Storen headed to minors?

Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman says closer-in-waiting Drew Storen is likely headed for the minors out of spring training.

"Storen did pitch some in the Minor Leagues last year, but we respect the development system and the great staff we have in the Minor Leagues," Riggleman said. "We would probably lean toward starting him down there, but you hear such great things about what he has done -- his delivery, his strike throwing, he has a put-away breaking ball. We are open minded."

Fantasy Impact: We like Storen's makeup, especially his 11.9 K/9. If the Nationals struggle to find a reliable closer at the MLB level he might still be in the mix. Riggleman sounds noncommittal if anything.

If you build it close, they will come

Some major moves occurred in the minors this September with parent club affiliation changes. Among the most notable: Columbus changes from Nationals Triple-A affiliate to the Cleveland Indians. Buffalo, the Indians former Triple-A team, won a battle with Syracuse to take over as Mets Triple-A club.

As the article points out, teams are attempting to tap into proximity with regard to fan base. Columbus, just a few hours drive from Cleveland, should benefit from the close ties between the two ball clubs, including the buzz of showcasing soon-to-be Indians. While Buffalo is closer to Cleveland than New York City, there are still tons of Mets fans across the state of New York, and it certainly doesn't hurt to bolster the fan base in the western edge of the state.

Just look at how the Toledo-Detroit, Iowa-Chicago and Sacramento-Oakland do it. Close proximity tends to build a winner, or at least a lot of fan interest.