Top News:
Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com:
Breaking down the Top 50 Prospects list — With MLB.com's Top 50 Prospect list now fully revealed, it's time to let the debate start. That is, after all, why prospect rankings are done in the first place. — Was Mike Trout the correct top prospect or should phenom Bryce Harper hold the No. 1 position?
RELATED:
Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Angels' Trout named MLB.com's top prospect
Discussion:
Getting Blanked and HardballTalk
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Trio of Yankees among Top 50 prospects
Discussion:
Yankees Daily, lenNY's Yankees and Yankeeist
Keith Law / ESPN:
2011 MLB organizational rankings — The Royals top the rankings, but Tampa is surprisingly close behind — As it has the past two years, this complements my annual Top 100 list of prospects. This ranking includes only players who are still eligible for the Top 100 prospects ranking …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Mets Merized Online, Patrick Flood, Federal Baseball, ESPN, Tedquarters and NESN.com
RELATED:
Rob Neyer / ESPN:
Will Royals' many phenoms bring me back? — This is a good time to be a Royals fan. — Well, a patient Royals fan, anyway. The Royals might lose 100 games this year. Might lose 105. Fans who don't believe in crystal balls might not suffer 100 losses gladly. — Me, though? I'm patient.
Discussion:
ESPN, HardballTalk and Royals Authority
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Who Gives Up $12 Million? A Conflicted Baseball Player — The guaranteed contract is a fundamental principle of Major League Baseball, as much a part of the game as balls, strikes and outs. No matter how a player performs, or how his body holds up, he must be paid in full.
Discussion:
Bats and Mariners blog
New York Post:
Hank: ‘We just have to (bleeping) win’ — TAMPA — For Hank's Yanks, with spring training just around the corner, this is the bottom line: Whatever it takes to win championship No. 28. — Hank Steinbrenner, the Yankees co-chairman, is fired up for the 2011 season — even without Cliff Lee in pinstripes.
Discussion:
NESN.com, Bronx Baseball Daily, Subway Squawkers, HardballTalk and An A-Blog for A-Rod
RELATED:
New York Post:
Hank: Yankees ‘just have to (bleeping) win’
Discussion:
Fanhouse MLB Blog and Sliding Into Home
Dave Allen / FanGraphs Baseball:
Chamberlain's Stuff as a Starter
Discussion:
CBS New York and Sliding Into Home
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Yankees Sign Bartolo Colon — Nine years ago, Bartolo Colon was a stud pitcher on his way to a 20-win season. As talk of relocation continued, the Montreal Expos went all in, shipping prospects Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips and Grady Sizemore to Cleveland for Colon.
RELATED:
ESPN:
Yankees sign Bartolo Colon — The New York Yankees are taking a chance on Bartolo Colon in their quest for another quality arm in the starting rotation. — The team said it has signed the right-hander to a one-year, minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.
Discussion:
Pinstriped Bible …, BronxBanterBlog.com, USA Today and Associated Press
Brian Costello / New York Post:
Yankees GM hints at move to center, not third, for Jeter — Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Bernie Williams . . . Derek Jeter? — It's not happening anytime soon, but Yankees general manager Brian Cashman delivered the first hint at Jeter's future yesterday while answering a question at a Q&A with fans at a Manhattan restaurant.
Discussion:
TYU
RELATED:
NY Daily News:
Harper: Yankees GM is cold, hard Cash
Discussion:
It's About The Money and Red Sox Monster
Marc Topkin / St. Petersburg Times:
Illness forces Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli to retire — Rocco Baldelli looked to be a future star, but injuries and a mysterious illness kept him from reaching his potential. — ST. PETERSBURG — Rocco Baldelli would have reason to spend hours, if not days …
Discussion:
Getting Blanked, HardballTalk, FanGraphs Baseball, MLB Rumors, USA Today, DRaysBay, SBNation.com, Fanhouse MLB Blog, Yahoo! Sports, Full Count, Rays Index and NESN.com
Britt's Bird Watch:
Duke on the Os, handling NY & why he won't be a relief option — Free agent Justin Duchscherer, considered one of the best starting pitchers still on the market, said Tuesday evening that physically he feels “pretty much 100 percent” and shot down the notion that his previous depression issues …
Discussion:
TYU, Bronx Baseball Daily, Respect Jeter's Gangster and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com:
Duchscherer at full strength, in body and mind
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Tedquarters
Craig Calcaterra / HardballTalk:
Source: “very strong possibility” that Andy Pettitte pitches in 2011 — A source close to Andy Pettitte tells me that there is a “very strong possibility” that Pettitte is going to pitch in 2011. He is doing his usual preseason workouts and has had no physical issues thus far.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, baseballmusings.com, Zell's Pinstripe Blog, Fanhouse MLB Blog, River Avenue Blues and SNY
Michael Miller / Riptide 2.0:
Yasiel Balaguer, 18-Year-Old Cuban Baseball Defector, Trying Out for Seattle Mariners — According to his agents, 18-year-old Cuban baseball prodigy Yasiel Balaguer will have his second tryout with a Major League Team this week when scouts for the Seattle Mariners watch the right-handed pelotero in action here in Miami.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Jeff Zrebiec / Orioles Insider:
O's have had recent conversations with Guerrero; sides not close to deal — The Orioles have spoken to free agent slugger Vladimir Guerrero's agent this week, but the two sides are not close to a deal. “We've had some conversations, but there is nothing on the horizon,” …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and HardballTalk
