Due to overwhelming response, here is an extended list, 11-20 top MILB players to follow.

A few things. A lot of these guys were considered for the top ten. The selection process is difficult because, whether you know it or not, there are numerous minor league players using Twitter. That led to adding an Honorable Ten list.

Reminder about how this was decided: frequency, interaction, humor, overall just compelling feed. Interacting with their fans/followers was big in deciding. Tweet frequency counted a lot as well. Humor matters. Every single guy that made these lists had a way with a joke or making fun of themselves. When their personalities shine through, the flow of the content is fun and interesting to read. For guys trying to make it to the big leagues, they experience a lot of transition and adversity. Every player named in the Twitter Ten and Next Ten shares a fascinating look into the unique life of baseball.

Starting with #11, a player whose use of Twitter gives him an important connection to fans. After being so protected by his team, that connection has been meaningful.

11. Bryce Harper @BHarper3407 – Washington Nationals
12. Cody Decker @Decker6 – San Diego Padres
13. Tyson Gillies @TysonGillies21 – Philadephia Phillies
14. Thomas Neal @TdaddyNeal – Cleveland Indians
15. Will Middlebrooks @16WMBrooks- Boston Red Sox
16. Mike Trout @Trouty20 – Anaheim Angels
17. LV Ware @LV_Ware – Atlanta Braves
18. Deck McGuire @deckmcguire – Toronto Blue Jays
19. Ryan Tatusko @RyanTatusko – Nationals
20. Michael Crouse @_crouse_ – Blue Jays

Honorable Ten Mentions:

1.Bryan Harper @BHarp45 – Nationals
2. Chris Swauger @cswag8 – St. Louis Cardinals
3. Matt den Dekker @UpperDekker – New York Mets
4. Bryan Longpre @BryanLongpre- Blue Jays
5. Jack Murphy @JackMurphy219 – Blue Jays
6. Justin Fitgerald @jfitgerald31 – Giants
7. Trent Mummey @trentmummey7 – Baltimore Orioles
8. C.J. Cron @CCron24 – Angels
9. Jordan Comadena @Funky2414 – Houston Astros
10. Kellin Deglan @keldegs – Texas Rangers

Our featured bloggers that provided us with the in depth Report Card series that has just concluded are back to give everyone an in depth look at what the off season holds for the major league teams they cover.  A look at what each team needs, what each team has already gained and lost, and some of the youth in each team’s system will be examined in these articles.  You can find all of the author’s information at the bottom of the article.

The Houston Astros have a new owner, they’re moving to a new division and league in 2013, and they’re in full rebuilding mode. There couldn’t be a team facing more upheaval than the Astros. If new owner Jim Crane wants to make an impression, it’s possible that the Astros sign a player or two during the winter, but this could prove to be a rather uneventful off-season for the Houston faithful.

Players on the way out via free agency are Clint Barmes and Jason Michaels, and it’s highly unlikely that they return to Houston as they’re more parts to compliment a team building a competitor than they are placeholders for prospects for a team looking towards 2013 and beyond. *Barmes has recently agreed to a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates

The Astros need improvement up and down the roster. They can feel confident in Jose Altuve at second base and Matt Downs demonstrated valuable utility as he capably played five positions in 2011 and contributed well with the bat, posting an .864 OPS, which was the highest of any player on the Astros, and by a fair margin. Jimmy Paredes nees to improve his strikeout and walk rate, but his speed makes him intriguing and he’s just 23, so there’s plenty of time for adjustment.

The Houston pitching is a source of some strength with Bud Norris, J.A. Happ, Wandy Rodriguez, and Brett Myers with youngsters Jordan Lyles and Anuery Rodriguez ready to step in should Rodriguez and/or Myers get dealt. Marc Melancon gives them a cheap, reliable option at closer.

The good news pretty much ends there. They have Carlos Lee, a DH prototype in the wrong league, who is still good for a decent average and double digit home runs, but with an albatross contract, poor defense, and turning 36 in June, the team will no doubt go to great lengths to move him as he has zero future in Houston. Lee is also jamming up first base where they need time to evaluate Brett Wallace, who needs to demonstrate he can produce consistently with the bat after a miserable second half slide. The team has some depth at 1B with prospect Jonathan Singleton possibly ready to contribute as early as 2013, so getting a pulse on Wallace will give the team some direction on their future.

Houston is also desperate to find a solution behind the dish where the perennial prospect Jason Castro has yet to grab hold of the staring role after experiencing both ineffectiveness and injury, giving the team high-grade J.R. Towles hangover. Chris Wallace could be knocking on the backstop door, but it’s not likely to be for another year at best, and his bat took a step back in 2011.

The Astros will spend a great deal of their winter and very likely the first half of their season in an attempt to shed bad contracts and/or older players that don’t figure into their future. This includes Carlos Lee, Brett Myers, Brandon Lyon, and Wandy Rodriguez. Rodriguez makes the list not because he’s particularly old, but he does have another $24 million dollars owed to him over the next two seasons, and he’s likely to bring the biggest return in terms of talent.

One player to watch for in 2012 is Brett Oberholtzer, who was part of the Michael Bourn trade to the Atlanta Braves. Originally drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2007, the Atlanta Braves took him in the 8th round of 2008 after Seattle failed to sign him. Oberholtzer was rated the 9th best prospect in the Braves system by Baseball America headed into the 2011 season and his minor league statistics should be encouraging to the Astros. Between the two respective teams farm systems, Oberholtzer posted a 4.01 ERA, 1.284 WHIP, and a 7.0 strikeout per nine innings pitched. He’s just 22 years old, but should Brett Myers and/or Wandy Rodriguez be dealt, it’s not out of the question that we’ll see him in the rotation in 2012.

Michael Barr
Contributor at Fangraphs.com
Editor/Contributor at RotoHardball.com
Co-Founder of MarinerLog.com
@michaelcbarr

These report cards were written by twenty nine talented individuals across the internet that keep a close eye on the team they cover.  It was the first of our “Featured Blogger” series.  The second part, an Off-Season Outlook, will be brought to you the remainder of this week.  The same writers will return in the Spring to provide a 2012 Season Preview about the teams.

This year’s Featured Bloggers are listed below along with their website and the link to their Report Card:

American League East
Baltimore Orioles - Austin Gisriel, Seamheads
Boston Red Sox – Michael Lynch, Seamheads
New York Yankees – William Tasker, The Flagrant Fan
Tampa Bay Rays – Yossi Feins, The Rays Rant
Toronto Blue Jays – Peter DeMarco, Some Thoughts On Baseball

American League Central
Chicago White Sox – Terry Keshner, Planet Back
Cleveland Indians – David Henderson, Tribe Cards
Detroit Tigers – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Kansas City Royals – Todd Fertig, I-70 Baseball
Minnesota Twins – Von Hendry, Seamheads

American League West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Bryan Grosnick, Roto Hardball
Oakland As – Jason Leary, Junk Ball
Seattle Mariners – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Texas Rangers – Dan Edmonson, Chicken Fried Baseball

National League East
Atlanta Braves – Andrew Martin, Baseball Historian
Florida Marlins – Eddie Gilley, Eddie Gilley Blogspot
New York Mets – AC Wayne, Mets Public Record
Philadelphia Phillies – Matthew Buesing, Fire And Ice Sports
Washington Nationals – Aaron Somers , District On Deck

National League Central
Chicago Cubs – Robert Harris, Blue Batting Helmet
Cincinnati Reds – Gary Schatz, Full Of Schatz
Houston Astros – Michael Barr, Fan Graphs
Milwaukee Brewers – Paul Heinz, Paul Heinz.com
Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryan Sendek, Analysis Around The Horn
St. Louis Cardinals – Daniel Shoptaw , C70 At The Bat

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks – Patrick Lagreid, Baseball On My Brain
Colorado Rockies – Michelle Hoag, Rockies Woman
Los Angeles Dodgers – Paul F Sullivan, Sully Baseball
San Diego Padres – Michael Metzger, Padres Trail
San Francisco Giants – Julian Levine, Giants Nirvana

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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BaseballDigest.com aims to keep up that tradition.  This season, we bring you a Report Card on each team in Major League Baseball from writers that cover that team directly.  At the bottom of each write up, you will find the writer’s name, website, and any other pertinent information.  

The Astros knew everything needed to go perfectly for their squad to even begin to sniff a .500 record, and when Brandon Lyon blew a two run lead in the 9th inning in their first game, it was unfortunately a harbinger of things to come. By the end of June, they were 24 games under .500, 16 games back of first place, and they would trade Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn a short time later. They are in full rebuilding mode and while they do have some pieces in place to give the Houston faithful some optimism, the team is likely not going to be competitive in 2012.

Rotation (D)
The Astros entered 2011 likely assuming the rotation was a source of strength with Brett Myers coming off an impressive 14-win rebound season, Wandy Rodriguez with his second straight strong campaign and two young starters ready to take a step forward in Bud Norris and J.A. Happ.

What happened was Astros starters combined for only 35 wins on the season, good for worst in baseball by a wide margin. Brett Myers saw his home runs allowed skyrocket and his strikeouts drop and while Rodriguez was still effective, he saw his strikeout rate drop for the fourth season in a row and his walk rate was higher than it has been since 2006. Bud Norris cut down on his walks and easily had his best major league performance, but with a below average defense behind him and pitching in a bandbox, he managed just six wins. Happ got  torched by right handed batters and struggled with his command all season long.

Bullpen (D)
The bullpen started out with Brandon Lyon as closer after a 2010 that was on the surface quite successful but also had some big red flags relative to his home run rates and his batting average on balls in play, both which were at career lows in 2010.  Lyon struggled immediately, and while he didn’t pitch as badly as a 11.48 ERA would indicate, he was completely ineffective and was soon lost for the season to shoulder surgery. The Astros bullpen as a whole were almost two wins below replacement level, which qualifies for worst in the league.

It wasn’t until Mark Melancon nailed down the closers role that any modicum of stability arrived in the Astros bullpen. Melancon and Wilton Lopez did the bulk of the heavy lifting with Aneury Rodriguez and Fernando Rodriguez chipping in as well. These four represent the core of the bullpen.

BD Report Cards brought to you by Seamheads

Catchers (F)
Astros catchers combined to hit .209/.255/.290 (BA/OBP/SLG), good for the worst on-base-plus-slugging-percentage (OPS) in all of baseball. The Astros have Jason Castro, Humberto Quintero, Craig Tatum, and Carlos Corporan on their 40 man roster — and they’re desperate for Castro to be healthy and productive in 2012.

Infield ( C- )
The Astros had no single player they could count on among all four infield positions. The major contributors included Carlos Lee, Brett Wallace, Matt Downs, Bill Hall, Angel Sanchez, Jose Altuve, Joe Keppinger, Clint Barmes, Jimmy Paredes, and Chris Johnson. Only two players had an OPS over .750 as a starter, and that was Matt Downs and Carlos Lee. The future belongs to Wallace and Altuve, and to a lesser degree, Downs – but none of them are plus defenders and the Astros really need a lot of their lower minors prospects to develop quickly in order to contribute anytime soon.

Outfield ( C- )
They entered the season with Michael Bourn, Hunter Pence, and Carlos Lee as their starting outfielders, making it not only half bad on defense, but a source of offensive strength as well. By mid-season, Bourn and Pence were replaced by a combination of Brian Bogusevic, Jason Bourgeois,  J.D. Martinez, and Jordan Schafer. Of that group, Bogusevic was the standout, although Bourgeois performed pretty well both offensively and defensively. Schafer struggled both before and after his trade from the Braves and Martinez is still a work in progress, but showed flashes of his upside.

Top Offensive Player
Their top offensive player was sent to the Philadelphia Phillies mid-season, so their top offensive threat entering 2012 remains Carlos Lee, who they no doubt will attempt to get rid of all season long due to his fairly exorbitant paychecks. The offensive future of the club is likely with Jose Altuve and Brett Wallace as far as major league ready talent.

Top Pitcher
Wandy Rodriguez is their best starter headed into 2012, but honorable mention goes to Bud Norris who had a pretty encouraging 2011 despite a late season slide. Should Norris be able to control the longball a little better and continue to make progress with his walk rate (4.51 BB/9 in 2010 to 3.39 in 2011), he could supplant Rodriguez (but don’t count on it).

Michael Barr
Contributor at Fangraphs.com
Editor/Contributor at RotoHardball.com
Co-Founder of MarinerLog.com
@michaelcbarr

Epstein fired manager Mike Quade on Wednesday after just a little over one season in Chicago. The Sun-Times has the story.

Dodgers fans are ecstatic that the McCourts are selling. The LA Times has the full story.

The Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander was the most dominant pitcher in the game en route to 24 wins. Jose Bautista didn’t match his 54 home runs of a year ago, but had another 40+ home run season. Lance Berkman looked like his career was done in 2010, but he hit 30 home runs this season and is an NL MVP candidate. Jacoby Ellsbury was the king of the AL DL a year ago, but this season was a candidate for both the comeback player of the year and AL MVP awards.

Curtis Granderson had a bust out season, topping 40 home runs for the first time in his career. Teammate Derek Jeter picked up his 3,000th hit, while another, Mariano Rivera, broke the all-time record for career saves. Across town, Jose Reyes won his first batting title in what might be his last year as a Met.  Albert Pujols had an “off” year and still hit 35 dingers and Matt Kemp met and exceeded all expectations.  With all of that in mind, the finalists for the individual awards in each league should look something like this…

AL MVP – Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano (NY), Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Jose Bautista (TOR), Justin Verlander (DET)

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander (Det)

AL Rookie of the Year – Jeremy Hellickson (TB), Ivan Nova (NY), Eric Hosmer (KC), Mark Trumbo (LA), J.P. Arencibia (TOR)

AL Manager of the Year – Manny Acta (CLE), Jim Leyland (DET), Ron Washington (TEX), Joe Girardi (NY)

AL Comeback Player of the Year – Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Melky Cabrera (KC)

NL MVP – Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder (MIL), Matt Kemp (LA), Lance Berkman (STL), Justin Upton (AZ)

NL Cy Young – Ian Kennedy (AZ), Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee (PHI), Clayton Kershaw (LA)

NL Manager of the Year – Kirk Gibson (AZ), Ron Roenicke (MIL), Clint Hurdle (PIT), Charlie Manuel (PHI)

NL Rookie of the Year – Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel (ATL), Danny Espinosa (WAS), Javy Guerra (LA)

NL Comeback Player of the Year – Carlos Beltran (NY,SF), Lance Berkman (STL)

But baseball isn’t about the individual, it’s about the teams.

Early on the Indians, Royals, and Pirates played beyond expectation. In fact the Indians held first place in the AL Central for 85 days. The three teams would eventually fade, but the Arizona Diamondbacks did just the opposite. They were six games under .500 in mid-May, but played at a torrid pace the rest of the season to win the division title. Meanwhile Boston and Atlanta entered the final month of the season as virtual locks to make the post-season only to be eliminated on the final night of the season.

The LA Dodgers and the Mets had ownership and money issues, the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds were huge disappointments, and the Baltimore Orioles, despite much promise, finished last in the AL East for the fourth straight year. In the end the Yankees, Tigers, Rangers, Phillies, Brewers, and Diamondbacks captured their divisions while the Rays and Cardinals entered the playoffs as wild card entries.

What’s that? How did the Baseball Digest team do at predicting the post-season teams? Let’s take a look.

Well it appears, ahem, one person knew what they were talking about with the AL East. Yes, that would be me. Michael Maher, likewise, was the only one of our bunch who had the insight to pick the Tigers in the AL Central. He was also the only one to pick the Rays to win the AL wild card. Four out of seven dentist, er writers, chose the Rangers correctly in the AL West, while none of us had the Diamondbacks sniffing a title in the NL West.

Bill Ivie stuck his neck out picking the Braves to win the NL East, while everyone else selected the Phillies. Needless to say, his neck hurts. Bill’s beloved Cardinals didn’t win the NL Central as he had selected, but he was brought joy on the night of Game 162 when they made the post-season. Meanwhile Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb, Kirk Verner, and Matt Wilson all correctly chose the Brewers for the Central crown, but just like the NL West, no one got the NL wild card correct either. So the finally tally of correct predictions..drum roll please…four writers with 3 right each. Meanwhile Josh Landsburg, Mark Healey, and Bill Ivie…um, better luck next year. (In fairness, Bill did get 2 playoff teams correct, just in the wrong spots)

Michael Maher 3
Drew Sarver 3
Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb 3
Matt Wilson 3
Shai Kushner 2
Kirk Verner 2
Josh Landsburg 1
Mark Healey 1
Bill Ivie 0

Please check back after the league championship series for updated standings, and be sure to bookmark Baseball Digest to view all of our post-season coverage.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

It was a night filled with agony and anticipation mixed with a pulsating sense of dread, fear, and hope. Finally, exhalation, for the Rays and Cardinals. The Red Sox and Braves fell to earth and saw all hope shattered. Rookie Freddie Freeman’s face as he grounded into a double play to end the Braves chances, put the harsh period on what looked like a sure thing. The heartache etched into his young face as he watched the opponent celebrate.

In the mix of all the action young rookies and hopeful prospects such as Freeman were trying to make an impact, rising to the occasion  to show the team what they are capable of. For them it’s one part sports contest, one part audition.

For Yankees pitcher Dellin Betances it was a chance not to help the team clinch a playoffs spot, that was done, but it was to showcase a little bit more of his talent. He allowed one hit and two walks, striking out two Orioles batters. It looked good early for the Yankees and the game appeared to be in cruise-control. But Betances name will now be attached to one of the greatest comebacks in baseball history. The Rays rallied from a seven-run deficit to defeat the Yankees 8-7. Betances did what he needed to do, pitching two innings, allowing a hit and two walks. He also struck out two. Looking ahead to 2012, he can rest assured that he’s passed a very big test. The Rays were simply entering into some sort of unimaginable destiny.

On September 4th Tampa was nine games back in the Wild Card on September 3rd, trailing the confident Red Sox. On September 28th they were down seven runs going into the eighth inning and preceded to win the game 8-7 in the 12th inning. Evan Longoria was the star of the upset, but the bullpen had a one-run lead to protect. Rookie relievers Jake McGee and Brandon Gomes played a big part in the Rays holding on.  Gomes pitched a scoreless 11th and McGee did the same in the 12th when the ball was handed over to closer Kyle Farnsworth. McGee had pitched 33 innings for Triple-A Durham before his call-up in May, finishing with a 2.70 ERA and 38 strikeouts. His Durham teammate Gomes had put in 25 innings for the Bulls with a 1.07 ERA. The Rays called on him in May after sending McGee back to the minors.

The Yankees pen also brought out a few young arms including George Kontos, possibly the Yankees most major league ready reliever, and Andrew Brackman pitched in the loss. Kontos pitched 2/3 an inning allowing no runs and no hits. Brackman also pitched in short-relief , also scoreless in his 1/3 of an inning of work.  The Phillies were also not in a do-or-die situation, nothing more than winning a ballgame and setting a franchise record with 102 wins, they too put some of their young pitchers in the spotlight. Justin De Fratus picked up his first major league win when he pitched a scoreless 12th. Michael Schwimmer pitched two innings of one-hit baseball.  De Fratus made his major league debut on the day the Phillies clinched the National League East, add the 28th, a second non-pressure situation to his major league resume. Not a bad way to begin. Career milestones and Phillies milestones seem to go hand in hand for him.

The Phillies National League rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, called Allen Craig up in June from Triple-A Memphis with 42 at-bats under his belt between there and Double-A Springfield.  Playing the role of spoiler, the Houston Astros could do nothing with Chris Carpenter whose glittering start included eleven strikeouts. Craig went 2-5 with a home run in the Cardinals 8-0 victory. It was a comeback no one believed would happen. The Braves were in control with an 8 1/2 game lead for the wild card.

As the Cardinals fought their way back, Braves closer Craig Kimbrel was closing in on a most unfair destiny. Will people remember that the 23-year old rookie set a major league record with 54 saves in 79 appearances? Hopefully, but add him to the Braves disastrous ending. September was his undoing. He blew three saves in eight opportunities. Let it also be remembered that the Braves were not hitting and the Braves pen was worn out. It was a nothing game to the Phillies. Not a game they needed anyway. The Braves season ended in a 4-3 loss to their long-ago longtime rival.

Ryan Lavarnway was behind the plate for the Red Sox when Robert Andino hit the game-winning single that gave the Orioles, a team with nothing but pride to play for, the 4-3 victory. Lavarnway’s was another face in a crop of prospects that experienced that historic day in baseball. All Lavarnway can do is look forward to his bright future. One that all who watched that brilliant night of baseball got a good look at.

After a deal for Rich Harden fell through at the last moment, the Boston Red Sox took a risk on another brittle pitcher, the Seattle Mariners Erik Bedard. To land the talented, but often disabled lefty, the Red Sox and Mariners got the Los Angeles Dodgers involved for a three team deal.

In addition to Bedard, Seattle also sent right-hander Josh Fields (the pitcher, not the former White  Sox third baseman) to Boston. The Red Sox dealt catcher Tim Federowicz, and pitchers Juan Rodriguez and Stephen Fifer to the Dodgers for outfielders Trayvon Robinson and Chih-Hsien Chiang, who Boston then spun to the Mariners. Despite some time on the DL, Bedard appeared to return to his old form this season and is a low risk move for Boston. He’ll eventually take the place of Andrew Miller in the rotation, with Clay Buchholz likely out for the season with a back injury, but for now Boston will employ a six man rotation.

San Diego Padres set up man Mike Adams and  closer Heath Bell both heard their names thrown around in numerous rumors all week. As things came down to the wire on Sunday it was first announced that Bell had been dealt to the Texas Rangers, but it turned out it was Adams that was being sent to Texas. He’ll team with another pickup, Koji Uehara, to strengthen the Rangers’ pen. In return the Padres received pitchers Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and their fans are having the time of their lives right now. Normally the Pirates are sending veterans to other teams in July, but after acquiring Derrek Lee from Baltimore on Saturday, the Bucs picked up outfielder Ryan Ludwick from the Padres on Sunday. The Pads will get a player to be named later or cash.

The Dodgers and Cardinals finalized their deal for Rafael Furcal. The shortstop and cash went to Missouri for outfielder Alex Castellanos.

Arizona added to their bullpen by sending slugger Brandon Allen and pitcher Jordan Norberto to Oakland for reliever Brad Ziegler.

Deals can still be made as the calendar turns to August, but players must pass through waivers in order to be moved.

Houston receives pitcher Jordon Schafer and minor league pitchers Brett Oberholtzer, Paul Clemens and Juan Abreu.

Click here to learn more about the trade from mlb.com’s Mark Bowman.

Done Deals

Boston – Kansas City: The Red Sox have added to their depth by picking up Mike Aviles from the Royals for infielder Yamaico Navarro and pitcher Kendal Vez. In Aviles, the Red Sox get a player who can play 2B, SS, and 3B, all positions that have seen players banged up this season. He also swings a decent stick. Aviles fell victim to the youth movement in KC and was sent to the minors at one point this season. He could face a demotion again when Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie returns from the DL.

Texas – Baltimore: The Rangers spoke with a number of teams about relievers and were hoping to land the Padres’ Heath Bell.  But the asking price was too high for the pitchers that Texas most coveted. So instead, the Rangers went a cheaper route by sending corner infielder Chris Davis and pitcher Tommy Hunter to the Orioles for Koji Uehara.

It’s a low risk move for both teams. Uehera is good, but not outstanding. He’s a strikeout pitcher despite not having overpowering stuff, but also can’t be used on back-to-back days due to his tendency to get banged up. Davis has been a productive hitter in the minor leagues, but hasn’t been able to put it together in “The Show”. He strikes out way too much and can’t hit left-handed pitching. Unless the Orioles deal Derrek Lee, Davis will probably only see occassional playing time at DH and 1B.

Hunter is a #4 starter at best. He pitches to contact and isn’t going to blow anyone away.  The Rangers’ number one pick in 2007, Hunter got off to an 8-o, 2.31 start last season, but went 5-4, 5.07 in his final 14 starts plus one relief appearance. Hunter is also an injury risk and missed a good chunk of this season with a groin injury.

Detroit – Seattle: The Tigers wanted to shore up their starting rotation for the stretch run and feel they did so by picking up Doug Fister from the Mariners. Fister can’t be judged by the 3-12 record he amassed with a bad Mariners club. In 21 starts, Fister allowed less than a hit an inning and walked just two hitters per nine innings while he struck out 5.5 batters. He also allowed just four home runs and had a 2.8 WAR with the Mariners.

Reliever David Pauley accompanied Fister to give the Tigers some depth in their bullpen. In return, Seattle received pitcher Charlie Furbush, outfielder Casper Wells, third baseman Francisco Martinez and a player to be named later.

Furbush is a 25-yr old left-handed strikeout pitcher that was used as both a starter and reliever by the Tigers. No word yet if he’ll replace Fister in the rotation or Pauley in the pen. Wells is a fourth outfielder that can play all three outfield spots, but doesn’t hit much.  Martinez is a highly touted third baseman, but only the second best hot corner man in the Tigers organization. The 20-yr old Venezuelan is still developing his power, but had pretty good splits (.282/.319/.405) for Single-A Erie.

Arizona – Washington: The Diamondbacks added to their rotation by sending infielder Zach Walter, a former 9th round draft pick, to the Nationals for veteran starter Jason Marquis. The soon-to-be 33-yr old joins his sixth organization after 1+ seasons in the Nation’s capital. Marquis was 8-5, 3.95 in 20 starts this season and averaged six innings each time out. With a WHIP over 1.4 and 0.8 WAR, Marquis is a shaky back-end-of-the-rotation starter. He missed most of last season with elbow surgery.

Rumors

Ubaldo Jimenez: The Rockies have reportedly lowered their demands since they have yet to make a deal.  The Red Sox, Reds, and Indians are said to be negotiating the most, while the Yankees are still in play.

Hiroku Kuroda: The Dodgers right-hander really doesn’t want to leave LA, but has reportedly told the cash-strapped team that he’d be willing to accept a trade to the Rangers, Red Sox, or Yankees.

Josh Willingham and Ryan Ludwick: The A’s and Padres outfielders are still being talked about and are expected to be moved at some point this weekend. Right now it appears A’s GM Billy Beane is asking too much for Willingham.

Heath Bell: Unless the Padres lower their demands, the team’s closer won’t be going anywhere.

Denard Span: The Nationals have been working for days to try to land the Twins’ outfielder. A rumor spread earlier this afternoon that the Twins were trying to get the Yankees involved in a possible three-team deal.

Rafael Furcal: The shell-of-himself shortstop is close to being sent from the Dodgers to the Cardinals.

Update 7:20 PM

Hiroki Kuroda has refused to waive his no-trade clause and will remain an LA Dodger. The ramifications of Kuroda off the market is that the Rockies can now boost their asking price back up for Ubaldo Jimenez.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

The Phillies looked at a number of outfielders, including Carlos Quentin and Ryan Ludwick, but the athletic Pence was the player they really wanted. The 28-yr old has been consistent at the plate in his four-plus seasons in the Majors. He’s hit 25 home runs in each of the last three seasons, and has 11 so far this season. Pence is hitting .309 this season after hitting .282 each of the last two campaigns. Pence is a two time  All-Star after finishing third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2007.

Singleton was selected by Philadelphia in the 8th round of the 2009 amateur draft. Based on his ‘A’ ball season of .290-14-77, Baseball America ranked Singleton as the #39 prospect in baseball. Playing for Clearwater (FSL) this season, the 19-yr old Singleton’s numbers are a bit below his pace from 2010. Originally a first baseman, Singleton began to see time in the outfield since the Phillies have Ryan Howard signed long term.

Cosart was chosen in the 38th round of the 2008 draft out of Clear Creek HS in Texas. The 6’3″ right-hander had a 9:2 strikeout to walk ratio in his first two seasons in the minors and was named the 70th best prospect by Baseball America. Cosart has a mid-90s fastball and a big breaking ceiling to floor curveball that is his out pitch.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Drafted out of high school by the Astros in 1973, Puhl spent just four seasons in the minor leagues before joining the big league club. He hit .296 in the minors, and didn’t miss a beat when he hit .301 in 60 games with the Astros in 1977.

Michael Janofsky of the Miami Herald wrote about the potential for four players to break out in the 1980′s, including Terry Puhl, in a July 1981 issue of Baseball Digest. Click here to check it out!

Puhl’s immediate impact on the lineup was evident, as he earned his first and only All-Star nod in his first full season in 1978. By 1980, Puhl helped the Astros to their first franchise trip to the postseason, hitting .526 in a losing effort to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS.  His .526 average was, at that time, a record for a single series batting average.  The Astros reached the postseason in 1981, but fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers; Puhl hit just .190 in the five game series.

Puhl rebounded to provide a solid offense for the Astros over the course of the early to mid 1980′s.  By 1985, Puhl was hampered by injuries and transitioned to a part time player over the next few seasons.  The Astros returned to the NLCS in 1986 against the New York Mets, and the opportunity provided Puhl another chance to show flashes of his early years. In just three at bats, he had two singles and a stolen base.

In the late 1980′s, the outfielder has a resurgence, first as a pinch hitter(.303 batting average in 1988). When he earned more playing time in 1989 than he had in the previous five years, he responded with a .271 average on the season. It essentially became the swan song for Terry Puhl, as injuries shortened his 1990 season, at least in Houston.

Following the 1990 season,  he was signed by and subsequently released by the New York Mets prior to the start of the 1991 season and the Kansas City Royals scooped him up. He played just 15 games with the Royals before being released in early June of that year. He retired with a .280 batting average, and an OPS of 112 over 15 seasons.  He also ranks first all-time with a .994 fielding percentage for right fielders since 1954.

Since retirement, Puhl has been inducted into the Saskachewan Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame.  He has since become a manager, first with the Canadian National Olympic team, and most recently as the head coach of the University of Houston at Victoria.  His collegiate managing record stands at 96-44 over three seasons.

Also Born Today:

Alan Ashby(b.1951), logged 17 seasons in the big leagues as a catcher and may be best remembered for catching three no hitters in his career. His career in Houston overlapped with Terry Puhl’s, and both were a member of the team during their several postseason appearances.

Ivey Wingo(b.1890), played 17 seasons, mostly with the Cincinnati Reds.  He was a member of the 1919 World Series Champion Reds, the winner of the infamous Black Sox Scandal. Wingo was not known for his defense, as he led the league in errors by a catcher on seven different occasions.

Michael Maher is a senior writer with BaseballDigest.com.  You can follow him on Twitter at @BD_Maher or check out his blog.

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Berkman’s numbers had dropped drastically the last couple of years, especially when the switch-hitting first baseman was facing a left-handed pitcher. But Berkman, who has moved back to the outfield with the St. Louis Cardinals, came out swinging this season. He hit .393/.455/.753 in March/April with eight home runs and 22 RBI. Though his numbers are still pedestrian in limited exposure to left-handed pitching, Berkman has absolutely destroyed right-handers to the tune of a 1.352.  Berkman kept the pace through the first two games in May with a home run, five RBI and four hits in eight at-bats.

The American League Central division standings are upside down. Favorites Minnesota and Chicago are at the bottom of the division while the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals are 1-2 in the standings. The Tribe rolled out to a 20-8 start, thanks in large part to outstanding starting pitching and effective relief work. One-time Boston prospect Justin Masterson has started 5-0, 2.25, thanks to outstanding control, which has been a major issue for Masterson in the past. Though he walked five batters in one of his wins, he’s allowed just eight walks in his  five other starts. Masterson has also allowed less than a hit per inning. The right-hander’s only no-decision came in his last start when he limited the Tigers to two earned runs over seven innings in a game the Indians eventually won.

Masterson’s teammate Josh Tomlin also entered his start Wednesday night with an unbeaten mark (4-0, 2.45). Like Masterson, Tomlin has limited the number of opposing men on base and has a better than 2:1 strikeout to walk ratio. The 26-yr old had shown promise since being selected in the 2006 amateur draft, including a 12 game stint with Cleveland last season. The Indians bullpen, which has allowed 27 earned runs in 79.1 innings pitched, has seen superb seasons from closer Chris Perez (1-1, 2.77, 8 SV), Vinnie Pestano (0.82 ERA) and left-handers Rafael Perez (2-1, 0.00) and Tony Sipp (1-0, 2.08).

Maybe the biggest surprise has been the Indians offense, which has averaged 5.36 runs per game, good for second-best in the American League. The Indians’ lineup has produced a balanced attack and received a boost when Grady Sizemore returned with force after missing the start of the season while recovering from microfracture knee surgery. The centerfielder has busted out a 1.058 OPS with four home runs and nine RBI in 13 games.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the power-packed Chicago White Sox lineup looks more like a bunch of Punch-and-Judy hitters. It’s the overwhelming reason the White Sox are off to an 11-21 start. Just when things seemed like they were at rock bottom, Chicago was no-hit by Minnesota’s Francisco Liriano this past Tuesday night. Liriano entered the game with a 9.13 ERA and had allowed over 10 hits per nine innings pitched.

Chief among the lack-of-offensive offenders is free agent DH Adam Dunn. The first year AL player is adjusting to a new league and being a full-time DH, but that being said, he entered Wednesday’s play hitting just .157 with three home runs, 12 RBI, and an anemic .582 OPS. He’s not alone though; outside of Paul Konerko (.298-8-24) and Carlos Quentin (.283-6-17), none of the White Sox regulars are hitting. The team is averaging less than four runs per game while the pitching staff has put up a decent 4.37 ERA.

Houston Astros first baseman Brett Wallace has heard the murmurs, “He’s a bust”, and things of that nature. The still just 24-yr old was drafted by the Cardinals with the 13th overall pick in the 2008 draft. He was then dealt to Oakland in July, 2009 as part of the deal that brought Matt Holliday to St. Louis. Eight months later, the A’s dealt Wallace to the Toronto Blue Jays for fellow prospect Michael Taylor, who was part of the Roy Halladay deal. Finally, in July, 2010, Toronto sent Wallace packing to Houston for a “project” minor leaguer in part of a three-way deal that landed Roy Oswalt in Philly.

Wallace showed 20-HR power in the minors and had a career .863 OPS in three minor league seasons. He got a cup of coffee with the Astros last season, but his splits (.222/.296/.319) were nothing to write home about. This season, Wallace was given the chance to prove himself at the Major League level, and so far he’s got everyone taking notice.  He has an NL third-best .383 average with a pair of home runs, nine doubles, 10 RBI, 10 walks, and a .990 OPS.  The Astros, who are surprisingly fourth in the NL in scoring, have even moved Wallace into the clean up spot. Only time will tell of course if Wallace can do it over the long haul.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Castro has been projected to be a slick fielding shortstop with a strong arm that will make good contact at the plate.  He has struggled a bit defensively at times, but should be able to excel once he comes into his own.  Through the minors and his 135 games in the majors thus far, he has displayed a nice eye only striking out around 15% of the time.  The other thing working for Castro is his 20-30 SB potential.  It’s Castro’s play that has allowed the club to deal a strong shortstop prospect named Hak-Ju Lee to the Rays (with others) for Matt Garza.

Starlin is off to a hot start through the seasons first 11 games.  He shares the Major League lead for hits at 18 with fellow teammate Marlon Byrd.  Manager Mike Quade has already seen enough to hand the lead off spot over to him.  Perhaps the only knock on Castro is his lack of power.  His 6-0/190 frame does not bode well for huge spurts of power growth but for now, Castro knows his game is to hit the ball on the ground, or on a line, and set the table for the rest of the lineup.

Some project Starlin Castro to be a player similar to Edgar Renteria.  Both entered the majors at about the same age.  They have similar build, similar fielding abilities, similar speed and similar plate discipline.  If the Cubs shortstop does develop some double digit home run power, then that might be the match.  If the power really develops, his ceiling might be more like Derek Jeter (as noted by Jim Callis from Baseball America). If Castro instead keeps racking up doubles (Michael Barr from Fan Graphs points out that he had more doubles last season than Derek Jeter and Hanley Ramirez, while playing in only 125 games), then another comparison could be drawn to the former Blue Jay, Tony Fernandez, a four-time gold glove and five-time All-Star shortstop.

Whether he develops more power, more speed or better defense remains to be seen.  At a position that has declined in talent as its stars have aged, the Cubs have to feel good about what they have at the top of their line-up and in the middle of their infield.  It’s fair to speculate on some All-Star appearances, and perhaps a few gold gloves.  Cubs’ fans are hoping he will be one that will help lead the franchise to a title for the first time in over 100 years.  Whatever the future holds, we are all privileged to watch a talented young shortstop develop into the next Starlin Castro.

Matt Wilson covers the NL Central for BaseballDigest.com.  You can follow Matt on Twitter @matwil24

The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Chris Narveson out of the second round in 2000.  He appeared in 5 games for the Redbirds in 2006 and was a small part of the World Series championship team.  The Brewers signed him to a minor league contract in the winter of 2007.  Narveson finally made it with the big club to stay in 2010.  In 2010, Chris had a 4.99 ERA in 37 games for the Brewers.  He garnered 13 wins while striking out 7.4 per nine.

In his first start this season against the Braves, he struck out five and walked three getting a quality start surrendering no runs in 6 innings.  His second start went even better.  Saturday, against the Cubs, Narveson struck out nine in 7 innings and once again was not scored upon.  In his next start, Narveson will face the Pittsburgh Pirates and he looks to make them the next opponent he will carve up.

Perhaps a team that needs their starting pitching to step up even more is the St. Louis Cardinals.  No news was more devastating to the Redbirds than finding out Adam Wainwright would miss the season with Tommy John surgery.  A lot of Cardinal Nation felt the season was over before it began.  However, the Cardinals strength still lies in their starting rotation.  Now, it just needs each man to step up a spot and carry the load.

Jaime Garcia was drafted in the 22^nd round of the 2005 MLB draft.  He was drafted due to the influence of a scout who originally had drafted him with the Orioles the year before. Garcia never signed with the O’s and landed in Cardinal red.

At the end of 2008, Garcia underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the larger portion of the 2009 season.  Last season, he broke camp in the Cardinals rotation and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting with a 2.70 ERA and 13 wins.  Coming in to the season, he was expected to be the number three in the rotation.  After Wainwright went down he has to pitch like a number two.  So far, he’s pitched like an ace.

In his opening start, Garcia struck out nine in a complete game shutout of the Padres.  He followed that up against San Francisco by striking out nine in 6 innings, only allowing one run, and was in line for a win before things came unraveled for the Cardinals in the ninth.  His next start comes against the Dodgers at Dodger stadium.  Being a pitcher’s park, Jaime stands a good chance to stymie another opponent.

Matt Wilson covers the NL Central for BaseballDigest.com.  You can follow Matt on Twitter @matwil24

You don’t need to know the difference between a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly. You don’t need to know the difference between a double and a double play. You don’t need to know the difference between “Let’s play two” and “Let’s get two”. You certainly don’t need to have knowledge of the intricacies to doing ‘The Wave’.

All you really need  is the ability to appreciate a great life story.

Daniel Joseph Staub, better known by his nickname, Rusty, was born on this day back in 1944. His father was a famous inventor known best for playing a principal role in the team that invented Scotch tape for 3M. His mother was a talented B-movie film actress. Staub’s childhood was mostly spent with production assistants as babysitters at movie set service tables, starting with Cry of the Werewolf, shot and released the same year he was born. His mother played Marie Latour, a woman raided by gypsies who finds out she is actually the daughter of a werewolf. Staub was only allowed on set the days his mother wasn’t pretending to kill those around her who knew her secret.  Staub’s imagination would reach great lengths throughout his life as he would find success not only on the baseball diamond, but also on the small screen.

While signing his first professional baseball contract with the Houston Colt. 45s in 1961, Staub was as happy as you would expect any excited, naive 19-year-old kid to be when signing his first contract. Cracking jokes in front of the local media present to cover the story, Staub was discovered by legendary CBS talent scout, Telly Vettison. Vettison approached Staub about not only his potential as a nationally known baseball star, but he also asked him if he had any experience performing. Staub had only spent time on movie sets and spent countless hours watching his mother act, however he had no experience of his own.

Looking to fill a morning slot on CBS’ Saturday  morning comedy block, Vettison convinced the network to give Staub a shot at his own half hour special after Staub met with executives in New York City. It was Staub’s first trip to the Big Apple and he was excited to at least get a free trip out of the deal. Never did he expect to walk away with a TV contract.

The network didn’t promise anything beyond a one-off special. The show was called “Staub It, You’re Killing Me!” and featured the ballplayer doing sketches a few young CBS scribes wrote for him. The sketches mostly revolved around baseball and bad word puns relating to Staub’s new team, the Colt .45s. Needless to say, the show was a huge failure and Staub’s stint in television ended nearly as quickly as it began.

His first season playing within the actual Colt .45s organization was much more successful as he was named an All-Star of the Class B Carolina League.  The following season Staub became only the second teenager to play 150 games on the major league level in his rookie season. Unfortunately there was another trip to the minors for Staub, until 1965 when he found his way back to The Show. This time it was in a Houston Astros jersey as the Colt .45s had changed their name. 

1967 and 1968 delivered All-Star campaigns for Staub to show off on the back of trading cards.  In fact, his card was the most coveted of all in 1968. Government secrets were rumored to be hidden in his stat line for the 1968 season and as a result, it became a card collecting phenom. His baseball card from his 1968 season recently sold for $2.2 millon, putting it in the same class as the famous T206 Honus Wagner card.

Staub’s time in Houston ended with a one way ticket to Montreal as he was traded from Houston to the Expos in 1969, right before their inaugural season. The deal was to include Donn Clendenon and Jesus Alou from Montreal to Houston, however, Clendenon refused to report. Clendenon had seen “Staub It, You’re Killing Me” on Canada’s comedy network EH? and was a huge fan of Staub’s. Once he found out it was Staub who was reporting to Montreal, he refused to report to Houston.

The Commissioner of the league, Bowie Kuhn, ruled that the deal was official and that Montreal and Houston would make it work be providing other players and Houston would receive $100,000 for their troubles. It was the first time a player had successfully stopped a trade simply by refusing to report to the other team and set the poor precedent we see happening in today’s sports.

Clendenon wasn’t the only person excited to have Staub in Montreal. French-Canadians embraced Rusty for learning their language and using maple syrup as opposed to pine tar when at bat.  In only three years with the team, Staub won over the hearts of Expos fans, and started going by the nickname “Le Grand Orange” because of his red hair and became the organization’s career leader in on-base percentage among players with 2,000 plate appearances or more, which remains a club record. Staub’s red hair had a major impact on the hair product industry as French-Canadians were flooding pharmacy shelves buying up as much Rusty Staub Red Head Hair Product as they could find. Canada led the world in red-haired citizens until 1972, when Staub was traded to the Mets.

While Staub’s first trip to New York resulted in a failed comedy special/television career. Luckily, he came to Shea Stadium with more than a wing and a prayer. Staub had already proven himself by becoming an All-Star for the Astros and was looking to bring success to the New York Mets. It didn’t take long for Staub to make an impact on the Mets. In 1973, one year into his tenure as a Met, he helped lead the team to the NLCS. His stand out play from that series was when he robbed Dan Driessen of an extra-base hit in the eleventh inning and in doing so, crashed into the fence in right field. The bad news was that it resulted in a separated shoulder and caused him to throw under-handed in the World Series against the A’s. The good news was that it started a new trend at Shea Stadium “Crash Into a Banner Day”. It became one of the most popular promotions in team history. No other Mets promotion resulted in more separated shoulders than “Crash Into a Banner Day”.

In 1975, Staub had his best season for the Mets reaching the 105 RBI mark. It was the first time any Met had reached 100 RBIs and remained unmatched until Gary Carter tied it in 1986. In 1968, Baseball Digest’s Furman Bisher saw greatness early on in Staub and raved over the potential he saw in the young player. You can read it by clicking here.

Staub went on to another All-Star appearance in 1976, this time with the Tigers after being traded before the season by the Mets to Detroit. In 1978, he finished in second place among major league hitters with 121 RBI as the first player to play an entire 162 game season solely as a designated hitter. He finished fifth in the AL MVP voting that year and was rewarded with a trade back to Montreal later that same year. Staub would ultimately finish his career with the Mets in 1983 and wrapped his career with a .279 batting average and 292 home runs.

This year is a rather monumental birthday as Montreal is celebrating Rusty Staub Day today and commemorating it by retiring the number 10 altogether in Canada. All new ten dollar bills printed in Canada will now feature Staub’s face, as was announced last month at a press conference honoring his career as a member of the Expos. Otherwise, his number 10 will no longer be used in the metric stystem used by French-Canadians while inside the Canadian borders. It is the top honor an athlete may receive in Canada. Wayne Gretzky is the only other athlete to receive the honor as there has not been a single 99 dollar bill in circulation in Canada for quite some time now. Also announced today, this article, while not a total fabrication of Staub’s life, definitely took some liberties in creating Staub’s life story in honor of him being born on April Fool’s Day.

All of the stats are correct. All of the teams he played for are correct and any reference to his actual baseball achievements are absolutely true. All facts from Rusty’s life off the field or otherwise not connected to is career are simply our way of saying, “April Fools!”. Otherwise, in the spirit of a gag card in a gift store, it should be considered a well-meaning tribute to Rusty Staub and the fascinating life that he led as a major league ballplayer - who just so happened to be born on April 1st. Rusty is known not only for his accomplishments on the field but also for his positive demeanor, strong work ethic and humanitarian efforts in starting the New York Police and Firefighters’ Widows’ and Childrens’ Fund which has raised over $11million in it’s first 15 years for families with police officers or firefighters killed in the line of duty and has raised over $112 million since September 11, 2001. Also, his Rusty Staub Foundation is a large focus of Rusty’s life in their effort to provide food for those who struggle to provide for themselves and their loved ones. You can learn more about the Rusty Staub Foundation at rustystaub.com Nowadays, if he isn’t involved with an event to raise money for either of those two foundations, you might find Rusty at one of his two restaurants in Manhattan, or on the back jacket of his children’s book, “Hello, Mr. Met”, at bookstores all over the country.

Also Born Today:

Will Rhymes turns 28 today. Rhymes was drafted by the Tigers in the 27^th round of the 2005 amateur draft. He recently won the second base job with the Detroit Tigers. In 54 games with the big league club in 2010, he batted .304 and hit his first major league home run.

Phil Niekro turns 72 today. Niekro was signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent in 1958 and made his big league debut in 1964. The five-time All-Star pitcher won five gold gloves and led the league in ERA in 1967 giving up only 1.67 earned runs per game. Niekro led the National League in complete games in 1974 and then again from 1977-1979. His hard work paid off with an induction into Cooperstown, inducted by the BBWAA in 1997 appearing on 380 out of 473 ballots.

Ryan Maloney is a Staff Writer for BaseballDigest.com, the author of popular Chicago Cubs blog Prose and Ivy and contributing writer to MLB.com/Entertainment.

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NL East

Atlanta: Superstar-in-the-making Jason Heyward returned to the Braves’ lineup yesterday after sitting out the the last four games due to a sore back. Heyward saw a specialist on Wednesday for further evaluation. “He told me it’s bone structure vs. muscle or anything like that, nothing to be torn,” said Heyward, who hasn’t played since his back stiffened Saturday in batting practice, a scheduled day off for him. “If I can’t tear anything or do anything worse, I’ll play, and that’s what I told Fredi (Gonzalez).”

Florida: The Marlins may have a makeshift outfield in their lineup on opening day. Another superstar in the making, Mike Stanton, has yet to play in a spring game after injuring his quad in an exhibition game against the U. of Miami. While he has taken some at-bats in minor league games, he’s been replaced by a pinch-runner each time he gets on base. On Thursday, Chris Coghlan was sidelined with tendinitis in his throwing shoulder. Manager Edwin Rodriguez has not ruled out Coghlan starting the season on the DL.

Free agent pitcher Javier Vazquez was scratched from a Tuesday start due to elbow soreness, but threw a bullpen session on Wednesday and felt fine afterwards. He’s scheduled to start against St. Louis tomorrow. Fellow starter Anibal Sanchez is expected to pitch in Sunday’s game after being out since March 10 after a comebacker bruised his shin. Their potential battery mate, John Baker, is day-to-day with a muscle strain near his right throwing elbow. He can swing the bat, but so far he has been prohibited from throwing.

New York: Things have been rough in Metsville and they may get rougher. Reports surfaced this week that ace Johan Santana was behind schedule in his recovery from shoulder surgery. The Mets have denied the report, which specifically stated that Santana’s bullpen sessions were not going as planned. Whatever the case, Santana will be on the DL (as expected) to start the season. Carlos Beltran has been slowed by left knee tendinitis and might start the season on the DL. GM Sandy Alderson is contemplating not having Beltran play any additional spring games so that the DL time can be backdated.

Philadelphia: All-Star 2nd baseman Chase Utley continues to be bothered by patellar tendinitis and chondromalacia in his right knee and sought out assistance from a specialist on Thursday. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is hoping Utley can avoid surgery. “We’re doing everything we possibly can to have him not get into a surgery,” Amaro said. “Until we stop seeing progress, then we’ll continue to exhaust all those possibilities.”

Third baseman Placido Polanco had to leave Wednesday’s game after hyperextending the same elbow he had surgery on in November. He’s expected to be back in the lineup in a few days. Closer Brad Lidge is day-to-day with muscle soreness in his right bicep, but Amaro is not worried since Lidge has already thrown a good number of innings. Finally, prospect Domonic Brown was lost for the season after he broke the hamate bone in his right hand and underwent surgery.

Washington: Chien-Ming Wang continues to try to come back from 2009 shoulder surgery. He’s been limited to a pair of bullpen sessions, including one this past Tuesday, so the Nationals have not been able to set a timetable for his return. 3rd baseman Ryan Zimmerman strained his groin on Monday and has sat out since. He’s expected to return to action next week and said he would have played had it been during the regular season.

NL Central

Chicago: Angel Guzman will miss the start of the season and won’t be back until mid-April at the earliest, as he recovers from a tear in his throwing shoulder.

Cincinnati: Johnny Cueto had to leave his start last Friday with stiffness in his right bicep, but after having a throwing session yesterday, he’s expected to return to the mound on Saturday.

Houston: Earlier this month, the Astros lost their starting catcher, Juan Castro, for the year with torn ligaments in his knee. Infielder Jeff Keppinger is no longer hampered by the walking boot he’s been wearing since he underwent foot surgery to remove the sesamoid bone in his left foot. He’s hoping to be back in the Astros lineup in mid-May. Wandy Rodriguez, who signed a new deal this winter, has been bothered by shoulder tendinitis and was scratched from his last start. But the right-hander threw a side session this morning and is good to go.

Milwaukee: The Brewers were hoping to get off to a good start with their 1-2-3 punch of Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum, and Yovanni Gallardo, but Greinke injured his ribs playing pick up basketball and is out until mid-April. Outfielder Corey Hart may miss opening day due to a strained rib cage. He took swings off a batting tee on Tuesday, but still doesn’t feel right. ”It’s still not coming as fast as I want it to,” Hart said. “It won’t go away. I still can’t go full-speed on anything. Hitting off the tee is fine, but I can’t amp it up the way I know I can. I can throw, but as soon as I have to do a quick move or let it go, it kills.” Catcher Jonathan Lucroy may or may not be ready to catch on opening day. He’ll undergo surgery on Monday to remove pins that were placed in his hand when he broke his pinky finger during a catching drill back in February.

Pittsburgh: Reliever Joe Beimel has been out since early March with pain in his left forearm, but has been cleared to pitch against the Orioles this coming Monday. Catcher Ryan Doumit has missed a week with a strained oblique, but is expected to be back in the lineup today.

St. Louis: Utility infielder Nick Punto underwent surgery in February for a sports hernia and is out until at least mid-April. The Cardinals’ most devastating injury was, of course, losing starter Adam Wainwright to Tommy John surgery.

NL West

Arizona: Infielder Geoff Blum will miss a few days with a swollen right knee that he strained earlier in the week.  Zach Duke, who was competing for the #5 spot in the rotation, is out until May after a line drive broke two bones in his pitching hand.

Colorado: Aaron Cook was already starting the season on the DL due to shoulder inflammation, but then slammed and broke his finger in a car door and is out until May. 3rd baseman Ian Stewart is day-to-day with a sprained right knee. Eric Young Jr. is back competing for the utility position after sitting out all spring with a broken tibia.

Los Angeles: The Dodgers were expected to be competitive  because of their starting pitching, but have suffered two injuries already. Jon Garland is out until mid-April with a strained oblique, and Vicente Padilla is lost until late April/early May with forearm surgery.

San Diego: Outfielder Kyle Banks returned from a 10-month absence after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and he served as the DH on Monday. He is a certainty to start the season on the DL. Starter Tim Stauffer is still hurting from a strained hip flexor and missed his scheduled start today. He’s listed as day-to- day. Southpaw Joe Thatcher was scheduled to undergo an MRI today on his ailing left shoulder. Thatcher hasn’t appeared in a game this spring and is headed to the DL as well.

San Francisco: Starter Matt Cain returned from a nearly two-week absence caused by elbow inflammation to throw three scoreless innings on Monday. Just like their AL counterparts, the defending NL pennant (and World Series) champions are in good shape to start the season.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

A good move by the then-Devil Rays turned into a bad one when they dealt him later that day to the Philadelphia Phillies for shortstop Kevin Stocker. The thinking was “you should build your team around a strong young shortstop”. The only problem was that Stocker was not that player; he lasted just 2+ seasons in Tampa and retired after the 2000 season at age 30.

Meanwhile. Abreu became the Phillies’ regular right fielder in 1998 and a star was born.  In his first full season, he produced 17 home runs, 74 RBI, 19 steals, and a .312 batting average. (Having surpassed the minimum number  of at-bats the previous season with Houston, he did not qualify for rookie status.) Abreu also displayed a trait that would become a trademark of his career- patience at the plate- by drawing 74 walks. That season proved to be no fluke when Abreu hit .335 the next season, led the league in triples, stole 27 bases and posted a .995 OPS.

In June, 2002 Jim Salisbury of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote a piece, “Phils’ Bobby Abreu Silences His Doubters”. Click here to read all about it!

Over a seven year period, Abreu hit .300 and averaged 24 HR, 96 RBI, 31 steals, and 110 walks. He became a two-time All-Star and a Gold Glove winner. It also earned him a five-year deal that could have been worth $78MM in total.

But a couple of things happened that changed his status and reputation in Philadelphia.  A collision with an outfield wall made him less aggressive going back after balls hit near the wall. Suddenly, Abreu was tagged as a “soft” player. The other incident occurred when Abreu entered the 2005 All-Star break with 18 home runs and won the event’s home run derby after hitting a then-record 24 home runs in one round. Perhaps it was psychological; perhaps it was a change in his swing. Whatever the case, Abreu hit just six home runs the rest of the season and his power hasn’t been quite the same since.

When Abreu struggled through a mediocre 2006 season, the Phillies decided it was time to move him and the remainder of his contract at the trade deadline. Abreau was sent as part of a package to the New York Yankees for C.J. Henry (minors), Jesus Sanchez (minors), Carlos Monasterios and Matt Smith. The trade turned out to be a steal for the Yankees. Abreu helped the Yankees to the division title, hitting .330 after the trade.

He was steady over the next two seasons (2007-2008), with 20+ steal and 100+ RBI seasons, but the Yankees did not pick up his $16MM option and Abreu became a free agent for the first time in his career.  A 35-yr old free agent in a bad economy didn’t make for a good mix, and Abreu had to settle for a one year, $5MM deal with the Los Angeles Angels. It proved to be a Godsend for the Halos. Abreu helped lead the team to their first ALCS since 2005 with 103 RBI, and proved to be a good influence on the team’s young Latin ball players. The Angels rewarded him with a two year, $18MM contract with a vesting option for 2012.

15 years into his career, Abreu has often been overlooked due to his soft spoken nature, but his numbers speak for themselves. 2,252 hits, 276 HR, 1,265 RBI, 1,358 runs scored, 372 steals, and .296 lifetime average. With Bobby Abreu, what you see is what you get.

Also Born Today

Dan Uggla (b. Louisville, KY, 1980):  Sometimes the best players in baseball are not the ones selected in the early rounds of baseball’s amateur draft. Sometimes an 11th round pick can turn into a perennial slugger. Such is the case with the Atlanta Braves’ Dan Uggla. The 2nd baseman was an 11th round pick out of the University of Memphis by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. Four years later, the Florida Marlins selected him in the Rule V draft, and suddenly Uggla’s Major League career was underway.

He finished third in the 2006 NL Rookie of the Year voting after he slugged 27 home runs and drove in 90 runs. He averaged 31 HR and 93 RBI over the next four seasons, garnering two All-Star appearances and a Silver Slugger Award. But over the current off-season he couldn’t reach a deal on a contract extension and was dealt to the Braves on November 16 for lefty reliever Michael Dunn and infielder Omar Infante. A short time later, Uggla and the Braves were able to work out a new five-year extension worth $62MM.

Cesar Geronimo (b. El Saibo, D.R., 1948): When you think of the Big Red Machine of the 1970′s, Cesar Geronimo is not one of the first names that come to mind. But that’s what happens when you’re playing alongside Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, Tony Perez, and others on the Cincinnati Reds. But Geronimo was the glue in the outfield, a four-time Gold Glove winner patrolling center field for back-to-back World Series champions in 1975-1976. Geronimo played the first three seasons of his career with the Astros after being selected as a Rule V draftee from the Yankees in 1968. Prior to the 1971 season, he was part of a major deal between Houston and Cincy that sent Morgan and pitcher Jack Billingham to the Reds for a package that included slugger Lee May and steady 2nd baseman Tommy Helms. Geronimo finished up his career in 1983 after playing three seasons with the Kansas City Royals.

Dock Ellis (b. Los Angeles, CA, 1945):  The right-hander won 138 games over a 12-year career after being signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1964 amateur draft. Ellis helped the Pirates win the 1971 World Series, their first in 11 seasons, and his 17-win season helped the Yankees to their first pennant in 12 years in 1976. But Ellis had issues and addictions off the field (possibly on the field as well; he claimed to have thrown his 1970 no-hitter while high on LSD), that derailed a good career from being a great one. He played for five organizations, including three in his final season in 1979. Sadly, Ellis passed away in December, 2008 from liver disease.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

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Case in point, the Minnesota Twins where Joe Nathan is coming back from the Tommy John surgery he underwent back in March, 2010. Feeling healthy, Nathan proclaimed he was taking role his back from trade deadline acquisition Matt Capps. He recently told Kelly Thiesier of MLB.com that he’s pleased with his progress thus far. “The command has really been a pleasant surprise to this point, and I can’t ask for much more than what’s gone on out there now as far as life on the ball, movement on the ball, sharpness and stuff. Just keep moving forward and keep trying to improve and build arm strength, and I’ll be ready for April 1. I’m happy, very happy with how things feel right now.”

Seattle’s David Aardsma was a subject of trade rumors soon after the 2010 season ended, but then underwent hip surgery. He has yet to be cleared to throw which means he won’t be ready for opening day. Erratic set up man Brandon League is the favorite to fill the role, while former Orioles’ closer Chris Ray and reliever Manny Delcarmen are auditioning as well.

Jonathan Papelbon is the Red Sox closer to start the season, but the front office isn’t totally happy with the him or his $12MM salary. With former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks and closer in training Daniel Bard on the squad, the Red Sox could move Papelbon before the trade deadline.

Leo Nunez is the incumbent closer for the Florida Marlins, but by no means is his job safe. Should Nunez falter, Clay Hensley is more than willing to grab the job.

Brandon Lyon is the projected closer for the Astros. That doesn’t say too much for the Houston bullpen.

Fernando Rodney will start the season as the Angels closer, but anyone who has seen him pitch for LA (AL) or Detroit knows that may not last. Free agent pick up Scott Downs should definitely get some save opportunities as he did in Toronto.

The Orioles have Kevin Gregg as the early favorite for closer, but could go back to Koji Uehara who did a fine job when placed in the role late last season.

Texas has yet to decide whether or not to keep 2010 AL Rookie of the Year Neftali Feliz in the closer’s role or move him to the starting rotation. Beat writer Anthony Andro tweeted on Monday that Rangers’ GM Jon Daniels is expected to make a decision around March 22.

Clint Hurdle has named Joel Hanrahan as the Pirates closer to start the season, but give Hanrahan’s erratic performance as closer with Pittsburgh and Washington (in 2008), Hurdle could turn to Evan Meek.

The Atlanta Braves are looking for a closer after Billy Wagner retired following the 2010 season. Craig Kimbrel, Pete Moylan, George Sherrill, Scott Linebrink,  and Jonny Venters are all getting a look. It’s possible new manager Fredi Gonzalez will open with a closer by committee.

Tampa Bay lost a number of players to free agency including closer Rafael Soriano. Joe Maddon, like Gonzalez, may go with a committee at first until he can pick a clear cut closer. Rookie Jake McGee impressed Maddon immediately when he came out and said he wanted the job. Now he has to back it up. Kyle Farnsworth, Juan Cruz, Joel Peralta, Adam Russell, Chris Archer, and Cesar Ramos are among the pitchers looking for roles in the Tampa pen. Farnsworth is the only one with closing experience in the majors.

The Blue Jays shook up their bullpen and now must choose between three pitchers with closer experience- Frank Francisco (the favorite), Jon Rauch, and Octavio Dotel.

In non-closer news, Zack Greinke’s Milwaukee Brewers’ debut is on hold and the Brewers front office can’t be happy about it.Greinke fell hard to the floor while playing pick up basketball the first week of spring training and fractured a rib.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

On Tuesday pitcher Carlos Silva allowed five runs in the 1st inning thanks in large part to three Cubbie errors. Silva got into the face of 3rd baseman Aramis Ramirez, who had committed one of the gaffes. No punches were thrown, no hair pulled, but the two had to be separated after shoving one another. Silva was eventually escorted back to the clubhouse and order was restored.

Mike Quade (in his first full year as manager) didn’t mind the fight, but did hold a team meeting on Thursday to clear the air and straighten things out. Quade is under enough pressure as a rookie skipper without his players getting out of hand. Veterans Marlon Byrd and Carlos Pena helped out by calling a players only meeting to stress unity. Somewhere Steve Bartman is shaking his head.

Across town the White Sox Jake Peavy is doing battle with his surgically repaired shoulder. Peavy makes his first start today since having the latissimus dorsi muscle in his right posterior shoulder reattached in a July procedure. His surgeon told the Chicago Trib’s David Haugh that Peavy is making good progress. “His motivation has been exactly in the right spot in that he understands this surgery and his recovery is not for him just to play this year, 2011, but beyond so he can meet expectations of him since he came here,” Romeo said on the phone from Vail, Colo. “Things are progressing well.” You should still be wary in your fantasy drafts.

Rumors are persisting that Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg or some of the team’s partial owners have an interest in the NY Mets. According to the Tampa Tribune Sternberg has denied any interesting in owning part or all of the Mets, but the NY Times reported that minority owner Randy Frankel has a definite interest.

Youngster Jason Castro was set to be the Houston Astros starting catcher this season, but a torn ACL will probably cause him to miss the entire season.

The Boston Herald is reporting that outfielder J.D. Drew is likely to retire after this season. The 35-yr old has been bothered by a series of injuries the last few years and has a lingering hamstring issue from last season. “I don’t really know what I’m going to do, I’m leaning both ways. I guess, I don’t really know,” Drew said. “It depends on how the year goes. I don’t know what I’ll do. There’s benefits to both sides, but I have to think it out, pray about it, talk with my family, see how my body holds up over the year, and go from there.”

The Atlanta Braves Chipper Jones played 3rd base Thursday for the first time since injuring his knee last August. Afterwards he felt, well, pretty Chipper about it. “I just want to play,” Jones said. “Once you get on the field instinct takes over. That’s what you need to worry about. I wasn’t expecting to be playing by now and I don’t know what to expect.”

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.