• Delino DeShields, Jr. was charged with a DUI last week after he was stopped by police in Georgia.  The 18-year old center fielder was the Houston Astros’ first-round pick – eighth overall – in the 2010 draft, and is the son former Major Leaguer, Delino DeShields (a name that is an essential for the baseball name game).  Somewhere Matt Bush is laughing his ass off right now…

• The Kansas City Royals announced that they will move their prized catching prospect, Wil Myers, to the outfield.  Regarded as one of the top prospects in all of baseball – and a pre-season candidate for Minor League Player of the Year – Myers bat can play at any position.  As we all know, catching can be lead to any number of injuries.  Therefore the Royals decision is an investment in the 21-year old Myers, and more than likely means that his arrival in the Big Leagues will come sooner than expected.

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#35 Jake Odorizzi – Kansas City Royals

RHP

DOB: 3-27-90

ETA: 2013

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Chris Dwyer – Kansas City Royals

LHP

DOB: 4/10/1988

ETA: 2012

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• The start to the final week of 2010 brought the disturbing news that FIU’s Garrett Wittels had been charged with the rape of two 17-year old girls while on vacation in the Bahamas.  Wittels, who currently holds the second-longest hitting streak in NCAA history at 56 games, is headed into his senior season and has a chance to make history- he is two games shy of tying Robin Ventura’s record of 58 games.  It is too early to know, or speculate for that matter, what type of impact the allegations will have on Wittels’ eligibility.

• With Carl Crawford long departed, the Tampa Bay Rays are hoping that rookie Desmond Jennings will fill the void in left field.  Jennings, who has comparable speed but less pop than his predecessor, will have Spring Training to prove to the Rays that he is the man for the job.  If not, Matt Joyce should have no problem manning the position.  Realistically, the Rays want Jennings to be their left fielder, so I’d expect a platoon scenario…at least until one of their two youngsters shows some consistency.

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On Sunday, the baseball world woke up to the news that the Kansas City Royals had traded their 2009 A.L. Cy Young winner, Zack Greinke, to the Milwaukee Brewers.  It wasn’t a secret that the Royals were asking for the farm (literally) in return for the coveted right-hander.  It was simply a matter of which organization had both the minor league depth and corresponding “all-in” mentality to justify parting with a substantial portion of its future.  Well, that team happened to be the Milwaukee Brewers.

Although the Zack Greinke trade is something that is sure to interest any fan of the game, the deal holds a special significance for the fans and followers of Illinois high school baseball. The Brew Crew parted ways with some of their best, young talent, including shortstop Alcides Escobar, outfielder Lorenzo Cain, flame thrower Jeremy Jeffress and, most notably, the 2008 Prep Baseball Report Player of the Year, Jake Odorizzi.  And as more details have been released regarding the negotiations of this blockbuster deal, we have come to learn that Odorizzi seems to have been the player that made this trade happen.

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