Preview/Prediction

A few years ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a superstar outfielder named Jason Bay and a very questionable pitcher named Oliver Perez, while the Mets had a promising, if undeveloped, outfielder, Lastings Milledge, whom they traded to the Washington Nationals for Ryan Church.

Now the Pirates have both Milledge and Church, while the Mets have Bay and Perez.

Neither the Pirates nor the Mets have outfielder Xavier Nady, who was the consideration for Perez (and reliever Roberto Hernandez, who lasted only two months with the Mets).

The Reds beat up the Diamondbacks today, 13-7, while collecting 14 hits. Drew Stubbs, Jay Bruce, and Miguel Cairo had two hits each, while Bruce and Paul Janish each contributed his second homer of the spring.

The Good

It is no secret that the Los Angeles Dodgers have a lack of leadership in their starting rotation. Not due to lack of talent, but rather lack of experience.

Ownership didn't bite the hook this off-season for a major contributing starter, whether that be for financial reasons or simply because they didn't see a piece that would fit.

The facts are, the Dodgers want a World Championship and many would agree that you need one pitcher that can go seven to eight innings in a postseason game to get there.

Major League Baseball umpires take a lot of grief during the season, and sometimes into the offseason. When everything goes smoothly, nobody mentions the umpires. If a close play results in a questionable call, fans often verbally attack the men in blue. Few people get to see the gentle and caring side of MLB umpires.

"Grounder to second, Iwamura picks it up and steps on the bag. The Rays have done it!  The Rays are going to the World Series!"

Every Rays fan remembers where they were when then-Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura stepped on the bag to clinch the American League Pennant and capped off a magical season, even if the clock struck 12 during the World Series.

When Justin Upton signed his six-year, $51.25 million contract, it not only signified that the Diamondbacks were committed to Upton, but also that the 22-year-old was ready to step into his seemingly reserved role as one of baseball’s elite outfielders.

But the deal also sent another message to baseball fans. A little less than a month earlier B.J. Upton lost his arbitration case to the Tampa Bay Rays, resulting in a salary of $3 million for the 2010 season. B.J. filed for $3.3 million.