Opinion

A demotion is defined as “a reduction in grade, rank or status.” 

In baseball, this can mean a starter who is moved to the bench or bullpen, a reduction in playing time or even a move to the minors.

Players who reach star status very rarely stay there for their entire careers.  Age, injuries, decreased production and younger competition can all factor into a change in a player's status.

Spring training can be a difficult time for players who are on the cusp, especially when other guys are breathing down their necks. 

Jonathan Papelbon was having a decent spring—that is, until his fourth outing, where he allowed three earned runs on a hit, three walks and a hit batter in just one third of an inning of work.

However, he followed up that performance with a clean inning of work against the New York Yankees. All is perfect in paradise? Not quite.

Catching is a position in baseball that deserves immense credit; those able to combine power and average with All-Star-calibre defense are far and few between. 

Look at the likes of Joe Mauer and Ivan Rodriguez: 16 Gold Gloves, two MVPs and 11 Silver Sluggers. Within this generation, they are two of the very best. 

So, when teams claim to have the next superstar of the future, many are skeptical. 

When the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Charlie Morton from the Atlanta Braves as part of the controversial Nate McLouth trade in 2009, it was a very unpopular trade to say the least.

Not only did the Pirates trade away a fan favorite and arguably their best player, they received more minor league prospects in return—that concept has been occurring way too often in Pittsburgh.  

Maybe just maybe, that trade wasn't so lopsided after all.

Well, it looks like it may be a reality: Luis Castillo is reported close to signing a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. Quite frankly, I am not sure how I feel about this. One would assume that there are some pros and some cons so let's take a look at some of them

The Oakland A’s are being called the San Francisco Giants of 2011.

The comparisons stem from the fact that the A’s have a solid pitching staff. Like the Giants, the A’s have added some key veterans to make a push towards the playoffs.

The last time the A’s made the playoffs was 2006 when they lost to the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS. The A’s have added a list of veterans to help them get over the 500 mark for the first time in four years.

With the injury to Chase Utley, a hole is left in the Phillies infield. How the Phillies will fill this hole is still unknown. In fact, the significance of Utley's injury is not yet known either.

Wilson Valdez, who filled in for the injured Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins last season, can be a quick fix for the Phillies. Valdez did a great job filling in for these two key players and did a great job as a bench player as well, hitting .258 over the entire 2010 season.