Lightning Bench Coach Retires

The only Bench Coach that the Lightning have known left Philly with the Team, but didn't follow them to Wichita.

Instead Bobby Becker moved to Miami.

"I couldn't be happier," said Becker, "I get to spend every day with my family and kids."

Many in the organization had pushed for Bobby's firing after the team flamed out early in last years playoffs. Although GM zhawks stood steadfastly behind his teams Bench Coach to the Media, there were rumors that behind closed doors Becker had been told he was on a short leash.

"I went out on my own terms," Becker stated in his press release, "I didn't lock any players in the closet or get pushed out due to poor performance, this one was on me."

Becker had never won less then 95 games for the Lightning (94 for his career) and had 583 career wins, 489 for the Lightning and one AL pennant.

Alternative Energy Solutions aquires Black Lightning

In a surprise move the commissioners office approved the sale of the Black Lightning to AES out of Wichita, KS. The club was promptly relocated and moved to the state of Kansas, where division rival Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus are also located.

In a press release earlier today GM zhawks stated "We are happy to be moving to a great city, but sad to leave one as well."

The team did not say openly why the move took place, although a club insider, who asked to remain anonymous, did say "The city was restless after having very little success and past ownership, the Philadelphia Inquirer , was having trouble meeting financial obligations after dealing out huge contracts the past few seasons."

The Franchise won 489 games and five division titles in five seasons in Philly.

Stay tuned as more from this story develops.

Heros & Chumps League Championships (Season 6)

Salem over Montreal (4-1)

Hero: Chad Lamb, Salem's staff Ace, took the mound in Game 1, and deciding game 5, going 8 innings a piece while giving up only 1 earned run. He did allow 3 additional runs to cross the plate in game 3, 2 the direct result of errors in the field, while the 3rd was taked on following one of the errors. In those 16 innings, he allowed only 10 hits, 6 walks while striking out 11 of Montreal's hitters.

Chump: Pat Politte, Montreal's dominating lefty, took the mound in games 2 & 5, lasting only 6 & 5 innings respectively while giving up 7 hits a piece, and 5 runs a piece. For a man who's name is often mentioned in the Cy Young race, and deservadly so, this postseason would best be forgotten.

Syracuse over Little Rock (3-2)

Hero: Sergei Hollandsworth earned all of his 1.8 millon dollar salary as Syracuse's bench coach in these playoffs. Down 0-2 to New York, Hollandsworth inspired his players for 3 straight wins to come back and steal that series. Down 0-2 to Little Rock, Syracuse again bounced back to win 3 straight, then a series clinching game 7 to win the series. Hollandsworth smooth handling of the personalities w/n the Cuse's locker room tempered the fustration with early defeats and paved the way for come backs in both series (Translation, in such an up & down series, no one really stood out individually)

Chump: For the 2nd straight season, Syracuse's opposing training staff in the NL championship round earned chump status for failing to keep their players properrly stretched and loosing multiple players to series ending injury. If 18 millon in training wasn't enough for Boise last season on Syracuse's poorly maintained playing diamonds, Little Rock's 13 million wasn't going to cut it either. Message to NL contenders for next season, if you want to get past the Cuse, be preparred to drop 20 millon on your training department or chance having the Don of Syracuse take out your players one by one.

Heros and Goats (Round 2)

Thanks to thanksgiving, Round 1 won't be coming, and Round 2 is delayed, but better late than never:

Montreal over Trenton (3-0)

Hero: When you outscore the opponent 25-7 in a 3 game sweep, pinpointing a series here is like shooting fish in a barrel. Potential league MVP Andy Clayton however stood a little taller than his teammates in the series. Despite an 0-4 showing in the series clinching game, Andy knocked out 3 homers, crossing the plate 6 times and gathering 7 rbi while setting the pace thru the first 2 games. He started the scoring both games, with a solo shot in game 1 and a 3 run dinger in the home half of game #2.

Goat: It would be a bit unfair to pin all of Trenton's blame on the shoulders of Hugh Collins, however after 3 dominate innings in the 1st round series verse Jacksonville, Hugh gave up 5 earned runs in 3.1 innings over 2 appearances vs Montreal. He also allowed 2 inherited runners to cross the plate in game 1, turning a tight 4-2 (2-2 at the start of the inning) game into a 6-2 blowout with Montreal squarely in command of the opening game. Hugh still projects as a solid setup man for his major league career, hopefully this is not his Rick Ankiel moment.

Salem over Kansas City (3-2)

Hero: Keith Bagwell. Despite spending his entire season in the starting rotation, Keith slide over to the bullpen for the 1st series, awaiting his starting spot in the Divisional championships. Keith responded well, providing 5.1 innings of 1 run relief.

Goat: Jerry Hayes has had a series to forget. After getting trashed for 9 earned runs in his only appearance in the series vs Philly, Hayes spotted Salem 5 runs in the 1st inning of the series opening game. Showing a bit of veteran poise, Jerry managed to string together 4 solid innings after the 1st inning debacle before turning things over to the pen. Taking his bounce back, Jerry demanded the ball in the deciding game 5. Things looked promising thru the first couple, while Jerry gave up only 1 hit, however holding tight to a 1-0 lead, Jerry cruised a meatball down the middle of the plate that Angel Valdes crushed for just his 2nd major league home run and turned the tide. KC would bounce back to tie the game the next inning, but Hick Hartley promotly lifted one over the fences to lead of Salem's half of the 4th inning, then putting the final nails in the coffin, back to back doubles by Hartley and Arnold drove in 2 more runs. Game, set, match. For his 3 game playoff run, Jerry gave up 19 runs.

Syracuse over New York (3-2)

Hero: After falling behind 2 games to none to begin round 2, Syracuse rebounded strong, outscoring the Evil Empire 22-8 over the final 3. No one came up bigger over the final 3 than second baseman Ryan Carr. Ryan drove in 9 runs for the series, including 6 over the final 2 games and a decisive bases clearing 3 run double in game 5.

Goat: Carlos Zubaran came to the plate 20 times in this series. Carlos managed 4 walks, but had as many hits as you and I, and the exact same number of rbi. Hoping to erase the bad taste out of his mouth following last seasons 1 rbi, 0 run showing in the playoffs, Zubaran did nothing this series to convince the Evil Empire to extend his deal beyond next season. This is the 2nd straight season Zubaran's season has come to an end in Chump Status.

Little Rock over San Diego (3-1)

Hero: Little Rock had plenty of competition to choose for this spot, but perhaps none stood bigger than Little Rock third bagger Vic Sosa. Vic opened the series w/ a 2 run homer to start the scoring in a game 1 victory, then ended game 3 w/ a solo shot in the 11th to give Little Rock a 2-1 series lead. For the Series, Vic batted .306 with 9 rbi. Following last season's chump award in the playoffs, Sosa has put Little Rock on his back and hopes to carry them to the world series despite mounting injuries to the pitching staff and lineup.

Goat: San Diego's offense. The pitching was far less than perfect, but with a number of hitters under the mendoza line at series end, San Diego may be shopping for a new hitting coach next year, or at least a good team psychologist.

Draft Review (Part 4)

Final installment, here we go:



#28: Jeremi_Levis Jeremi has a solid all around bat, though lacking the pop traditionally seen for a corner infielder/outfielder, or the speed for a defender up the middle. His defense is solid, though not good enough to stay at SS in the majors. Jeremi could turn into a gold glove third baseman, and if tacoma can find pop at some other positions, his contact, splits and batting eye are going to look awfully solid in the back half of that order. Excellant value this late, seems like a great fit for the ultra pitcher friendly Tacoma ball park.

#29: Jim_Rollins The Salem juco scouts liked this kid a bit more than their advanced scouts. Fairly average across the board in splits, stamina, stuff, etc.. Jimmy never going to be a star, though he'll likely spend a few seasons filling out the back of Salem's rotation or pitching some long relief

#30: Stevie_Lane Stevie is the prototypical utility man on defense, great no where, but able to fill in at many spots. He fails to make solid contact at an acceptable rate, but provides solid power from both sides of the plate. He never star in San Diego, but he'll be a valuable bench bat for a few seasons until he gets expensive.

#31: Flip_James Little Rock would been better off flipping this pick for something else. Drafted as a SS out of Valdosat State, Flip was immediatley switched to 2b. Some scouts question if he'll even be able to fill that role in the majors. If he can't defend up the middle, his bat belongs no where near an every day role.

#32: Benny_Montana Another reach late in the 1st round. While Benny displays solid, but not chart topping defensive skills in CF, his approach falls short of a prototypical 1st round pick. Displaying little power potential and poor contact skills, while displaying mediocre splits and batting eye, Benny may find himself as a late defensive replacement, if he ever makes the show.

#33: PJ_Wesson The 2nd straight HS outfielder from Missouri, PJ doesn't show the defensive ability to play a key defensive position, but should be average out in LF. At the plate, PJ Wesson won't blow you away, but unlike his MO all star teammate, PJ should be able to hold his own at the plate. He's average to above average across the boards with great speed, but poor base running technique. PJ will likely spend a few promising season starting in the majors, and will certainly be a great left handed bat off the bench for LF and 1b, but don't count on many all-star apperances.

#34: Bob_Parrish A soft tossing righty out of Illinois, Bob spurned his hometown Illini to come play for the great Philly Organization. Philly owner zhawks was quoted as saying they had other options on the board, but he liked Parrish too much to allow him to spend the next 3 or 4 seasons watching the Zookster erode a once proud football program. On the Diamond, Parrish is quite the steal this late in the draft. While many owners may have been concerned with his lower stamina ratings and questionable health, Parrish should be able to provide the occasional spot start, and lots of innings of long relief in the majors. Displaying great sink, and dominating control of righties, Parrish will likely strive for about 100 innings a season swinging b/w the bullpen and the rotation.

#35: Dizzy_Lindsey Easily the 2nd greatest Dizzy to ever pick up a glove, Lindsey is a bit of a steal as the last 1st round draft pick (not including Type A/B comps). A college SS out of Canada, Dizzy is closer to reaching his projections than most. His glove may limit his starting status, as will his low vsL split, but he should be able to provide many quality "utility" at bats and innings.

Draft Review (Part 3)

Lets get thru this quick & dirty:

#18: Alex_Nunez Charlotte drafted a CF that projects to be a near elite defender, w/ a league average bat that should be able to man CF for a long time, with top end speed. So what's not to like about this kid? Despite the 100 level speed, his baserunning skills are mediocre and his make-up is on the lower side bringing into doubt his ability to reach these projections. Still, if he gets close, this is a steal this late in the game.

#19: Seth_Webb Buffalo picked up great value w/ this 2nd baseman. While he projects to fall just short of stardom, he'll certainly be above average both at the plate and in the field. Injuries are a slight concern, and he's already made 1 trip to the DL, but they shouldn't be too much of a worry.

#20: BArry_Vickers Barry is one of the elite pitching prospects in this draft. Splits are only average, but control and stamina are great, top end movement, sink and zip on his fastball, plus an additional 4 average to above average to mix up. So why did he fall so far? Probably his 45 health rating. If Vickers can stay out of the training room, Dover picked themselves up an all star pitcher.

#21: Darren_Delany What's a good spot to draft an all-star closer? 21st sounds like a good place, and Fresno landed themselves a stud. Darren's velocity and sink are average at best, however pin point control of a ++ fastball/change up combo are what make this right hander so deadly. May give up a few long balls to left handers, but should shut down right handers for the most part while being able to pick up a handful of 2 inning saves.

#22: Pablo_Urbina Pablo was a certain reach at this point, questionable health, average splits, below average control, limited stamina, though great sink and 2 ++ pitches. He'll dazzle at times and fustrate at others, could be a real solid Setup B guy, perhaps even a setup A guy if he exceeds projections in a couple of areas.

#23: Sherman_Sanders Sherman is one of those guys you'd love to have on your bench. He could DH at times, play LF or 1B, perhaps even some CF in a pinch, great speed, solid baserunning skills, hits righties pretty well, but below average contact and power for an everyday 1B or corner outfielder. Health is a concern, but at 22, he should hit the majors quickly and provide a solid bat for the bench.

#24: Charlie_Sarloos Chucky is a righty pitcher out of college w/ intriguing stuff. A great fastball w/ solid sink, but little velocity highlights skills, 3 additional average pitches, good control and splits. Chucky won't be a star in the majors, but he'll certainly eat up plenty of innings. Great value this late in the draft.

#25: Dave_Smith Another solid value pick. Dave handles right handers with ease, but struggles verse the tougher lefties. Great control, sink, and zip on 3 pitchers, but lower stamina and durability will likely relegate Dave to long relief out of the pen. As long as the oppossing team isn't stacked w/ left handers, Dave will be a solid addition to any pen.

#26: Willie_BArker Willie's a little bit of everything, and a lot of nothing. Willie has the glove and accuracy of a first baseman, but the range and arm strength of a corner outfielder. A lefthander who hits lefties well, but struggles verse righties, solid contact, but below average power for a corner bat. Great batting eye, poor baserunning skills. If you could flip his splits, he'd make a solid platoon bat, but his projected skill set may leave him lingering in the minors more than playing in the show.

#27: Rafel_Marts If one were to only look at the control, velocity, sink and quality of the 3 pitches this closer in waiting posseses, they'd predict stardom. Take a look at his splits, and you see a kid that gets hit around alot. Unless WIS implements middle of the plate hitters, Martis is going to struggle in the upper reaches of the minors, though he's probably good for a cup of coffee in the show.

Mid Season Roundup

First, just clear up this weekend's festivies, in case you weren't paying attention...

Omar Lopez of Tacoma won the home run derby with 8 deep shots in the final round, besting Jose Armas' 6 dingers in the last round. In true Josh Hamilton fashion, Armas may have lost the derby, but he won the hearts of Americans everywhere with 17 homers in round 2. Unfortunately, he wore out the arm of his geriratic batting practice pitcher and didn't have quite the location in the final round leading to a few balls just short of clearing the fence, while clearing the way for Omar's victory. The other story line of the Derby was Hic Hartley's Derby best 507 foot blast off the light tower. Hic only lasted 1 round, but he had the shot that will be played on highlight shows for the next 20 seasons.

The Futures game saw the World's team besting the US contigent 7-4 as the internationals got to two of Americas most promising youth pitchers, Connie LaMasters and Corbin Walters, for 3 runs a piece.

In the ML All-star game, the NL got out to an early 4-0 lead thanks to the strength of a Jose Armas 3 run blast off of Oscar Bauman, and held on for a 4-3 victory. The AAA all star game was won by the AL 6-5 in similar fashion as the AL got out to an early 6-0 lead, then held on despite the AAA NL's best efforts. In AA, the AL bested the NL 6-4. In both High A and Low A, the ALs best prospects continued the trend of knocking around the NL's prospects w/ victories in both circuits all star games, 7-2 and 12-1 respectively.

Despite being just past the half-way mark, many of the races in the AL have settled into form and leave little for suspense in the 2nd half barring an historic run. Montreal and Salem have seperated themselves from the pack, despite having 2 of the stronger Wild Card contenders in their own divisions. In the AL South, Jacksonville has riden the strength of Oscar Bauman to pace themselves to a 10-0 lead, while over in the AL East Kansas City's offseason spending splurge has put them 6 games out in front of consecutive 4-time division champ Philly.

In the "objects in the rearview mirror are closer than they appear" catagory, both the aforementioned Philly Black Lightening, and Iowa City I Wanna Score More Runs have both the talent and the history to not count themselves completely out of the WC or division races just yet. Expect a strong run from 1 or both of these teams down the stretch.

Over in the NL, expect Syracuse to lock up their division any time now, as they've paced themselves not only to the league's best record, but also to its largest division lead. New York and Little Rock both have solid leads, and signifcantly more talent than their divisional competitors and should wrap up their divisions early as well. The NL West is the race to watch in the 2nd half. San Diego leads Boise by just 2 games at the break, with both stacked to go deep in the playoffs. Portland currently holds the last playoff spot in the AL, but Minnesota, Dover, Charlotte, Atlanta & Fresno are waiting to make their move.

Season 6 draft review (Part 2)

I'll trim this one up a bit in an attempt to get more picks covered in quicker fashion.

#11: Brooks_Nance A 2nd year Juco, Brooks displays solid control and excellant sink on an array of 5 pitchers, higlighted by his potentially ++ 4 seamer. Splits are slightly below average, but not terrible, ok stamina and solid durability should allow him to eat up many innings. Not much zip on his fastball, so don't count on strikeouts, however w/ that much sink, if he gets a solid defense behind him he should fill out the back of a rotation, if not make a solid #3 at his peak.

Comp: Bob_Guerrero Guerrero has far more zip on his fastball than Nance, but similar everywhere else. Bob has ate up a bunch if innings at the back of Trenton's order with roughly league average results, a good goal for Nance

#12: Fernando_Franco The 1st of 2 consecutive pitchers taken by Houston aimed at adding depth to the minor league system. Unfortunately, neither will star in the majors, should they ever reach the show. Franco is clearly the better of the 2 with a shot at providing long relief in the show one day. His splits are solid, but his stuff is roughly average, with decent sink, but below average control. With a history of great health, and solid stamina he may be able to fill in as a Long B and occasional swing starter to give others a bit of a rest.

Comp: Oleg_Penny

#13: Lawarence_Truby Another lefty with a solid history of health and great stamina. Lawerence excels vs Lefties and has even better sink and more stuff than Franco, however he has 2 bit "yeah but....s" going for him. With projected control of just 46, he'll walk far to many to excell in the show, and his vR skill is well below average. As a 21 year old w/ a long ways to go before reaching his projections, his ceiling looks like a AAAA pitcher, occasionally filling in for an injury at the big league level.

Comp: Billy_Gabriel Billy is the right handed version of Truby. If they ever get the LOOGY specialist figured out, Truby would be a solid edition to the pen, but righties w/ good batting eyes should eat him alive.

#14: Troy_Kubinski Troy makes an interesting case. In some respects he could have been drafted much higher, in others he may fall just short of being a star. At any rate, he'll be a solid pro, if not an occasional all star. His outstanding makeup is his most enhances his otherwise average SS fielding projections. Assuming he comes closer to meeting this projections due to high makeup than your average kid, Troy should be able to hold his own in the field, while his switch hitting approach and across the board average batting skills (save poor power) will make him an asset to the bottom of any batting order. He does nothing poorly at the plate, but nothing outstanding. His key will be getting those fielding projections into check, if he has to move to 3b, his bat will be less than adequate.

Comp: Lou_Gumbert should Troy reach his fielding projections, similar to Lou's skill set, he should provide a similar bat in the field. Lou's got more power, Troy projects for more contact enhanced by his ability to hit from both sides of the plate.

#15: Desi_Carreres Desi was rated as the top closer in the draft. Excellant stamina (for a closer), excellant control, splits, speed, sink and a killer curveball Desi could do lots of damage. However, his below average health and lack of a high quality 2nd pitch and no 3rd (or 4th) pitch to speak of gives one cause for concern. If he can stay healthy he should provide some dominate relief work, sprinkled in with a handful of blownsaves.

Comp: Danny_McCracken McCraken throws from the opposite side of the bump, but is quite similar w/o as much sink, but a better 2nd pitch; Desi should be at least equal to McCraken if not better.

#16: James_Sheets Florida drafted a collegiate right hander fresh out of James Andrews operating table. When healthy, Sheets hould be more than able to hold down the middle of any rotation, particular one anchored by future hall of famer Corban Walters, however scouts think he'll spend more time on the mend than on the major league bump.

Comp: Brandon_Lazzeri Bradon has managed to scath thru with only 1 major stint on the DL, something Sheets would love to accomplish. Get the majors healthy, and he may just find himself with an equally big payday.

#17: Andy_Rojas Rumor on the street is that Kansas City may have drafted the best overall pitcher in this draft, however my scouts have had an easier time finding a whore in the local nunery than catching a glimpse of anything Rojas has to offer.

Season 6 draft review, aka the year of the "yeah, but..."

With most of this season's top picks signed, sealed and delivered, its time to review the picks, and how each team did in the draft. The draft seemed to be fairly thin on talent, with a ton of kids that looked pretty good overall, but were missing 1 or 2 skills that made you wishing for just a little more.

#1: Ken_Borland kicks off the draft as well as our "yeah but..." review. This HS senior is still awaiting a final decision on signing w/ Albuquerque, but word on the street is that he'll stick to his promise of signing if drafted in the first round, though it may require a bit more cash. This left handed speedster has off the charts contact and batting eye skills, with a great approach vs righties, and solid enough vs lefties. Projects as a prototypical leadoff hitter w/ solid power (projected to 50), perhaps even a 3rd hole hitter if one can ignore his classic 3-hole pop. So where's the "yeah, but...?" Ken has well below average makeup, making many scouts wonder how much of his potential will ever be fully tapped, and even more damning, his defense projects to left field or 1b. Bottom line, he's going to make a great pro, and is certainly worth of the pick, but ideally you'd like more pop out of your LF or 1b. If Ronzabill can pick up some power at other defensive minded position, Borland's lack of range will quickly be forgotten when he's leading the league in OBP.

Update: Signed for $4.0 mil after the initial draft

Comp: Willis_Lewis Borland should be better offensively, but a shade worse defensively than Trenton's young leadoff hitter


#2: Delino_Rodriquez Boston really hit a home run with this pick. Delino is a HS Centerfielder batting from the left side. Great contact and power, solid splits and a decent batting eye. Top end speed and range and enough glove to stay in CF. It would be picking nits to find a "yeah but..." with Delino. Yes his makeup is low, and he'll likely fall a bit short on durability needed a 20-30 days off a season, but his bat will more than make up for either of those issues. Delino has future MVP written all over his projections.


Comp: Hick_Hartley Consider Delino to be the Center field versino of Salem's all star third bagger. In other words, get ready to pony up some serious cash for this kid when he hits the free agent market sometime around season 16.


#3: Rickey_Norton The first pitcher selected, this southpaw has stuff that makes the drool. Norton throws a mid-90s fastball with pinpoint control to dominate both sides of the plate, not to mention outstanding stamina that has him pitching deep into games. So what's not to like? None of Norton's pitches project to be dominate, though 2 should be well above average. His changeup may well be dropped before he hits the majors. However with that control and splits, he should make several all-star games.


Comp: Chili_Stocker Chili has 1 more above average pitch than Norton projects, and has managed to win twice as many games as he's lost. I'm assuming most would be happy with a young cheap Chili Clone.

#4: Marshal_Svuem A switch hitting SS out of Washington, Marshall possess great contact skills w/ a particularly sharp approach vs lefties. An above average eye and solid baserunning skills to compliment his great speed. yeah but...? Marshall's displays a lack of range and arm strength making many scouts question his ability to stick at SS in the majors, while lacking the ideal power many would prefer at 3rd. Similar to Borland, he's got enough skill to stick somewhere in the majors and be a key cog on a playoff team, but Tampa Bay will need to find some power to complement his talent

Comp: TJ_STark The switching second baseman of the Evil Empire possesses a similar, if not better bat than Svuem, however Svuem will be more of an asset in the field with better arm strength and accuracy. Stark, has hit for a decent .801 OPS while stealing over 100 bases in 6 majore league seasons, a level Svuem should be able to hit during his tenure.

#5: Chet_Turner A sweet swinging lefty first bagger from New Mexico, Chet projects as the classic 3 hole hitter. Great contact, splits and batting eye, and just enough pop to clear the bases 30+ times a season. He'd fit the middle 3rd of any lineup at his projections, the only draw back is that similar to most solid bats, he's limited to 1b and not much else. Durability and health are a small problem, but shouldn't deter him from picking up a handful of silver sluggers along the way.

Comp: Vincente_Arias Chet projects similar to Little Rock's hot shot rookie 1st baseman. Arias bashed his way to a near .900 OPS in the minors, while being fairly young for his level at each step. His current .955 OPS mark at the midway point is no mirage and something Chet Turner can aspire to in a few seasons.

#6: John_Hayes A HS 3rd baseman, Hayes will need to transition into a corner OF spot in the majors. Despite just average contact skills, Hayes projects great power, solid splits and a keen batting eye. While he only possesses average speed, one can tell he's a true student of the game when they notice his outstanding approach on the basepaths.

Comp: Patrick_Watson While Watson has the advantige of swinging from both sides of the plate, Hayes should be able to come close to his .850 major league OPS.

#7: Chris_Langston The first real question mark of the draft. A Juco SS, Langston lacks the ideal range to star at the SS position in the majors. While he posses just average batting skills across the board, if his ideal makeup and coaching can improve his range to an acceptable rate while meeting his projections elsewhere, he'll make a solid major league SS until his price tag gets too high.

Comp: Rich_Clarke Cincity's SS possesses simlar range to Langston's projection and a similar, though less potent bat.

#8: Adam_Billingsly Premier defensive talent at SS, this switch hitter projects to more than hold his own at the bottom of the order to compliment his golden glove. However, while his glove is nearly major league ready, he's still got a good amount of work to do at the plate before he's ready for the show. Willing to sign for slot, he's patiently waiting for Nashville to free up some funds before making his minor league debut.

Comp: Vic_VEnezula Adam shows slightly more promise in the field than Albequerque's gold glove level SS, while possessing a slightly less potent bat. Neither are the cornerstones of their respective franchises, both are solid pieces of a major league lineup.

#9: Mandy_Hansen the Clubbers were thrilled to see Hansen slide this far in the draft. A JR switch hitter out of UNLV is still awaiting a larger payday before signing his name on the dotted line. The product of Barry Manilow concert, Mandy display's supurb contact, solid power and splits, but just an average batting eye. His defense is less than ideal, but solid enough to stick at 2b in the majors.

Update: actually his 1st name is Mendy, which perhaps makes the Barry Manilow reference all that more relevant and funny.

Comp: Francis_Kennedy Iowa's left field displays similar contact and splits to Hansen's projected level while both display a less than ideal batting eye. Hansen's ability to hit from both sides, combined w/ his better defense will ultimately make him a better player than Kennedy's .800 OPS display to date.

#10: Howard_Bevil The Clubber's 2nd pick in a row, and another middle infielder. Howard displays roughly average majore league potential defensively, with a better than average bat for SS. However his low makeup is a huge "yeah but...". Should he reach his potential he'll definently make a solid addition, otherwise he's an OK 3b

Comp: Jon_Huff Prior to injury and age taking over, Huff was once an .800 OPS bat w slightly below average SS skills. Father time has not been kind to Jon, but a few seasons similar to what we saw in his early years would give Chicago a hell of a middle of the infield.

AL South Top Prospects List

Jacksonville Dolphins

Ramiro Vargas, sp, 21: Vargas currently pitches for the teams Triple A affiliate. He has amazing stamina and good control to go along with a ++ slider in his four pitch selection. Vargas is a righty and projects to throw well to both lefty and righty batters. Vargas could make an appearance in the Majors this year, depending on how competitive the Dolphins are. If you don't see him this year he most certainly will be up at some point next season.

Pete Kirk,sp, 21: Kirk is projected as a front of the rotation starter. The groundball pitcher projects to have good control and velocity to go along with a + 4-seamer and slider. He throws very well to both sides of the plate but does pitch substantially better to righties. Kirk is still at least another year away from the Majors, although there is no guarantee that he will be pitching at the ML level next year.

Alex Silva, ss, 22: Silva projects to be an average fielding ss who is currently fielding for the teams High A affiliate. He has little room for growth in the power on his swing but looks to have quite a bit of development in improving his contact. Silva has a solid eye of the plate, but hits lefties quite a bit better then righties. Silva is still at least two years away from the Majors.

Houston texans

Dion Heathcott, cf, 21: Heathcott projects to be a solid fielding cf with great contact with his bat. he has a solid eye and has quite a bit of room to improve his baserunning skills, couple that with his top notch speed and Heathcott could steal a ton of bases. While Heathcott could play in the Majors this season, expect it to be next year when he debuts.

Steven Jackson, ss, 21: Jackson projects to be a fairly average fielding ss, with good power in his bat. He has solid speed with decent baserunning instincts, which should produce a solid stealing percent. There is a possibility that Jackson could see some Major League action this season but more realistically he will debut next season.

Dan Downs, 1b, 21: Downs has an all around solid bat, great contact with good power and eye. He has good speed and hits both pitchers solid. Downs projects to be more of a dh then 1b, due to his lack of glove skills, although he can work some 1b throughout a season.


Tampa Bay Waves


Johnny Powell, cf, 20: Powell projects as either a solid cf or a below average ss defensively. He has is very fast and couples that with baserunning skills that are still developing, but could allow him to one day be a very good base stealer. He has a good eye and the righty hits both lefties and righties equally well. He does not have outstanding contact or power with his bat but is decent in both areas. Powell could get some time on the ML club this season, but expect last years #5 pick to be a year or two out before he hits the Majors.

Walter Russell, sp, 20: Russell is a frontline starting pitching prospect. He is very good all across the board. He combines two + pitches, a slider and 4-seamer, with good control and great velocity. The lefty pitches equally well to both right handed and left handed batters. Russell looks to be two seasons away from the Majors, although it is very dependent upon how fast he develops.

Red Hitchcock, sp, 21: Hitchcock is one of the top pitching prospects in the league. He projects to be an elite control pitcher who has the velocity to match it. The lefty pitches very well to both sides of the plate. The only knock on Hitchcock throughout his career has been his lack of a + pitch, but he has three good pitches a 4-seamer, curve and change-up.


Iowa City I Wanna Score More


Victor Espinoza, rp, 20: Espinoza is a solid relief prospect, he has good control of his projected ++ 4-seamer and good curve. He pitches to lefties and righties well. Look for Espinoza to break into the Majors in the next 2 seasons.

Gorkys Gonzales, sp, 19: Gonzales projects to be a middle of the rotation starter. With his good control, velocity and good l/r splits. He projects to have solid stamina. Gonzales, who signed an $8.9 million bonus last season to come to Iowa's farm system is at least two more years out of the Majors.

Will Tresh, ss, 21: Tresh projects to be a below average ss defensively and might be better suited to play 3b. He has solid contact that still has room to improve and hits lefties better then righties. Tresh has adequate power in his swing. Tresh is still another year away from the Majors.

AL East Top Prospects List

Hartford Yellow Jackets


Doc Harris, sp, 24: Harris is a top notch starting pitching prospect. He projects to be a top of the line starter. He combines elite stamina with good control and velocity with a projected ++ 4-seamer and good curve. He throws better to righties then lefties. Expect to see Harris in the Majors by next season, if he doesn't make his debut this year.

Alex Baker, cf, 20: Baker is a fantastic prospect for the Yellow Jackets. He has limited range and projects to be a below average cf defensively and might be better suited to play in a corner outfield position. He projects to have amazing contact and a great eye to go with good power. He hits righties substantially better then lefties and has elite speed, but lacks baserunning skills to make the best of his speed. Baker could start in the Majors this year but looks to be a year or so away from making his major league debut.

Ted Hines, cf, 22: Hines is a good cf prospect, he projects to have better range then Baker, which means he will most likely be the one starting in cf in a few years. He projects to have good contact and solid power. He has a decent eye and also hits righties better then lefties. Look for Hines to make his Major League debut sometime next year.

Houston Dreifort, ss, 19: Last years 16th overall pick, Dreifort is a subpar defensive ss and is likely to move to 3b when he nears the majors. He has good contact and baserunning skills to go along with elite speed and he hits righties and lefties well. Dreifort is still quite a few years away from the Majors.


Boston Puritans


Placido Prieto, sp, 19: Last years #3 pick looks to be a front of the line starter in Boston. The knock on him is that he is a flyball pitchers. He has lower stamina but should still be able to pitch 5-6 innings for Boston. He is a lefty and pitches well to both righties and lefties and has elite control and good velocity. He projects to have a + curve with a good slider and change. Preito is still three plus years away from the majors.

Pokey House, 2b, 21: House projects to have elite contact and great baserunning skills to go with lightning fast speed, given the chance he could easily steal 100 bases a season once he reaches the majors. House has average eye and hits lefties much better then righties. Expect to see House in the Majors in the next two years.

Aramis Zurbaran, rf, 24: Zurbaran is a solid rf who made his ML debut two seasons ago. He has good contact with his bat and a good eye to go with that. He also has great speed and good baserunning instincts that should go a long way towards helping him steal many bases over his career. Expect to see Zurbaran in the Majors sometime this year.


Philadelphia Black Lightning

Ivan Valenzuela, 2b, 24: Valenzuela is a 2b prospect whose defense is subpar for the position. He projects to be a better lf/1b then 2b. He has decent contact and power, hits both lefties and righties ok and has a good eye and has decent speed with baserunning skills. Expect to see Valenzuela in the Majors next year, although he could easily play in a utility role for the club this season if needed.

Tom Owens, rp, 23: Owens is a top-notch closer prospect and he is expected to take over the closer role for the club in the future. He projects to have elite control and velocity and projects to have two ++ pitches, a 4-seamer and curve to go along with two more pitches. Expect to see Owens in the Majors next season, although he could be used this season if the clubs bullpen struggles.

Tim Casey, ss, 22: Casey projects as the Major League clubs starting ss this season, but has not been called up to the majors. He is by far the clubs best defensive player and has a good bat too. His elite speed and baserunning skills have the club thinking about running much more this season. He has only average contact at best and doesn't hit lefties or righties all that well but has a decent eye. Look for Casey to get the call up before the regular season starts.


Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus


Brian Davis, sp, 19: Davis is a solid starting pitching prospect. Last years #7 pick projects to have an elite control and pitches to lefties and righties well. He projects out a + sinker with a good slider. He has lower stamina for a starter but he will still find a place in a rotation in the Majors. Davis is still three plus years out.

Pascual Benitez, cf, 23: Last seasons #9 pick, who signed with KC in the winter, projects to be a solid cf with good range and glove. He sees the ball very well from righties and still projects to improve quite a bit. He projects to be an elite contact hitter with good baserunning skills and the speed to use them. Benitez is still a few years away from the Majors, but should find a place in KC's outfield at some point in the future.

Fred Turner, 2b, 22: Turner is a contact hitting 2b that has solid power and is pretty good all across the board. He hits lefties better then righties and has a good eye. Look for Turner to break into the Majors in a year or two.

AL North Top Prospects List

As Spring Training starts let's take a look at the top prospects from the AL North.

Montreal Royals


Al Johnson, 3b, 19: Johnson is a solid hitting 3b who currently plays for the Royals Low A affiliate. He projects as a solid power hitter and is good at seeing the ball out of both righties and lefties. Johnson might not be an everyday player in the Majors, but he projects to be a solid bench bat at the very least.

Santiago Zurbaran, rp, 25: Zurbaran is one of the top closer prospects in the league. He projects to have fantastic control of his pitches and couples a ++ 4-seamer with a + curve and a good change-up for a solid set of three pitches. He throws to both lefties and righties very well. Zurbaran made his major league debut last season, pitching 4.1 innings in 6 apperances giving up no runs. Look for Zurbaran to be in the Royals bullpen sometime this season.

Carl Baptist, cf, 19: Baptist projects a a solid fielding cf with great range. Baptist has never had any power in his swing but he projects to have average contact, with a good eye and the ability to pick up pitches well out of the pitchers hand he could find a place in a Major League lineup 3-4 years from now. Baptist brings superior speed and while he is still developing his baserunning skills, he has the ability to be a great base stealer.


Cincinnati Sinners


Samuel McConnell, rp, 19: McConnell is a setup/closer prospect for the Sinners. The groundball pitcher projects to have good control and velocity and has a three pitch repertoire that projects to include a ++ sinker, + curve and a solid 4-seamer.

Horacio Merced, sp, 23: Merced is a solid starting pitching prospect, he projects to be a middle of the rotation starter in Cinncy. He has elite stamina and projects to have good control and velocity. He pitches well to both lefties and righties. He has a projected + curve but the rest of his four pitches are nothing to write home about. Look for him in the Majors in two or three seasons.

Felix Matthews, 2b, 21: Matthews is the Sinner's top prospect. He is a solid 2b who projects to have good contact to go along with his mostly developed power. He sees the ball much better against lefties but has a good eye that should keep him from being strikeout prone. He has very good speed but his baserunning skills are only so-so. Look for Matthews to be in the Majors in the next 2 seasons.


Buffalo Wings


Adam Patterson, 2b, 21: Patterson is a solid fielding 2b who projects to be an ML starter one day. He has good contact and power and sees pitches out of the glove well. He has an elite eye, that should result in many walks throughout his career and has very good baserunning instinct. Expect to see Patterson in the Majors in two or three seasons, although he has the skills to be play in the Majors today.

Don Gload, sp, 20: Last years #13 pick is one of Buffalo's best prospects. He projects to be a frontline starter with his good control and stamina. He pitches well to both lefties and righties. He doesn't have much velocity and many scouts do not see him improving much from where he is today. He projects to have a + 4-seamer and a good sinker and change for three solid pitches. Gload is at least 2 seasons away from his major league debut.

Arthur Roberts, ss, 20: Roberts is currently playing short for the clubs Triple A affiliate. Roberts does not project to be a ML ss, he could play anywhere in the corner outfield or infield, most likely 3b will be his ML position. He projects to have good power to go with a good eye. Roberts sees the ball well out of the pitchers hand and should be a solid addition to the Wings lineup when he gets there in two or three years.


Trenton Generals

Louie Saenz, sp, 20: Saenz is a middle of the rotation prospect who is currently pitching for the Generals Double A affiliate. He has adequate control of his pitches and projects to have below average velocity. He makes up for that with the ability to pitch well to both lefties and rightie batters and couples three good pitches, projected his best pitch is a + sinker to go along with good circle change and split finger. Saenz could be in the Majors by next season.

Karl Sanders, sp, 19: Last seasons #12 pick, Sanders looks to be near the top of the General's rotation in a few years. Scouts project elite stamina, control and velocity for Sanders. He projects to have a + slider and a good 4-seamer in his 5 pitch selection. Don't expect to see Sanders in the Majors any time soon though.

Rickey Basile, ss, 20: Basile is currently playing short for the clubs Double A affiliate. He projects to be a slightly below average fielding ss at the major league level and doesn't wow anyone with his bat but won't be an offensive liability either. He projects to have solid power with a decent eye. He hits lefties quite a bit better the righties. Expect to see Basile in the Majors in one or two seasons.

Best on the Block (Pitchers)

Now it's time to take a look at the Best on the Block, Pitchers! Winter Meetings are over and the top Free Agents have found their new homes, let's see what can be had via trade.

Denny Hukata, su, Nashville Studs ($11.6 million / 2 years): Hukata is a LH setup reliever for the Nashville Studs. He has elite control and velocity and is a groundball pitcher. He pitches to lefties better then righties and has 2 solid pitches in his sinker and curve. Up until last season Hukata had been the closer for the franchise for two seasons while they still played in Florida. over those two seasons he was 72/81 for a .889 save percent. Last season he pitched in 60 games and was 15/22 in save attempts, but gave up the most home runs in his career in 15. His career era is 4.73.

Allen Anderson, sp, Pittsburgh Pranksters ($17.7 million / 3 years): Anderson is a solid righty who has fantastic control and velocity with his pitches and good stamina, allowing him to pitch deep into games occasionally. He has a + 4-seam fastball to go along with solid slider and cut fastball but they aren't anything to write home about. His l/r splits are not fantastic but get the job done. In his two full seasons with Pittsburgh he has averaged 8 wins with a 3.65 era and 171.1 innings.

Ramon Hujimoto, sp, Nashville Studs ($1.4 million / 1 year): Hujimoto is a lefty starter who has amazing stamina, he can pitch deep into any game. He has great control of his pitches and many scouts around the league say he has not quite reached his potential yet. He has a ++ 4-seamer to go along with a + slider. The knock on Hujimoto has always been his lack of velocity and mediocre l/r splits. Last season he set a career high in wins with 13 and gave up the least hrs in any full season with 25.

Jerry King, sp, Philadelphia Black Lightning ($12.5 million / 1 year): Coming into last season King was Philly's number two starter but around mid-season the franchise went in a completely different direction with starting pitchers after acquiring Wayne Anderson, Brian Baek and Ted Phillips, which lead King to the bullpen as a long reliever. The club entertained a few offers for him late last season but behind the scene King executed his no-trade clause, leaving the aging starter stuck behind a rotation full of young guns (and one extremely old and overpaid geezer). King still has great stamina, which allows him to pitch deep into games and has good control. His velocity has slipped since his prime but is not poor. In his two seasons in Philly he averaged 14 wins and 201.2 innings and a dazzling 3.85 era, just slightly above his career 3.81.

Galahad Dale, sp, Salem Witch Doctors ($19 million / 2 years): Dale is a great all around pitcher and easily could be the Ace of many rotations. He has great stamina, control and velocity to go with very good l/r splits overall. The knock on Dale is that he is a flyball pitcher and doesn't have any + pitches. He does have a good 4-seamer and slider as part of his 5 pitch selection. After being acquired from the Florida FlyTekks early last year, Dale went 13-11 with a 4.11 era for the Witch Doctors.

Andre Watson, sp, Pittsburgh Pranksters ($360k / 1 year): Watson is in just his third major league year, his stamina is currently lacking but scouts see big room for improvement in that aspect of his game. He has a good control/velocity combo and has a + curve to go with a good 4-seamer. His splits are mediocre but have room for improvement. In his rookie year Watson won 11 games with a 4.36 era.

Goose Sweeney, su, San Diego Zonkeys ($378k / 1 year): Sweeney is a solid left-handed setup man. He has great control over his + sinker and good slider. He pitches much better to lefties then righties and doesn't have great velocity. Last year Sweeney appeared in 25 games for the Zonkeys and was 2-2 with 1 save and a 3.55 era.

Donzell Cosby, sp, Philadelphia Black Lightning ($8 million / 1 year): Another Philly starter who was cast to the bullpen when they made their plethora of moves last summer. Cosby is still a serviceable starter, he has 3 good pitches and still retains his control and good velocity. In the past 4 seasons in Philly he averaged 15 wins, 214.1 innings with 178 strike outs and a 4.29 era.

Al Womack, su, Pittsburgh Pranksters ($1.2 million / 1 year): Womack is a solid setup reliever. He has excellent velocity and good 4-seamer and a still developing change up. He has the potential to be dominant against righties and good against lefties. The knock on him is his lack of control, although some scouts believe he will be able to gain enough control of his pitches by the time he finishes developing that he will be solid. His last two seasons in Pittsburgh have been rough, he has averaged 5 losses and had an ova of .328 and a whip of .203 with a 7.48 era. A change of scenery may be what is in order for Womack to show is talent.

Best on the Block (Position Players)

With the Winter Meetings winding down and the top Free Agents having found their homes let's look at the best players that's names have been swirling in trade rumors.

Ivan Tatis, c/dh, Salem Witch Doctors ($378k / 1 year): Ivan is a 25 year old catcher who has decent pitch calling skills and has the potential to get quite a bit better, it is his great eye and contact that separate him from many other catchers around the league. The last two seasons Ivan has hit .264 with an obp of .356 and accounted for 26 runs.

Brian Gragg, rf, Pittsburgh Pranksters ($26 million / 4 years): Gragg is a solid all around rf with exceptional speed. He has decent power and contact, but hits lefties much better then righties. With his great baserunning skills and speed he is a threat to steal 60+ bases any given year. Gragg's biggest weakness is his durability which requires a few extra days off every year. Last year Gragg set a career mark in home runs with 31 and a career low in strikeouts with only 99. In his last two seasons with Pittsburgh he has hit .284 with 26 hr and 74 rbi.

Vernon Lofton, cf, Boise Spudchuckers ($21.6 million / 4 years): Lofton is a solid cf, he has solid contact and hits both righties and lefties well. The knack on Lofton has been his lower durability. Lofton also brings solid speed and decent baserunning skills to the diamond. Over the past two seasons (both with Boise) Lofton hit .289 with 65 runs and a .351 obp.

Chris Lyons, rf, Philadelphia Black Lightning ($378 / 1 year): Lyons is a 25 year old rf who has great contact potential and already possesses fantastic power. He hits lefties a little better then righties and still has room to mature as a hitter. Lyons is extremely fast and is still learning on the bases but eventually should possess solid baserunning skills. While Lyons was hurt most of last season, in the 43 games he played in he hit .273 with 7 hr and 29 rbi with 10 sb.

Walter Miller, lf, Philadelphia Black Lightning ($21.9 million / 3 years): Miller has been on the trade block for over two seasons now, but has yet to be moved. Last season franchise insiders leaked that the team was close to a deal with the Pittsburgh Pranksters, the deal feel apart after the sides could not agree on the amount of Miller's contract that Philly would pay and the prospects that Pittsburgh would send Philly's way. Miller is a sensational contact hitter who thrives on righties. Miller is a 40/40 threat year in and year out with his amazing speed and solid power at the plate. Last season Miller hit 37 hr with 88 rbi. His sb numbers have fallen every year as Philly has scaled back on their stolen base attempts.

Storm Post, 3b, Hartford Yellow Jackets ($4.5 million / 1 year): Post is a solid 3b who isn't amazing at anything, but solid all the way around. What he does have is excellent speed for a 3b but lacks the baserunning skills to steal a ton of bases. Last season he hit .268 with 10 hr and 55 rbi.

Ronald Barfield, 3b, San Diego Zonkeys ($343k / 1 year): Ronald is a solid 3b who relies on the power of his bat over his contact. He has good vision on both righties and lefties and good baserunning skills but lacks the speed to make much of them. In 41 games last season he hit .233 with 2 hr.

Jolbert Mieses, dh, Philadelphia Black Lightning ($20.1 million / 4 years): No one is really sure how serious Lightning GM zhawks is about trading his star dh, especially after inking a 3 year $15 million extension this winter, keeping the dh under contract through Season 9. But he has always openly entertained offers for him. Mieses is a true slugger who has a near perfect eye while at the plate. He hits righties better then lefties and has no speed what-so-ever to talk about. Last season was his first year he hit below .300 and has averaged 37 hr and 101 rbi throughout his career to go along with a .439 obp.

Oops He Did It Again?

Last off season the then Burlington Black and Blue Brachiosaurus entered the winter meetings with one thing on the mind, signing a big time free agent (or two). GM Indiansrck27 came through on that by signing Nick Philips to a massive 4 year 61 million dollar contract. Peter Corino was the other big time free agent netting a 4 year 33 million dollar deal.

The BB&B entered spring training as confident as ever prepared to take down the monster that was the Philadelphia Black Lightning. Burlington soon realized the only problem as that Phillips and Corino who had big seasons previous seasons could not adjust to the extreme pitchers park that is Mustain Stadium. Nick Phillips didn't make it to the trade deadline before he was dealt to the eventual World Series Champion Salem Witch Doctors in a money saving deal for the BB&B which would leave them untied to a huge contract the next offseason. Corino on the other hand was not traded due to lack of interest.

Now back to today, the newly relocated BB&B to Kansas City announced that they had signed Ted Wilson to a massive 4 year 70 million dollar contract.

Uh Oh in Kansas City? When news of the signing broke the thought of Phillips was instantly in everyone's mind. GM Indiansrck27 would regret the signing in 2 months when Wilson fails to produce just like Phillips the previous season. Except this time GM Indiansrck has a different mindset. "I mean of course Nick Phillips is in my mind, that was a huge mistake, we're lucky Salem was willing to take the contract. The difference between this year and last year is not only are we in a much more hitter friendly, especially to contact hitters with speed but also last season I had regrets as soon as Phillips signed, this time no regrets. Ted Wilson is exactly what we need, and in our new ballpark he WILL produce in front of our big boys Lugo and Cashman."

In 2 months time will Wilson be a BB&B, will he be producing? No one really knows, but only time will truly tell if "he did it again".

Winter Free Agent Market (Pitchers)

On to the Free Agent Pitchers for this offseason! There is no true Ace on the market this year but there are plenty of quality pitchers available.


Louis Damon, SP, Syracuse SkyRockets ($11.6 million / 2 years): Another SP that played for the Cincinnati Sinners last season, who recently signed a two year deal to play in Syracuse. He is a starter, although he does lack some stamina, but makes up for that with great control. He won 10 games last season with a 4.91 era.

Douglas Walker, RP, Iowa City I Wanna Score More ($3 million / 1 year): Walker is a setup reliever who should fit in nicely in Iowa City. He has a great ++ pitch to go with elite velocity and great control.

Zack Schalk, SP, FA: Last season Zack was near the top of the Boston Puritans rotation. Zack has some control problems, but has still managed to rack up 39 wins in his career with a 4.94 era.

J.R. Kingman, SP, FA: The lefty, Kingman, pitched for the Cincinnati Sinners last season he set career highs in both wins (11) and innings pitched (211.0) but saw his era balloon to a 6.27. Kingman could find his way into the back end of a teams rotation.

P.T. Abbott, P, FA: Abbott's starting days might be over, he had always been known for his lack of stamina, which on some nights didn't allow him to go past a few innings, but with age he has lost what little he did have. Abbott pitched for the Vancouver Giants (formerly the Helena Grizzles) last season. He pitched 145.0 innings in 30 starts, winning 7 and posting a 4.84 era.

Al Rios, SP, FA: Rios was an international prospect signed in Season 1 by the Iowa City Black Lightning and was part of their run to the ALCS that year. Last season he won 5 games while pitching for the Cincinnati Sinners.

Timothy Vaughn, SP, FA: Vaughn is a young (25 yo) Free Agent who still has some growing to do. He is a solid all around pitcher but lacks a true dynamite pitch and can struggle against righties. Last season he pitched for the Cincinnati Sinners Triple A affiliate going 3-4.

Rube Leonard, RP, FA: Leonard is a long relief / setup guy. He has great velocity on his pitches but can struggle against lefties. Last season he pitched 85.1 innings for the Trenton Generals, the most in his career, going 8-6 with 3 saves.

Jay Conway, Su, FA: Conway is a late inning setup guy who pitched 123.2 innings in 87 games last year for the Charlotte Hornets with a 2.40 era and 15 saves. Depending on the team that pays for his services, Conway could end up in a spring training battle for a closers job.

Charlie Grimsley, RP, FA: Grimsley pitched for the Pittsburgh Pranksters last season. He won 5 games and had 2 saves for the club.

Jordan Aurilia, SP, FA: Aurilia was part of the Hartford Yellow Jackets Triple A affilates rotation last year. He started 25 games and won 5 with a 4.41 era.

Benitez Signs

The Season 5 Amateur draft rolled around, picks were announced and then came time for the Pittsburgh Pranksters to announce their pick. Pascual Benitez the 22 year old CF from Columbus St was the pick. One of the best contact hitters in the draft and great splits including pure dominance of righties. Add electric speed this was a great pick for the Pranksters.

Except there is only one problem, Benitez said from the beginning, pay me BIG or I walk. The Pranksters did not pay him big and he walked. Benitez played independent ball for a year crushing all competition, well if you even want to call it competition.

Lets flashback to season 3 GM Indiansrck27 had just taken over the then Charlotte Crocs franchise. An unsigned corner outfielder by the name of Wilfredo Rodriguez who was taken during round 1 pick 19 the previous season was looking to sign with a team during season 3. GM Irock signed the outfielder to a 3 year 16.5 million dollar contract (5.5 per year). He instantly was heckled for the terrible signing. That did not deter Irock from putting him in a ML uniform from day one. He was very raw like Pascual, had lots of potential.

Now lets go back to today...

Wilfredo Rodriguez just finished his 3 year deal and is now making 500K per season until he hits arbitration next season. if you ask GM Irock he would say signing Wilfredo was a great move. Last season he batted .296 with 10 HR, and 70 RBI plus 44 SB in the most extreme pitchers park in the AL.

Pascual Beneitez was signed to a ML minimum contract with a 3.5 million dollar bonus and is ready to start the season in AAA. When asked about Benitez GM Irock said "All we expect from him is to play ball listen to his coaches and develop this season and during the offseason. if he can do this he will be on our ML roster come this time next season. He is ML ready talent wise, but mentally and emotionally he isnt ready. Im not gonna lie when I heard Benitez was looking to sign I got all warm and fuzzy inside. I knew we were going to sign him. I just hoped we wouldn't gave to pay as much for him as we did WRod"

Only time will tell if Benitez will live up to his 3.5 million dollar bonus, and his former top 10 draft pick status.

Winter Free Agent Market (Position Players)

With Free Agent Negotiations already underway and many players already signing on the dotted line, let's take a look at some of the top Position Players on the Market this year!

Edgar Rios, 1b, Chicago Clubbers ($6.8 million / 2 years): The Ripken Jr. All-Time leading Home Run hitter tested the Free Agent Waters before quickly deciding to return to the franchise in which he had left. While Rios has aged and switched positions because of it, he remains a good deep ball hitter and should continue to add to his total HRs this year in Chicago.

Charlie Quinn, 2b, Buffalo Wings ($47 million / 4 years): The 33 year old 2b left his team, like Rios, to test the Free Agent Market but settled to return to Buffalo for a solid $47 million over 4 years. Quinn will, once again, be the starter at 2b and fills the hole the he himself left in the center of the infield.

Pascual Benitez, cf, Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus ($3.9 million / 1 year): Last years #9 overall selection who was not offered a contract by the Pittsburgh Pranksters who drafted him, signed a 1 year deal with KC for the league minimum plus a $3.5 million signing bonus. Only time will tell if this deal was worth the money as Benitez is still extremely raw and missed out on a year of minor league development.

Rob Fleming, 3b, FA : Rob is one of the top 3b on the market this year, in his last 3 years he has averaged .286, 28 HR and 82 RBI while playing for the Fresno Griz.

Tsuyoshi Murata, 1b, FA : Tsuyoshi is a 1b/dh type who still has a solid eye and great contact and good power. Tsuyoshi did not play in the Major Leagues last season.

Geraldo Romero, c, FA : Romero is a c/dh, his pitch calling and arm strength are a little short of ML quality, but he does make up for that with his bat, where his solid eye and good contact help out. He also has good speed for a catcher.

Daniel Flores, COF, FA: Daniel was recently released by the Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus shortly after their relocation this offseason. Flores lack of contact had always been a hinderence and the club felt they needed to move in another direction, to make up for his below average contact Flores does bring good speed and baserunning skills and a little bit of power to the plate.

Donnie Roosevelt, 2b, FA: Donnie was also released by his former club, his being the Little Rock Jaeger Bombs. Donnie is listed as a 2b, but is more likely to wind up at 1b or a COF position with his new club. Donnie has solid contact and power but doesn't hit lefties that well.

Che Kim, 3b, FA: Kim, who last year was acquired by the Portland Hippies from the Philadelphia Black Lightning in a midseason deal. Kim has an all around solid bat, but it looks as though his days at short are behind him as he transitions to his new position on the corner at third.

Roy Epstein, cf, FA: Epstein is a good talent who has great eye and power with good contact. The knack on Epstein has always been his durability, which requires him to have a few more days off throughout the year. Last year he hit 12 HR and batted in 48 runs for the Tampa Bay Waves before being traded to the Florida FlyTekks, where he spent the rest of the season at Triple A.

Top Position Free Agent:

Ted Wilson none none Age: 29 B/T: L/L Born: Richmond, ME Position(s): LF/1B/RF/DH View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Ted Wilson is easily the hottest commodity on the FA Market this season. He has Elite contact and hits righties extremely well, all with great power in his swing and good baserunning skills with the speed to use them. Wilson is a lf/1b/dh type who could play rf, he does lack the ability to play every day with his mediocre durability. League sources have rumored that clubs have offered Wilson $15 million plus per season.

Early Winter Trades

With another season in the books and spring training fast on its way, the Winter Meetings have been in full swing where some blockbuster trades have taken place.

First up is the Montreal Royals, where two winter deals have started to shape a slightly different team then last year. First the team dealt SP Deivi Escobar and his $6.35 million salary to Buffalo Wings for CF Posiedon Hudson. Hudson steps in right away and fills a void in center for the Royals and bolsters their offense, while Escobar steps right in to bolster the starting rotation in Buffalo.

Montreal made another big splash in trading away SP Brian Choi and RP Kenny Groom to the Tampa Bay Waves in exchange for SP Sean Faulk and RP Javier Gonzalez. Another salary dumping move, Montreal got a comparable SP in Faulk to Choi who is younger and less expensive. Montreal did good in both of these trades improving their team, it remains to be seen who will be the teams 5th starter when the season starts but expect the team to find a suitable arm in the Free Agent market or via another trade.

Staying in Tampa Bay, the team made a deal with the Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus, who recently relocated from Burlington (the second time the team has moved from Burlington to another city). Tampa swapped contact hitting, base stealing RF Pedro Benavente for SP Jerry Liniak. A good trade for both teams, Tampa improves a starting rotation that ranked 21st in the majors last year, while Bur-I mean Kansas City improves an offense with a new game plan of contact and speed. Good trade by both clubs as KC has plenty of young starting pitching.

Kansas City stayed with their plan to trade away some of their young, expendable starting pitching and beef up their offense when they dealt SP Lance Watson (Who starts at AAA for his new club) to the Dover Devils for CF Albert Fuentes, who won't scare pitchers with his power, but makes up for that with the contact he makes and his eye, not to mention his Elite Range and Glove that make him an early season Gold Glove candidate. Both teams did very well in this trade, Dover gets a good young starter and KC continues to improve a team that could push Philly for the Division Title this year.

The biggest trade of the Winter goes to the Jacksonville Dolphins and Salem Witch Doctors. Salem acquired the top starter on the market in Jesus Fernandez but he didn't come cheap. The club had to give up 2 young solid starting pitchers in Phil Gibson and Ramiro Vargas, along with slugging 1b Jim Wallace. While Jacksonville gave up a frontline starter, they got a lot in return, two good starting pitchers and a decent 1b, biggest for the club was losing the $20 million salary that Jesus was owed this year. The club agreed to pay $5 million of this last years salary. The biggest part of this deal is the $24 million / 3 year extension that Jesus agreed to before the trade.

The Dover Devils and the Hartford Yellow Jackets agreed to a trade that sent power 3b Pedro Montanez to Dover in return for SP Pat Martin and 1b Morrie Butler. Butler is a solid 1b but I am not sold on Martin and his lack of control. I give the nod to the Devils in this one.

The Little Rock Jaeger Bombs and the Vancouver Giants agreed to a 6 player deal that sent P Jose Ibarra, 3b Gregg Mann and SP Fausto Manuel to Vancouver for Ace SP Bruce Dougherty, ss Bo Flanagan and RP Von Colangelo. While the Jager Bombs gave up a very good 3b in Mann I think they get the edge in this deal for locking up a stud SP in Dougherty.