• Although the Seattle Mariners are still years away from any sort of contention, it appears as though they are seriously considering breaking camp with the 22-year-old right-hander, Michael Pineda.  Standing at an imposing 6-foot-7, 260-pounds, Pineda is widely considered to be one of baseball’s best right-handed pitching prospects (#17 on the Sombrero’s Top 50), and with a fastball that touches the upper-90s, one can understand why.  So far this Spring, Pineda has posted a 2.57 ERA, struck out five, and walked three over seven innings of work.  According to Matthew Carruth of Fangraphs, however, including Pineda in the Opening Day rotation is not necessarily a wise decision…

• Here at the Sombrero, there’s no such thing as too much Bryce Harper.  After an impressive Spring Training in which he hit .389 (7-for-18) with three doubles and five RBI, the Nationals assigned the 18-year-old to Class A Hagerstown on Saturday afternoon.  Wanting to make the most of every Spring Training opportunity, Harper mentioned that he was feeling “hitterish” the other day.  What exactly does “hitterish” mean? Well, it’s a good thing that our friends at Diamond Hoggers are here to break it down for everybody.

(more…)

Today on The Baseball Show Clint Evans of Diamond Hoggers and I usher in Spring Training the best way we know how. Today we talked about the following:

• The beginning of Spring Training baseball games
• The Adam Wainwright injury
• Was Jonny Gomes really singing a song in The Karate Kid? Or celebrating not having to face Waino?
• What is Chris Carpenter’s value on the open market if the Cardinals fall out of the race?
• Was the Jose Bautista’s contract a poor move for the Blue Jays?
• Thoughts on Miguel Cabrera’s DUI
• Can Bryce Harper play at the big league level for the Washington Nationals this season?

(more…)

• What’s an installment of Prospect Buzz without a little Bryce Harper speculation? After speaking with Nationals’ Manager Jim Riggleman on Friday morning, John Heyman tweeted that Bryce Harper could reach the big leagues in 2011 if he were to dominate “at every level.” Although I still doubt that it will actually happen, the fact that Riggleman, and presumably Mike Rizzo, have entertained the idea is exciting.  Jeff Sullivan over at SBNation contemplates the type of numbers Harper must put up at each stop to make his debut in 2011, and believes they might have to be similar to Ken Griffey, Jr.’s during his brief, minor league career. At least we know that he’ll be documenting his entire ascent to stardom…

• Apparently Carlos Santana will take some reps at first base during Spring Training, and undoubtedly increase his fantasy value with each one.  After sustaining a gruesome, season-ending knee injury in 2010, Santana is finally healthy…and the Tribe obviously wants to keep it that way.  With the possibility of playing first base, he becomes an even more intriguing fantasy option behind the plate; he might be able to avoid further knee or leg injuries and will likely play more games than originally anticipated.

(more…)

It has been altogether too long since I have written for the Sombrero, and with the news of pitchers and catchers reporting on Monday morning, I knew that this amateur writer needed to report very soon as well.  It has been a terribly long offseason, and with a potential trip to Phoenix for Spring Training only a few weeks away, the thrill of a coming baseball season has gripped me once again.

I certainly hope that I’ll be chronicling another triumphant Pioneer run to the finals of the Midwest Conference tournament, adding to my “Four Ballparks” series, and once again extolling Ubaldo Jimenez’s virtues after ten wins and a 0.78 ERA in the season’s first two months. But for now, I’ll settle for a commentary on some of the offseason’s biggest headlines.  They may be old news, but I will begin by evaluating big offseason moves from the two franchises nearest and dearest to my heart.

(more…)

• Jesus Montero has been training with Joe Girardi and Tony Pena at the Yankees’ Spring Training complex since the end of January, and has apparently shed a few pounds in the process.  Although 28-year-old Russell Martin will likely serve as the Yankees’ primary catcher, Montero will have a shot to win the back up role during Spring Training.  Sliding Into Home dissects some comments made this week by the confident 21-year-old, who is preparing to make a strong impression in the coming weeks.

• It should come as no surprise that the Los Angeles Angels are planning to take their sweet-ass time grooming their prized-prospect, Mike Trout.  This week, Angels GM Tony Reagins announced that the 19-year-old outfielder will begin the season in Double-A, and that it’s “unlikely” we will see him in the Major Leagues until 2012.  This offseason, Trout was crowned baseball’s top prospect headed into the 2011 season, ahead of the immaculate Bryce Harper.

(more…)