Kuzul

A lot of questions confronted the Philadelphia Phillies as they headed into spring training.  Would their aging stars bounce back from long stints on the disabled list and regain their effectiveness?  Would those who had avoided the DL be able to avoid Father Time for one more year?  Would youngsters come up and fill voids left by core players departing?

With Opening Day less than two weeks away, the answers to those questions are going to finally start being answered.  Some are already sharpening into focus.

This weekend, my girlfriend and I have jetted down from the New York Metro area to Clearwater, Florida, to soak in some spring matchups.  Here are some eyewitness takes on some of the team’s biggest issues after Friday’s win against the Braves, from the health of men like Ryan Howard and Chase Utley to general news and notes.

Begin Slideshow

If there’s one young hitter capable of making a successful jump from Double-A to the major leagues, it’s Oscar Taveras.

After batting .386/.444/.584 with 40 extra-base hits in 78 games for Low-A Quad Cities in 2011, the St. Louis Cardinals offered Taveras an aggressive assignment to Double-A Springfield for the 2012 season. And just as he’d done at every previous minor league stop, the 20-year-old outfielder thrived as one of the youngest players at the level.

Despite facing considerably advanced pitching, the left-handed hitter batted .321/.380/.572 with 67 extra-base hits, 10 stolen bases and 56/42 K/BB in 124 games.

More importantly, Taveras—Prospect Pipeline’s No. 3-ranked prospect headed into spring training—started to tap into his raw power and belted a career-high 23 home runs. While his bat has always projected to be a plus tool in the major leagues, the emergence of his above-average-to-plus power distinguishes Taveras the best hitter in the minor leagues.

But what exactly makes Taveras’ bat so special?

Well, the left-handed hitter features an explosive, yet well-balanced, swing that enables him to keep the bat head in the zone for an extended period of time. As a result, he seemingly always achieves a favorable point of contact, while his extension through the ball allows him to generate backspin carry to all fields.

However, it’s Taveras’ unparalleled hand-eye coordination and bat-to-ball ability that separates him from other highly regarded young hitters. Additionally, the 20-year-old’s ability to drive the ball the other way is already more advanced than a lot of big league hitters, and only stands to improve with additional experience against top-notch pitching.

Amazingly, that’s only part of what makes Taveras such a promising young hitter.

Over the last two seasons, the 20-year-old has drawn an increasing number of comparisons to Vladimir Guerrero due to his aggressive, free-swinging approach, as well as his knack for consistently centering pitches throughout (and even outside) the strike zone. Taveras simply hits everything: fastballs, breaking balls, off-speed pitches, same-side pitching, pitcher’s pitches—you name it and he can barrel it, effortlessly.

And while his approach may be challenged more at the major league level, Taveras should always make enough contact to the point where strikeouts are a nonissue.

So, could Taveras make the jump from Double-A to the major leagues this year? Absolutely.

However, unless he has a path to everyday playing time in the Cardinals’ outfield, it’s simply not going to happen. Taveras is going to hit in the major leagues regardless of when he arrives. That being said, there’s no reason for the organization to alter his course of development out of preference.

If one of the team’s outfielders suffers an injury this spring and is considered doubtful for Opening Day, then his promotion to the major leagues would be out of necessity.

Either way, Taveras is poised to make his big league debut at some point this season. Like any young hitter, he’s bound to struggle at times against more advanced pitching. However, the 20-year-old’s swing and approach make him virtually slump-proof, and his ability to make swift adjustments at such a young age only lends to his already insanely high ceiling.

With the potential to be one of baseball’s top players in his prime (possibly sooner), it makes no difference whether Taveras opens the 2013 season in Double-A, Triple-A or the major leagues.

He’s going to hit the snot out of the ball because, well, that’s what he does. Therefore, the Cardinals will let their prized prospect continue his natural ascension through their immensely talented farm system. But once he arrives in the major leagues, Taveras will be there to stay.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

This spring, the Seattle Mariners have been, dare I say, entertaining. 

As an organization, there are quite a few positive signs to point toward for the future, but what about this season?

With a mix of youth and experience, the team seems keen on taking a positive step forward toward competing in the American League West.  

Do they have a shot to put up a fight against the Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers and Oakland A’s? 

Or will they be fighting to stay out of the division cellar with the Houston Astros?

Although it’s always hard to place much value on what happens in spring training, for fun I wanted to see what are some of the key takeaways we’ve seen from Mariners camp as we approach Opening Day. 

Begin Slideshow

With spring training slowly winding down, prospects continue to be cut from big league camp on seemingly a daily basis. While players already on their teams’ 40-man rosters have been optioned to a specific level, a majority of prospects have received an assignment to minor league spring training.

However, there’s still a large contingent of young talent still active in major league spring training. Although only a select few of them will crack their teams’ Opening Day rosters, it seems as though they will at least force their respective organizations to make a difficult decision.

Here’s a look at the 10 hottest prospects at spring training.

*All stats courtesy of MLB.com and reflect all games through March 18, 2012.

Begin Slideshow

We are two weeks from Opening Day in the MLB, and 25-man rosters are starting to take shape throughout the league as teams hit the preseason stretch run.

For most teams, this spring has been a productive one as they have shaken off the rust, avoided injury and perhaps even had an unexpected player or two step forward and earn a roster spot.

For a few teams though, this spring has ranged from a disappointment to a disaster. Here is a look at the three whose stock has dropped the most this spring.

Oakland Athletics

The Athletics were one of the biggest surprises of 2012, as they entered the season picked by most to be among the worst teams in baseball and ended it with an AL West title.

The signing of Hiroyuki Nakajima, the acquisition of Jed Lowrie and the return of Scott Sizemore from injury was supposed to help them answer questions across the infield.

Instead, Nakajima (.194 BA) and Sizemore (.182 BA) have struggled mightily this spring, as has incumbent third baseman Josh Donaldson (.188 BA). Currently, the team has no more clear-cut answers in the infield than they did in October.

The team also lost Brandon McCarthy in free agency, opting to let him walk with Daniel Straily seemingly ready to step into the No. 5 starter spot after going 2-1 with a 3.89 ERA over seven starts down the stretch last year.

Straily has also struggled though, allowing 12 hits and seven runs in 9.2 innings of work this spring, and that puts the No. 5 starter spot in question heading into the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers made a tsunami-sized splash last August with the acquisitions of Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and their $200 million-plus in owed salary from the Red Sox, a month after picking up star shortstop Hanley Ramirez from the Marlins.

The spending continued this offseason with the re-signing of closer Brandon League and the addition of Korean left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu.

However, the talk of the offseason was the signing of right-hander Zack Greinke to a six-year, $147 million deal, as he was supposed to give the team a second ace-caliber starter alongside Clayton Kershaw.

Instead, he’ll likely open the season on the disabled list as right elbow inflammation has limited him to just two outings totaling five innings this spring (h/t Yahoo! Sports).

As of now, his first start of the season may only be pushed back a few days, but any sort of setback between now and then would almost certainly delay things further.

Add in the fact that Crawford, who underwent Tommy John surgery last August, has managed all of six at-bats this spring and will also likely open the season on the shelf, and it’s safe to say things have not gotten off to the start the Dodgers hoped for.

New York Yankees

With all due respect to what the A’s and Dodgers have had to deal with this spring, neither hold a candle to what the Yankees have experienced.

Having already lost Nick Swisher and Russell Martin in free agency, the Yankees then lost third baseman Alex Rodriguez to hip surgery for at least the first half of the season before spring camp even kicked off.

Then, slugging center fielder Curtis Granderson went down with a broken right forearm on February 24 after being hit by a J.A. Happ fastball. He’s expected to be out until at least early May (h/t ESPN).

Next, first baseman Mark Teixeira, who was playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, was forced to withdraw from the tournament with what was originally thought to be a wrist strain.

However, it was later discovered that he has a partially torn tendon sheath that could wind up requiring season-ending surgery (h/t ESPN).

Finally, there is team captain Derek Jeter, who is recovering form a broken ankle and was on track to be ready for Opening Day.

That is until he was scratched from the lineup on Tuesday due to discomfort in the ankle (h/t CBS New York). It may be nothing, but it’s enough to strike some fear into a fanbase that has already been dealt some big blows this spring.

To put things into perspective as to just how bad things are for the Yankees’ offense right now, here is a look at their projected Opening Day roster:

1. SS Derek Jeter?
2. RF Ichiro Suzuki
3. 2B Robinson Cano
4. 3B Kevin Youkilis
5. DH Travis Hafner
6. 1B Juan Rivera
7. LF Brennan Boesch
8. CF Brett Gardner
9. C Chris Stewart 

Outside of Cano, who has been raking for the Dominican Republic team in the WBC, that is not a group that is going to strike fear into anyone, let alone a deep crop of talent in the AL East.

I’d never count the Yankees out, but they could dig themselves a huge hole over the first month of the season if the rest of the division comes out of the gates strong.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As spring training begins to wind down, each organization continues to make rounds of cuts, as they option many of their roster hopefuls to either a specific minor league level or simply re-assign them to minor league camp.

For many of these players, it seems as though it will be only a matter of time until they either return to or reach the major leagues for the first time

However, in some cases, it’s worth questioning whether the organization may have been better off breaking camp with the player on the Opening Day roster.

Wil Myers, OF, Tampa Bay Rays

Even though he was expected to open the 2013 season in Triple-A, I thought, for some reason, that Myers may still show enough during spring training to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster. Although he didn’t showcase any of the light-tower power that led to 37 home runs in 2012, Myers still had a nice camp, batting .286/.333/.429 with four extra-base hits and 10 strikeouts in 39 plate appearances.

For a team that relies on pitching and occasionally outscoring its opponent, the Rays need all of the offensive firepower they can get. And while it makes sense (sort of) to start him in the minor leagues due to service-time concerns, they may ultimately recall the 22-year-old outfielder sooner rather than later.

Chris Archer, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays

The fight for the final spot in the Rays starting rotation proved to be one of the more exciting roster battles across spring training. With Jeff Niemann the on-paper favorite headed into camp, both Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi were expected to challenge the incumbent right-hander for the spot.

After a strong showing last season in the major leagues, especially over the final month of the season, Archer did everything within his power to win the roster spot this spring. Prior to being cut from camp on March 12, the 24-year-old right-hander had not allowed an earned run over seven innings. Perhaps more impressive was the fact that he allowed only one hit and three walks while fanning five batters.

Even though he’s clearly one of the team’s five best starting pitchers, the right-hander will presumably open the 2013 season in the Triple-A rotation alongside Odorizzi. I still expect him to spend a majority of the year in the major leagues.

Tony Cingrani, LHP, Cincinnati Reds

After dominating as the Reds closer in 2012, the organization has shifted hard-throwing left-hander Aroldis Chapman into the starting rotation for the upcoming season—or so it seemed. Now he’s saying that he’d rather close than start, so who really knows how the situation will play out?

However, a move back to the Reds bullpen means a vacant spot in the starting rotation. Although the organization will presumably turn to Mike Leake to fill the void—why? I’m not quite sure; they could look to replace Chapman with another left-hander, Tony Cingrani.

After an impressive stint in the major leagues last season as a September call-up, Cingrani had an up-and-down spring in which he registered a 9.00 ERA and five strikeouts over four innings. Yes, he was a bit rusty this early in the year, but it’s worth noting that the 23-year-old faced almost exclusively big league hitters, as indicated by a 9.7 opponent quality (via Baseball-Reference.com)

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Toronto Blue Jays have some of the biggest question marks in regard to positional battles. With such an influx of talent, many opening day jobs are up for grabs. But with such a vast amount of assets, it will be tough to sit a very skilled player. As my father would always say, “It is a good problem to have”.

So who gets the nod?

Manager John Gibbons has always been a player’s coach and I believe that he had an idea of what he wanted his team to look like before spring training started. He understands that spring training is for veterans to get out the kinks and perhaps work on a new pitch or evolving their offensive game—perhaps with a new stride or hitting the ball the other way. That being said, it is hard to discount the numbers of some players this spring.

We will outline the major positional battles and let you know who we at B/R believe will win out.

Begin Slideshow

Coming into spring training, the A’s had five potential starters battling for playing time at second base in 2013.  Surely the A’s could find a starter in a pool of players consisting of Jemile Weeks, Scott Sizemore, Jed Lowrie, Adam Rosales and even Andy Parrino.

Yet the A’s find themselves just more than two weeks from opening day and nobody has emerged from the crowd.  

Weeks was off to a hot start only to get a shoulder injury to derail his momentum.  Sizemore has been in a horrible slump with three hits in 24 at-bats this spring.  Rosales is hitting .294 but has been a bench player for most of his career.  Parrino is a switch-hitter hitting .333 with a .407 OBP but is in the same boat as Rosales.

Then there’s Jed Lowrie who is perhaps the best-suited man on the 25-man roster for the everyday job but he is likely going to be used as a utility player.  His role is giving days off to the rest of the infield as he starts around the diamond.  

The A’s were able to make a playoff team out of a group of outcast players and unknown prospects in 2012. Does that mean they would be willing to have Parrino or Rosales as the opening-day second baseman?  

Regardless of who is on the opening-day roster, the A’s also relied on frequent calls to Triple-A Sacramento last year for extra players.  Brandon Hicks and Brandon Moss are perfect examples of the A’s willingness to promote a player to help the team.  

With that in mind, does it really matter who is the A’s opening-day second baseman?  If that opening-day starter struggles out of the gate, Bob Melvin and Billy Beane will be quick to make the call to Sacramento looking for an upgrade.

With just a little over two weeks until opening day, the A’s are unlikely to acquire any new players via free agency or trades.  The A’s opening-day second baseman is with the team now, but who is it?  

It could be anyone wearing green and gold right now.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Cincinnati Reds are considering moving last year’s closer Aroldis Chapman to the starting rotation this season. With less than three weeks left in spring training, the team hasn’t yet made a decision, but that didn’t stop the pitcher from telling the team he wants to close.

According to CBSSports.com’s Danny Knobler, Chapman made it clear Saturday that if the choice was his, he would rather close. When asked about his preference, the pitcher stated unequivocally, “I would like to be a closer, but that’s not in my hands.” 

The 25-year-old left-hander from Cuba has one of the most electric arms in baseball.

Last year was his first year closing in the majors, and he was an immediate success. He appeared in 68 games and went 5-5 with a 1.51 ERA and 38 saves. Most impressive were his 122 strikeouts in 71.2 innings, which translated to 44.2 percent of all batters he faced going down by way of the whiff.

During his career, Chapman has appeared in 137 games, all in relief, and gone a combined 11-8 with a 2.33 ERA and 212 strikeouts in 135 innings.

His success has come largely from his big fastball, which was regularly clocked at 100 mph or better. 

Hoping to capitalize on his ability, the Reds entered spring training with Chapman competing for a spot in their starting rotation.

He’s made three appearances (two starts) this spring, with mixed results. He has allowed just two runs in eight innings, but Knobler noted that his fastball has been sitting in the low-to-mid-90s, which is still excellent, but a far cry from the 98 mph the pitch averaged in 2012, according to FanGraphs.com.

The Reds have received criticism for their decision to tinker with Chapman’s role. An anonymous rival scout told Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal that, “I hope they do start him, but they’re crazy if they do. It’s Joba Chamberlain all over again… No question in my mind, he’s the closer.” 

Chapman lasted four innings and allowed one run in his most recent start, a 7-6 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. Despite the solid numbers, he struggled with his control. He explained to MLB.com’s Chris Haft that, “The issue I had was I was not commanding any of my pitches. I was just throwing too many balls, too many bad pitches.” 

Chapman’s preference to close is a complete reversal of what he told (translated by his trainer Tomas Vera) ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick at the start of spring training when asked about his feelings on starting:

I will prepare the same way I did last year. I would like to start a season and throw as many innings as I can, but that’s up to the team. When I was in Cuba, I threw 150 innings. I will prepare myself to throw as many innings as they want me to throw. 

Although his recent statement contradicts his previous stance, the comments pleased his manager Dusty Baker, who told Knobler, “We’re going to do what’s best for the organization, for the team and for him. But it makes it a lot easier if you get the person’s blessing. I’m happy he finally expressed something.”

If Chapman opens the season as a starter, the Reds’ closer will likely be big right-hander Jonathan Broxton, who re-signed with the team on a three-year free-agent contract this past offseason. He would shift to a setup role if Chapman returned to the bullpen. 

The Reds are expected to make a decision soon, but that can’t come fast enough for Baker, who shared his thoughts about the situation with the Cincinnati Enquirer’s John Fay:

I’d like to decide soon and get my team together. I don’t like having guys in the middle. That’s a bad situation when you’re in the middle of anything. An unknown. Then everybody else is in an unknown situation. That’s unfair to him or us—the situation he’s been put in. He was in that same situation last year.

I’d like to make a decision in the next week or so, so I can get my team together. The decision is not only mine, it’s ours. But I got my opinion.

Chapman’s fate is no easy decision for a team that won 97 games and the Central Division title in 2012, before losing to the San Francisco Giants in the LDS. Whatever the Reds decide will have major implications on their pursuit of another playoff run.

With Chapman going on the record, all the cards are now on the table. All that remains is the Reds determining what is in the best interests of their prized lefty and those of the team, and hopefully finding a solution that will work for all involved.

Statistics via Baseball-Reference 

Follow @historianandrew

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Seattle Mariners started spring training camp with 61 players. They are now down to 47, and more cuts will be coming soon as opening day is not that far away.

Fourteen cuts down. Twenty-two to go. Can you feel the tension start to build?

Some of the cuts have been expected, while others are intriguing. As is usually the case, certain players have stepped up and surprised people enough to warrant additional consideration.

Battles are tightening up, and the remaining players hope that they still have a chair when the music stops.

On March 14, the Mariners made some decisions on the starting rotation, sending the “big three” to the minors. This includes top prospects Taijuan Walker, James Paxton and Danny Hultzen. More cuts were made on March 15 as the team continues to trim players.

While fans may have hoped for a repeat of Michael Pineda in 2012, Seattle is not going to force these pitchers onto the Major League roster. As noted by The News Tribune, “With Jon Garland looking healthy, the Mariners had no need to rush them into the big leagues.”

What is intriguing is the fact that prospect Brandon Maurer is still in camp. Through March 15, Maurer has appeared in four games, compiled a record of 2-1 and kept his ERA at 0.90 for the spring. He has 11 strikeouts in 10 innings of work.

Maurer may still be battling long odds to make the rotation, but he is still in the mix with veterans Jon Garland and Jeremy Bonderman as well as Erasmo Ramirez and Blake Beavan. This race is too close to tell at this point.

The outfield is still crowded. So far, it appears that Jason Bay is potentially going to make the roster. Bay has cooled down a bit, but he is still hitting .292 with two home runs and four RBI. Julio Morban was actually hitting better, but the 21-year-old prospect was sent to the minors after showing that he may have a future in the Seattle outfield.

In addition to Bay, there are seven other outfielders still in camp. One assumes that three of those may have to go. Michael Saunders is actually not hitting particularly well in Arizona, though he did play extremely well in the World Baseball Classic.

Eric Thames may not make the roster, and Casper Wells will need to hit a little more consistently if he is going to win a spot on this team. The wildcard may be Carlos Peguero, who has displayed some solid hitting in Peoria despite leading the team in strikeouts.

Nick Franklin and Mike Zunino are still in camp despite the fact that neither prospect is hitting particularly well. Still, Zunino is making a good impression (via ESPN) in terms of poise and leadership. It will be interesting to see how long it takes him to become the man behind the dish at Safeco Field.

Slowly but surely, the roster is starting to take shape. Stay tuned for more cuts.

Follow @tpheifer

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com