1. Cubs have big plans under Ricketts
2. Chapman appears ticketed for the minors
3. Pettitte, Hoffman make strides back, Jurrjens on short leash
4. Arizona to offer Kris Benson a contract
5. Berkman out 2-4 weeks with knee injury
6. Yankees still far from determining fifth starter
7. Could Twins turn to Smoltz?
8. Tejada, 20, could be kid to fill void for Mets
1. Cubs have big plans under Ricketts
Yahoo sports is reporting The Chicago Cubs will listen to manager Lou Piniella if he wants to return when his contract runs out after this season.
“If he feels well and wants to keep going, we’ll have an interesting conversation,” team president Crane Kenney said this week at spring training. “He has done a great job. He has raised the bar and that’s a little bit of the burden we all carry now.”
Piniella is in the fourth and final year of his contract. He led the Cubs to a pair of division titles before they slumped to 83-78 last season.
“I have a nice conversation with Crane every day,” Piniella said.
Piniella, who will turn 67 in August, has said he doesn’t want his job status to be a distraction or a daily topic of conversation.
Asked how he’s feeling, Piniella said: “Last time I checked I’m not life on support.”
Kenney also said the Cubs hoped to have a site for their new spring training complex picked out within two weeks.
Funding for the $84 million complex from Mesa and the Arizona legislature has been a source of controversy after it was revealed that part of the money will come from a surcharge on spring training tickets.
Kenney said the facility could be funded without the tax by using money from a property tax referendum in Mesa and a 1 percent increase in the car rental tax.
Under new owner Tom Ricketts and his family the Cubs have big plans for the complex with a “Wrigleyville West” setup that could be used year-round.
The new owners have already begun an upgrade of Wrigley Field, the second oldest park in the major leagues, improving restrooms and locker room facilities.
To read more..
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AhtFNJHYcAcGGnZuvWerXXcRvLYF?slug=ap-cubsplans&prov=ap&type=lgns
2. Chapman appears ticketed for the minors
Yahoo sports is reporting The question the Cincinnati Reds won’t answer: If Aroldis Chapman(notes) is one of your best five starters, will he be on the opening day roster?
”That’s getting a little ahead of ourselves,” Dusty Baker said Friday, a couple hours before Chapman, the Reds’ $30-million Cuban defector, would pitch for the second time this spring.
It sounded a lot like a no.
”We’ll see how he does, see how he is,” Baker said. ”We really don’t know what we have, so to speak.”
To read more..
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AhwiOB_fP.l5i3dQ333ocWMRvLYF?slug=ti-chapman031210&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
3. Pettitte, Hoffman make strides back, Jurrjens on short leash
Si is reporting Andy Pettitte peered over his raised black glove for a sign from the catcher, shook him off, nodded `OK,' then froze Jimmy Rollins with a changeup for strike three.
Vintage Pettitte.
Too bad the sequence took place in a batting cage under the stands at Steinbrenner Field -- and Philadelphia's Rollins was nowhere to be found.
Torrential rains force the New York Yankees' bus to turn around about an hour into the trip to Viera on Friday, and Pettitte's first scheduled start of spring training was turned into another simulated outing.
"I got my normal warmup in, and then I got all my throws in and I'm tired," Pettitte said. "That's the biggest thing, I wanted to make sure I was good and fatigued. Obviously, I would've loved to face hitters but the way the weather's been I had to get my work in here today."
Pettitte taught minor league catcher Austin Romine the signs -- swirl the finger for the cutter. Pitching coach Dave Eiland called balls and strikes, and bullpen coach Mike Harkey stood in the batter's box as the lefty faced a stacked Phillies' lineup -- his opponent Wednesday.
Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/03/12/roundup.ap/index.html#ixzz0i47bKjAj
4. Arizona to offer Kris Benson a contract
Fox Sports is reporting Kris Benson is going to be offered a spot at Diamondbacks' camp, the question is just under what type of contract. Arizona is expected to offer the veteran righty a deal in the next 24 hours, but have not yet decided if it will be a major-league deal. The Diamondbacks are in need of pitching help with the near-certainty that ace Brandon Webb will open the season on the disabled list.
TO read more..
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/MLB-spring-training-buzz-021510
5. Berkman out 2-4 weeks with knee injury
Fox SPorts is reporting Houston All-Star first baseman Lance Berkman will have minor surgery on his left knee Saturday and miss two to four weeks, a recovery period that could sideline him for Opening Day.
The 34-year-old injured his knee during a baserunning drill at spring training on March 1. Tests showed that Berkman bruised his knee, and he played five games after skipping the Astros' spring training opener.
Berkman's knee continued to swell, and team doctor Dr. David Lintner decided Friday that the five-time All-Star slugger should have arthroscopic surgery.
Astros general manager Ed Wade said the team is confident the injury won't be a lingering problem.
"We certainly don't encourage players to have surgery, but if this is an easy fix, it removes the uncertainty that it could occur again," Wade said. "We think that once it gets addressed, that it's a dead issue and we won't have to worry about it anymore."
To read more..
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Berkman-out-2-4-weeks-with-knee-injury
6. Yankees still far from determining fifth starter
The NY Post is reporting After more than three weeks and nine exhibition games, the Yankees have not gotten far in their quest to determine their fifth starting pitcher. In fact, all five pitchers considered candidates for the top spot are still in the hunt according to pitching coach Dave Eiland. Joba Chamberlin and Phil Hughes remain the two prohibitive favorites for the spot, but Sergio Mitre, Chad Gaudin and Alfredo Aceves are in contention. Yankees' manager Joe Girardi said he thinks the sample size to fully evaluate the candidates will grow large enough in the next week.
To read more..
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/fight_for_five_RcBj2r3JMXLmVndKAnphqL
7. Could Twins turn to Smoltz?
Twincities.com is reporting Former Twin Greg Olson caught for John Smoltz for four seasons with the Atlanta Braves, and after hearing of Joe Nathan's debilitating elbow injury this week, Olson light-heartedly sent Smoltz a text that read: "Perfect. Closer in Minny. Here comes Johnny." Olson has yet to get a response from the 42-year-old Smoltz, who is currently an unsigned free agent after splitting last season between the Red Sox and Cardinals. Though he may have been half-joking with the text, Olson was serious about Smoltz's abilities on the mound, and his potential in Minnesota. "He's still able to throw hard with real good command," Olson said of Smoltz. "He's still got pop on his fastball, and he's got that nasty, quick, hard slider, the same as Nathan."
To read more..
http://www.twincities.com/twins/ci_14655037?nclick_check=1
8. Tejada, 20, could be kid to fill void for Mets
The Ny POst is reporting As Jose Reyes gets his prescribed rest, Ruben Tejada’s days as a virtually anonymous figure in the Mets’ clubhouse are over.
Tejada arrived in camp as a highly regarded prospect whom the Mets wanted to get a feel about. He could leave as the Opening Day shortstop.
It’s Tejada and veteran Alex Cora battling for that spot while the Mets wait for Reyes’ increased thyroid levels to drop. That could take anywhere from another week to almost two months.
“I feel sad for Jose because he is a great player and a big part of this team,” Tejada said yesterday. “But if I get the opportunity, I will be happy and willing to do the best I can for the team.”
At 19, Tejada arrived at Binghamton last spring as the youngest position player in Double-A baseball. He stayed the entire season at Binghamton and hit .289 with five homers, 46 RBIs and 19 stolen bases.
The Mets believe he is ready defensively — Tejada is regarded as the best defensive infielder within the organization — but still question whether he can hit enough.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/tejada_could_be_kid_to_fill_void_ztn0zWyszpJABSoCFSdKHM#ixzz0i49Ys73f
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