Reyes back; Lee not close; Stubbs kills Cubs

Good news Jose Reyes owners. Not as much, you Cliff Lee die-hards.

Reyes will reportedly be back in the lineup Saturday against the Nationals. And not a moment too soon. The anemic Mets offense could use a boost and Reyes stole two bases in an extended spring training game on Monday (no word on who the extended spring training catcher was).

Still, you should expect Reyes to find his legs and get active on the base paths. I'm guessing he'll steal 48 this year. Good, not great. But if he regains the power stroke from 2006-2008 (an average of 16 HRs), you should be plenty satisfied for what you paid for the shortstop.

Meanwhile, Lee will be on the shelf at least until May, but can you be that surprised? Don't be surprised if this lingers to June. I'm not saying bail on Lee right now, but if you can get anything Matt Garza or above in value in the next two weeks, take it.

Someone in your league owned him the past two years and just might overpay. Just use the ol' "his value will never be lower than this" line. Rarely works. But it could in your league.

Quick hits: Drew Stubbs a 30/30 guy? Nobody outside the "other" Queen City will put an Abraham Lincoln on that bet. But it sure was nice of former Reds skipper Lou Piniella to leave rookie pitcher Esmailin Caridad in there after he loaded the bases with two walks and a bunt single. Maybe "Sweet Lou" still has a sweet spot for those Cincy fans. I would take the over on Stubbs going 20/20 this year. ... Jon Rauch picked up his 3rd save for the Twins tonight vs. the White Sox. That noise you heard was the For Sale sign coming out of Heath Bell's front yard in San Diego. ... No, there's no closer controversy in Toronto. Not yet anyway. Just because Jason Frasor blew the opener, doesn't mean Kevin Gregg's got the gig. Frasor was busy saving the last two Blue Jays games. Still, keep one eye peeled. ... Let's see, Joe Maddon leaves his young pitcher David Price in 'til the 8th, racking up despite a 9-2 Rays lead. Paging, Dusty Baker. ... Rick Ankiel goes 4-for-4 with a HR and 3 RBI as the Royals rally past the Red Sox. Somewhere Cheryl Crow is humming "a change will do you good." And you could do worse on your waiver wire. ... Andre Ethier out for a second game with a sprained ankle, and not Joe Torre just trying to spell his regulars. Although I'm hearing Manny is well-rested after sitting out already in Thursday's Game No. 3. ... The one-man air conditioner Jack Cust accepted a minor league assignment after blasting the A's after his surprise release. Essentially he had $2.5 million reason to do so. ... Don't make any stupid drops or trades tonight. We're roughly just 1/50th of the way through the season.

Globetrotters honor Buerhle for play (video)

White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle has had plenty of highlights in his career. A no-hitter. A perfect game. But what he did Monday may have topped everything.

A hard-hit comebacker smacked off his foot, bouncing harmlessly toward foul territory. Most pitchers would've given up on the play. But not this Gold Glover.

"I take pride in fielding my position as good as I can," said Buehrle, whose ended up with a bruised foot out of the deal.

After chasing it down, Buehrle grabbed the ball with his glove and in one motion flipped it between his legs -- blindly -- to Paul Konerko, who bare-handed it to get Indians catcher Lou Marson by a quarter of a step. Watch for yourself:



"You see the play happening, you run over there saying, 'Do I slide and spin, or do I grab the ball and throw it?"' Buehrle said. "I think every thought went through my head. It just happened the way it did."

Buehrle deservedly received a long standing O from the sellout U.S. Cellular Field crowd.

"Probably one of the top two or three plays I've ever seen," said catcher A.J. Pierzeynski, playing his 13th season.

The Harlem Globetrotters honored Buehrle's play, calling it "Globetrotter-esque." The award called the "Trotter Tribute" launched last month, honoring collegiate and professional plays that are reminiscent of the Globetrotters. Not sure the ol' water gag yuckity-yuck qualifies.

Incidentally, the first honoree was former Charlotte Bobcat Flip Murray, who sank this unbelievable acrobatic shot for the Chicago Bulls that barely came after the buzzer last week.

Still, it's a shot that Meadowlark Lemon would definitely approve.

7 things to know for draft day

You don't want to be that guy at the table.

The one who doesn't know that Joe Nathan is out for the year. Or that Cliff Lee is battling abdominal pains. Again.

So before you embarrass yourself by being uninformed, here are 10 things you should definitely know, headed into your draft.

1. Lance Berkman: The first-baseman who is on the downside of his career gave owners another reasons to shy away: arthroscopic surgery on his knee to clean out debris. He'll start the year on the DL, but may only miss a week or two. Still, this guy has been living on reputation for quite some time. The 1B position is too deep to waste on this guy.

2. Cliff Lee: The Mariners have shut Lee down for five days, hoping that his strained abdomen heals. If this isn't a red flag, it's certainly orange. Move Lee a couple rounds down on your draft board and $7-10 in an auction draft. He's had history with these types of injuries and you don't want to pay too much for possible damaged goods, regardless of the upside.

3. Brian Roberts: Finally, the Orioles 2B took the field on Friday without much fanfare: 0-for-3, with 3 Ks. Roberts has been dealing with a bad back all spring and is showing signs of aging. Throw in the fact he went 50-40-30 in steals the last three years, Roberts is no longer elite. Although a shallow 2B keeps his value up. I'd personally take Martin Prado over him.

4. Jason Heyward: Nov. 9, 1989: Remember where were you were when the Berlin Wall fell? Heyward probably didn't. He was 2 months old. Yup, still just a pup, the 20-year-old has broken Braves camp as their starting RF. This isn't shocking news. Heyward has been very impressive this spring (hitting .366), but he has less than 1,000 minor league ABs. Despite the legendary batting practice bombs that broke sun roofs out in the parking lot, Heyward's minor league numbers project a low-20-HR guy this year, who hits around .300. Worth owning? Absolutely. Worth a top 10-round pick? Only if you're drinking the Kool-Aid. Or in a keeper league.

5. Derek Lee: First it was the Sammy Sosa sneeze. Then, the Carlos Zambrano e-mail elbow. Then the Ryan Dempster celebration toe injury. You can add Derek Lee's chair collapse during a pre-game meal to the list of freak Cubs injuries. Hopefully this one won't keep him out long, but he has a history with back problems and this should be taken into account, if only slightly. Translation, if you were baking off Lee with Justin Morneau, Billy Butler or Adam Dunn, this could be the tie-breaker.

6. Phil Hughes: If you're looking for that sleeper pitcher to round out your staff -- and by the draft's 3rd hour, who isn't -- you might be looking at your draft book, trying to decide between Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, but missed the announcement that Hughes won the 5th starters job. Small detail, but it could end up having huge fantasy implications. Unless your team has holds -- and yes, I'm in one of those, somehow -- Joba's value has plummeted worse than Palm smart phones.

7. Jose Reyes: Thyroid problem? Yes, it's true. Diagnosed at the beginning of spring training, Reyes has taken three weeks off of all activity to get his THS levels under control. Never before has the Thyroid been such a talked about organ in sports circles. Believe me, as one who has a thyroid condition -- hypothyrodism to be exact -- this is nothing to be alarmed about. Shoot, I've had doctors who barely want to talk about it. Controlled by a little blue daily pill, once it's regulated, it's no big deal. What is a big deal is Reyes being inactive for three weeks and trying to be ready for opening day with limited swings or running. This should take 10-15 percent off his value, but don't slide him down too far, as just a year ago folks were debating this guy as a No. 1 overall pick. The real gamble is on his health, but if you can stomach that, take him in the 4th or 5th round and cross your fingers. Might not hurt to get those THS levels checked while you're at it.

Mauer, Twins agree to $184 million deal

Recession? What recession?

In a win-win-win deal that all parties desperately wanted, catcher extraordinaire Joe Mauer agreed to an 8-year, $184 million deal on Sunday.

The fourth-largest deal in baseball history is a big deal for all fans living in and around the Twin Cities. Mauer, a local prodigy, is revered as almost a cult figure and letting him go to the Red Sox or Yankees would have soured the Minnesota fan base.

Ironically, the announcement came on the same day that the club announced star reliever Joe Nathan will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss all of the 2010 season.

Does Mauer deserve $184 million in this economy? That can be largely debated. But considering it was widely known that Mauer had a strong desire to stay with the Twins, $23 million seems a little steep on a mid-market team.

Although the Twins are moving into new Target Field this year, which should provide additional revenue streams for years to come.

And yes, Mauer is an absolute hitting stud, a career .327 hitter, who ran away with the batting tile with a .365 average last year, while launching a stunning 28 home runs despite not playing all of April.

Still, 2009 was by far a career year for Mauer, who had never hit more than 13 home runs in any other season. Plus, he's battled injuries throughout his early career and at 6-foot-5 with quad issues, Mauer may end up being forced to switch to first or third base, somewhat minimizing his value as a catcher.

But I applaud the Twins for not being cheap, for locking up their homegrown star. It's a rarity in this day and age.

Fantasy spin: Ouch on the Nathan news. Not that it's surprising. Jon Rauch, who has closed for 40 innings, has to be the front-runner to take over, but Pat Neshek isn't a bad late-round option. As far as Mauer's prospects, it's hard to believe he's suddenly a 35-HR guy after no signs of this his previous five major league seasons. The average will always anchor your team and he's clearly the best catching option, but think low 20's in the power department when you're drafting this year. He'll probably go for low-to-mid $30-dollar range in auction drafts. Late first or early second should be the earliest you'd consider him in conventional drafts, unless you have strong Minnesota ties, in which case, take him first overall and enjoy the ride. Why not.

Top 100 (with auction values)

(Auction values based on a $260 budget)

1. Albert Pujols, 1B, Cardinals ($42)
2. Hanley Ramirez, SS, Marlins ($39)
3. Chase Utley, 2B, Phillies ($37)
4. Ryan Braun, OF, Brewers ($37)
5. Alex Rodriguez, 3B, Yankees ($36)
6. Tim Lincecum, SP, Giants ($34)
7. Matt Kemp, OF, Dodgers ($34)
8. Prince Fielder, 1B, Brewers ($32)
9. Joe Mauer, C, Twins ($31)
10. Ryan Howard, 1B, Phillies ($31)
11. Evan Longoria, 3B, Rays ($30)
12. Roy Halladay, SP, Phillies ($29)
13. Mark Teixeira, 1B, Yankees ($29)
14. Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Tigers ($28)
15. Matt Holliday, OF, Cardinals ($27)
16. Felix Hernandez, SP, Mariners ($26)
17. Zack Greinke, SP, Royals ($26)
18. CC Sabathia, SP, Yankees ($24)
19. Carl Crawford, OF, Rays ($24)
20. David Wright, 3B, Mets ($24)
21. Grady Sizemore, OF, Indians ($23)
22. Ian Kinsler, 2B, Rangers ($23)
23. Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Rockies ($22)
24. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Padres ($22)
25. Justin Verlander, SP, Tigers ($22)
26. Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Red Sox ($22)
27. Justin Upton, OF, Diamondbacks ($22)
28. Dan Haren, SP, Diamondbacks ($21)
29. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Nationals ($21)
30. Curtis Granderson, OF, Yankees ($19)
31. Adam Lind, OF, Blue Jays ($19)
32. Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Red Sox ($19)
33. Jason Bay, OF, Mets ($19)
34. Johan Santana, SP, Mets ($18)
35. Jon Lester, SP, Red Sox ($18)
36. Derek Jeter, SS, Yankees ($18)
37. Justin Morneau, 1B, Twins ($18)
38. Robinson Cano, 2B, Yankees ($18)
39. Mark Reynolds, 3B, Diamondbacks ($18)
40. Cliff Lee, SP, Mariners ($18)
41. Kendry Morales, 1B, Angels ($17)
42. Jimmy Rollins, SS, Phillies ($17)
43. Adam Wainwright, SP, Cardinals ($17)
44. Victor Martinez, C, Red Sox ($17)
45. Pablo Sandoval, 3B, Giants ($17)
46. Joey Votto, 1B, Reds ($17)
47.Josh Johnson, SP, Marlins ($17)
48. Brian McCann, C, Braves ($17)
49. Kevin Youkilis, 1B, Red Sox ($17)
50. Aaron Hill, 2B, Blue Jays ($17)
51. Chris Carpenter, SP, Cardinals ($16)
52. Jose Reyes, SS, Mets ($16)
53. Andre Ethier, OF, Dodgers ($16)
54. Manny Ramirez, OF, Dodgers ($16)
55. Ichiro Suzuki, OF, Mariners ($16)
56. Chone Figgins, 3B, Mariners ($16)
57. Nick Markakis, OF, Orioles ($16)
58. Brandon Phillips, 2B, Reds ($16)
59. Jayson Werth, OF, Phillies ($15)
60. Josh Beckett, SP, Red Sox ($15)
61. Shin-Soo Choo, OF, Indians ($15)
62. Yovani Gallardo, SP, Brewers ($15)
63. Javier Vazquez, SP, Yankees ($15)
64. Nelson Cruz, OF, Rangers ($15)
65. Mariano Rivera, RP, Yankees ($15)
66. Bobby Abreu, OF, Angels ($15)
67. Carlos Lee, OF, Astros ($15)
68. Ben Zobrist, 2B, Rays ($15)
69. Jonathan Broxton, RP, Dodgers ($14)
70. Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Rockies ($14)
71. Derrek Lee, 1B, Cubs ($14)
72. Tommy Hanson, SP, Braves ($14)
73. Shane Victorino, OF, Phillies ($14)
74. Brian Roberts, 2B, Orioles ($14)
75. Josh Hamilton, OF, Rangers ($14)
76. Jonathan Papelbon, RP, Red Sox ($14)
77. Adam Dunn, 1B, Nationals ($14)
78. Aramis Ramirez, 3B, Cubs ($13)
79. B.J. Upton, OF, Rays ($13)
80. Clayton Kershaw, SP, Dodgers ($13)
81. Jake Peavy, SP, White Sox ($13)
82. Cole Hamels, SP, Phillies ($13)
83. Jason Bartlett, SS, Rays ($13)
84. Lance Berkman, 1B, Astros ($12)
85. Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pirates ($12)
86. Billy Butler, 1B, Royals ($12)
87. Dan Uggla, 2B, Marlins ($11)
88. Alexei Ramirez, SS, White Sox ($11)
89. Matt Cain, SP, Giants ($11)
90. Adam Jones, OF, Orioles ($11)
91. Torii Hunter, OF, Angels ($11)
92. Hunter Pence, OF, Astros ($11)
93. Carlos Quentin, OF, White Sox ($10)
94. Gordon Beckham, 3B, White Sox ($10)
95. Matt Wieters, C, Orioles ($10)
96. John Lackey, SP, Red Sox ($10)
97. Garrett Jones, OF, Pirates ($10)
98. Raul Ibanez, OF, Phillies ($10)
99. Carlos Pena, 1B, Rays ($10)
100. Jair Jurrjens, SP, Braves ($10)

Knights to host White Sox in exhibition

Welcome Paul Konerko.

And you too, Juan Pierre.

Alex Rios, Carlos Quentin, Gordon Beckham ... lemme get the door for you.

Yes, the parents are coming to town (aka the Chicago White Sox) to scrimmage your very own Charlotte Knights. On April 1 at 7 p.m., you'll be able to watch big league baseball right here in Charlotte.

Well, Fort Mill. But it's so close, you won't know you've crossed the state line.

And who knows, you may even catch Jake Peavy on the mound, although being the Thursday before opening day, it will probably be one of Chicago's back-end rotation guys.

It's only the second time the ChiSox have come to Charlotte to play the Knights. In 1999, to kick off their new affiliation with the Knights, Chicago came down for a friendly. The last time MLB held an exhibition game was 2001 when the White Sox played the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals) in front of over 12,000 fans.

Tickets are $12-$19 and can be bought at charlotteknights.com or at 704-357-8071.

Hot Stove winners: American League

The skies are sunny. The mercury is rising. Pitchers and catchers have settled into their routine.

Baseball is back. And so is the fantasy baseblog, after an off-season hiatus.

Obviously, we've got a lot of ground to cover. And fast. Over the next week or so, we'll break down the winners and losers this off-season from both leagues.

We'll start with American League Winners:

1. Seattle Mariners: If the M's only would have added Cliff Lee to their rotation, I would probably have made a spot for them on this list. He's a bona fide No. 1 on a team already blessed with one of the top arms in all of baseball. Oh, and while they were at it, Seattle locked up their ace Felix Hernandez to a five-year, $78 million contract that may look like a genius move a couple years from now. Either pitcher would look nice anchoring your rotation.

But the Mariners didn't just upgrade their rotation. Adding Chone Figgins in lieu of Adrian Beltre was smart, even if he was a tad pricey (4 years, $36 million). Hitting ahead or behind Ichiro is a recipe for fantasy greatness, so don't shy away from Figgy, even if he's leaving base-swapping haven Anaheim.

One move I didn't like is adding Milton Bradley, not so much because of chemistry issues, but because MB is never healthy. But they shed Carlos Silva, signed to possibly the worst pitching contract in baseball history, so that move is a wash.

Adding Casey Kochman and Ryan Garko at 1B doesn't isn't going to keep the turnstiles cranking, but I do like wrapping up promising young outfielder Franklin Guiterrez to a long-term deal. Keep a close eye on him, especially in keeper leagues.

2. New York Yankees: The rich get richer. The poor get kids. An old family joke there. But seriously, we've all heard this song before. Sure, they said goodbye to Hideke Matsui, Johnny Damon and Melky Cabrera, but in return they added Curtis Granderson, Randy Winn, Nick Johnson and Javier Vazquez.

Cash register receipt, please. Yup, Yankees came out ahead. Again.

If you're a Boston fan, obviously you're not happy, but I give them credit for not resting after winning it all this off-season. The biggest add here is Granderson and hitting in the top of that lineup in that park, I don't need to tell you that he should be on your radar as a top-tier OF. Yes, 30/30 with 100 RBI and 120 runs is possible, if Girardi gives him the full green light.

Johnson and Winn won't be huge fantasy contributors, but Johnson, if he hits in the top 5, could be a sneaky late-round pickup as that porch in right field is awfully short (just ask Johnny Damon). Keep Johnson's name handy.

Vazquez is the interesting subject. After a fantastic 2009 with the Braves (15-10, 2.87 ERA, 238 Ks), he returns to the scene where his fantasy reputation was almost permanently damaged in 2004. But consider he did have back issues he pitched through the second half of that season and maybe it wasn't that he couldn't handle the bright lights. I'm guessing someone will overpay for him this year, as he'll struggle to repeat those numbers in the A.L. East.

3. Minnesota Twins: Love the J.J. Hardy-Carlos Gomez trade. If anything, the Twins don't have to keep reminding themselves what an awful move they made in the Santana Sweepstakes (think that Jon Lester/Jacoby Ellsbury package is looking good right about now?). Gomez may never quite pan out as an everyday start, forget about a fantasy elite guy, but he gets a change of scenery. Hardy could put up big numbers in a deceptively powerful Twins lineup and SS is a skimpy position this year.

Yes, the Twinkies added Jim Thome and brought back Carl Pavano, but I don't want either guy on my team. Just not a believer in Pavano, even after a very solid 2009. Thome won't get the ABs, unless there's an injury. Did really like the Orlando Hudson signing and he's a nice middle infielder option (2B is way too deep of a position to have the O-Dog as your guy, unless your league is 14-teams or bigger).

The internet was ablaze earlier this month about Joe Mauer and the Twins agreeing on a 10-year deal. Seems like that was just a rumor, but don't be surprised if something gets hammered out soon. Both parties want this to happen. And bad. The fan base is begging for it. Just don't be duped into bidding $50 or more for Mauer in an auction. Yes, he's the best catcher, but he doesn't have the power track record to back that up.

Honorable Mention: The Chicago White Sox. Their only significant add was Juan Pierre, which could turn into the CF/leadoff guy they've been desperately craving. But baseball's Frenchman turns 33 in August. Not to mention his arm strength is fallen off so bad, Johnny Damon is calling him up to go to the radar booths at the county fair.

OK, I'll get to the point. The Pale Hose, as my Jacksonville buddy likes to call them, potentially upgraded significantly at the trading deadline last year. Trading for Jake Peavy and Alex Rios were two gutsy move. Both guy's stock had dipped into a dangerous territory, but still have tremendous upside. If Peavy can get right again, the White Sox are instant favorites.

And for those of you who want a good laugh every now again, check out manager Ozzie Guillen's Twitter page, with Tweets in English and Spanish. He's promised Kenny Williams he'll keep it unsalty.