Opinion

Say what you want about the Yankees.

You can say they buy all their players.

You can say that any team could be successful if they broke the bank every season like the Yankees.

However, you would be wrong.

Because just like the "underdog" Rays, Marlins, and Twins, the Yankees also develop talent.

This article was originally published at TheDailyCub.com , a blog dedicated to giving you quality Cubs content.

The Cubs were pretty quite this past off-season. They didn’t make too many moves, and the ones that they did make were more to sure up the bench rather than to provide a punch to the lineup.

There's a smoldering question in Reds' country.  Who will be the No. 5 guy in the rotation? 

Coming back from Goodyear to the Queen City, the first four are set.  We've got Bronson Arroyo, Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto, and Aaron Harang.  

Sorry traditionalists, but modern ball dictates that teams need a fifth.  Check the rule book. It's just under the "keep all pitch counts under 100" section.

When the Yankees traded for Nick Swisher in the offseason prior to last season, I was almost irrationally excited. I knew that they probably got good value for a player who had a down season in 2008, and I was skeptical that he could play 1B full time (which was how his role was spun before the Teixeira signing).

But my irrational excitement was not caused by any value assessment, but by a much more ludicrous desire: After a decade of waiting, the Yankees had their very own meat grinder. I saw his fan-favorite status coming a mile away.

Lets begin Spring Training 2010 with a light news story.

A story made even lighter by Phillies' skipper Charlie Manuel.

Ok, so my jokes are about as cold as Ryan Howard’s bat is this time of year. But let’s turn our attention back to Mr. Manuel.

Well, that isn’t how we wanted the 2010 season to begin.

After jumping out to a combined 6-0 lead in both games, the Lords of Reality reappeared and by the end of the day, the Nationals’ split-squad teams lost by a combined score of 25-9.

The scores are meaningless.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been trying.

For 17 years, they've been trying to get back to the playoffs, the World Series, and even to respectable status in the sports world.

They've been trying, and they've been failing.

Whether or not it was a huge mistake for Bob Nutting to make his now infamous "dynasty" comment a few weeks ago is not as important as this question:

Could he be right?

Top Story: The Battle of Lakeland

Spring training has finally begun. Everyone likes to say that the games are meaningless, yet for some, they mean too much. There are guys out there fighting for jobs that mean everything to them.

Sure, most of the rosters are pretty much set from the get-go, but many guys are auditioning for other teams and playing for future considerations when guys get hurt.

Bobby Valentine stood in the Mets dugout during an exhibition contest between the Mets and the Braves in Orlando on Wednesday afternoon.

One can make a case that Valentine wanted to hang out with the guys. Another will say he's doing his due diligence about the Amazins for his ESPN gig.

It's hard to believe he attended the game for those reasons. The former Mets manager has a motive for whatever he does.