Pat Burrell

The San Francisco Giants are nearing a minor league deal with free agent outfielder Pat Burrell, 33, that would give the veteran two weeks to make good and earn a big league spot.

It's official. After a 1-0 loss to the Oakland A's, the Giants should be in panic mode when it comes to upgrading the offense. Aaron Rowand isn't cutting it at leadoff (though this isn't exactly "surprising" news) and for whatever reason, Pablo Sandoval has suddenly transformed from budding-Vlad Guerrero to budding-Randall Simon.

Pat Burrell just cleared waivers (no surprise there) and is now a free agent whom any team can sign for around $300,000 for the rest of the 2010 season.

With Mark DeRosa currently on the DL and possibly needing season-ending wrist surgery, I would expect the Giants to think long and hard about signing Burrell at a bargain price. 

You have to think after Burrell’s performance in the AL last season and his lack-there-of this year that only an NL team would give him a shot (except maybe a team like the Royals) to see if he can relive his former Phillies glory.

Yesterday, once again Nationals outfielder Willie Harris made a bigger impact in Mets infamy in making a game-saving catch on Rod Barajas. With two outs in the ninth inning, Barajas was up at the plate with the bases loaded. The Mets catcher would eventually hit the ball into left field where Harris had just came in the inning before.

Beyond Hanley Ramirez and the mammoth 2005 deal that sent the slugging shortstop to Florida in exchange for Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, and Guillermo Mota, who are the best former Red Sox toeing the rubber and flashing their leather today?

You know some of these, but some may surpise you. Who else in your fantasy draft was once a Red Sox? Who should have called Fenway home, but Fenway shut the door?

Here are my top ten.

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What’s that smell?

Ahhhh, yes. Spring Training is in the air.  Christmas comes early for baseball fans across the country.

15 teams call Florida home for Spring Training.

Charlotte County Sports Park doesn’t have the flashy name of other ballparks, such as "Legends Field."  The Park is simple.  It houses 7,000 seats and sold out everyone of those seats in 2009 Spring Training.