AL East

Drafted: Undrafted international free agent

Height: 5′11″ Weight: 175 lbs

Born: January 5, 1990

Iglesias broke into Cuba’s top league at the tender age of 17, and then defected during the World Junior Championships. He signed with the Red Sox last September for four years and $8.25 million (a deal that included a team-record $6.25 million signing bonus).

Waite Hoyt won 22 games for the 1927 New York Yankees. Hoyt spent 10 seasons with the Yankees, winning 157 games before being sent to Detroit in 1930.

Although he played for many teams, including the three New York teams, Hoyt was a Yankee.

The Cocky Chicago Cubs

In 1938, Waite was pitching for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the soon-to-be National League champion Chicago Cubs.

Drafted: First Round 2009 (Fernando Callejo HS, in Manati, Puerto Rico)

Height: 6′0″ Weight: 170 lbs.

Born: Feb. 12, 1991

Fuentes is a cousin of NY Mets CF Carlos Beltran. He is just the sixth Puerto Rican to be drafted in the first round of the First-Year Player Draft.

He has drawn comparisons to former Red Sox CF Johnny Damon, but at the moment doesn’t show the power that Damon possesses—he likely will be more of a contact hitter with gap power.

Earlier today, the Red Sox acquired infielder Kevin Frandsen from the San Francisco Giants for a player to be named later, or cash—they also signed free agent left-handed reliever Scott Schoeneweis.

The question is: why?

Frandsen is 27-years-old. He appeared in 23 big league games last year, hitting a not-so-robust .140, with one RBI .

In announcing the trade, the Boston Globe declared, “He protects the Sox as a backup shortstop.” 

Oh, really? Has anyone at the Globe ever seen him PLAY shortstop? It isn’t pretty!

Tim Wakefield made his sixth start of the spring yesterday against the Florida Marlins, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five Fish.

It was just the second time this spring he surrendered runs, as he improved to 3-1, 3.66.

Afterwards, he said he hasn’t been told anything about the ball club’s plans for him once the regular season opens, though he seems assured to start the year in the rotation due to Daisuke Matsuzaka’s continuing physical issues:

It may be just 10 days before Opening Day, but for starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka—who has been sidelined by a series of aches and pains for a large portion of spring training—it’s much more akin to March 1.

Dice-K took his first steps towards becoming a contributing member of the rotation yesterday with two innings of work against the Florida Marlins, allowing a run on two hits in his outing.

It was the first time he faced major league hitters in live action this spring.

Believe it or not, the New York Yankees have had a very quiet offseason. There has been nobody busted for steroids, the manager isn’t on a short leash, and there is no drama surrounding the team.

And in other news of the bizarre, the University of Kentucky has dropped their basketball program.

Just because the Yankees have had a quiet offseason by their standards, doesn’t mean things are happening in Yankee land. Here are some news and notes from Yankees’ camp.

Phil Hughes is named No. 5 starter

Let’s set the debate aside for the moment over the Red Sox's shift in philosophy.

Volumes were written this winter (here and elsewhere) about the front office’s desire to transition the team more towards pitching and defense.

What can be said with near certainty is that once Theo and Company decided to head in this direction, it was clear the club should spend its $80 million on pitcher John Lackey instead of hitter Jason Bay.

The acquisition of Lackey did several things.

Manager Joe Girardi and the Yankees staff evaluated the entire spring training and came to the same conclusion I did: Phil Hughes should be the fifth starter.

Hughes beat out Joba Chamberlain, Alfredo Aceves, Sergio Mitre, and the recently released Chad Gaudin.

Girardi has been very impressed with the much-improved changeup that Hughes has been using and working on throughout the spring.

Chamberlain, Aceves, and Mitre are all now competing for spots in the Yankees bullpen. Nobody, including Chamberlain, is guaranteed a role. Each player will need to earn it.

This announcement doesn’t exactly come as a surprise, but Yankees manager Joe Girardi made it official today, Phil Hughes—not Joba Chamberlain—will be the Yankees fifth starter going into the season.