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As the persistent Arizona sun beats down on the backs of the 2011 Seattle Mariners, the biggest question in the minds of fans—besides “when oh when will we be relevant again­?”—is when Dustin Ackley will be ready for the Show. 

The Mariners’ offseason middle infield moves say a great deal about the timetable for their biggest prospect since King Felix matriculated.

With Jack and Josh Wilson already on the roster and able to man any of the infield spots, the Mariners were able to compensate for the loss of Jose Lopez—albeit with a pair of bats that would fit in better in Everett than Seattle. 

Chone Figgins is set to slide back to the hot corner, where he is not only a better fielder, but also a drastically better hitter. (That is, assuming he is not traded). The Mariners also traded for Brendan Ryan, one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball, and signed World Series-winning second baseman Adam Kennedy to a minor league contract.

Five serviceable infielders are more than enough for a 25-man opening day roster, and spring training has shown how creative new manager Eric Wedge is willing to be to get the bats into his lineup. Kennedy recently received his first spring start in left field, a first in his twelve-year career. 

Meanwhile Jack Wilson—former sabermetrics-anointed best defensive shortstop in baseball—and Brendan Ryan—reigning best defensive shortstop in baseball—are flipping between second base and shortstop. Josh Wilson has spent time at all three skill positions in the infield and will presumably fill the utility backup role he played last year.

The best guess going in to the season is that Jack Wilson will man the shortstop position with Ryan playing second base—a waste of Ryan’s relative youth and his defensive prime. Figgins will hit in the two hole and play third base, and Josh Wilson will back the three of them up. 

A week ago, I would have projected Kennedy to start the season in Tacoma, but as he displays his defensive versatility in March he may end up with the 25th spot on the roster.

Selfishly, I’d love to see Ack start April 1 at second base, but leaving him in AAA until roster expansion is the right thing to do. As athletic as he is, he is still below average defensively at second base (though he did roll a nice double play earlier this week). 

His bat came around in a big way following his promotion to AAA last year, and he continues to hit well this spring. He had a pinch-hit RBI double late in a 2-0 win over the Angels. On Monday morning he followed up with a home run in the “B Game” and capped that off with a pinch-hit, two-strike single up the middle on an off-speed pitch that had him fooled. So yes, it appears the kid is seeing the ball well.

The issue is that his bat likely won’t be the difference between contention or not (Maybe if the Mariners had four or five of him, and he could pitch…). If Nick Franklin, who has shown flashes of brilliance as the Mariners shortstop of the future, can put it all together in the next few years (he’s only 20), he and Ackley will be a formidable top-of-the-lineup duo. But that’s in 2014, not 2011.

So as much as I hate to admit it, Ack will most likely have to wait until September.  There’s an outside chance the Mariners contend, in which case they would have to consider seeing what Ackley can do at a major league level. It is not as if Ryan, Wilson, Wilson and Kennedy are going to tear the cover off the ball at the middle infield positions.

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As spring training winds down with under two weeks to go, the Phillies 2011 roster is starting to come into focus.  The chart on the bottom right is a look at 24 of the 25 available roster spots as they may unfold.

The list right now has 12 pitchers, although the Phillies could add David Herndon and go with 13.  Kyle Kendrick has not had a good spring, but the Phils are paying him too much to send him back to Triple-A.  It could happen, as Herndon has been pretty good, but it is unlikely.

What is more probable is that the Phillies will choose to carry an extra infielder or utility player because of the Chase Utley situation.  Odds are very good that Utley will start the season on the disabled list with Wilson Valdez filling in at second base.  However, this still leaves an extra roster spot open.

The list above includes Michael Martinez, who has played well enough to earn a spot and he plays multiple positions.  Plus, Martinez is a Rule 5 player.  If the Phillies do not put him on the roster, they have to offer him back to the Nationals.  With the way Martinez has played, the Nationals would probably take him back.

Also on the list is John Mayberry Jr. who is batting .319 with five home runs so far this spring.  He is also very versatile and can play first base, as well as the outfield.

That leaves one bench spot for either Pete Orr, Josh Barfield or Delwyn Young.  Barfield has been very good at the plate, hitting .355 with three doubles and a triple.  He is also speedy, which is a plus.

But Barfield’s main weakness appears to be defense.  While he has not committed any “official” errors, Barfield has fumbled the ball more than once.  In Saturday’s matchup with the Orioles, Barfield dropped an easy double play ball, did not get any outs and left Cole Hamels hanging.  Hamels was having a rough day to begin with, so this did not help.

As for Orr, he is experienced and can play second, third and a little outfield.  Orr is batting .343 with three doubles and three triples this spring.  Orr also strikes out less than Barfield and Young, but his fielding is average.

That leaves Young, who is intriguing because he can play almost anywhere.  However, his fielding is not very good.  A lifetime .258 hitter, Young is batting .298 with one home run, seven RBI and two doubles this spring.  He is probably the least likely to make the team.

However, there are still nine games left in Florida and two exhibition games in Philadelphia before the season begins.  Each player still has time to make a big push towards earning a roster spot.

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According to Chris Haft of MLB.com, San Francisco Giants All-Star closer Brian Wilson was diagnosed with a mildly strained left oblique yesterday.

Wilson believes he will be ready for Opening Day, but Martie Lurie of KNBR said on the Giants’ postgame show that March 31’s opener is in jeopardy for the bearded right-hander.

Wilson will not throw the ball until Monday, when he will be re-evaluated.

Wilson earned a major league best 48 saves last season. He reported the discomfort last Friday, the day after pitching a shutout inning against the Angels in an exhibition game.

Coming into Saturday’s game, Wilson pitched five innings in the preseason and gave up just one run (1.80 ERA). 

My Thoughts

This is a bit of a concern for me.

Brian Wilson is one of the best closers in the National League, perhaps the game, and I do not think the Giants have anyone formidable to replace him with. Santiago Casilla does not throw enough strikes for me in the ninth, and Sergio Romo is just too prone to the long ball late in the game (as seen in the NLDS).

Although Javier Lopez is a good pitcher, I want someone who can throw gas coming into the ninth inning. If this were 2009, I would say Jeremy Affeldt could step in, but he just has not been consistent enough of late.

A possible under-the-radar candidate could be Marc Kroon.

Kroon was a successful closer in Japan who nearly broke the all-time saves record over there. In six seasons, Kroon accrued 177 saves and threw as high as 101 mph.

He is doing okay in spring training, giving up two runs in six innings (3.00 ERA) while striking out four.

Still, it would be very difficult to replace Wilson, who insists that he will be fine for the opener in Los Angeles. However, anything can happen and the Giants need to look at other options just in case.

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Questions or Comments? E-mail my blog mailbag at vc4re@yahoo.com. Your questions may be answered on my blog.

This article was featured on the blog Talking Giants Baseball.

Who will finish in last place in the NL West? Vote here.

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To open this spring the New York Yankees had plenty of questions surrounding their rotation and a four-man race for those last two coveted spots took center stage in Yankee camp. Ivan Nova, Sergio Mitre, Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia had to prove their worth, otherwise they could be sent packing. 

As of today, Nova has clinched his spot as the No. 4 starter behind Phil Hughes, who today was also announced as the No. 3 starter. Nova pitched a six inning no-hit gem in his last outing against a Baltimore Oriole lineup full of starters. He has shown maturity and poise on the rubber this spring and has brought some reassurance back to the Bronx.

The fifth spot in the rotation has always seemed like a two horse race. Garcia and Colon were the two with the most on the line. It was either make the team, or go home. For Mitre, he has shown that he can big a long-man in the bullpen and a spot starter at times. He always had a back up plan. Colon and Garcia did not have this luxury.

With Garcia’s struggles as of late, has the fifth spot in the rotation already been won by Colon?

In his last two starts, Garcia has really dropped the ball. Against the Twins, he only lasted 2.2 innings and gave up four runs on six hits. He couldn’t locate his fastball which led to a heavy reliance on off-speed pitches that were marginally effective at best.

Today against the Jays he improved from his last start, but stumbled at times. In the fourth inning he was roughed up for three runs. In the sixth, an error by Eduardo Nunez didn’t help Garcia’s cause as he would later allow that run to score on a massive two-run blast by David Cooper. 

Bartolo Colon on the other hand, has impressed the Yankee staff this spring. They aren’t looking for the Cy Young winner he once was with the Angels, but a something even remotely close to that would be quite intriguing. He might not have the velocity he once had, but he has gained movement on his pitches.

Colon has had his rocky inning, but he bounced back immediately. That type of resilience only helps his case. Garcia has been unable to show the ability to bounce back from rocking outings. In the game that Bartolo did struggle against the Pirates, he still finished the game only allowing two runs through four innings while striking out seven and did not issue a free pass.

When the Yankees lost Pettitte to retirement and Lee to the Phillies, it seemed that 2011 would be a struggle for the Bronx Bombers. Bringing in Colon and Garcia didn’t do much in the minds of Yankee fans to fill the massive hole at the back-end of the rotation. 

As this rotation battle comes closer and closer to an end, Colon continues to distance himself from the pack. Maybe this fragrance isn’t so bad?

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We’re just a couple short weeks away from meaningful baseball.

All the offseason moves, the talk from experts and promise of young prospects will come to a head and we’ll once again be reminded of why we not only love this game, but hate when it isn’t around.

The most compelling for me is Opening Day. I love it. I make the jaunt to Seattle every year to watch my Mariners embark on another campaign, even though I know the outcome may not make me do back flips.

On a national level, though, there are so many intriguing stories.

Of course, you end up with surprises like last year’s no hitters and (almost included) perfect games. You have milestones and injuries. Breakout stars and steady hands.

Let’s look at what we think, and hope, will be interesting this season.

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A few years ago, the Florida Marlins acquired infielder Wes Helms from the Philadelphia Phillies, who absorbed the remainder of his salary.

The Marlins only had to pay one dollar. 

Now there is another player that the Marlins can pick up for the equivalent of the Dollar Menu item at McDonald’s.

Just recently, the New York Mets released second baseman Luis Castillo. Whether or not he plays this season is irrelevant for the Mets, because they still have to pay him the remaining $6 million of his four-year, $25 million contract. This would be the perfect time to bring back an old friend.

The Florida Marlins seemed set on having Omar Infante at second base and rookie third baseman Matt Dominguez at third.

If that’s the case, they can sign Castillo as a reserve infielder to improve their bench. Dominguez already has the glove for the major leagues, but his bat is still the issue. His current batting average in spring training is .219. Castillo’s spring average is .286, and if the Marlins do sign him, they can have him as their second baseman and shift Infante to third base.

The lineup with Castillo could look like this:

1: Chris Coghlan, CF 

2: Omar Infante, 3B 

3: Hanley Ramirez, SS 

4: Mike Stanton, RF 

5: Gaby Sanchez, 1B 

6: Logan Morrison, LF 

7: John Buck, C 

8: Luis Castillo, 2B 

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In a surprise decision, the New York Mets decided to cut their six-million-dollar second baseman Luis Castillo.

This came despite a respectable spring training for the 35-year-old, where he posted a .286 batting average and .355 on-base percentage.

The explanation the Mets front office gave for the sudden dismissal of Castillo was that the team was in need of cutting down the second baseman competition.

With the most experienced player at that particular position now packing his bags, New York is left with no true standout to win the second-base job. The race is between former Oriole Justin Turner and journeyman Luis Hernandez, as well as Daniel Murphy and minor-league prospect Brad Emaus.

The standout favorites to win this position as of now are Hernandez and Emaus, with the latter being the one with the most hype.

Hernandez was beginning to get into a rhythm last September before going down with a foot injury in the middle of that month. He batted .250 with two home runs, six runs batted in and four runs before being sidelined for the remainder of the 2010 season.

Emaus is a career minor-league player who was a late-round selection by Mets rivals the Atlanta Braves in the 2004 amateur draft. New York acquired Emaus in a deal last season with the Blue Jays, who owned his contract at the time. The young man from Kalamazoo, Michigan had an impressive 2010 in the minors, posting a .272 batting average with AA New Hampshire and then a .298 average with AAA Las Vegas.

With the release of Luis Castillo, the Mets have blown the second-base job wide open and opened the door for one of the team’s several young ballplayers to seize the opportunity at a starting position.

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Every year, there seems to be some trendy prediction that everyone loves to make before the season. For example, last year, everybody (myself included) seemed to think the Mariners were looking like a playoff team. Or the year before that, when several people were convinced that the Royals had a shot to be that year’s Rays. Granted, sometimes, these risky, yet trendy picks do actually work out, such as two years ago, when several writers were picking the Rays to be 2008’s “this year’s Rays team” before we actually had that term (because, you know, that was the year it first happened). In any case, I have been seeing a couple of predictions recurring much more than they should be for 2011, and I just want to be the person with enough foresight to say why they won’t happen before they happen. Because I pointed these out, they’ll probably all happen just to prove me wrong, but nonetheless, I will begin.

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Every baseball season, there are injuries around the league.  Some are so bad that a few can never rebound and make the same impact as they did before—i.e. Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets, who has now been forced to change positions due to injury.

Depending on the situation, whether it’s Tommy John surgery, a shoulder operation, elbow tendinitis or a broken foot, baseball is a very tough sport to recover in.  This can be due to the fact that “Americas pastime,” puts a high demand on muscles that aren’t used in everyday life. 

Not to mention that those muscles and ligaments are used in an unusual fashion.

The throwing motion, for one, is a prime example of overuse of certain shoulder and arm muscles.

With constant force on the knee joints, whether it be getting in a fielding position or moving side to side, the ligaments eventually began to fall apart like tread on a tire. 

Baseball players bodies’ are like tires.  They can ride great when they’re fresh and new, however, once they start to wear down from the overuse, bad things can happen.

Now that the steroid era has come and gone—at least it looks that way—more superstars are coming up with injuries.  Why? Because of the constant grind on their rubber-like bodies.

A few players may never be the same again this season.  

So who are they?

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Spring is the only time of year that anyone can be underrated. The heat has finally been taken off the hot stove. That means no more winter meetings, free agent tours, salary dumps or round-table discussions. 

No, spring is different. Spring is about sprinkler heads spraying the sod, a bucket of balls poured onto the infield, Beemers in the parking lot and the L-screen being dragged to the mound. It’s for ridiculously high jersey numbers and pitchers loping along the warning track.

The power rankings have vanished like a puff of smoke from a fastball popping a catcher’s mitt, and it’s time for the first pitch.

Still, some teams will be flying under the radar as April arrives, led by pitching staffs not gaining nearly enough attention. Seven stand out as our most underrated pitching staffs in the game.

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