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Pags' Spring Training Player Notes and Fantasy Advice

Spring Training Player Notes and Fantasy Advice from former Yankee and current scout Mike Pagliarulo, from www.DugoutCentral.com.  

Rays starting pitcher James Shields looked very good against the Twins on Tuesday. His pitches looked good as he threw a fastball, changeup and a breaking pitch (resembling a slider). His pitches had good movement both in and out of the pitching zone. The right-hander made some nice adjustments between innings to his pitching mechanics, allowing him to get right back on track when he couldn't repeat his arm slot. Shields pitched aggressively and attacked the strike zone early with first pitch strikes. What I liked most was the fact he kept his composure when he struggled. He had good pitch execution and good boy language throughout his outing. He didn't panic and didn't make any major changes - minor adjustments were all that was needed. Shields should continue to improve in 2008 and will give the Rays a chance to win almost every time out. Fantasy advice: Shields was impressive in 2007, going 12-8 with a 3.85 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.107 WHIP and 184 strikeouts. He had a 5:1 strikeout to walk ratio. Look for continued improvement in 2008. Fifteen wins with a 3.50 ERA isn't out of the question for the 26-year-old.

Pags' Mailbag: Posada, Shaking off the catcher and more

Q&A with former Yankee Mike Pagliarulo of www.DugoutCentral.com

NL Prospect Report

NL Prospect Spring Training ReportSpring Training stats are not the best indicator of future performance but, when applied to prospects, it does tell you a little bit about how they are handling the pressure of being under the watchful eye of management on a daily basis. Are the prospects taking walks or striking out? Are the pitchers inducing ground balls or giving up some long balls? And, most importantly, what are the scouts and writers saying about them? Since we only have 1 Pags, I'll try to sum up some observations and conversations on the hottest prospects.

Pags: Player Notes and Fantasy Advice from Spring Training

Starting pitcher Phil Hughes had a good pitching line against the Twins on Sunday, but he didn't pitch all that well. He needs at least six more starts to work out his throwing issues. Hard throwers need more time, and although Hughes throws a heavy ball, his fastest pitch was only 91. The good news is that he was able to compete without his good stuff - a key to being a good major league pitcher. The bad news is that his pitching mechanics haven't improved from last year, and we still categorize him as being at moderate risk for arm/shoulder surgery in the next five years. Because he's on the Yankees, though, he has access to great coaching and support processes, so hopefully he'll be able to improve those mechanics. Fantasy advice: He's a prime target in keeper leagues. Someone is going to draft him early, probably too early. If he drops down to that 13 or 14 round range, grab him for the upside.

Cape Fear: MLB Threatens Viability of the Cape League

According to Rob Duca's article in Friday's Cape Cod Times, MLB has decided to force six teams in the Cape Cod Baseball League - the Chatham Athletics, Y-D Red Sox, Bourne Braves, Harwich Mariners, Hyannis Mets and Orleans Cardinals - to buy uniforms and souvenir merchandise only from MLB vendors. If the teams don't comply, MLB will pull their annual $100,000 grant to the League.

This is a huge mistake by Major League Baseball.