During this last off-season, the Red Sox made major moves to put the team in a better position as World Series contenders. 

The release of third baseman Adrian Beltre and the signing of all-star outfielder Carl Crawford headline an array of changes in Boston.

However, none may be bigger than the acquisition of first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from the San Diego Padres.

Gonzalez brings a powerful bat and reliable glove to the Red Sox along with a reputation as one of the league’s premier first basemen.

On April 19, 2010, rookie first baseman Issac Benjamin Davis made his first appearance in an MLB regular-season game for the New York Mets. What did Ike do in his first at-bat at Citi Field versus the Chicago Cubs' Randy Wells? Drop one into right field.

Oh, and received one of the biggest ovations in recent Mets history. It was a single, so simple a hit that if it were made by any other man on that roster, they would have received a standard applause.

On the heels of a recent story in the North Bergen Record by Steve Popper and Bob Klapisch, New York Mets fans are ready to pack it in already.

Let's face it though: Most Mets fans have already packed it in, but there were a few still hanging on.

The article published yesterday cites unnamed members (as usual) of the Mets organization. It claimed that they're ready to shut Johan Santana down completely because he has not been progressing as he continues to rehab his surgically repaired shoulder.

With less than three weeks till Opening Day (I don't count the night game before), Major League Baseball is almost here. So is your fantasy baseball draft. No better time than now to start preparing for it.

Here are my mid-spring training rankings for the closer position.

Please Note: Stats are listed as: Wins, ERA, Saves/Opportunities, Strikeouts, WHIP and IP for the 2010 season. The player’s age at the start of the 2011 season is next to his team’s name.

The Mets have a the fifth largest payroll in baseball. They have a shiny new stadium, they play in the largest market in America and have a roster loaded with talent.

For all this, the Mets are terrible. In every way imaginable.

Here’s a look at the 2011 A.L. Only closer rankings.

1. Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers

Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers 2006 first-round draft pick, has slowly been gaining steam since making his Major League debut in 2008.  He’s been highly regarded since the day he first donned a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform, but his 2010 campaign showed us just how good he could be:

13 Wins
204.1 Innings
2.91 ERA
1.18 WHIP
212 Strikeouts (9.34 K/9)
81 Walks (3.57 BB/9)
.275 BABIP

With the alleged ghostly spirits that live at the 99-year-old Fenway Park, ghost-seeking fans may have plenty to spook them late in the night. Bumps in the Monster seats may be more scary when the Sox are on the road.

According to Baseball Hauntings by Mickey Bradley and Dan Gordon, there is a bit of action at Fenway Park. Among the alleged spirits to be found there on off-nights when the Sox are on road trips are the late announcer Sherm Feller and owner Tom Yawkey. 

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

Throughout the process of Spring Training, I intend to bring you a weekly update on the progress of key Atlanta Braves' players and of the team as a whole.  As we all know, Spring Training is a situation in flux, so the status quo changes every day, much less every week.  So, in an attempt to better inform the reader and the fan, I'll be bringing you week by week updates on the progress of players, coaches thoughts and more!  So, stay tuned and you might just learn something.