The conversation began with Jorge Mateo, the 20-year-old shortstop Baseball America ranked as the best prospect in the New York Yankees' farm system.

"His speed is incredible, and he's good defensively," a veteran scout who follows the Yankees system said. "But you know, it feels like everyone has one. Right now, we might have the best group of young shortstops ever."

You know, he might be right.

Nothing counts and everything counts—it's the annual paradox of spring.

On the one hand, yes, these are mere exhibition contests. The scores don't matter, and the performances of individual players should be taken with enough grains of salt to satisfy Jimmy Buffett's lifetime margarita needs.

This is about stretching hammies, shaking off the cobwebs and enjoying the Florida and Arizona sunshine as much as anything.

Matt Williams went from Manager of the Year to jettisoned ex-skipper of the Washington Nationals in the span of just a year. 

That’s how disappointing last season was for the team that at this time last year was the unanimous World Series favorite, per Odds Shark.   

By Thursday afternoon, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred may have wanted to wash Bryce Harper’s mouth out with soap. Or, at least, rub it down with pine tar.

Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper is one of the flashiest and most exciting players in Major League Baseball, and the reigning National League MVP is hopeful his style will become more commonplace.

Nobody is having more fun during this year's spring training than the Chicago Cubs.

Of course, some of that fun comes at the expense of certain people. On Wednesday, it was Tim Buss, the Cubs' strength and conditioning coordinator, who found himself subjected to a little hazing.

We've tried our hand at predicting each team's Opening Day roster a few times so far this offseason, but now that we have some actual spring action to base things on, it's time for a significantly more in-depth dive into each team's likely roster.

What follows is a projected 25-man roster for each team.

Players that are written in bold on the roster are viewed as locks, and we didn't waste time discussing their roster status.

While excitement and optimism reign supreme in spring training, the injury bug's yearly debut has quashed some of those good vibes in a number of camps.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Look at them.

Far end of the New York Mets spring clubhouse, short row of lockers, crawling around like scorpions in a box. The most lethal rotation in the game, just waiting to sting someone.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — A little sugar on your Grapefruit?...

1. He's Got Friends in Low (and High) Places

He is the Rick Steves of the American League East, a man so well-traveled he could author a guide, rate beaches in St. Petersburg and tell you where to get the best Szechuan in Toronto's Chinatown.

So while other starting pitchers work on command and secondary pitches this spring, David Price has one other item on his to-do list.