2011 MLB Spring Training

Ah, the time has come.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we now stand just weeks away from what looks to be another memorable opening day for Major League Baseball.

After a confounding postseason in which we crowned the San Fransisco Giants world champions once more, many teams find themselves in a promising situation heading into the regular season.

However, let's not get ahead of ourselves.  This is just spring training, as we all know.

So as preparation for the regular season begins to heat up, let's take a look at each team's status.

The last time he demanded a trade he got denied.  But now, I think he's really on his way out.

After the Adrian Beltre signing, Michael Young was moved from third base over to the DH spot.  Now, with the acquisition of catcher/first basemen/DH Mike Napoli, Young has been relegated to a backup infield/DH role.

The Rangers currently have insane amounts of depth, and Michael Young has requested to not be a part of it.

Earlier in the week, the Yankees acquired outfielder Justin Maxwell from the Washington Nationals in exchange for minor league righty Adam Olbrychowski.  Just yesterday, the team signed veterans Ronnie Belliard and Eric Chavez to minor league deals with invitations to spring training. 

Now that GM Brian Cashman is likely done bringing in possible bench options, I'll predict how helpful each of the aforementioned players can be to the Yankees in 2011.

Jim Edmonds has decided to play in 2011 in what will be his 18th big league season and ninth with the Cardinals. 

Edmonds agreed to a minor league deal yesterday with the Cards and received an invitation to spring training.

Despite earlier rumors that Edmonds was seriously considering retirement, the 40-year-old is returning to the place where he made a name for himself from 2000 to 2007.

The Philadelphia Phillies shocked the entire baseball world when they signed Cliff Lee last month to a $120 million contract. Ever since the fans in Philadelphia have been anxiously awaiting the start of the season. With the addition of Cliff Lee to their already-stellar rotation already consisting of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels, the Phillies will be practically unstoppable and their opposition has the possibility of facing at least two of these four aces every series.

In 14 days, pitchers and catchers will report to their respective camps as 2011 spring training means baseball is finally back again.
 
For the New York Yankees, it means pitching tryouts will begin, as there are two big holes that need to be filled in the starting rotation.
 
GM Brain Cashman is trying to fill the fourth and fifth spots, while Yankees fans are holding their breath hoping southpaw Andy Pettitte will appear.
 

C.C. Sabathia, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett are the only current locks in what looks to be a very shaky rotation for the Yankees in 2011.

Assuming that Andy Pettitte retires, the Yankees could be in for a long season in the Bronx.

Can you feel that?  Is that the feeling of democracy?  Is that freedom?  No, it’s spring training. As the calendar turns to February and the football season climaxes finally, all eyes turn to Arizona and Florida, anticipating baseball’s long-awaited return.

As the Minnesota Twins prepare to head down to Fort Myers for spring training, they'll be doing so without utility infielder Nick Punto for the first time in seven years. Last week Punto signed a one-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Punto was a favorite of much of the Twins Territory faithful, and while his productivity was never much to speak of (with the exception of 2008 when he batted near .300), he still managed to make a good living in Minnesota.

Still, Punto's productivity declined in 2009 and 2010 as he failed to reach a .240 average each season.

As the last dying embers of the Hot Stove flame begin to blacken and fade, let's take one more look at who is still out there.

At this time of the year, free agents can often be had at a discount, hungry as players are to find a team and get down to the work of getting ready for the season to come. There are still a few potential impact players floating around, as well as many more who could prove to be valuable additions in the right place.