Cold stops Soriano's first TB outing

The guy who is supposed to stop the revolving door as Rays closer fell sick in his first trip to the hill in 2010. Rafael Soriano only has a chest cold.

Manager Joe Maddon said it was "no cause for concern," and that he was impressed Soriano came out on the field at all. Soriano said it was not a big deal, something he'd had before at the start of camp: "I think it was just too cold for me."

Besides, he said, he doesn't need much work in the spring, planning to wait until next week to throw his first bullpen session and working in only 7-8 games. He said he threw a few bullpen sessions before leaving the Dominican Republic and felt "great."

Fantasy Impact: None. Soriano should be ready to go soon, and he's likely to win the Rays closer job as he's getting paid $7.25 million this year to do exactly that.

Branyan signs with Indians, could cause fantasy ripple effect

The Indians landed cornerman Russell Branyan, signing him to a one-year, $2 million deal. He can slug with the best of them - as evidenced by his 31 homers and .520 SLG, but he's only played more than 100 games three times in his 12-year career.

Fantasy Impact: We can only believe Branyan decided to sign with Cleveland because he has a good shot at starting. With Jhonny Peralta at third and Matt LaPorta at first, Branyan could diminish both players' opportunities in 2010. He's certainly a much-needed power source on a team with a lot of offensive question marks. Fantasy owners hoping LaPorta and Peralta could come through with productive seasons will now have to temper their enthusiasm.

If Branyan takes over predominantly at first LaPorta may need to find at bats in left field, which could reduce the impact of youngster Michael Brantley. That becomes abundantly clear if Grady Sizemore ends up the Cleveland leadoff hitter. The again, if Travis Hafner struggles to hit consistently or merely stay healthy, somebody will take over his spot as DH. The sorting will occur over the next six weeks and probably into the regular season.

Feliz as a starter? Wilson, too?

Neftali Feliz will in fact get a look as a starter for the Rangers this preseason, potentially ending immediate interest in his closer-in-waiting status. With Frank Francisco's designs on the closer role, setup man C.J. Wilson looks to earn a shot as a rotation guy, too.

"It's no secret I don't think I should be limited to the set-up role. I have too many weapons," Wilson said. "Here is the reality. It is real simple. There are not very many guys that have the stuff that I do that would be willing to sign here if they were free agents. There is no experienced pitcher that has my stuff that would sign here, historically."

Fantasy Impact: These two setup men are going up against a competitive group of pitchers for the fourth and fifth spots in the Rangers rotation. Texas has more good arms than perhaps ever before. If either Wilson or Feliz makes the rotation, their value can skyrocket to potential breakthrough sleepers.

Reds pitching updates

2008 pitching phenom Edinson Volquez is progressing well from "Tommy John" surgery, but he won't be ready until at least midseason.

Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman, who is said to be able to touch 100 mph on the radar gun, has been given a "pitching plan" for the spring, whatever that means. Doesn't everyone have a plan?

The 22-year-old is considered to be a candidate for Cincinnati's final rotation spot along with six other pitchers.

Fantasy Impact: Chapman sounds like a raw thrower who needs to learn to pitch. His spring development will be interesting to follow.

Volquez's situation is intriguing. Many prognosticators believe he'll be able to make an impact down the stretch. Volquez, however, struggled with his command in his breakout 2008 and wore down in the final months of the season. He's talented but raw, and a long layoff may require some time before he's in control of his very good stuff.

Matsuzaka's sore back

Daisuke Matsuzaka is suffering from what the Red Sox hope is a minor upper back problem. The issue started last Friday, and Matsuzaka hasn't resumed working out since. He's scheduled for a spring physical this Friday which could clear him to resume preparing for the 2010 season immediately.

Fantasy Impact: Matsuzaka had already earned sleeper status thanks to his disastrous 2009, a season in which he only starter 12 games and posted four wins to go along with a 5.76 ERA. The World Baseball Classic was blamed, in part, for Matsuzaka's struggles. After an early start to last season or that competition, it appears the Red Sox will baby him through any early issues this spring. No doubt that will scare away fantasy owners thinking he's now completely damaged goods. At age 30 Matsuzaka still slots as a good No. 3 pitcher in fantasy, and if he slips even further in a draft, take him. We're expecting much better things in 2010.

Verducci effect

Tom Verducci's 10 young pitchers at risk of a blowout include Josh Johnson and Felix Hernandez, two guys who had hugely impressive 2009 seasons. Funny that Joba Chamberlain and Max Scherzer made the list. They've already experienced arm troubles.

Dodgers fifth starter candidates

The Dodgers have no less than eight candidates for their fifth starter spot, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. The list includes current and former prospects and major- and minor-league journeymen. Here's our best guess at the initial pecking order this spring:

James McDonald - 26-year-old talent struggled as a starter last year
Scott Elbert - 25-year-old prospect could replace McDonald in bullpen role
Eric Stults - Potential default option, but unimpressive career numbers
Russ Ortiz - Hasn't put together a complete season since winning 15 games in 2004
Charlie Haeger - Knuckleballer with little upside
Carlos Monasterios - Solid minor league control pitcher
Josh Towers - Unlikely candidate who pitched in two games in the majors last year
Ramon Ortiz - Hasn't pitched in the majors since 2007

Fantasy Impact: McDonald looked good out of the Dodgers bullpen last season, but he had rotation written all over him before reaching the majors. You'd expect the Dodgers to take a long look at him this spring. Elbert's injury-plagued past could lessen his chances as a rotation guy, and nobody else exactly jumps off the page. If the youngsters and journeymen struggle, Russ Ortiz or Ramon Ortiz could play caretaker for all or part of the season. The Dodgers should be good in 2010, so the fifth starter could provide some helpful numbers in deeper fantasy leagues. If McDonald or Elbert wins the job, they could be in line for a breakout season. Consider those two sleepers if they make the rotation.

Hanrahan elbow ailing

Pirates reliever Joel Hanrahan will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to check out his ailing throwing elbow. Hanrahan will also visit Dr. James Andrews, which is rarely a good sign. Hanrahan looks like he may miss opening day.

Fantasy Impact: Hanrahan appeared to have an outside chance to beat Octavio Dotel for the Pirates closing job. His chance appears to be shot.

Banking on Blanks

Padres gigantic first-baseman-turned-outfielder Kyle Blanks used the offseason to slim down a bit.

If you haven’t seen No. 8 of late, he’s still fairly easy to find. Yet dietary discipline and workout routine have trimmed Blanks’ 6-foot-6 physique from 288 pounds to, as of yesterday morning, a comparatively compact 273.

He’s still enormous, but plainly leaner. Like one of the Alps after an avalanche.

“He’s not going to be modeling Calvin Klein underwear any time soon,” said Jim Malone, the Padres’ strength and conditioning coach, “(But) When he walked in here a few weeks ago, he looked great. He’s definitely stronger ... probably stronger than he realizes.”

Blanks produced impressive numbers in his first stint in the majors last year, sluging .514 with an OPS of .868 in just 148 at bats.

Fantasy Impact: Blanks needed to slim down for two reasons. First, he needed to get a little lighter on his feet after a bout with plantar fasciitis in 2009. Second, he needed to improve his agility for a potentially full-time opportunity in the Padres outfield. By all accounts, San Diego wants him to succeed.

Offensively, Blanks' impressive numbers - a home run every 14.8 at bats - get that much more impressive when you look back at his offensive production and consistency in the minors. He actually slugged nine points higher at the MLB level than he had in the minors, and while his MLB batting average (.250) lagged behind his minors career mark by .53 points and even his Triple-A average by 33 points, he still showed excellent plate discipline. Blanks reached base at Triple-A last season at an outstanding .393 clip, and while that mark fell to .355 at the MLB level, he still reached base at a mark .105 above his batting average - an improvement over his minor league numbers.

Blanks will still have to prove he can get the job done in left field for the Padres this season, and he's got to put up numbers for a full season. The 42nd round draft pick always outplayed his draft number on his way through the Padres' minor league system, so there's no reason to believe he can't contribute to a fantasy roster. We'll recommend him as a No. 3 outfielder for 2010 who has a chance to produce as a No. 2 with a successful sophomore campaign.

Bergesen's bum shoulder

The Orioles will slow the start of spring training for second-year pitcher Brad Bergesen after Bergesen injured his throwing shoulder in an offseason team commercial.

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said he is not overly concerned about the setback.

"He did too much too soon, which isn't terribly uncommon. And we expect he'll be ready by Opening Day, maybe be a week or so behind in spring training," he said. "So it wasn't something totally alarming to us, if it works out as we anticipate it will."

MacPhail added, however, that the club will monitor such commercial shoots more closely in the future.

"We have already made some adjustments in terms of making sure we have medical personnel or baseball personnel present for anything we do in the future."

Great idea.

Fantasy Impact: Bergesen was slated anywhere from Baltimore's third to fifth starter. He's more polished than youngsters Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman, but he's not as physically gifted. He doesn't have as much experience as Kevin Millwood and Jeremy Guthrie, but he had more success in limited action last year. Bergesen's 7-5 record and 3.43 record with just 65 strikeouts in 123 1/3 innings speaks to his ability to pitch. He'll need to be monitored through the spring, but he could emerge as a decent fantasy option if he bounces back from the shoulder injury and the Orioles provide him runs.

Takahashi clouds Mets 5th starter choice

With the Mets close on a deal with Japanese lefty Hisanori Takahashi, their fifth starter slot becomes a bit more complicated. Previously, the Mets had youngster Johnathon Niese and journeyman Fernando Nieve fighting for the final rotation spot. Now Takahashi makes three.

Fantasy Impact: It would appear Niese will get a long look this spring. He suffered a torn hamstring in just his 5th major league start last season but posted a 3.82 ERA and strikeout ratio of 7.8/9 innings in Triple-A at age 22. An injury also ended Nieve's solid 2009 season, where he was 3-3 with a 2.95 ERA. Pedestrian walk and strikeout numbers at both the MLB and minor league levels, however, make him less of an interest than Niese in fantasy play should he win the job this spring.

The New York Times reports Takahashi's numbers as both good and less-good over his career in Japan's Central League, but his makeup is not all that impressive.

He is listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 172 pounds and is said to throw 86 to 90 miles an hour. He has five pitches, all of which he uses at various points in the count to keep hitters off balance, and he does not shy away from challenging hitters.

Soon to be 35, Takahashi signed just a $1M contract that is incentive-laden, which means the Mets are not necessarily expecting to find him in their rotation.

We'll lean on Niese as the likeliest starter of the three, placing our bet on Takahashi to have the upper hand on the spot if the Mets want more of a veteran in the role come opening day. Nieve looks destined for middle relief.

Starting Farnsworth

The Kansas City Royals will be trying Kyle Farnsworth out as a starter in spring training. Farnsworth hasn't thrown regularly in a rotation since his first two seasons with the Cubs. He's turning 34 this season and hasn't reached 100 innings at the big league level since his rookie season.

Fantasy Impact: He's a flier as a starter, at best. Farnsworth actually has a decent shot of sticking in the rotation - not because he's good enough to do it, but because the Royals' starting pitching is lacking enough to consider him. Farnsworth's mid-4 ERA the past several seasons is nothing impressive, but he can help with strikeout totals thanks to a career ratio of better than one per inning. He'll still be an afterthought in most fantasy leagues and is better left undrafted.

Wang to Nationals?

With the Dodgers opting out, there don't seem to be many options for free agent Chien-Ming Wang. It appears the Washington Nationals like their chances of signing the former Yankee.

Fantasy Impact: The Nationals look like they have just two locks for their starting rotation in 2010: John Lannan and Jason Marquis. After the two top, nobody impresses outside of 21-year-old phenom Stephen Stasburg. With those kind of factors in the equation, it's not a reach to project Wang in the top three of the Nationals rotation. He's a good sleeper pick in fantasy, and might be even more solid an option than that. Wang posted solid numbers up to his recent injury-filled 2008 and 2009. If he's healthy, there's no reason to believe in a competitive ERA and WHIP for a fantasy starter. He won't come close to his back-to-back 19-win season with the Yankees, but 10 victories and better-than-average numbers across the board make him a No. 5 starter on any fantasy roster.

2009 MLB Closers

MLB closer report updated 2/10/10 @ 10:22 AM CST

***For 2010, please see 2010 MLB Closers***

------------
List of MLB closers and candidates at the close of the 2009 season. Closers are listed at the top under each team name:

Arizona Diamondbacks:
Chad Qualls - 60-day DL, dislocated left knee cap (August 31)
Juan Gutierrez
Esmerling Vasquez
Clay Zavada (L)

Atlanta Braves:
Rafael Soriano
Mike Gonzalez
Peter Moylan
Eric O'Flaherty (L)

Baltimore Orioles:
Jim Johnson
Danys Baez
Chris Ray
Cla Meredith

Boston Red Sox:
Jonathan Papelbon
Billy Wagner (L)
Takashi Saito
Hideki Okajima (L)

Chicago Cubs:
Carlos Marmol
Kevin Gregg
Angel Guzman
John Grabow (L)

Chicago White Sox:
Bobby Jenks
Matt Thornton (L)
Octavio Dotel
Scott Linebrink
Tony Pena

Cincinnati Reds:
Francisco Cordero
Arthur Rhodes (L)
Nick Massett

Cleveland Indians:
Kerry Wood
Chris Perez
Joe Smith

Colorado Rockies:
Huston Street
Rafael Betancourt
Franklin Morales (L)
Matt Daley
Manny Corpas - 15-day DL, right elbow surgery (might be out for season)
Alan Embree (L) - 15-day DL, fractured right tibia (out for season)

Detroit Tigers:
Fernando Rodney
Brandon Lyon
Bobby Seay (L)
Joel Zumaya - 60-day DL, right shoulder soreness (July 18)

Florida Marlins:
Leo Nunez
Matt Lindstrom
Dan Meyer (L)
Kiko Calero
Scott Proctor - 60-day DL, right elbow surgery (out for season)

Houston Astros:
Jose Valverde
LaTroy Hawkins
Doug Brocail
Jeff Fulchino

Kansas City Royals:
Joakim Soria
Juan Cruz
Kyle Farnsworth

Los Angeles Angels:
Brian Fuentes
Jason Bulger
Kevin Jepsen
Darren Oliver (L)
Scot Shields - 60-day DL, left knee surgery (out for season)

Los Angeles Dodgers:
Jonathan Broxton
George Sherrill (L)
Ramon Troncoso
Guillermo Mota
Hong-Chih Kuo (L)

Milwaukee Brewers:
Trevor Hoffman
Todd Coffey
David Weathers
Mitch Stetter (L)
Mark DiFelice

Minnesota Twins:
Joe Nathan
Matt Guerrier
Jon Rauch
Pat Neshek - 60-day DL, right elbow surgery - out for season
Jose Mijares (L)

New York Mets:
Francisco Rodriguez
J.J. Putz - 60-day DL, right elbow surgery (out for season)
Pedro Feliciano (L)
Brian Stokes
Sean Green

New York Yankees:
Mariano Rivera
Phil Hughes
Brian Bruney
Phil Coke (L)
Damaso Marte (L)

Oakland Athletics:
Andrew Bailey
Brad Ziegler
Michael Wuertz
Santiago Casilla
Joey Devine - 60-day DL, out for season (April 4)

Philadelphia Phillies:
Brad Lidge
-or- Ryan Madson
Brett Myers
J.C. Romero (L) - 15-day DL, strained left forearm (July 23)

Pittsburgh Pirates:
Matt Capps
Joel Hanrahan
Tyler Yates - 15-day DL, right elbow surgery - out for season (May 16)

St. Louis Cardinals:
Ryan Franklin
Jason Motte
Kyle McClellan
Denny Reyes (L)

San Diego Padres:
Heath Bell
Edward Mujica
Luke Gregerson

San Francisco Giants:
Brian Wilson
Sergio Romo
Jeremy Affeldt (L)
Bob Howry
Merkin Valdez

Seattle Mariners:
David Aardsma
Mark Lowe
Sean White
Miguel Batista

Tampa Bay Rays:
Troy Percival - 15-day DL, right shoulder tendinits (May 22)
J.P. Howell (L)
Randy Choate (L)
Dan Wheeler
Grant Balfour
Jason Isringhausen - 60-day DL, torn right elbow ligament (June 14)

Texas Rangers:
Frank Francisco
C.J. Wilson (L)
Eddie Guardado (L)
Neftali Feliz

Toronto Blue Jays:
Jason Frasor
Scott Downs (L)
Brandon League
Jesse Carlson

Washington Nationals:
Mike MacDougal
Sean Burnett (L)
Tyler Clippard
Ron Villone

San Jose wants the A's

Major League Baseball hasn't told San Jose whether it wants to seriously consider moving the A's to town, so the city continues to pursue the idea with a report that says a Major League baseball team makes sense for the area.

Who's not in favor of moving a team to where it is most wanted? Since San Jose is in the Giants' backyard, their "nay" vote doesn't count.

Closers on the cheap

Doug Miller of MLB.com writes up the pleasant surprises at closer in 2009. These are guys who weren't expected to jump into a saves role and exceeded expectations at great values. They are:

David Aardsma, SEA ($419K in 2009/33 saves)
Ryan Franklin, STL ($2.5M in 2009/36 saves)
Frank Francisco, TEX ($1.615M in 2009/22 saves)
Jonathan Broxton, LAD (1.825M in 2009/30 saves)
Heath Bell, SD ($1.255M in 2009/33 saves)
Andrew Bailey, OAK ($400K in 2009/21 saves)

Fantasy Imapct: Aardsma, Franklin and Bailey could all be had off the waiver wire in fantasy baseball this season. Broxton, Bell and Francisco were likely drafted in most leagues. Certainly, all six of these pitchers provided value over and above their salaries for big league clubs, but in fantasy play, Aardsma, Franklin and Bailey provide the kind of steals that can push a team over the top to win a league title. There will be closers like them available again next year - pitchers like Brandon Lyon in Detroit, Neftali Feliz in Texas and Billy Wagner where ever he lands. Closers can always be found on the cheap in fantasy play.

Give 'em Hellickson

Wade Davis might be the Rays choice for their rotation heading down the stretch, but he's not the most exciting pitching prospect in the Rays system. Jeremy Hellickson is, and his minor league performance might force Tampa to bring him up as well.

Fantasy Impact: Davis, a third-round draft pick in 2004, posted a 3.40 ERA at Triple-A this year. He's a 6'5" hardballer who's struck out nearly a batter per inning over his minor league career. He has the potential to contribute immediately if he keeps his walks down. Hellickson's numbers are dominant at all levels. He strikes out better than a batter per inning, and he doesn't walk people. Davis is a nice pickup at this time for his potential. Here's hoping Hellickson gets to the Majors quickly or not at all. He's got a real shot to be a fantasy star, so it might be nice to keep him off the radar until early next year.

Marlins getting ugly

Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez got into it in the Marlins clubhouse Wednesday night. Uggla was apparently upset with Ramirez's lack of effort due to injuries that have been slowing him of late. Uggla also slugged his 25th homer, making him the first NL second baseman to hit at least 25 home runs in each of his first four seasons.

Fantasy Impact: Both players are fantasy assets, but both probably have underachieved a bit in 2009. Ramirez's .355 average can win him a batting title, but his 19 home runs are a touch below what fantasy owners were looking for. He's on pace for 100 RBI, but middle-of-the-order guys usually knock in more.

Uggla's sub .250 average is nothing special, but it wasn't exactly unexpected. He's a relatively early draft pick or keeper due to his pop at second, but a number of players broke out in 2009, including the Blue Jays' Aaron Hill and Rays' Ben Zobrist. Second base is no longer a position of offensive scarcity, meaning Uggla's value declines.

Not Meat - Mitre

Sergio Mitre carried a 6.82 ERA and 1.88 WHIP into play on Saturday and proceeded to improbably shut down the White Sox over 6 1/3 innings of one-hit baseball. The only thing that got to Mitre was an A.J. Pierzynski liner off his right forearm that caused the right hander to leave the game early. Mitre took X-rays at Yankee Stadium which turned out to be negative. The Yankees win, 10-0, and Mitre needed just 73 pitches to improve to 3-1.

Fantasy Impact: This outstanding effort gives Mitre a shot at remaining in the Yankees rotation moving forward, but because of the sudden injury concern, Mitre is not quite a fantasy option just yet. He'll need to prove he can bounce back from the injury and throw back-to-back quality starts before he can be relied on more than a flier option in a pinch.

Anibal is back

Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez is back in the Majors after missing over two months with a sprained shoulder. Sanchez produced mix results in two minor league starts during his rehab stint with Double-A Jacksonville.

Fantasy Impact: The former pitching prospect has always been considered worth a flier when returning from his various injuries, but Sanchez has pitched just 117 1/3 innings since his breakout year back in 2006. If you're desperate for pitching, give him a go, but Sanchez's 5.55 ERA over seven starts this year is not of much fantasy value.