on a contract. Griffey, who had insisted the reports in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution were premature and that he had not yet made his final decision, has in fact decided to accept a one-year contract offer from Seattle, the city where he launched his career.

Now, some may say that this is nothing more than an attempt by the Mariners to fill some seats after a 100-loss season. In fact, Griffey's $2 million contract is chock-full of incentives based on at-bats and, more importantly, attendance figures, so there's no attempt to hide from the fact that the signing, at least in part, is being made to put fans in the seats. However, those fans won't come if Griffey does not play, and with Ichiro Suzuki in right and the superior defensive ability of Franklin Gutierrez in center, it looks like the best fit for Griffey, on days he doesn't simply DH, would be in left field. After all, Endy Chavez has a nice glove, but no power and declining speed. Wladimir Balentien has a lot of potential but, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, is having difficulty with his visa from his native Curacao, and the Mariners have no timetable for his arrival in camp.

There's also the effect this signing may have on Jeff Clement. After he underwent knee surgery last season, the Mariners had intended to limit his catching duties as much as possible by playing Kenji Johjima behind the plate but still getting Clement's bat in the lineup as the designated hitter. Perhaps that will still be the case on the road, but when the Mariners are playing at Safeco Field, Griffey's required presence in the lineup may force Clement to don the tools of ignorance more than the team had planned, and that excess wear and tear may end up hurting Clement's 2009 stats in the long run.

In other news from around spring training camps:

While there are a few bullpen battles in the NL Central that still need to shake themselves out this spring, don't be fooled by what you see in the box scores. …

• Lou Piniella told the Cubs' official Web site that neither Carlos Marmol nor Kevin Gregg will be closing games this spring. The reason? Since most of the A-list hitters have long since been replaced in the lineup by the time the ninth inning rolls around, he's going to be testing his potential closers earlier in games in the hope that they'll face a higher quality of hitter. Marmol certainly proved last season that he had the makings of a closer. As Kerry Wood's set-up man, he had 30 holds and a major league-high 114 strikeouts by a reliever. However, there is something to be said for "having done the job before," and Gregg did record 29 saves with the Marlins last season. Fantasy owners who will be drafting before this situation shakes itself out should probably err on the side of Marmol. If Gregg doesn't get the closer's job, he won't have much fantasy value, whereas Marmol, because of his historically high strikeout rate, dominant ERA and WHIP will still have a strong positive impact on your staff's numbers if he once again is asked to play the set-up role.

• Meanwhile in St. Louis, pitching coach Dave Duncan says that while he and manager Tony La Russa would like for their closer situation to shake out this spring, they're not going to force matters, and if they have to "mix and match" when the season starts, so be it. The team's official Web site quotes Duncan as saying, "Ideally, what I would like to see is that over the course of the spring, somebody emerges that we have the confidence in to finish the games. Start the season with a guy that you can designate as your closer. I don't know if it's going to be that way or not."

Right now there's a four-man battle royal among Chris Perez, Jason Motte, Josh Kinney and Ryan Franklin to take over the ninth-inning duties, as Jason Isringhausen is no longer in the picture. Franklin is the veteran of the bunch, giving him the edge if La Russa decides, as he did last season, that the "kids" aren't ready to handle the job. It's situations like this that reinforce our "don't pay for saves" mantra; when all is said and done, despite the impression that it's Perez's job to lose, it's very possible that any -- or even all -- of this quartet might end up with double-digit saves when 2009 is done.

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• The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that talks between free agent Joe Crede and the Twins have ground to a halt. Simply put, there aren't many offers out there for Crede, with perhaps only San Francisco still being thought of as a potential suitor for the third baseman's services. As such, the Twins aren't going to sign Crede on his terms. What is also helping the Twins stand firm in negotiations is the fact that Brian Buscher reportedly has been crushing the ball so far this spring and his likely platoonmate Brendan Harris also seems a lot more comfortable now that he is being asked to focus on his best defensive position. If Crede won't lower his price, it looks like he won't be coming to Minnesota.

• News out of Astros camp in Kissimmee is that catcher Toby Hall had to have an MRI on his right shoulder, leading to speculation that the team might seek out the services of a veteran catcher like Ivan Rodriguez to compete for the starting job instead of relying on J.R. Towles or Humberto Quintero should Hall's injury prove to be serious. However, general manager Ed Wade stopped that rumor in its tracks. The Astros' official Web site quoted Wade as saying, "We're not signing Pudge. Put that one to rest. We have no expectation to sign Pudge."

Rodriguez isn't the only veteran having difficulty catching on with a major league team. Paul Lo Duca was talking with the Chicago White Sox, hoping to find himself a job as the backup to A.J. Pierzynski. However, the Chicago Sun Times reports that the team decided to stick with what they had. "After some conversations and the flow of those conversations, I felt what we have here is just what we needed,'' general manager Ken Williams told the newspaper. The fact is, fantasy players probably shouldn't worry too much about where these veterans end up. The catcher position may not be the deepest, but in a 10-team mixed league, you won't need to go anywhere near players like Pudge and Lo Duca. In fact, in the ESPN mock draft I took part in just yesterday, I was able to grab my starting catcher, Kelly Shoppach, in the 22nd round of our 25-round draft. There's more than enough depth to go around.

Finally, while it's important to always check the headlines right before you draft, just in case some important "need-to-know" news breaks, make sure you read the whole article and not just the headline. Yesterday, the Tampa Tribune proclaimed that Evan Longoria left the team's first workout early, which may have caused a lot of panic and movement on the draft board for fantasy owners … unless they read on to discover it was simply the result of some discomfort after Evan had some wisdom teeth pulled. He'll be just fine. Nothing to see here. Move it along.

A.J. Mass is a fantasy football, baseball and college basketball analyst for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.

Posted by Tristan H. Cockcroft, ESPN.com

Wednesday might be Atlanta's day to grab the headlines.

All indications are the Atlanta Braves will ink two certain Hall of Famers, 600-homer slugger Ken Griffey Jr. and 300-game winner Tom Glavine, to contracts sometime Wednesday. News late Tuesday night had Griffey mulling a decision between the Braves and the Seattle Mariners, his first team, although the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported early Wednesday morning that he has told friends he has already decided he'll join the Braves. Glavine and the Braves, meanwhile, were hammering out incentive clauses in a one-year deal expected to be worth $1 million with $3-4 million in bonuses for time spent on the active roster, the Journal-Constitution reported early Wednesday.

Unfortunately, for all the real-world headlines such deals might generate, neither of these signings would amount to much for fantasy purposes (especially in Glavine's case).

For Griffey, signing with Atlanta would present two benefits for him. First, the Braves train only 20 minutes from his home in Orlando, Fla., and play regular-season home games one state away. Second, they have a wide-open outfield picture in which Jeff Francoeur, whose OPS in 2008 was .653, is about the only sure thing. A place to play regularly would seem to be no issue for Griffey Jr.

But even this favorable scenario can't help Griffey return to his old 40 homers-per-season production. He probably won't hit 30 home runs, either. His at-bats-per-home run ratio has declined in each of the past three seasons and dipped to 27.2:1 in 2008, his worst ratio since his rookie year of 1989. Plus, Turner Field represents a worse hitting environment than Great American Ball Park, where he played from 2003 to 2008, or U.S. Cellular Field, where he finished 2008. A .260 hitter with 23 home runs and 79 RBIs in 141 road games the past two seasons combined, Griffey, who's 39, doesn't figure to produce much better numbers than that in his new digs … and even those might represent generous projections.

One thing Griffey can still do is mash right-handed pitchers, against whom he had an .841 OPS in 2008. Matchups seekers, especially those of you in NL-only formats, should take note. Griffey might be an ideal platoon mate for Matt Diaz, whose career OPS against left-handers is .869, and both might be able to help you in daily transaction formats.

Glavine will turn 43 next month. What's troubling about him is that his ERA and WHIP have increased by noticeable margins in each of the past two seasons. A finesse pitcher, Glavine has little room for error, making him a weak bet even as a matchups choice. Allowing him to finish his career in Atlanta might be a heartwarming story for the fans, but there's a reason he'll be inking a deal loaded with incentives. Simply put, he's not all that likely to meet them.

Frankly, I'd rather have seen Jorge Campillo remain the Braves' fifth starter. At least he offers the chance at some NL-only value. He might have to settle for a middle-relief role, in spite of an impressive 3.91 ERA and 1.24 WHIP last season.

In other news from around spring training camps:

• Good news for you Chase Utley fans: The Phillies' official Web site reports he joined the team for its first full-squad workout Tuesday, participating in fielding drills and hitting off the practice tee. That would seemingly put him ahead of schedule in his recovery from Nov. 24 hip surgery, an operation expected to require a four-to-six-month rehabilitation. We'll surely get frequent updates on Utley's status throughout the spring, but at his current rate of recovery, there's no reason to draft him as anything less than a player who might miss two to four weeks of regular-season time.

• What a difference a year makes. Eric Gagne, who earned $10 million with the Brewers last season, agreed Tuesday to return to the team, but this time on a non-guaranteed minor league deal. What a trying year he endured: He was implicated in the Mitchell report three days after signing his big free-agent contract in December 2007, lost his closer's job in May thanks to injury and poor performance and wound up registering the highest ERA of his career (5.44).

Gagne, the Brewers' closer on Opening Day 2008, won't stand a chance to start this season at that status. Trevor Hoffman will assume that role for as long as his 41-year-old arm will allow him to pitch, and David Riske, Jorge Julio and perhaps even Carlos Villanueva should initially rank higher in the bullpen pecking order. But Gagne, if he makes the team and starts off hot, might wind up a useful in-season pickup if the worst happens with Hoffman. On draft day, though, don't bother, and that's speaking even to those of you in deep NL-only leagues.

• Vladimir Guerrero, who had surgery Oct. 10 to repair his right medial meniscus, reported to camp Tuesday and declared all is well with the knee, according to the Angels' official Web site. Manager Mike Scioscia, though, said the team is planning a cautious approach with the slugger, holding him out of Cactus League games until "early to mid-March."

Guerrero apparently also prefers to start in right field more than the 99 times he did last season and be the designated hitter fewer than the 44 times he did in 2008. He said that although his 30 home run/30 stolen-base days are a thing of the past, he should be able to improve upon the seven stolen bases he totaled in 2007 and 2008. His optimism might seem refreshing, but fact remains the Angels probably would be better off with Guerrero running sparsely and playing as a DH more often than not. Continued good health might help stave off a statistical collapse from him in 2009, though, so don't be too hasty to push him down your draft board.

• We're edging ever closer to the point where Jeff Francis can be scratched off 2009 draft boards entirely. He apparently had no problems with his shoulder during a 25-pitch bullpen session Tuesday but continues to consider season-ending surgery, the Rockies' official Web site reports. Francis, who is still experiencing pain in the joint, a problem that dates back well into 2008, has no timetable but hopes to throw again Thursday. Even if he avoids the knife, Francis has a long way to go to restore faith in prospective owners after he had a 5.01 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 24 starts last season.

• Looking to add depth, the Rays signed Adam Kennedy to a minor league contract on Tuesday, according to the Tampa Tribune. Unfortunately, he stands little chance at making the team, with Akinori Iwamura entrenched at second base and in the leadoff spot, and Willy Aybar and Ben Zobrist likely to serve as the team's backup infielders. Kennedy might have had minimal appeal in AL- or NL-only leagues in the right circumstance, but this in no way is it. He'd probably need Iwamura to get hurt just to break camp with the team.

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• Meanwhile, in the camp of Kennedy's former team, the Cardinals, Troy Glaus reported to camp Tuesday fresh off Jan. 21 surgery to clean out the labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder. There remains no timetable for his recovery, initially estimated at 12 weeks, but the team's official Web site reports he has not yet begun any baseball activities. Glaus is a virtual lock to begin the season on the disabled list, missing perhaps a month or more, opening the door for prospect David Freese to step up and claim the job. One significant development regarding the Cardinals' third-base vacancy: Brett Wallace, the team's first-round pick in the 2008 MLB draft, apparently won't get nearly as long a look as Freese and is expected to begin the season in the minors. We might see Wallace in St. Louis before 2009 ends, but don't expect him to be worth a selection on draft day.

• The grand Michael Young-to-third-base experiment is officially a reality. Nearly five weeks after the Rangers confirmed their intent to shift the 2008 Gold Glove winner from shortstop, Young appeared at the position for the first time in camp Tuesday. Top prospect Elvis Andrus, who batted .295 and stole 54 bases as a 19-year-old in Double-A ball last season to force the Rangers' hand, is expected to get a long look for the Opening Day shortstop role this spring. With only Omar Vizquel standing in his way, Andrus is looking very much a good bet to break camp with the team, meaning he'll warrant late-round consideration in most fantasy leagues.

Tristan H. Cockcroft is a fantasy baseball, football and hockey analyst for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.

Posted by Eric Karabell, ESPN.com

Welcome back to the ESPN Fantasy spring training blog, a daily compendium of what's happening in baseball's preseason! Since pitchers and catchers just reported over the weekend -- and really, shouldn't that in itself be some sort of holiday? -- there obviously haven't been any games yet. Of course, that doesn't mean there hasn't been any news. Our spring training blog will run each weekday leading up to the actual start of regular-season games, a roundup of news relating to fantasy baseball you can get in one tidy place.

As for our 2009 debut spring training blog, we've got lots of news to get to. To me, the first two weeks of what happens in Florida and Arizona are mostly talk. The managers discuss how good the players look, as everyone lost weight, you know. All teams are contenders. The players talk about how hard they worked in December, what monster numbers they're capable of. And the media eats it all up.

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Once in a while a really useful nugget exposes itself, like how in the winter of 2000 Bret Boone had bulked up. I must have thought then, "Bret Boone, eh? How wonderful for him!" Then we all ignored him on draft day and he did something no active player has ever done, hitting .331 with 37 homers and 141 RBIs in the same season. A-Rod has never done this. That must say something. Since then, I never ignored a throwaway quote like that. It might not have made me draft Andruw Jones when he said he was in for a big contract season (thankfully), but at least I took notice of it.

Quotes are big in the early stages of spring training, and one of the things I look for are what managers and players say about how lineups might look. Ultimately, what a manager says on Valentine's Day might not happen, but it's interesting to think about the repercussions. Baseball analysts proved years ago that the smart way to build a lineup is to put high on-base percentage fellas at the top, set the table for the power and do the best you can at the bottom of the order. Few managers do this, which is why you'll see Willy Taveras types leading off just because they're fast, and decent on-base guys like Shin-Soo Choo seldom get to hit near the top of the order because they don't steal bases. Nick Johnson has never held the leadoff spot in a major league game, despite his .396 career on-base percentage.

Anyway, let's finally cut to the chase: Arguably the top three shortstops in baseball -- fantasy and real life -- come from the NL East. Not only are they top-10 fantasy players, but leadoff hitters who electrify their teams with degrees of power and lots of speed. In the past week, however, it's been rumored two of those three might not be leadoff hitters this season, or at least their managers are toying with the notion of moving them. Don't fret, Phillies fans, Jimmy Rollins is the one staying at the top.

Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes might be moving, however, and I have differing thoughts on whether they should. In the case of Ramirez, I can't say moving him down to third in the order is a surprise. Not only has Ramirez -- to many the No. 1 pick in fantasy this season -- stolen an average of 46 bases in his first three seasons with a cumulative .379 on-base percentage (.387 while leading off), but he's hit 79 home runs. He's Florida's best player, easily, regardless of the position he plays, and many believe he can develop more power. Moving him to the No. 3 lineup spot would only enforce his greatness, and, assuming the Marlins could get the Nos. 1 and 2 hitters on base, would help the offense.

Statistically, Ramirez would knock in a lot more runs than the 70 he has averaged his first three seasons, assuming his power doesn't slide. There's little reason to think it would. Also, Ramirez would probably run less. His steals declined in 2008 from 51 to 35, and certainly hitting in the middle of the order this would seem to provide less reason to steal bases. Last season, 14 teams received at least 30 stolen bases from their leadoff spot. No teams got that many from No. 3 hitters.

Ramirez has 1,740 of his 2,101 career plate appearances in the leadoff spot, with an OPS 155 points better there than the 246 plate appearances in the No. 3 spot. Is that really enough proof to conclude Ramirez will struggle anywhere but leading off? I don't buy it. Ramirez is going to hit no matter where he is in the lineup, and I could see a 35-100-25 season looming if the Marlins do move him to the No. 3 spot, ahead of lesser hitters Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla. The drop in steals would lower Ramirez's value a tad, just because stolen bases are so much tougher to get than home runs, even in this new post-steroid age, but not enough to move him from a top-3 spot in fantasy.

For Ramirez to drop in the batting order, it would be incumbent upon rookie Cameron Maybin to have a big spring and prove he can get on base. From what I'm seeing, many fantasy owners are skeptical Maybin's breakout season will occur in 2008, mainly because they see his prodigious strikeout totals in the minors as too big an obstacle. I think he has double-digit-power potential right away, with at least 25 steals, but an on-base percentage in the .350 range would be asking for a lot. Still, if Ramirez moves down, move Maybin up your rankings, because it would be a sign the Marlins really have confidence in their new center fielder.

As for the Mets, the new leadoff hitter would be second baseman Luis Castillo. I don't deny Castillo is capable of hitting .300, with a strong on-base percentage in the .370 range, and maybe 20 or so stolen bases, but I have doubts Reyes has the power to hit third in any batting order, especially this one. First of all, a No. 3 hitter doesn't have to hit a ton of home runs. Joe Mauer of the Twins might never hit 20 home runs. But if Mauer was on these Mets, I think he'd lead off. That's where Reyes belongs. His career slugging percentage is .436, and his on-base percentage is good enough to warrant him leading off.

In Mets manager Jerry Manuel's potential lineup alteration, Carlos Beltran would move to the No. 2 spot in the order. Beltran is a terrific fantasy player; he's not on Reyes' level as a top-five pick, because he doesn't run as much, but he runs enough to be a second-round pick overall. There are so many fantasy implications if the Mets change their order, I don't know where to begin. Castillo would probably run more, if he's able, hitting ahead of Reyes, but then we wouldn't see Reyes run as much. Would he be a top-five player with only 40 steals? I don't think he would, and that would be a shame. David Wright's production would be affected if he doesn't hit third. Ultimately, I don't expect Reyes to hit third, or Beltran to bat second. The Mets have a strong lineup, and don't need to make wholesale changes.

Where a hitter bats in the lineup can absolutely affect his fantasy numbers, so obviously keep an eye on not only the Marlins and Mets, but other leadoff hitters who have enough power to warrant moving them into a run-producing slot. Lou Piniella could move Alfonso Soriano down past the middle of the order, which could slow him down even more than we've seen in his two Chicago seasons, but could restore him to 100-RBI levels. The Indians haven't seemed at all interested in moving Grady Sizemore down in the order, but I think the situation is pretty similar to the Marlins. Sizemore is the team's top hitter, and, like Ramirez, could make his 30/30 run hitting anywhere. Anyway, keep an eye on lineups. We'll be hearing a lot more about them in the coming six weeks.

Other notes from around camps:

-- Brewers third baseman Bill Hall partially tore his left calf muscle before the weekend, and initial reports had him missing four to six weeks. Hall now claims he'll return to the field before March. The Brewers can afford to be cautious, since they have options to play third base: both major league ones like Craig Counsell and Mike Lamb and intriguing minor league choices like Mat Gamel. Plus, Hall has hit 29 home runs in the past two seasons, with a low .240 batting average, the latter stat making him free-agent material in most leagues. It's possible the Brewers are viewing Hall as a platoon player at this point, a Rich Aurilia-type who only hits lefties, so in NL-only leagues, be careful about expecting Hall to reach even 2008 numbers.

-- There was weekend news for Josh Fields, and we're talking about both the potential White Sox third baseman as well as the young Mariners phenom pitcher. In Chicago, the power-hitting Fields has been nominated as the front-runner for the job by manager Ozzie Guillen, ahead of Dayan Viciedo and Wilson Betemit. Fields had a lost 2008, but Joe Crede won't be back and the 23 home runs Fields hit in 100 games in 2007 shouldn't be forgotten. As for Joshua Fields in Seattle, he finally signed with the team that drafted him in the first round a year ago. He's 23 and will need time in the minors, but seeing what the Seattle bullpen looks like, it's easy to project Fields making an impact by the end of this coming season. I mean, Miguel Batista might end up closing!

-- Speaking of closers, Tigers manager Jim Leyland told the Detroit Free Press he plans to avoid a closer-by-committee system, which would seem to favor newcomer Brandon Lyon, since most people believe he'll get the first chance to close. Lyon could lose the job at any time, but he seems a wise late-round gamble, especially with the way Todd Jones was used the past few seasons. Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney are also in the picture.

--The Rockies have plenty of outfield options, and early indications are the left-field competition will come down to Ian Stewart, Carlos Gonzalez and Seth Smith. Stewart told The Denver Post he wanted to play the position right away in the spring, rather than getting thrown into left field just before the regular season. There's little question that Stewart, who is eligible at third base and -- in some leagues -- second base, has the bat to win this job, making him a sleeper pick. Remember, the Rockies play home games in Coors Field.

-- Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew has been experiencing back stiffness. In other news, the sun rises in the east. Look, if you don't know by now that Drew is an injury risk and draft him accordingly, you just haven't paid attention. The Red Sox really don't have much outfield depth, but … oh wait, they signed Brad Wilkerson recently. My apologies.

-- The World Series champion Phillies have four rotation spots settled, and four others in the running for the fifth slot. Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee told reporters that Kyle Kendrick is the leading contender based on his 21 wins the past two seasons. He didn't discuss how ugly some of those wins were, as Kendrick's career ERA is 4.78, or how his second-half ERA in 2008 was 7.59. I think the Phillies would like Kendrick to improve his command, miss a few bats and win this job, though fantasy owners still shouldn't get too excited. Carlos Carrasco has the most upside of the candidates, but likely will start the season in Triple-A. Chan Ho Park and J.A. Happ are also in the mix, but both have relief experience.

Eric Karabell is a senior writer for ESPN.com who covers fantasy baseball, football and basketball. He has twice been honored as fantasy sports writer of the year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. His new book, "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments," was published by Source Books and is available in bookstores. Contact Eric by e-mailing him here.

Posted by Eric Karabell, ESPN.com

Sometimes when fantasy owners or analysts try to make a point about a player, they incorrectly use the word "always." You know, such as when someone says Josh Hamilton always gets hurt, Matt Holliday always steals a lot of bases, Tim Lincecum always strikes out more hitters than Johan Santana. The word "always" is a dangerous one to use. It almost always is wrong.

When it comes to Adam Dunn, however, saying the guy always hits 40 home runs is actually correct. Dunn has hit precisely 40 home runs in four consecutive seasons, and the year before this streak he whacked 46. This isn't Brady Anderson having one big power season. Dunn does this every year, always.

Now the property of the Washington Nationals after agreeing to a two-year, $20 million deal, Dunn stayed on the market a really long time for someone as consistent as he has been. Think about it: With Manny Ramirez, you know he's a terrific hitter, but do you know exactly what you're getting? Sometimes that guy turns up the offense a notch or two, doesn't he? With Dunn, it's pretty obvious what he's going to do. He's going to hit for power, take walks, strike out with the best in the business and make his batting average a liability. But he'll be worth it.

In Washington, I'd expect Dunn to play first base, since the main option currently is the always-injured -- OK, it's just a small stretch to describe him that way -- Nick Johnson. And the outfield looks awfully crowded: The emerging Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes will get guaranteed at-bats, and Josh Willingham was acquired in the offseason to play left field. You don't want to be Austin Kearns, Wily Mo Pena or Willie Harris and expect to play a lot. Dunn will fit in just fine at first base. He won't win a Gold Glove, I think it's safe to say, but I don't think he'll hurt the Nationals as bad as he hurt the Reds in left field. The Phillies won a World Series with Ryan Howard leading the league in errors. Dunn should be passable at a spot where he has played roughly 10 percent of his career. He's here for his offense.

Of course, it's not only power with Dunn. He's also one of the more patient hitters in baseball, leading the NL in walks in 2008, and finishing in the top six in the circuit in six of his seven full-time seasons. Dunn is durable, missing a total of 19 games the past five seasons, and he managed to produce an average of exactly 100 RBIs in the past five years despite often questionable choices for the top of the Reds' lineup. Really, protecting the likes of Cristian Guzman and Milledge in the batting order is not any worse than what Dunn dealt with in Cincy.

There's some bad with the good, of course. While Dunn hits 40 home runs every year -- or always, if you prefer -- his batting average is always low. His career mark is .247. Twice in the past five seasons it's been in the mid-.260s, and twice it's been in the mid-.230s. I cannot speculate what it would be in 2009 other than to say that somewhere in the .230-to-.260 range seems about right. Just be aware that Dunn's low batting average doesn't hurt as much as most .250 hitters because he takes so many walks, but that fact is mitigated a bit by his durability.

The home ballpark change to Nationals Park would hurt most hitters when compared to Cincy and Arizona, but Dunn's home runs seldom scrape over the fence. He has legit power. He was fifth in the NL in 2008 in longest average home run, after Justin Upton, Matt Holliday, Russell Branyan and Hanley Ramirez, according to "The Bill James Handbook." I can't say I expect more than 40 homers, but he's not a candidate to take a major hit in power, either. Let's set his over/under at 40 homers, shall we? Pretty safe, no?

Basically, the Nationals picked up one of the most consistent, safest hitters in baseball, waiting until the week of spring training to make the deal, and their offense will be the better for it. Ryan Zimmerman can certainly use a patient power hitter protecting him in the lineup, assuming he hits third and Dunn bats cleanup. Don't overrate lineup protection, but the Nationals got a league-worst 16 home runs from their cleanup hitters, and only 14 from their first baseman. Those numbers will change now. Good for the Nationals!

Eric Karabell is a senior writer for ESPN.com who covers fantasy baseball, football and basketball. He has twice been honored as fantasy sports writer of the year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. His new book, "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments," was published by Source Books and is available in bookstores. Contact Eric by e-mailing him here.

Posted by Tristan H. Cockcroft, ESPN.com

The Angels might have been disappointed when a frequent October rival, the Yankees, stole free agent Mark Teixeira away from them in December … but they exacted a bit of revenge Wednesday in agreeing to a one-year deal with ex-Yankee Bobby Abreu.

It can hardly be considered a straight-up swap; Teixeira has managed the higher OPS of the two in three of the past four seasons, and is widely considered the better run producer. Abreu, by comparison, is an on-base whiz with the better speed of the two.

But more importantly for the Angels, Abreu provides a veteran top-third-of-the-lineup bat, something the team so desperately needed in the wake of the free-agent departures of Teixeira and Garret Anderson. That was 168 runs scored and 205 RBIs out the door -- or 62 and 74 if you want to count the 56 games Teixeira was on the roster -- that production is not something you can afford to give up when you were a team that ranked 15th in baseball in runs scored in 2008.

That helps explain the logic to adding Abreu to an already-cluttered outfield picture that features Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter, Gary Matthews Jr., and Juan Rivera, among a handful of reserve candidates. Only two other free agents might have offered more punch to this team: Manny Ramirez and Adam Dunn, both fellow outfielders. Guerrero and Hunter owners might sweat an Abreu addition, but in reality, Abreu's arrival probably enhances their value more than hurts it.

Chances are Abreu will slide in as the left fielder and in the No. 2 spot in the Angels' order, a spot which was occupied by Anderson on 20 of 26 games in September and in all four games of the team's Division Series loss to the Red Sox. If not, he'd surely bat third, directly ahead of Guerrero and Hunter, bats the team can't afford to ever sit.

It'd be a noticeable upgrade; Abreu had a .371 on-base percentage in 2008, while the Angels' No. 2 hitters combined for a .302 number in the category. With Chone Figgins and Abreu batting ahead of them, Guerrero and Hunter should see noticeably more RBI opportunities than they did a year ago, when they managed totals of 91 and 78, respectively, in the category. A Figgins-Abreu-Guerrero-Hunter top four might actually prove underrated.

Matthews and, to a lesser extent, Rivera, are the clear losers as a result of Abreu's arrival. Matthews sported the lowest OPS of anyone on the team with at least 450 plate appearances (.675), and he ranked 14th-worst in all of baseball in that group, behind such luminaries as Gregor Blanco, Brendan Harris and Marco Scutaro. Matthews might bring quality defense to a contending team like this, but he's better used in a fourth- or fifth-outfielder role, coming in as a defensive replacement late or giving a starter an occasional rest. Rivera, by comparison, has the kind of power potential that makes him an attractive designated hitter candidate, if not a starter ahead of Abreu against tough left-handers.

Speaking of the DH, that's another significant advantage of adding Abreu; the Angels can slide the aging Guerrero to that spot to give him some rest perhaps two or three times per week. That might help him hold up over the course of the long season, perhaps increasing his chances at matching or exceeding 2008's 143 games played.

As for Abreu himself, departing the loaded Yankee lineup, where he typically batted third between Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, a dream circumstance for a fantasy player, seems certain to hurt his numbers somewhat. But if the Angels use him properly, there's no reason he can't at least challenge 2008's 100 runs scored, 22 stolen bases and a .296 batting average. It's his RBI potential that might tail off somewhat, especially if he bats second; having an Erick Aybar-type and Figgins batting ahead of him instead of Johnny Damon and Jeter might lead to a drop off of a dozen RBIs or so.

That's still a top-15 fantasy outfielder, perhaps a candidate for the top 50 overall. It's just not the type of player you should reach for at higher prices than that.

Tristan H. Cockcroft is a fantasy baseball, football and hockey analyst for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.