Kuzul

The Oakland A’s have traveled to Arizona for another year of spring training camp. With returnees, new signings, freshly acquired players, prospects and a slew of non-roster invitees, it’s time to break down the A’s, position by position.

Most positions are all but locked up already but that doesn’t mean others are short on competition.

Spring training offers plenty of intrigues. Oakland has more than a few guys fighting for a roster spot. It also has a prospect or two looking to prove they’re worth the hype. There may even be a guy somewhere in camp that has the potential to pull off an upset of sorts, unseating a thought-to-be starter.

For this list, each slide will discuss a position, listing the players eligible and a short description of their likely outcome.

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Spring training games are set to kick off around the league this week, which means we will soon get our first chance to see all 30 MLB teams compete in 2014.

There’s reason for optimism for every fanbase at this point, even if it does not look like every team has a legitimate shot at winning it all in 2014.

The 2012 season featured the Baltimore Orioles and Oakland Athletics make surprise runs to the postseason, while it was the Cleveland Indians who exceeded expectations to reach the playoffs last year.

That just goes to show that you never quite know how the season will play out. That said, here is a look at all 30 MLB teams’ current odds of winning it all in 2014. Alongside the odds I’ve given for each team is a look at its current Vegas odds for the sake of comparison.

Note: Vegas odds courtesy of Vegas Insider and last updated on Feb. 17.

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On Monday morning, New York Mets first baseman Ike Davis was agitated when an injury he failed to disclose to the team last season was uncovered. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com tweeted the series of events that followed:

The aforementioned report was by Mike Puma of the New York Post, who wrote:

Ike Davis concealed an oblique injury from Mets officials for most of last season because of bad timing and the fact he was struggling and didn’t want to surrender his spot in the lineup, the beleaguered first baseman told The Post on Sunday.

Monday morning, Davis encountered Puma and was not pleased with the fact that he ran the story, as DiComo tweeted:

Davis then proceeded to refute the report to the media, as tweeted by Adam Rubin of ESPN:

Before Monday, there was a solid argument that the Mets needed to trade Davis. After this outburst, it appears as if Davis’ tenure in New York could (and should) be over.

Davis has been a distraction the past two seasons, and this outburst only added to the drama. The Mets needed Davis to hit for power in both 2012 and 2013 if they wanted any chance to win, but for the most part, he let them down.

While he hit an impressive 32 home runs in 2012, most of them came in the second half while the team was out of contention. Even with the late-season power surge, he ended the season with an unremarkable 1.1 fWAR. In comparison, Marlon Byrd had an fWAR of 4.1 in 2013 while hitting 24 home runs, exhibiting how little Davis brought to the table in 2012 outside of his power.

In 2013, Davis got off to a slow start once again, but unlike the previous year, he was never able to come out of his power slump. He was an embarrassing presence in the Mets’ lineup, finishing the season with a pathetic minus-0.1 fWAR in 103 games.

Both seasons the Mets and their fans waited through Davis’ terrible performances with the hopes that he would tap into his monstrous power, and that waiting has been a major distraction. Now, with a comparable player (albeit with a less high ceiling) in Lucas Duda also vying for the first base job, Davis’ potential power is no longer worth the distractions he brings to the team.

As Andy Martino of the New York Daily News has reported all offseason, the Mets have been trying to trade one of Davis and Duda in order to remedy their first base situation, with the team’s preference being to trade Davis.

I predicted last week that Davis would get traded during spring training. Now, with the news breaking that Davis not only viciously disrespected a member of the media but also possibly lied to the team about his health last season, the Mets may lower their asking price and are even more likely to deal their slugger prior to the season.

Many fans still cling to the idea that Davis is the Mets first baseman of the future, drooling over his power potential and sometimes slick defense. While he may still have a solid major league career ahead of him, the Mets need to cut him loose now, as a positive future in New York seems unlikely.

Davis harmed the Mets last season by hiding his injury, and has single-handedly kept the Mets from winning games the last two seasons by being a near-automatic out in the middle of the order for weeks at a time. The Mets need to realize that Davis’ light-tower power is not worth his baggage, and that with Duda in the wings, it is time to move on.

Hopefully, Davis goes on to have a great career, but after all he’s been through in New York, his best chance to succeed is elsewhere.

All statistics courtesy Fangraphs.

You can follow Sean on twitter at @SCunninghamPG.

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Now that teams have reported to spring training and taken part in full workouts, the games can begin, which means we get a chance to see what the best minor leaguers in baseball will do against proven stars. 

Sometimes prospects will parlay a strong spring into a surprise MLB job right out of camp, like Jackie Bradley did with Boston or Aaron Hicks did with Minnesota last year. It’s often dangerous to put stock in spring numbers because of sample-size issues and shifts in competition. 

However, for the top 50 prospects in baseball this year, it seems that there is already a strong consensus over where they are going to end up. Sometimes their paths will change, most likely due to injuries, but often they’re set in stone. 

Even if we know where a prospect will end up, that doesn’t make their performance against MLB-quality pitching any less fascinating to watch. It provides us with a snapshot at where they are in the development cycle. 

In an effort to minimize what you have to search for, we will provide daily updates on what each of the top 50 prospects have done in games. The rankings reflect Bleacher Report Lead Prospect writer Mike Rosenbaum’s most recent Top 100 list. 

Note: Stats courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted. 

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The 2013 St. Louis Cardinals scored 18 more runs than in 2012 despite hitting 34 fewer home runs. A season after being ranked No. 7 in homers in the National League, they plummeted to No. 13.

Five Cardinals blasted 20 or more long balls in 2012 compared to two last season. And one of them—Carlos Beltran—left via free agency.

Is there a rebound in store for the Redbirds in the power department?

Before that question can be answered, let’s examine the causes for the drop-off in production.

Allen Craig’s total dropped from 22 to 13. He didn’t go deep in April and had just 14 at-bats in September due to injury, so that certainly played a role. But it doesn‘t explain everything.

Craig’s fly-ball rate went from 33 to 28 percent, marking a third straight season in decline. That percentage jumped to 2012 levels in June when he enjoyed his largest home run output with six. However, in July and August, when fly balls travel well in the humid St. Louis summer, he managed just four big flies.

Craig also has dealt with significant leg injuries. In 2011, a broken kneecap cost him several months. Last season, an ankle injury cost him most of September and the postseason. As he approaches 30, if leg issues persist, it becomes more difficult to recover power.

For Yadier Molina, the 22 home runs in 2012 could serve as the outlier. His fly-ball rate remained consistent with previous seasons, but his home run-to-fly-ball ratio (HR/F) spiked to new levels. That percentage leveled out in 2013, hence the 10-homer drop.

David Freese‘s below-average fly-ball rate didn’t suggest a 20-homer season was on the horizon in 2012. However, a career-high 500 at-bats coupled with a 20 percent HR/F rate combined to create a career year—and one he wasn’t likely to repeat.

The good fortune ran out for Freese last season, as the HR/F rate dipped to 10 percent, and the ground-ball rate rose to 55 percent.

Beltran put 24 over the fence last season, falling well short of 2012 totals. The 20 percent HR/F rate that helped him achieve 32 homers dipped to 13 percent.

The Cardinals’ home ballpark also did its part to suppress the long ball.

Busch Stadium ranked No. 24 in the majors last season, surrendering 0.837 home runs a game. That’s down from 0.915 in 2012. But even 2013 levels represent a slight increase for a park that averaged 0.797 homers a game its first six years of existence.

Losing a perennial 20-homer slugger like Beltran doesn‘t bode well for the Cardinals reaching 2012 levels this season. But new additions, developing youngsters and a reversal of fortune for players like Craig and/or Molina give the Redbirds the potential for an increase from last season.

Matt Adams is the full-time first baseman in St. Louis. After hitting 17 homers in 296 at-bats last season, there’s no reason to believe he won’t surpass 20. And if he improves against lefties, a 30-homer campaign is realistic.

Jhonny Peralta and his nine straight seasons of 10-plus homers—and four seasons of 20 or more—replaces shortstop Pete Kozma, who has three major league long balls. Enough said.

Rookie Oscar Taveras, who hit 23 homers in Double-A in 2012, projects as a 25- to 30-homer player in the majors. While an unrealistic goal for this season, he could reach double digits with enough playing time. Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch addresses how the rookie could impact the Redbirds in multiple ways.

While some stats explain Craig’s drop in power, another hints at a rebound. His 11 percent HR/F rate last season was significantly lower than the previous two seasons, suggesting he’ll be closer to his 2012 numbers.

Matt Holliday hasn’t had a 30-homer season since 2007 with the Rockies. But he did come close to that mark with the Cardinals in 2010 and 2012. A player with eight straight 20-plus home run seasons only needs a smidgen of good fortune to crack 30 again.

Overall, statistical trends indicate the 2014 Redbirds will be closer to last year’s home run production. However, the development of sluggers like Adams and Taveras reflect the potential for a significant power boost in the future.

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On Saturday, the San Francisco Giants agreed to a deal with outfielder Tyler Colvin, according to Alex Pavlovic of the San Jose Mercury News. The deal is pending a physical, and the contract is a minor-league deal, according to the San Francisco Chronicle‘s Henry Schulman.

Colvin has reportedly earned a spot in big league camp as a non-roster invitee with a chance to compete for the fifth outfield spot, though he has his work cut out for him after suffering through a rough 2013 season marred by injuries and poor performance.

Indeed, Colvin is coming off a season in which he batted just .160 in 75 at bats with the Colorado Rockies, but don’t let that fool you. In 2012, he batted .290 with a solid .858 OPS in 452 plate appearances, his best season to date.

Colvin has also shown a propensity for power hitting in the past. He blasted 20 homers in just 358 at bats in 2010, his rookie season, and averages a home run every 22.9 at bats for his career. He also has solid gap-hitting ability, as indicated by his 10 triples in 2012 and above-average .454 career slugging percentage.

In my estimation, Colvin will see playing time primarily, if not entirely, against right-handed pitching. The lefty has a career .781 OPS against righties, which is certainly nothing to scoff at, but that number drops to .640 against lefties. He could prove valuable in pinch-hitting opportunities against right-handed relievers.

However, that’s assuming Colvin makes the big league club. He’ll have to put on quite a show during spring training, otherwise the most likely outlook for him is to begin the season in Triple-A. At the very least, he’ll provide an upgrade over the options the Giants had last season when their starting outfielders faltered. (Roger Kieschnick, anyone?)

Despite decent prior success, Colvin won’t work any miracles for the Giants. He’ll add some much-needed outfield depth, but not much else. He lacks discipline at the plate (career .289 OBP, 4.4 K/BB ratio) and he doesn’t play the field particularly well (career -3.3 UZR, per FanGraphs). There’s also little chance he’ll return to his 2012 level of performance because he had a batting average on balls in play (BABIP) of .364 that year, according to FanGraphs, which is 72 points higher than his career average.

That number came back down to earth last season, when Colvin struggled mightily. Unless he gets lucky again in 2014, or makes a change to his approach at the plate, he won’t approach a .290 average.

Perhaps Colvin will prove otherwise, but it appears the Giants have picked up another backup outfielder who will provide little more than some extra competition for the No. 5 outfield spot.

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Every year, baseball fans’ excitement about top prospects in major league spring training seems to grow. Unfortunately, it also makes it easy to overlook some of the game’s less glamorous, under-the-radar prospects.

Besides providing an opportunity for players to fine-tune their skills in anticipation of the season, participating in major league camp also offers prospects the chance to make a strong impression in front of the entire organization.

Therefore, I’ve identified a select group of prospects—some are on a 40-man roster, some are non-roster invitees—whom I believe will blow past expectations in spring training and ultimately turn in a breakout performance during the minor and major league regular seasons.

Here’s a look at my spring training breakout prospects to watch in 2014.

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Now that the 2014 spring training is fully underway, The New York Yankees can officially begin their quest to return to the top of the American League East standings and the playoffs.

This camp is certainly going to have a different feel than many of the previous visits to George M. Steinbrenner Field.

This is the first camp since 1995 that Mariano Rivera won’t be an active part of.

This is also the last camp that captain Derek Jeter will ever be a part of.

Camp also begins with an unfamiliar feeling of not making the playoffs the previous season.

Despite all that, and a lot of new faces around the ballpark, the key decisions have already been made heading into the season.

What remains is a to-do list that features filling a couple of positions and just getting ready physically and mentally for the 162-game marathon that is right around the corner.

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When the New York Yankees traded for Michael Pineda in January of 2012, visions of a future top-of-the-rotation arm floated throughout the Bronx. In 2014, providing 20-plus starts and league-average production would be an accomplishment for the 25-year-old.

Since arriving in New York, Pineda hasn’t thrown a pitch in the big leagues. The flame-throwing righty has been teetering between the disabled list and minor league rehab assignments since injuring his shoulder two years ago. 

In a perfect world, Pineda would re-emerge as the dominant, rotation-changing force he profiled as during his rookie year in Seattle. Of course, this isn’t a perfect world. 

As the Yankees prepare for a season of high expectations, Pineda‘s current and future role cast a shadow over the franchise.

In the long term, health and production from Pineda could change the payroll outlook and allocation of resources for general manager Brian Cashman. In the short term, a facsimile of Pineda‘s debut season could change the fortune of the 2014 Yankees. 

If you forgot just how good Pineda was in 2011, don’t be ashamed. It’s been a while since the then 22-year-old burst on the scene in Seattle, blew fastballs and biting sliders by unsuspecting hitters and formed a young, dynamic duo with Felix Hernandez. 

On the surface, the numbers—171 IP, 3.74 ERA, 3.15 SO/BB—were very solid. Despite a drop in production (5.12 ERA) after an AL All-Star Game invitation, Seattle’s young stud managed a fifth-place finish in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. 

Accolades aside, it was Pineda‘s future that became so tantalizing. At the age of 22, when many prized pitching prospects are still in Double-A or working through innings limitations in the big leagues, Pineda threw 171 innings for Seattle. When factoring in his enormous strikeout rate (9.1 SO/9), a rare picture emerged.

Over the course of baseball history, just eight starters have thrown 170-plus innings and struck out at least one batter per inning during their respective age-22 seasons. By joining that group, Pineda laid the groundwork for future dominance.

No, not every name on that list ended up in Cooperstown. Yet, when adding up the career accolades of the seven pitchers Pineda joined, a bright future wasn’t hard to predict for Seattle’s young ace. The seven pitchers that came before Pineda combined for 546 career victories, 14 all-star appearances and six finishes in the top-five of Cy Young voting.

Clearly, the potential for greatness was in Pineda‘s right arm. Now, nearly three full years from his debut, it’s hard to predict or project anything close to that during the 2014 season.

Yet, injuries and time away from the game haven’t stopped first-hand sources from raving about Pineda‘s talent and potential. 

Last summer, during a whirlwind rehab tour, Alex Rodriguez crossed paths with Pineda on a minor league stop. Despite all the vitriol directed at Rodriguez’s lack of honesty with the media, few would ever question his baseball acumen.

When asked about Pineda‘s ability, the three-time AL MVP gushed about what he could still become for the Yankees, per Ian Begley of ESPN New York.

“Michael’s a very special kid,” Rodriguez said. “In the weight room, he’s like a monster, as strong as you get … and I think that will translate, especially when he gets back from his surgery. It’s going to take time for him, especially a power pitcher, but I see him next year pitching 94-98, getting back to that velocity.”

If that velocity—94.7 mph average fastball during 2011, per Fangraphs—returns, perhaps the Yankees can check off one of Joel Sherman’s ‘dream season’ checklist points. During a column discussing what the Yankees need to go in their favor in 2014, the New York Post columnist suggested 25 starts and high-end No. 3 starter production from Pineda. 

Thus far, the returns have been positive from Tampa, Fla. According to Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York, Pineda looked ‘good’ in a recent bullpen session. 

In spring, optimism is limitless. Pineda can easily impress Rodriguez in Triple-A, conjure up fun predictions from columnists and catch the eye of a beat reporter at Legends Field. But when the season begins, none of that will matter. 

At this point, it’s a fool’s errand to expect big things from Pineda in 2014. After two full seasons away from the majors—which included just 10 outings in the minors—the burgeoning ace of 2011 has thrown just 40.2 innings of professional baseball since.

Even if Pineda looks sharp and strong during Grapefruit League action, expect the Yankees to ease him back into the rotation. In early April, if off days allow for the No. 5 starter to be skipped, Pineda could be given extended rest. At the All-Star break, the Yankees could rework the rotation to spell Pineda a few starts. 

In theory, Pineda‘s arm could have handled a jump to a 200-inning workload in 2012. Injury and lost seasons have thrown that trajectory and development into a tizzy. If the Yankees can coax something close to Ivan Nova’s 2013 workload (20 GS, 139.1 IP) out of Pineda in 2014, it would be a victory. 

When you combine Pineda‘s talent, 2011 debut, rare class of age-22 stars he joined, Rodriguez’s seal of approval and positive reviews from the New York media, a bounce-back candidate can be envisioned.

With this case, it’s better to err on the side of caution.

If the Yankees can turn a former phenom into a No. 4 or No. 5 stater in 2014, it’s a boon to both their current and future rotation hopes.

Agree? Disagree? 

Comment, follow me on Twitter or “like” my Facebook page to talk about all things baseball. 

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted.   

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Pitchers and catchers reported to spring training on Valentine’s Day, and the rest of the squad joined their teammates on the diamond February 18.  

New Giants, like pitcher Tim Hudson and left fielder Michael Morse, are looking to prove themselves to their new teammates, but their spots on the roster are secure.  

Returning players such as pitcher Tim Lincecum and third baseman Pablo Sandoval will use their spring to re-establish their former MLB dominance.  

Young stars Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner will reacquaint themselves with veteran mainstays Angel Pagan and Marco Scutaro.

For a few players, spring training is do-or-die.  For them, it’s either break out from the pack or miss a chance to play on an MLB roster.  

Here are five players who could become those breakout candidates. 

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