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The plan for the Los Angeles Dodgers going into the 2013 season was to play Hanley Ramirez at shortstop. 

Despite that commitment, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly and general manager Ned Colletti wanted to see Ramirez improve his defense at shortstop.

According to FanGraphs’ Ultimate Zone Rating, Ramirez cost the Dodgers nearly four more runs on defense than the average player at the position.

In early December, Mattingly told the Los Angeles Times‘ Dylan Hernandez that he felt Ramirez could make improvements, but added “We need him to put time in to be a better shortstop.”

Here’s where the problem has developed. Ramirez hasn’t put in that time to become a better shortstop. 

As Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports, a shoulder injury restricted Ramirez to playing designated hitter during winter ball in the Dominican. However, he won’t be able to make up for that by playing plenty of shortstop during spring training.

Ramirez will play in the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic. With Jose Reyes and Erick Aybar on the roster, Ramirez doesn’t figure to see any time at shortstop. Perhaps even worse, Ramirez won’t play any third base either, because Adrian Beltre has that position locked down.

Playing as a designated hitter through most of March—depending on how far the Dominican Republic advances through the WBC—is not what the Dodgers had in mind for Ramirez this offseason. 

As the Los Angeles Times‘ Steve Dilbeck points out, the Dominican Republic is favored to win the WBC and if their team gets to the championship game, Ramirez won’t report back to the Dodgers until after March 19.

That gives him just over a week to practice before Opening Day on April 1. 

Of course, Ramirez could take ground balls at shortstop during the WBC, but fielding grounders in practice isn’t the same as doing so during a game. (Obviously, he could do both during spring training.) Besides, Reyes and Aybar figure to get most of the practice time time for the Dominican Republic. 

This confirms the Dodgers’ worst fears. Mattingly didn’t want Ramirez to play in the WBC so he could concentrate on playing shortstop. But he understands Ramirez’s desire to play in the tournament.

“It’s hard to discourage a guy from playing for his country,” Mattingly said to the OCR‘s Plunkett back in December. “If I could — if he would listen — I would certainly talk to him because we would like him to play short.”

Should the Dodgers be rightfully concerned about Ramirez and his ability to play shortstop during the regular season? 

The team does have options. Luis Cruz will likely play the position while Ramirez is absent from spring training. He should probably be the Dodgers’ regular shortstop anyway, based on defense that FanGraphs’ UZR measures at above-average. 

Knowing that Cruz might have to play at shortstop frequently in Cactus League play might also explain the Dodgers’ interest in free-agent third baseman Scott Rolen. According to the L.A. Times’ Bill Shaikin, the Dodgers don’t necessarily view Rolen as a starter for third base, but he could provide infield depth. 

Colletti’s approach since the Guggenheim Baseball Management group took over ownership of the team has been to stockpile talent and figure out how it all fits together later on. The roster is loaded with extra outfielders, utility infielders and starting pitchers right now. 

Following that philosophy, perhaps the Dodgers would be taking a look at Rolen anyway. But would their interest be as strong if the team didn’t have questions about Ramirez making any improvements at shortstop? 

If that’s the feeling in Chavez Ravine, Colletti isn’t saying so publicly. 

“I think it’s great for him to be able to represent his country,” Colletti told the Los Angeles Daily News‘ J.P. Hoornstra. “It’s not like we’re asking him to play a new position, being shortstop. He’ll have plenty of time to be ready for the major league season.”

However, Colletti likely knows that Ramirez is a player who has to be treated delicately.

Before getting traded to the Dodgers in July, Ramirez began the season as the Miami Marlins‘ third baseman. He had to switch positions to accommodate the jewel of the Marlins’ offseason, free-agent shortstop Jose Reyes. But as the Miami Herald‘s Clark Spencer reported, Ramirez wasn’t happy at all with the move.

The Dodgers likely fear a repeat of that situation in Los Angeles. Ramirez played shortstop after coming over from the Marlins, and the team surely accommodated his preferences to prevent upsetting clubhouse harmony. 

But Ramirez’s bat also justified him playing shortstop if that’s what he wanted. He batted .271 with a .774 OPS, 10 home runs and 44 RBI in 272 plate appearances after joining the Dodgers. Few teams get that kind of offensive production from a position where defense is a priority.

The question now is whether or not the Dodgers will eventually emphasize defense at shortstop if Ramirez doesn’t show the improvement the team was hoping to see from him. Will Mattingly make an issue of this or will Ramirez’s offensive production obscure his defensive flaws?

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Last season, the Los Angeles Dodgers scored 637 runs, ranking 25th out of 30 MLB teams.

For the Dodgers to live up to expectations, compete for the NL West and contend for a World Series championship this season, they have to score more runs and give their outstanding pitching staff some support. 

But with Adrian Gonzalez for a full season, rather than one month, the Dodgers will have another big bat to join Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier in the middle of the lineup. Hanley Ramirez will also be in Dodger Blue all year, providing another run-producing bat. 

The team will also benefit from having Carl Crawford, who will likely bat near the top of the batting order and provide more production than any Dodgers left fielder did last year. 

What is the ideal lineup for the Dodgers’ new collection of offensive talent? How should manager Don Mattingly fill out his lineup card one through eight? Here are five suggestions for the best lineups the Dodgers could try during this upcoming season. 

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When it comes to the World Baseball Classic, I sometimes think of Michael J. Fox’s climatic monologue from The American President. 

“They’re so thirsty for it, they’ll crawl through the desert toward a mirage,” Fox says, “and when they discover there’s no water, they’ll drink the sand.”

Fox’s character, Lewis Rothschild, was referring to the nation’s need for leadership. But I think the phrase applies to baseball fans and the appetite for their favorite sport after going without it through November, December and January. 

Some fans will watch the WBC when the games begin on March 2. There may be legitimate interest in watching different countries play each other in what could be thought of as the Olympics of baseball. But most people will just want to see competitive baseball for the first time in four months. 

That’s surely not what the organizers of the WBC and MLB had in mind when they created this event.

The WBC is supposed to be a showcase for baseball and its wide international diversity. Presumably, it would increase the global profile of the sport, capitalizing on the interest in Latin American and Asian countries. 

While other countries may indeed be intrigued by the WBC, the lack of interest in the United States among all but hardcore—and starving—baseball fans has to be a concern. But MLB and the WBC can change that. Here are a few suggestions as to how that can be accomplished. 

Move It to December

Perhaps the biggest problem with the WBC is when it’s played.

Holding the event in March puts WBC games in direct competition with college basketball as it nears the NCAA Tournament. The NBA and NHL are also gearing up for the playoffs, the climactic time of year for those sports.

Also, the WBC takes place during spring training, when most games are exhibitions. When flipping channels, what’s really the difference between a Grapefruit or Cactus League game and a match between Italy and Mexico? 

The competition for sports fans’ eyes would seem to be more fierce in December with the NFL building toward its playoffs. College basketball, the NBA and NHL are also playing regular season games. College football bowl games are also on the sports calendar, further dividing the attention and allegiances of fans.

But sports fans generally don’t pay as much attention to college hoops, the NBA and NHL until after the New Year. Bowl games have been emasculated by the BCS putting all the importance on the national championship. 

December is close enough to the end of the World Series where baseball fans have had a break and their hunger is beginning to build. It’s the time of year when we really start to miss the sport. Rumors and reports of free-agent signings and trades feed the appetite for baseball, but not like actual games. 

Many MLB players are already playing winter ball in Latin American and Caribbean countries. Why not play WBC games at those venues instead, so fans can still see their favorite players and athletes represent their countries in front of home crowds?

The WBC wouldn’t interfere with the rest of the offseason MLB schedule either. Baseball could still hold its winter meetings. The players aren’t there anyway. General managers and agents wouldn’t need to attend WBC games because of the business at hand. 

This way, baseball fans could get the double pleasure of hot stove rumors and news along with competitive games being played.

Make Network Partners Show Games

All WBC games will be broadcast on MLB Network. Maybe that’s the right place for it, with the audience specifically targeted for baseball.

At that point of the year, MLB Network is eager for programming that doesn’t involve eight consecutive episodes of Prime 9 anyway. 

But this is preaching to the converted. Baseball fans are going to tune in for the WBC. They’ll seek it out on their cable systems. 

For the WBC to be a success, it has to reach outside the baseball bubble. The event has to attract the casual sports fan.

That means catching them while they’re flipping through channels, looking for something to watch. Or, it means being on the network they’re most likely to settle on when searching for sports.

Last year, MLB signed eight-year deals with ESPN, Fox and TBS. Those broadcast agreements could have included some WBC games. If the NBA can make ESPN show WNBA games, why can’t MLB exert some influence on behalf of its sport as well? 

It’s not like having WBC games on different channels would make them harder to find. MLB has postseason games on three different networks. And unlike MLB Network, ESPN, Fox and TBS are on every cable system. 

Baseball shouldn’t just put the WBC on the air and expect fans to find it. The event has to be brought to the fans. Put it on the networks they’re more likely to watch. 

Promote During the Season

Why should baseball fans only hear about the WBC a couple of months before it’s played?

MLB has the entire regular season and postseason to promote the event to fans, millions of whom are already at the ballpark or tuned into game broadcasts. Take advantage of that captive audience.

Show some highlights of past WBC games. Interview players about what it would mean to play for their respective countries and show their remarks between innings or during pitching changes.

Let Miguel Cabrera talk about representing Venezuela in the WBC and show his comments on the scoreboard at Comerica Park or during Detroit Tigers broadcasts. 

What better way to generate discussion among fans than revealing that a particular player might suit up for a country like Germany, for example, because his second cousin’s mother is part-German, thus qualifying him under WBC rules.

Did you know so-and-so was from New Zealand? Why is he playing for New Zealand? Doesn’t he want to play for the United States? Well, maybe I’ll watch New Zealand then.

Oh, the possibilities for conversation are endless. Well, not really. But there would be conversation, which is exactly what the WBC needs. 

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San Francisco Giants general manager Brian Sabean has made sure his 2012 World Series championship team will stay together for the upcoming season and beyond.

During the offseason, Sabean re-signed second baseman Marco Scutaro, center fielder Angel Pagan and left-handed reliever Jeremy Affeldt to new contracts. Scutaro and Affeldt inked three-year deals, while Pagan signed on for four years.

This ensures the Giants will have the opportunity to defend their title with the same team that won it last season. 

With the immediate future addressed, Sabean now has to think about the Giants’ long-term future. Catcher Buster Posey will be a significant part of whatever success San Francisco in the years to come and the smart move is to sign the 25-year-old to a long-term contract. 

According to the San Francisco Chronicle‘s Henry Schulman, the Giants are beginning discussions with Posey’s agent on what’s termed a “blockbuster” deal. 

It’s not an urgent situation for the Giants yet. Posey has only played 308 games in his MLB career, with two full seasons among the four years he’s played in the major leagues. This year will be the first of his four years of arbitration eligibility. 

That gives the Giants some time, but the idea is that a long-term contract would buy out some of Posey’s arbitration years to save some money.

If Posey were to go through the arbitration process year-to-year, he would earn more due to an annual salary increase determined by performance and market value. However, if Posey got hurt or had a bad season, that could affect the salary he might get as well.

That’s why players want the long-term contract. It ensures them financial security against injury or poor performance. For someone who plays the most demanding position in baseball like Posey, a multi-year deal is even more important—even if it costs him a potentially huge free-agent payday. 

What sort of contract can the Giants and Posey expect to work out in the weeks and months—or years, if it comes to that—ahead?

Posey certainly brings an impressive résumé to the negotiating table. He’s won the NL Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards. He also earned his first NL batting title. Perhaps most importantly, he’s been a part of two World Series championship teams. 

In his four major league seasons, Posey has compiled a .314 average, .883 OPS, 67 doubles, 46 home runs and 191 RBI. 

MLB Trade Rumors’ Matt Swartz projects a $5.9 million salary for Posey in 2013. That seems low for a player of his caliber, but consider that Posey will only be playing his fifth major league season. Last year, he made $615,000. 

Perhaps the best comparison for the sort of contract Posey can expect is Ryan Howard.

After his first four MLB seasons, Howard also had NL Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in his trophy case. He hit 129 home runs with 353 RBI by that point. In his 2006 MVP season, he led MLB with 58 homers and 149 RBI.

In 2008, Howard’s first year of eligibility, he and the Phillies went to arbitration. Howard won the hearing, earning a $10 million salary (opposed to the $7 million figure Philadelphia submitted), the highest ever awarded to a player. (Howard’s previous salary was $900,000—a record for a player with less than two years of MLB service.)

Coming off a 2008 season during which he once again led the majors with 48 homers and 146 RBI, while finishing second in the NL MVP vote, Howard was looking at earning another huge salary through the arbitration process. (He was prepared to ask for $18 million in a hearing.)

To control their costs, the Phillies and Howard agreed to a three-year, $54 million contract that bought out the first baseman’s final three seasons of arbitration eligibility. The average annual salary of the deal matched the figure Howard was prepared to submit in his arbitration hearing with the Phillies. 

That gives the Giants a frame of reference to work from. Posey and Howard aren’t entirely comparable, of course, because of Howard’s prodigious power numbers. Yet Posey plays a far more important defensive position and helps lead a pitching staff that’s one of the best in baseball.

San Francisco also got an idea of just how valuable Posey is when he was sidelined for the 2011 season. He suffered a broken bone and two torn ligaments in his left ankle after a collision at home plate with the Marlins‘ Scott Cousins in late May. The Giants went on to win 86 games, finishing second in the NL West. 

Let’s start by saying this, even if it’s an obvious statement: Posey won’t get a nine or 10-year contract worth nine figures, as Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder or Joey Votto received. Not yet, anyway. He simply doesn’t have the established careers of those three players yet, regardless of how impressive his first four seasons have been. 

Additionally, as 2011 demonstrated, Posey is a greater injury risk at catcher than at first base. That could lead the Giants to move him to a different position eventually. But it’s possible that will be addressed in a subsequent contract. 

If Posey does indeed earn a $6 million salary for 2013, it’s not difficult to imagine that he could get a $10 million to $12 million figure through the arbitration process in 2014.

Wendy Thurm of FanGraphs projects that Posey could earn approximately $51 million over the course of his four seasons of arbitration eligibility. Obviously, that depends on his performance and ability to stay healthy. Posey could get even more if puts up comparable—or better—numbers than he did in 2012. 

But given what Posey could earn in his four seasons of arbitration eligibility, something along the lines of a four-year, $48 million contract seems reasonable.

A $12 million annual salary wouldn’t put him among the 50 highest yearly paychecks in baseball, but Posey would still have another opportunity for a huge free-agent payday by the end of that contract, when he would be 30 years old. By then, Posey might be making the transition to first base, thus extending his career. 

One more thing the Giants might want to consider is buying out Posey’s first one or two years of free agency. That would significantly add to the overall value of the contract; Posey could very well earn a salary over $20 million by then.

Under those circumstances, San Francisco and Posey could be looking at a five-year contract worth $70 million to $75 million. Is that an offer the Giants are prepared to make at this point?

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In recent years, MLB has gotten tougher on steroid use. 

After instituting mandatory testing in 2004, baseball followed that up by imposing severe penalties for players caught using performance-enhancing substances.

First-time offenders draw a 50-game suspension. Those testing positive for a second time draw a 100-game suspension. Failing a test for the third time results in a permanent ban from the game. 

However, there has always been the underlying belief among those who follow baseball that the problem with PED use would never truly be solved until MLB could detect and test for human growth hormone (HGH). 

Testing for HGH appeared to be a tricky proposition for MLB because it requires a blood test. Baseball players and their union didn’t seem likely to agree to such testing.

Concerns over the perception of competitive fairness among players and whether or not the game is clean has apparently overtaken such concerns, however. MLB and the players union announced that random HGH testing will indeed be implemented, beginning with the 2013 season. 

MLB’s executive vice president of labor relations, Rob Manfred, believes these changes to baseball’s drug policy are a significant development for the sport and its players.

“HGH can be used at any point during the year,” Manfred told MLB.com, “and we think it’s very important from a deterrence perspective that players be subject to blood testing just like they’re subject to urine testing year-round.”

Additionally, MLB has incorporated stricter testing for testosterone. Every player’s baseline testosterone levels will be on record, making it easier for urine testing to detect a spike in the amount of testosterone in someone’s system. 

It’s curious that the expansion of MLB’s drug policy was announced one day after players strongly associated with steroid use—such as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa—failed to earn election into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Commissioner Bud Selig said that was a coincidence. However, according to ESPN.com, he did seem to relish the timing, saying, “But it wasn’t too bad, was it?”

Selig has reason to be proud, of course. This is a big step for baseball, one that shows MLB is more serious about drug testing than the NFL, NBA and NHL. The NFL, for example, does not currently test for HGH, largely because the players have not agreed to a testing program.

For baseball players to reach an agreement with MLB on an HGH-testing program indicates the desire to make the game clean and prevent fans, reporters and analysts from making broad judgments about cheating in the sport. Those who don’t use PEDs want to be recognized for that, which is reflected in this expanded drug policy. 

But will these new tests for HGH and synthetic testosterone truly be the deterrent that MLB envisions? 

The new testing program certainly presents an obstacle and will make PED users have to work harder to avoid detection. But have the science and chemistry used by those aiding baseball players in boosting their performance already exceeded what MLB’s testing program is prepared to catch? 

One of the reasons that it’s been so difficult to wipe PED use out of sports—whether it’s baseball, football or amateur Olympic sports—is that the chemistry is always evolving. Scientists who design these performance-enhancing substances are constantly ahead of those trying to create tests to detect them. 

MLB’s tougher steroid policy does seem to have yielded some positive effects.

Hitting 30 or 40 home runs is once again an achievement that truly stands out during the course of the season. Smaller middle infielders are no longer bulked up, hitting over .300 and cranking 30 home runs out of the park. Elite pitchers are able to dominate opposing lineups once again. 

Yet is MLB’s drug-testing program truly a deterrent?

The number of players getting caught for using PEDs seems to be increasing. Is that because the tests are doing a better job of detecting steroid users? Does the random nature of the tests prevent players from following a schedule that eludes detection? 

Or, are more players testing positive these days because so many are still using PEDs? Does the risk of a 50-game suspension for a positive test outweigh the benefit of putting up the sort of numbers and performance that could yield a major-league career—let alone a long-term, multi-million-dollar contract?

Ryan Braun flunked a drug test after the 2011 season and was suspended for 50 games. However, raising questions about how his urine sample was handled created enough doubt for his test to be questioned and his suspension was overturned. He was effectively acquitted. 

Melky Cabrera surely cost himself such a mega-contract by testing positive for excess testosterone last year and drawing a 50-game suspension.

Prior to that, he was on his way to winning a National League batting title with a .346 average. He compiled a .906 OPS with 25 doubles, 10 triples, 11 home runs, 60 RBI and 13 stolen bases.

Obviously, the validity of those numbers has to be questioned in light of Cabrera’s testing positive for PEDs. As a result, Cabrera didn’t get the five- or six-year deal that he may have have been in line for previously.

Yet he still got a two-year, $16 million contract from the Toronto Blue Jays, who were willing to take a chance on a productive player who had suddenly become a bargain. 

Did taking PEDs pay off for Cabrera? Even if it cost him potential millions of dollars in earnings, how can anyone say otherwise?

We don’t know exactly how much that additional testosterone boosted Cabrera’s performance. But it had enough of an effect to yield an eight-figure contract from a team that will almost certainly compete for a playoff bid this year. 

For which side does Cabrera present the better example? Does MLB point to him and say getting caught by its drug program cost him dearly in terms of potential earnings? Or, do players considering using PEDs look at Cabrera and see a player who was still able to cash in, even if it was for a far lesser amount? 

The latter possibility is a mentality MLB will have to work for years to overcome, regardless of how many testing measures and penalties the sport and players union implement. As long as using substances such as HGH and synthetic testosterone yield positive results in terms of performance, some players will take a chance on them. 

That’s not to say the new program is not an important step. It certainly is. As noted earlier, it’s significant that MLB and the players agreed to these new measures. 

But those seeking an edge will continue to search for one. Cheaters are still going to cheat. At the risk of being glib, the old saying that “if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying” still applies. 

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The New York Yankees have conducted business during this offseason under a mandate from principal owner Hal Steinbrenner. The team’s payroll must be under the $189 million luxury tax threshold for 2014.

As ESPN’s Jayson Stark explains, the Yankees have exceeded the luxury tax three times since the penalty was established in 2003. If the Yanks go over that $189 million limit for 2014, they’ll be taxed 50 percent on every dollar spent beyond that threshold.

With the directive to limit payroll, the Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman have been surprisingly quiet this offseason. In past years, pursuing top free agents like Josh Hamilton and Zack Greinke or making a trade for Justin Upton would have been a given. 

Instead, the Yankees have signed Kevin Youkilis to a one-year contract and Ichiro Suzuki to a two-year deal. Hiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettitte were also inked to short-term agreements. Chris Stewart is slated to be the starting catcher as Russell Martin was allowed to depart via free agency. 

These are the New York Yankees? Where is that swagger, the sheer audacity that we saw for so many years under the reign of George Steinbrenner?

But Hal is a different cat, one who believes it matters to set a budget and stick to it. He referred to himself as a “finance geek” in The New York Times.

Hal is the guy you want balancing your checkbook. He’s not going out to Best Buy to buy an 83-inch flat screen TV when the 42-inch set in the living room was already good enough. 

However, Steinbrenner‘s resolve on sticking to that $189 million payroll for 2014 might not be as firm as he originally portrayed. If a limited budget prevents the Yankees from the fielding the sort of championship-caliber team that the team and its fans expect, Steinbrenner told reporters that he’ll take the handcuffs off. 

“We will always field a championship-caliber team,” Steinbrenner said (as transcribed by The Wall Street Journal‘s Brian Costa). 

“Is our goal 189 next year? Yes. But only if I’m convinced that the team I see we put together is a championship-caliber team.”

Steinbrenner put the onus on the Yankees’ minor league system. If their young players develop into major league contributors, the $189 million payroll should work, in his view. But if those prospects don’t pan out, the Yanks have to change their plan. They’ll have to spend more money.

David Phelps, Michael Pineda and Manny Banuelos were the players Steinbrenner singled out. All three could form the core of the Yankees starting rotation in the years to come.

Phelps showed promise in his rookie season, going 4-4 with a 3.34 ERA in 33 appearances (11 starts). But Pineda missed all of last year with a torn labrum in his right shoulder and his ability to pitch in 2013 is uncertain. And Banuelos won’t pitch this year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. 

Is Steinbrenner reaching for his checkbook yet? 

How about after looking at the Yankees’ projected Opening Day lineup for the upcoming season? Suzuki and Brett Gardner will likely get the nod at the corner outfield positions. Youkilis—who hit .235 last season—will fill in at third base while Alex Rodriguez recovers from hip surgery. A-Rod is expected to be ready to play in July, but missing the entire season is a possibility. 

As mentioned earlier, Stewart or Francisco Cervelli will be the starting catcher. That’s a long way from the days when Jorge Posada was hitting 20 home runs and compiling an OPS over .850 from behind the plate. 

Will Russ Canzler be the Yanks’ designated hitter? He hit .267 with a .697 OPS, three home runs and 11 RBI in 97 plate appearances for the Cleveland Indians last year. Even The New York Times called that “a Mets-like move” in a headline.

The Yankees view Canzler as a replacement for Nick Swisher. Yankees fans view him as a reason not to show up at Yankee Stadium next season.

On paper, that does not look like a championship team. Of course, the 2013 season has to play out before a final judgment can be rendered. But it certainly looks like Steinbrenner can say hello to a $200 million payroll for the Yankees again. 

If the Yankees decide to disregard the $189 million luxury tax limit, who could Cashman pursue next winter? 

Jacoby Ellsbury looks like the best outfielder on the free-agent market and would be an upgrade over Curtis Granderson in center field. 

But can Ellsbury repeat his MVP-caliber performance from 2011? Two seasons ago, he hit .321 with a .928 OPS, 32 home runs, 105 RBI and 39 stolen bases for the Boston Red Sox. Signing a top player away from their archrival would make the transaction even more appealing. 

Shin-Soo Choo would look great in right field for the Yankees. He’s a .300 batter over his career, with the ability to hit 20 home runs with 85 RBI. Choo would also bring some speed to the Yankees lineup, as he’s capable of stealing 20 bases. 

Choo could even be an option for center field, if he shows he can play the position for the Cincinnati Reds this year. 

However, the Yankees already have plenty of left-handed pop with Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira. They might prefer a right-handed bat, especially if Rodriguez isn’t the same player after hip surgery. 

That could lead the Yankees to Corey Hart. He’s played in relative obscurity with the Milwaukee Brewers, overshadowed by Ryan Braun. But Hart has a right-handed bat that’s averaged 29 homers and 83 RBI during the past three seasons.

He’s not a great defender in right field, according to FanGraphs‘ Ultimate Zone Rating, but would have less ground to cover at Yankee Stadium. Plus, the Yankees probably wouldn’t care about his defense if he provided plenty of run production. 

One more player Cashman might chase down is catcher Brian McCann. He’s clearly the best player at that position among the 2014 class of free agents, as listed by MLB Trade Rumors. McCann batted .230 with a .698 OPS in 2012 while fighting a shoulder injury. The hope is that he’ll return to form after offseason surgery on that right shoulder. 

Perhaps outfield prospects Slade Heathcott or Mason Williams will develop in time to contribute in 2014 for the Yankees. Catcher Gary Sanchez could be ready by then as well. 

But Steinbrenner and Cashman might opt for more of a sure thing if the Yankees take a step back this coming season and the future looks gloomy. If so, that $189 million payroll is something that may be scrapped and never spoken of again.

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What would make up the “perfect” Baseball Hall of Fame player? 

Someone like Barry Bonds will be a Hall of Famer because of his tremendous power. Roger Clemens will be induced into Cooperstown because he won so many games and struck out so many batters. 

The “perfect” Hall of Famer would presumably also hit for contact and have great speed. Good defensive skills would help as well, but Hall of Famers likely achieved that status because they played defense well enough to sustain a long career in baseball. 

Of the players eligible for the 2013 Hall of Fame class, several of them have aspects that would constitute the “perfect player.” But which traits would make for the best features in such a bionic, Frankenstein-type of creation? 

Here is how we’d put the “perfect” Hall of Famer together, based on the players currently on the ballot. 

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Just how confident are the Los Angeles Dodgers and general manager Ned Colletti in their projected lineup for 2013?

If Colletti was happy with how his team’s batting order is shaping up, would rumors of the Dodgers trying to trade Andre Ethier in an attempt to clear space for Nick Swisher or Michael Bourn have any life to them? 

Perhaps so, since the Dodgers have become sort of the fantasy team for reporters, analysts and fans. With a seemingly unlimited payroll available, the Dodgers have been associated with virtually every top free-agent hitter during this offseason. Sign Josh Hamilton! They have the money!

Given how Colletti has stockpiled starting pitching, maybe the current belief in Chavez Ravine is that the Dodgers can’t have enough of anything. Pitching? Hitting? Bench players? More, please!

But in his attempt to hoard as much talent as possible, has Colletti—along with those who follow the Dodgers—actually underrated his lineup? 

Following the Dodgers’ offensive (which has a double meaning here) performance in 2012, it’s understandable that Colletti would prefer to add as many bats as possible. 

Only four teams in MLB scored fewer than the 637 runs the Dodgers put on the board last season. Even after acquiring Adrian Gonzalez at the waiver trade deadline, the Dodgers scored 91 runs in September, averaging 3.5 runs per game. 

Gonzalez put up decent numbers for the Dodgers, but wasn’t the impact power bat the team was hoping for following its blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox. He hit .297 with a .785 OPS, 10 doubles, three home runs and 22 RBI in 157 plate appearances. 

However, Gonzalez wasn’t lighting it up in Boston either. He compiled 15 home runs and 86 RBI for a Red Sox team that performed far below expectations. With Gonzalez not looking like an MVP-caliber player, the assumption seems to be forming that he may not be that sort of hitter anymore. 

Yet we’re talking about a player one season removed from hitting .338 with a .957 OPS. Gonzalez also slugged 27 homers with 117 RBI and tied for the MLB lead with 213 hits. The Red Sox wanted an impact hitter and appeared to have one.

Could it really have gone downhill so fast for Gonzalez? Getting out of Boston looked like the change of scenery he needed. Following a full offseason away from the drama at Fenway Park and beginning the 2013 season with the Dodgers would seem to be recuperative for him. 

Gonzalez’s dip in power is a concern, but as The Boston Globe‘s Peter Abraham explained in an article last season, the first baseman was still trying to work out his swing after surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

Having a healthy shoulder actually got him into bad habits as he tried to lift the ball with his swing, rather than take a line-drive approach. Perhaps the Dodgers’ new hitting coach, Mark McGwire, will help him iron out those tendencies. 

Another player who came over from Boston and is battling diminished expectations is Carl Crawford. Wrist and elbow injuries limited Crawford to 161 games in two seasons with the Red Sox, during which he hit .260 with a .711 OPS. 

Crawford eventually had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow last August, but could miss the beginning of the 2013 season and might be out until May.

Once he’s able to join the Dodgers’ lineup, however, the batting order will have a top-of-the-order hitter (though probably not a leadoff batter) who can get on base, hit for some power and provide some speed on the basepaths. 

But as with Gonzalez, there might be some question as to whether or not Crawford can be the same five-tool player he was with the Tampa Bay Rays. Until he shows he can be that sort of hitter again—and is able to prove his defensive abilities in Dodger Stadium’s more conventional and spacious outfield—doubts will shadow him. 

Third baseman Luis Cruz is likely one more reason that observers are underrating the Dodgers’ lineup.

Cruz isn’t the prototypical slugging third baseman. He hit six home runs in 78 games last season. But he did hit .297 with a .753 OPS, providing a boost for a Dodgers infield that didn’t supply much run production until Hanley Ramirez was acquired from the Miami Marlins. 

Ideally, Cruz would be the Dodgers shortstop this season, with Ramirez playing third base. But as we saw last year when Ramirez had to move to accommodate Jose Reyes in Miami, Ramirez doesn’t like playing the hot corner. 

The Dodgers are giving Ramirez the opportunity to improve his defense and win the shortstop job. In all likelihood, he’ll be the starting shortstop come Opening Day. 

That leaves Cruz to play third base again. While he did surprise with his batting average and played strong defense at third, can Cruz repeat that performance in 2013?

Cruz spent all of 2011 in the minor leagues, between the Texas Rangers and Dodgers organizations. In his prior three major league seasons, he was a part-time player at best, hitting under .250 with an OPS below .600.

Was 2012 a breakout season for the 28-year-old infielder or a one-year fluke? 

Until Cruz proves he can hit well enough to be the Dodgers’ third baseman over a full season, there will surely be plenty of rumblings that the team either needs to acquire an upgrade at the position or move Ramirez to third. With the risk of making Ramirez unhappy, however, Colletti will probably seek outside help if it comes to that. 

Since the Guggenheim Baseball Management group took over ownership of the team, the Dodgers have proven that they’re not afraid to constantly tweak their roster. That likely won’t change during the 2013 season. Because of that, there will frequently be the sentiment that the lineup can be even better.

However, the Dodgers batting order may already be plenty good enough.

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Will Justin Upton be traded or won’t he be traded? That is the question.

Just when it appeared that Upton trade rumors had flatlined, reports that the Arizona Diamondbacks are still interested in dealing away their 25-year-old right fielder again have a pulse, according to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi.

D-Backs general manager Kevin Towers wanted a young shortstop included in any trade package for Upton. He focused on the Texas Rangers, who seem to have a surplus at the position with Elvis Andrus and Jurickson Profar. Yet Rangers GM Jon Daniels doesn’t want to deal either player. The Atlanta Braves weren’t keen on trading Andrelton Simmons either. 

However, once Towers got his man in Didi Gregorius through a three-team deal with the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds, it looked like the D-Backs were finally done with trying to trade Upton. The team and player could both move on and prepare for the upcoming season.

But then Arizona made one of the most puzzling signings of the offseason, inking outfielder Cody Ross to a three-year, $26 million deal. Suddenly, the D-Backs have more outfielders than they can put in the lineup at the same time. Towers now has to make a trade.

The initial thought was that Arizona would try to deal away Jason Kubel in something of a sell-high move. Kubel is coming off a season in which he hit 30 home runs with 90 RBI, but only batted .253 and is a defensive liability. He would be a fine addition to any team looking for left-handed outfield pop.

Besides, the D-Backs were no longer interested in trading Upton, right? 

But according to the Fox Sports report and ESPN’s Buster Olney, Arizona is open to the idea again. Perhaps it’s because Towers has discovered that he can’t get much in return for Kubel, who’s affordable at $7.5 million but may have had a career year last season.

Additionally, MLB teams seem more interested in versatile, athletic outfielders these days and Kubel doesn’t really fulfill those criteria. Ultimately, he might be best utilized as a designated hitter, which severely reduces his market. 

That’s not a problem with Upton, however.

At 25, he’s young enough to still improve significantly and has already shown himself capable of putting up MVP-caliber numbers. He also has a club-friendly contract, due $38.5 million over the next three years. No MLB team could get a player like Upton at those terms on the open market. 

The two teams that could have the best chance of landing Upton, according to Rosenthal and Morosi, are the Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves. Personally, I think the Texas Rangers would have to be in the mix as well, since they haven’t landed an impact hitter to replace Josh Hamilton. 

Seattle has to trade for a power hitter because the past two years have demonstrated pretty clearly that free-agent sluggers aren’t going to sign with the Mariners. Maybe after seeing how Safeco Field’s new outfield distances play, that could change. But Upton has the M’s listed on his no-trade clause and presumably has no interest in playing in the Northwest.

The Braves are a different story, Atlanta isn’t as isolated from the rest of MLB as Seattle is. The team is a playoff contender and made it to the postseason last year as a Wild Card. Perhaps most importantly, B.J. Upton—Justin’s brother—just signed a five-year, $75 million contract to play with the Braves. 

Could the brothers Upton play side-by-side in the Atlanta outfield? As you might expect, it’s a subject the two siblings have discussed in the past.

“It’s been a big conversation of ours,” B.J. Upton said to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. “Obviously, he’s got another three years [before he’s a free agent]. Is it a possibility? Yes. Is it going to happen? We don’t know. But it’s definitely something that we are going to talk about.”

Maybe the Uptons are talking about it now, with rumblings that Justin is available on the trade market again.

Regardless of where he goes, Justin is surely weary of the frequent trade rumors. He said as much on Twitter, calling the most recent trade buzz “nonsense.” For whatever reason—whether it’s how he plays, a perceived attitude or the opportunity to get a load of prospects in return—Towers doesn’t seem interested in keeping Upton. 

Playing alongside his brother, along with a change of scenery in Atlanta, could be what Upton needs as well. He suffered a regression in his performance last season, batting .280 with a .785 OPS, 17 home runs and 67 RBI. Those are not MVP numbers. However, a thumb injury surely contributed to the dip in production. 

If playing together is something the Uptons have always talked about, the two would presumably be happy on the same team.

Would that make B.J. get on base more? His on-base percentage was .298 last year. Getting to play with his brother probably couldn’t make that much worse. But Martin Prado hitting in front of him, with Jason Heyward batting behind him will likely help more with that.

If Justin were able to hit between Heyward and Freddie Freeman as the Braves’ cleanup hitter, that could have a positive effect on his game. Yet Aaron Hill and Paul Goldschmidt both had fine seasons for the D-Backs and Upton struggled batting between those two.  

Both Justin and B.J. Upton struggled on defense last season, according to FanGraphs‘ Ultimate Zone Rating. Playing next to each other could help both of them improve, as they’ve shown excellent defensive range in the past. 

But would Justin play right field or left field? He’s never played anywhere but right field before, yet Heyward had an elite year defensively at the position, saving 23 runs more than the average right fielder. Do the Braves really want to mess with that? Or, is Heyward versatile enough that he can be moved to left, giving Atlanta three strong defenders in the outfield? 

Two brothers in the same lineup would certainly be a fun story to follow. It would be like watching Bill and Cal Ripken, Jr. play together with the Baltimore Orioles. OK, maybe it wouldn’t be exactly like that. Actually, it could be much better, considering how young both Upton brothers are and their potential to both hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases. 

Does Braves GM Frank Wren have the resources to make a deal like this happen? Can he build a package around Julio Teheran or Randall Delgado? Would he have to include both pitchers? That seems unlikely. But for another powerful right-handed outfield bat, Wren might consider parting with those prospects. 

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One of the most surprising developments of the MLB offseason was the Chicago Cubs‘ pursuit of free-agent pitcher Anibal Sanchez.

The Cubs’ interest didn’t result in signing Sanchez and adding him to the top of their starting rotation. But offering a five-year, $77 million contract did make a statement of purpose to the other 29 MLB teams and any players deciding where to take their talents. 

While the Cubs may be rebuilding under Theo Epstein, the team intends to be competitive and become a playoff contender again. Ownership and the front office will pay top dollar for the best available players who can help the Cubs accomplish that objective. 

Yet this doesn’t mean that the Cubs will just start pushing piles of cash at any player that casts an interested glance their way. Epstein has shown during this offseason that he will carefully choose which free agents will receive large contract offers.

Sanchez appears to have been the exception for the Cubs, not the regular way of doing business on the North Side. 

While their interest in Sanchez would seem to signal that the Cubs are open for business to any top free agent, Epstein has made it clear that the rules in MLB’s new collective bargaining agreement regarding the draft and free agency require teams to exercise discretion. 

As Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan explained in a recent column, teams that made a qualifying offer to its free agents will receive a first-round draft pick when that player signs elsewhere. The draft selection will come from the club inking the free agent to a new contract.

A team like the Cubs won’t lose their first-round pick for the 2013 draft, as the top 10 selections are protected under MLB rules. The Cubs have the No. 2 selection this year. 

But if Epstein were to sign a player who’s received a qualifying offer from his previous team, such as outfielder Michael Bourn, starting pitcher Kyle Lohse or reliever Rafael Soriano, the Cubs would still lose their second-round selection, along with the bonus money allotted to teams to sign a particular amateur player. 

For the Cubs, that’s just too high a price to pay at this stage of Epstein’s rebuilding project.

A second-round pick should be a player that develops into a major league contributor. How fast he helps the Cubs depends on a variety of factors, of course. But this team needs to accumulate talent and build depth. Giving away draft picks runs contrary to that goal.

Epstein said as much himself during an interview with Boston’s WEEI on Thursday (Jan. 3). 

“When you surrender a draft pick and the pool space that goes with it,” Epstein said, as transcribed by CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney, “you’re really admitting that you’re not going to have as impactful a draft that year as you would otherwise.”

“That’s something that’s really hard to do, given the price of free agents these days and just how meaningful it is to develop your own talent and have that player under control for six years.”

The Cubs aren’t going to compete in the NL Central and return to playoff contention by going out and offering megabucks deals to the top free agents, as the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers do. This team tried that under the Jim Hendry regime, bringing in players like Alfonso Soriano, and it didn’t work.

At a certain point, after the Cubs have become competitive, perhaps Epstein will then look to the free-agent and trade markets to fill holes with expensive players.

However, that approach didn’t work in the latter years of Epstein’s tenure with the Boston Red Sox. Carl Crawford, John Lackey and Adrian Gonzalez disappointed with their lack of production, and their contracts became payroll burdens. Maybe Epstein has learned from those mistakes. 

The Cubs are going to compete by developing players and locking them down with long-term, club-friendly contracts, as they did with shortstop Starlin Castro last year. First baseman Anthony Rizzo and starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija look like two other potential cornerstone players for the franchise. 

Some prospects, such as Brett Jackson, may not end up developing into the players that the Cubs need. But the team has to find out if young talent can grow into major league contributors before deciding whether or not to fill holes through free agents or trades. 

Since 2008, four of the five teams that went on to win the World Series were largely built through the draft. The Philadelphia Phillies had eight draft picks on their 2008 championship team. The St. Louis Cardinals had six homegrown players. Last year’s San Francisco Giants team had seven draft picks on their roster. 

This is what Epstein meant when he told the Chicago Tribune‘s Paul Sullivan that the Cubs needed “waves and waves” of prospects coming through the team’s minor league system.

Not all of those players are going to make it to the majors, so an organization needs volume. They can’t depend on one player to develop. Several, if not dozens, might yield a few contributors—or better yet, impact players that can make a difference in the Cubs’ fortunes.

That philosophy could also result in Soriano and Matt Garza being traded at some point during the upcoming season. While those two veterans could help the Cubs be more competitive in 2013, they likely won’t be a part of the Cubs’ future. Better to utilize them for bringing in prospects that might help build an eventual contender. 

The Cubs could benefit in the short term by signing players like Bourn or Lohse. Those players would certainly help field a competitive club but won’t benefit the franchise in the years to come by relinquishing the draft picks that will help them stockpile amateur talent and find future stars. 

While it might not be flashy or exciting to put a team together without familiar stars, it’s the right move for the Cubs in their current state of reconstruction.

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