MLB

Amongst the minor league free agents the Cubs have signed, two names stand out: Kevin Millar and Chad Tracy.

Millar helped the Boston Red Sox break their World Series Championship curse, and Tracy was once considered one of the elite young corner infielders in the game, but both these things were half a decade ago.

Much has been made about the Mets' weak off-season movement.  Perhaps General Manager Omar Minaya and the rest of the Mets brass was a little hesitant to open their wallet too much?

But let’s play a little hypothetical here: What if the Mets are not as bad as everyone wants them to be in 2010?  What if Mike Pelfrey, John Maine and Oliver Perez reach their potential and put up 10-15 wins each?

Metsblog made a post about the possibility of the Mets doing a Citi Field race, similar to the Presidents Race in Washington or the Sausage Race in Milwaukee.  I think since Citi Field was built with New York City in mind and the name of the park implies New York City, that it should have the entire city in mind.  After all the Mets represent New York baseball and all its history.

With spring training on the horizon, the Cubs have a need for a solid starter until Ted Lilly can return, and for a veteran right handed setup man for Carlos Marmol. John Smoltz could fill both needs, while adding a solid veteran presence to the clubhouse.

Frank "Big Hurt" Thomas will always be remembered as one of the hardest hitting Chicago White Sox in history. 

Thomas had stints with the Oakland A's and Toronto Blue Jays, but his legacy will be that of a South Sider when he's one day enshrined into baseball's hall of fame.

A player doesn't earn the moniker "Big Hurt" without reason. Thomas was big, 6'5" and 275 pounds, and legend has it that he "Sandlotted" a baseball, annihilating it with his powerful swing—ripping it to shreds.

Most Mets fans have a love-hate relationship with their team. It's been said "No one hates the Mets more than Mets fans." 

There has been a lot of negative talk about Citi Field, and I feel as if the size of the field itself is taking away from the beauty of the actual ballpark. So let's try to evaluate Citi Field after its first year. Here are five thing the Mets did right, and five things the Mets did terribly wrong with Citi Field in 2009.

Rights

The Royals will not compete in 2010.

The talking-heads and sports writing powers-that-be will have you believe this is already a foregone conclusion. Does this statement derive from abundant research and insightful analysis, or lazy regurgitation?

First of all, it is hardly a prediction when looking at the past 20 years of Royals baseball; failure is near certain for this franchise year after year.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports has confirmed on Twitter that Aroldis Chapman has signed with the Cincinnati Reds for five years and $30 million. This comes as a bit of a shock, especially given the depth of the Reds' rotation already.

While Edison Volquez is likely to miss the majority of the season, the team still has Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, and Johnny Cueto as its top three, along with Homer Bailey to help fill out the rotation. 

UPDATE: Passan now thinks Chapman has signed with a National League Central team, but he's not sure at this point. Watch for updates.