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As we edge closer to the halfway mark in spring training, the New York Yankees are already beginning to evolve.

Although Derek Jeter hasn’t played in any games and most of New York’s top starters haven’t seen live action, there is a lot to learn from thus far.

In only a few weeks the Yankees have begun to form a new identity, without Nick Swisher and Russell Martin.

Key positions are still up for grabs and some players are shining brighter than others.

Find out what we have learned from the Bombers thus far.

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Major League Baseball’s 2012 postseason led to some incredibly exciting October baseball and this year’s spring training will give us a chance to see some rematches from those series.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals one-upped each other in the comeback department en route to a memorable National League Division Series.

The San Francisco Giants started their improbable World Series-winning run by staging a comeback of their own against the Cincinnati Reds to make history in the other National League Division Series.

In the American League Championship Series, the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers didn’t provide as much offense as expected, but there were still some great moments to point to for both sides.

Let’s take a look back at each of these playoff series from last season and when you can catch the rematches during spring training.

The full 2013 spring training schedule can be found on MLB.com.

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Washington Nationals: Friday, Mar. 8, at 1:05 p.m. ET

The Cardinals and Nationals met in what was an epic NLCS that ended with St. Louis emerging victorious over Washington, three games to two.

St. Louis had Washington on the brink of elimination after the first three games, but the Nationals showed some heart by pushing the series to a fifth game. However, it was in that Game 5 that the Cards proved they had slightly more heart than their opponent.

Trailing 6-0 at one point, the Cards made an incredible comeback to make it 7-5 going into the ninth inning. It was then that St. Louis was down to their final strike twice while still down by two runs, but were able to claw its way back to tie the game and eventually take a two-run lead going into the bottom of the inning.

Jason Motte would take the mound for his second inning and ultimately close out the series.

The never say die attitude of both of these squads was quite impressive during the 2012 postseason and that made for one of the more exciting series. Granted, spring training baseball won’t allow for that type of excitement, but it’ll still be interesting to see these two squads match up and put some of their best players on the field.

San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds: Wednesday, Mar. 13, at 4:05 p.m. ET

If you think the Giants had an easy road to the World Series, think again. Not only did they make a historic comeback against the Reds in the NLDS, but they also had to recover from a 3-1 deficit against the Cardinals to get to the World Series.

If you look up the definition of heart, it’s likely you’ll see a picture of the 2012 Giants next to it. After losing the first two games of the NLDS at home, the Giants were faced with the impossible task of winning three consecutive road games in order to advance.

Incredibly enough, San Fran did just that in its series with Cincinnati. In Game 5, the Giants jumped out to a 6-0 lead over the Reds after a big fifth inning at the dish, and it was a lead they would never relinquish.

The road comeback was the first of its kind in MLB history. No team had ever lost the first two games of the LDS at home and went on to win the final three on the road.

I’m sure the Reds are not happy about the Giants making them a trivia question answer and their first chance to get some payback will be during spring training, although anything short of a playoff series victory over San Francisco at this point will still leave Cincy falling very short.

New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers: Saturday, Mar. 23, at 1:05 p.m. ET

The ALCS was a major disappointment last season after the Yanks’ bats didn’t show up a lick in this series. The Tigers went on to sweep the series, 4-0.

After scoring four runs in Game 1, New York would score just two more runs the rest of the way in total. The Bronx Bombers weren’t bombing anything and made the Tigers pitching staff look like they cloned Sandy Koufax four times.

In fact, the Yanks were eliminated by Max Scherzer, who took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of Game 4 in what was a sensational performance to close out the series.

The series wasn’t without a little excitement, however. Game 1 of the ALCS saw the Yanks climb back from a four-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth that was capped off in a heroic fashion by a Raul Ibanez two-run bomb.

That was the lone highlight for New York in this series and Detroit brushed it off without incident to go on and win the American League without so much as a whimper from the Yankees.

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Spring training is still very young, but the Cincinnati Reds have had already had some surprises.

Cincinnati currently owns the worst record in the National League. The record is irrelevant for so many reasons, but they need to see some improvement in certain areas.

The surprises have been both good and bad, but the bad ones have been more obvious. Spring results have no impact on the regular season, so let’s not go overboard. 

Injuries have been a big storyline in the first few weeks of camp. Right fielder Jay Bruce, third baseman Todd Frazier, catcher Ryan Hanigan and center fielder Shin-Soo Choo have all been dealing with injuries. Those issues have contributed to the team’s woes on offense.

Although the injuries aren’t a good sign, they have given younger players even more chances to shine. 

What have been the Reds’ biggest surprises in spring training?

*All stats are from MLB.com.

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Spring training stats don’t mean much, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t exciting to look at.

In spring training, established players are often working on things and rounding into shape rather than going full bore. Early in the spring, the starters are usually only playing a handful of innings before giving way to minor league players and guys fighting for backup jobs. Thus, there’s a lot of noise in spring training numbers, and that’s before considering the small sample sizes involved.

The fact that Buster Posey is hitting just .222 means absolutely nothing. Matt Cain’s 6.43 ERA is equally meaningless. Given their track records as established All-Stars and key contributors on two World Series teams, Posey and Cain can save their bullets for the games that actually count.

With those caveats aside, the numbers do mean a little more for the guys fighting for jobs, trying to re-establish themselves or catch the organization’s eye.

Entering spring training play on Tuesday, Brandon Belt, Brett Pill, Pablo Sandoval and Brock Bond have been hot with the bats, while Posey, Gregor Blanco and Kensuke Tanaka have struggled.

Belt is 11-for-22 with a double, a triple and two home runs thus far in spring training. If he had started off 1-for-22, he would still be the team’s starting first baseman, but it’s good to see him continue his hot streak from the second half of last season when he hit .293 after the All-Star break. At 25 years old, this could be the year he puts it all together and replicates his outstanding minor league production.

Pill is fighting for a job on the Giants’ bench, and the team could use his right-handed thump. He’s gone 6-for-22 with a double, a triple and two home runs thus far in spring. If he continues his torrid pace, there’s a good chance the Giants will consider bringing him north with the big league club given their lack of offense off the bench last season.

Francisco Peguero is fighting with Pill and Cole Gillespie (4-for-18) for a bench job, and his 9-for-16 start may have put him in the lead. Peguero has outstanding bat speed, good range in the outfield and a huge arm, but his plate discipline needs drastic improvement.

Brock Bond has a .410 career on-base percentage in the minor leagues and he’s opened some eyes this spring with a 6-for-12 start. Giants’ pinch-hitters put up a tepid .284 on-base percentage last season, so Bond’s patient approach would be a welcomed addition. However, he doesn’t have any power and he’s a limited defensive player.

Pablo Sandoval went 7-for-14 with three extra-base hits while also meeting manager Bruce Bochy’s weight targets before leaving for the World Baseball Classic. There’s no question that the Panda can hit, but can he keep his weight in check to stay healthy for a full season this year?

Gregor Blanco has gotten off to a cold start, going 3-for-15 in the early going. He’s in the lineup for his speed and defense, but he’s going to have to improve on last year’s .244 batting average in order to receive the majority of the playing time in left field this season.

Kensuke Tanaka is battling Bond, Wilson Valdez (3-for-11) and the injured Tony Abreu for the final utility infielder job on the bench alongside Joaquin Arias. He’s gone just 5-for-21 with a double in the early going.

The Giants are taking a look at Tanaka at shortstop this spring after he predominantly played second base in Japan. With shortstops Brandon Crawford, Joaquin Arias and current second baseman Marco Scutaro on the roster, the Giants should be able to carry a reserve infielder that doesn’t have to be able to handle short, however. That could benefit Tanaka or Bond over defensive-oriented players like Valdez and Abreu when the Giants settle the final 25-man roster.

On the pitching side, starters Ryan Vogelsong (3.38 ERA), Madison Bumgarner (3.18 ERA) and Barry Zito (3.86 ERA) have picked up right where they left off in the World Series, while Cain has struggled and Tim Lincecum has made only one start due to a blister issue.

In the battle for the final two bullpen spots, George Kontos appears to be a roster lock after a stellar 2012 campaign and four shutout innings with five strikeouts to open spring training. Dan Runzler has put himself back in the mix with three solid innings to begin spring training. An elbow injury to Jose Mijares could open the door for Runzler to start the season with the Giants.

Scott Procotor (2.25 ERA), Chad Gaudin (3.38 ERA) and Yusmerio Petit (0.00 ERA) have pitched well in the battle for the last bullpen job. On the flip side, bullpen candidates Ramon Ramirez (18.00 ERA) and Steve Edlfesen (6.75 ERA) have been roughed up in their two innings of work thus far.

Moving on to the prospects in camp, Gary Brown has gone just 5-for-20 with no walks and six strikeouts, but three of his five hits have been for extra bases. He’s also looked exceptional in center field.

Pitching prospects Heath Hembree and Michael Kickham have thrown well, but Chris Heston has been tattooed for eight hits and six runs in 2.2 innings this spring. His lack of fastball velocity is a concern, even after he dominated hitters last season at Double-A Richmond.

There’s still nearly a month to go before the real games begin, but the Giants have plenty of competition in camp for the few open jobs on the bench and in the bullpen. Spring training stats don’t matter at all for the stars like Posey and Cain, but they do mean something for the guys trying to make the team and the prospects trying to push their way on to the radar.

The rest of spring training will be about the established players getting their reps, settling the final reserve battles and taking a long look at prospects like Brown.

(All stats in this article are from the official website of the San Francisco Giants and are valid through Monday’s spring training games.)

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While the on-field product and overall result may be uninspiring for the next several years, the future is undeniably bright for the Chicago Cubs.

Headed into the 2013 season, the organization houses three top-50 prospects in Javier Baez, Albert Almora and Jorge Soler.

Even though Baez and Almora—the Cubs’ first-round draft picks in 2011 and 2012, respectively—are in the early stages of their promising careers, both players have been relatively known commodities for several years due to their prior status as high-level amateur prospects.

Soler, on the other hand, leaves more to the imagination.

Signed to a nine-year, $30 million contract last June, Soler made his professional debut in the rookie-level Arizona League after not playing in a game since 2010. The effect of the two-year layoff was obvious, as the then 20-year-old batted .241/.328/.389 with two home runs and 13 strikeouts in his first 14 games.

Despite the lackluster production against inferior competition, Soler showcased a collection of raw but projectable tools during his debut. In fact, the pure talent he exhibited in the complex league catered to the belief that the outfielder would be capable of making adjustments after shedding a thick layer of rust. 

Based on that assumption, the organization offered him an aggressive promotion to Low-A Peoria to conclude his professional debut. And sure enough, Soler responded favorably by batting .338/.398/.513 with three home runs and a 6/6 K/BB over 20 games.

Even though Soler’s production should be interpreted with a grain of salt given the small sample size, the loud tools he showcased are very real and give him the highest ceiling of all the Cubs’ highly-regarded prospects.

Ranked as the No. 42 overall prospect headed into the upcoming season, Soler is a physical specimen at 6’3”, 205 pounds with a mature frame that requires minimal future projection. Considering his size, the 21-year-old is an above-average runner who showcases more athleticism than one would expect. Even if he adds thickness to his already strong lower half, he should have no problem remaining in right field where his plus arm strength is also a clean fit.

However, it’s Soler’s bat that makes him a potential impact player. With exceptional bat speed and a leveraged path through the zone, Soler’s 70-grade raw power is both effortless and robust. More importantly, his relatively mature approach and plate discipline suggests that its utility will continue to improve as he matures.

The only lingering uncertainty regarding Soler is how his hit tool will translate at more advanced levels, including the major leagues. Although his swing is sound and powerful, the right-handed hitter is yet to be tested against quality pitching—something that may not happen until he reaches Double-A.

Therefore, while the slightly inefficient components of his swing have flown under the radar thus far, there’s a greater chance moving forward that they will be exploited throughout his ascension in the Cubs’ system.

When all is said and done, Soler has the ceiling of an All-Star right fielder capable of launching 25-plus home runs over a full season. And while power will always be his calling card, both his defense and secondary skills could ultimately surpass expectations.

At the same time, it’s important to remember that Soler is currently all tools and projection. The 21-year-old will always showcase loads of power; whether he’s able to reach his ceiling will depend on the development of his other tools—more specifically, the hit tool. If it matures steadily, as hoped, then the young Cuban could turn out to be the real deal.

But until Soler has a few seasons in the major leagues under his belt, expectations inevitably will be lofty, to say the least. So, rather than becoming overly invested in his minor-league production during upcoming seasons, it’ll be more important to gauge his development and future projection relative to the adjustments he makes along the way.

Soler has the makings of a very good, maybe even great player for the Cubs. But at the same time, he’s anything but a surefire big leaguer, as he’ll be forced to overcome the considerable gap between his present ability and future potential.

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Boston Red Sox pitching prospect Drake Britton was just optioned from big league spring training camp to the minors. Although he wasn’t ready for the majors, the move was likely prompted by his recent arrest for DUI.

The left-handed Britton was arrested over the weekend, according to WFTX-TV Fort Myers, which was shared in a tweet by CSNNE.com’s Maureen Mullen:

According to WFTX-TV Fort Myers, #RedSox LHP Drake Britton arrested for DUI over the weekend. Optioned to AA Portland Mon. #redsoxtalk

— Maureen Mullen (@MaureenaMullen) March 5, 2013

The story was later confirmed by The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo.

ESPNBoston.com’s Gordon Edes reported in a series of tweets that Britton was arrested for driving 111 mph in a 45 mph zone and crashing through a fence.

Sox p Drake Britton was arrested on reckless driving, DUI and property damage charges. Arrest report says he was driving 111 mph in 45 zone

— Gordon Edes (@GordonEdes) March 5, 2013

Britton was arrested at 4:42 a.m. Saturday. He was scratched from Sunday appearance, and optioned to Double-A Portland next day.

— Gordon Edes (@GordonEdes) March 5, 2013

Arresting officer said Britton was swerving thru slower-moving cars at that speed before jumping curb and crashing thru barbed wire fence

— Gordon Edes (@GordonEdes) March 5, 2013

Edes provided a more detailed account of the arrest in his blog.

BustedMugShots.com published a mugshot photo of the pitcher.

Britton was given a $700,000 signing bonus by the Red Sox when he was the team’s 23rd-round selection in the 2007 draft, according to a CSNNE.com report. He decided to sign instead of attending Texas A&M University.

He missed a lot of time because of injuries earlier in his career, including Tommy John surgery prior to the 2009 season.

Often compared to Red Sox lefty Jon Lester, the 23-year-old Britton was just a combined 4-18 with a 4.82 ERA in his first four professional seasons.

Despite the lack of production, Baseball America’s Jim Callis named him Boston’s fifth-best prospect for 2011; ahead of the likes of Josh Reddick and Felix Doubront. Since then, he has fallen off of the team’s top-10 prospect list.

Britton had the best season of his career in 2012, going 7-12 with a 4.44 ERA and 118 strikeouts while splitting his time between high Single-A Salem and Double-A Portland.

He had just a 5.80 ERA in 10 games with Salem before being summoned to Portland and posting a 3.72 ERA in 16 games for the Sea Dogs.

Britton struggled this spring for the Red Sox, making two appearances and allowing four walks, five hits and three earned runs in 3.1 innings, without a decision. He also threw a wild pitch, hit a batter and struck out one.

He was also in camp last year, primarily to soak up experience from the veteran pitchers, according to the Providence Journal’s Tim Britton (not related). Britton the pitcher told Britton the reporter that Lester was who he watched the most:

Obviously they want me—and I want—to watch Jon Lester and how he goes about his business. They told me that, pretty much all spring and the time I’m up here, I need to watch what he does, do what he does and interact with him as much as possible. That’s what I’ve been doing. He’s been really nice, really helpful working with me on some things they want me to work on that he does.

Following Britton’s arrest over the weekend, the team tweeted that he was one of three players who had been cut from major league camp:

Roster Moves: #RedSox optioned LHP Drake Britton to Portland & reassigned IF/OF Justin Henry & SS Deven Marrero to minor league camp.

— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) March 4, 2013

Britton will be returning to Portland, where he finished last season and pitched the best ball of his career.

He is now at a crossroads. He’s obviously made a huge mistake that will impact him both on and off the field. How he responds to this will largely determine how his baseball career will play out.

His actions should be equally disappointing to him and the team because of the obvious implications and because it cut into his time in major league camp this spring.

It’s a shame that Britton has started his 2013 season with such a setback. It remains to be seen if he can bounce back once again from adversity and fulfill his baseball potential.

Statistics via Baseball-Reference

Follow @historianandrew

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The Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals are emerging as spring training powerhouses this March as the two clubs are a combined 13-1 coming into this weekend’s preseason action.

But while the O’s are making their run on the East Coast in the Grapefruit League, the Royals are ruling the Cactus League out West. The league has featured some exciting play thus far, with a handful of teams, including the Royals, looking like early contenders.

With players starting to find their groove and the standings beginning to take shape, here we’ll highlight the biggest upcoming spring training matchups in the Cactus League this week.

*All spring training records as of Friday, March 1, 2013.

Colorado Rockies vs. Seattle Mariners, Monday, March 4 at 3:05 p.m. ET

Two of the top three teams in the Cactus League will go head to head on Monday afternoon in Arizona when the Colorado Rockies (5-2) meet up with the Seattle Mariners (7-1). 

Seattle has won seven straight games since opening up spring training with a 9-3 loss to the San Diego Padres, while Colorado is riding a solid, three-game winning streak of its own into the weekend. Although this game doesn’t carry much significance for either in terms of regular season impact, it’s vital for the players taking part in it, many of whom are vying for a roster spot this spring.

The Rockies were one of the worst teams in the majors last year, and continuing their strong preseason run is only going to produce more confidence as Opening Day nears.

Kansas City Royals vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, Wednesday, March 6 at 3:10 p.m. ET

As mentioned before, Kansas City (7-0) is the top team in the Cactus League this year, having won seven of its first eight games to begin spring training (opened with a tie against Texas). The Royals will battle the Arizona Diamondbacks (4-3) on Wednesday afternoon in a pivotal matchup sure to swing momentum in the standings.

Plus, if Wednesday’s clash is anything like the first meeting between these two clubs last month, fans of offensive baseball will be in for a treat. The Royals put up 16 runs on the Diamondbacks last Monday at Surprise Stadium, as 14 Kansas City players recorded a hit.

The biggest question coming in: Will there be tons more runs in this one, or will pitching prevail?

Cleveland Indians vs. Chicago Cubs, Saturday, March 9 at 3:05 p.m. ET

A battle between two Midwest franchises will go down in the desert on Saturday, as the Cleveland Indians (6-3) are scheduled to go up against the Chicago Cubs (4-3) to kickoff next weekend.

The Cubs finished 27 games out of the National League Wild Card a year ago, while the Indians finished 20 games back of the Detroit Tigers for the American League Central division crown. With that said, both teams have a whole lot to prove in 2013. So look for some inspired baseball and a competitive atmosphere in Saturday’s showdown. 

Both Chicago and Cleveland’s fan bases have been waiting for a long time for something to get excited about, and so far through nearly two weeks of Cactus League play, both teams have looked much improved.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter. 

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The comeback continues, and for the second time this spring Scott Kazmir has held his opponent scoreless. 

It’s a long shot that Kazmir could make the starting rotation, but there is also nothing that says he can’t. 

Against the Chicago White Sox Friday, Kazmir went two innings, struck out three, gave up one hit and for the second time did not walk anyone. That, in my eyes, is the biggest factor. 

Kazmir has struggled in recent years with control problems. If he can harness his fastball—that appears to be creeping up in velocity—and continue to throw strikes, there’s no telling how far he can go. 

According to Paul Hoynes of the The Plain Dealer, Kazmir hit between 90-92 mph on the gun Friday. 

In addition, Cleveland Indians Manager Terry Francona, who was quoted in The News-Herald, had nothing but good things to say about Kazmir’s recent performances:

“He’s interesting,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “There’s not a lot of effort, and the ball is coming out really nice. That’s a good combination.”

In two outings so far this spring, the former first-round draft pick has tossed four innings, surrendered two hits and struck out four without walking a batter.

Devon can be can be reached at devon@thegmsperspective.com. You can follow the GM’s Perspective on Twitter and Facebook. His full bio can be seen here.

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I know what you’re thinking, but trust me, it’s not going to happen.

Spring training is a good time to evaluate players of all ages and experiences, throwing them onto a field together and seeing what they’re capable of. It’s the perfect strategy.

Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington and the rest of the front office love this time of the year—it makes their lives a little easier with all the players being in one location.

But one shouldn’t rely too much on spring training numbers. Sure, they mean something, but they don’t always tell the entire story. I shouldn’t have to explain it, but I will in short.

Players are going up against an enormous pool of players that aren’t necessarily compatible. If a Triple-A pitcher gets rocked against major league hitters, well, that’s what we’d expect. Assumptions can be made on the futures of many players, but if a prospect gets hot early, you can’t take it too seriously just yet.

Here are a couple of players in Boston’s camp vying for a spot on the team, but who really have no shot at making the 25-man Opening Day roster no matter how well they continue to play.

Rubby De La Rosa, Pitcher

In the near future, Rubby De La Rosa is going to be a star in Boston’s starting rotation. But it won’t come in April 2013, and it probably won’t come until near the end of the season, barring an injury.

De La Rosa is one of the top pitching prospects the Red Sox have in their system. He shows a lot of promise, and it’s clear that he has some nasty pitches up his sleeve. Just Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he was making some regulars look foolish.

The flame-throwing right-hander has been all Boston could have asked for this early in spring training. He’s yet to allow a run through four innings of work (two outings) while surrendering just one hit.

After De La Rosa’s perfect performance against Pittsburgh, manager John Farrell crushed the dreams of those who thought that the pitcher could break camp with Boston, according to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe:

Farrell said that De La Rosa “would be in the minor leagues someplace” to start the season and mentioned that could well be Double-A Portland. “At this point, probably not,” Farrell said when asked whether De La Rosa would make the team.

We shouldn’t be shocked by these comments by the skipper, though. De La Rosa is coming off of Tommy John surgery and still needs to be stretched more into a starting pitcher. He’s only thrown 61.1 innings between the minors and the majors in his career, and even though his recent performances may have you thinking otherwise, he isn’t ready.

Jackie Bradley, Outfielder

As much as every Red Sox fan would love to see Jackie Bradley make the team once spring training comes to a close, he won’t. I want to see him play at Fenway Park, but to start the season, Bradley will be in the minors.

There’s no doubt that Bradley has made a name for himself in camp. He’s 8-for-14 (.571) with four runs in five games. He’s hitting the ball to all fields, playing well defensively and showing why he’s one of Boston’s top prospects—arguably second behind Xander Bogaerts.

B/R MLB Prospects Lead Writer Mike Rosenbaum even deemed Bradley as the hottest prospect in spring training. Rosenbaum says that “although he’s a long shot to make the Opening Day roster, the left-handed hitter’s mature bat, secondary skills and defense have already made a strong impression on the coaching staff and front office.”

But once again, Farrell was there to shoot down any kind of hope, according to Abraham:

Any time you’re looking at a young player who’s still developing, if he’s not going to get a minimum of three days a week at the major league level, it’s probably working against him as he develops into what we would project as an everyday player, said Farrell.

And Farrell is 100 percent correct. Bradley wouldn’t be starting if he made the team, although he would have a strong case to if he continues to play this well. The Red Sox have three starting outfielders and aren’t going to rush a prospect through the system to see what he can do.

Bradley has only been in professional baseball for two seasons and has yet to play for Triple-A Pawtucket. At the start of 2012, he was still in Single-A. It would be stupid for Boston to advance him so quickly.

As of now, he looks good. But the Red Sox can’t afford to risk anything with him.

Jose Iglesias, Shortstop

Through the first couple of spring games, I’ve already talked about Jose Igelsias’ chances of making the 25-man roster a little bit. But I’ll expand a little bit more on the defensive-minded shortstop here.

Recently, I analyzed Boston’s options about what it could do if Iglesias continues to hit well, coming to the conclusion that the likeliest option is still sending him back to Triple-A to continue to develop into more of a hitter. Iglesias can hit in camp all he wants, but that won’t change much.

Boston would have an extremely difficult time moving Stephen Drew, who signed to be the everyday shortstop over the offseason. It would likely take an injury to Drew for him to be on the Opening Day roster. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but there just isn’t room for Iglesias right now.

So even though Iglesias won’t make the team, he has to stay positive. He still has a bit of time before Xander Bogaerts is ready to make the jump to the majors. Drew is only signed for one year, and Igelsias could easily take over at some point this season—if he hits in the minors, though.

Iglesias would then have to play well enough in that opportunity in order to force the Red Sox to transition Bogaerts to a new position—likely third base or a corner outfield spot due to his size. That’s the ideal situation for Iglesias at the moment.

Or—and this is a big or—he waits and hopes that Boston doesn’t extend Dustin Pedroia and Igelsias becomes the second baseman. For now, however, he’s a minor league shortstop and will start the season in that role.

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Although the Milwaukee Brewers have a relatively deep farm system with many players close to the major leagues, it’s devoid of a true impact prospect. Rather, it’s top heavy with numerous high-floor players, many of whom are on pace to reach the major leagues in either 2013 or 2014.

The organization’s prospect pool is highlighted by right-handed pitchers Wily Peralta, Tyler Thornburg and John Hellweg. But after the graduation of Jean Segura to the major leagues in late 2012, the Brewers need one of their young hitters to step up during the 2013 season. They do have a pair of power-hitting prospects in Hunter Morris and outfielder Victor Roache. But beyond those two, power is scarce within their system.

Here’s a look at the Milwaukee Brewers’ top 10 prospects heading into spring training.

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