Gary Denbo takes over for Mickey Brantley this year. The Globe ran a piece on him today.

Keith Law is well known to Batters Box.  Keith was employed by the Blue Jays from 2002 through 2006 and in 2003 dropped into Da Box for an interview.   Keith now provides a scouting perspective at ESPN.com where his weekly chats have become a favourite of mine because of Keith's honesty; the large number of questions he answers; and his willingness to answer questions on two of his other passions, books and food.   At ESPN Keith also breaks down trades and publishes prospect reports such as the top 5 prospects by organization and the overall top 100 prospects in baseball.  Keith agreed to an e-mail interview with Batters Box, reproduced below.  Batters Box thanks Keith for the generous allocation of his time to this interview.

Ah yes, if you hear those words spring training must be right around the corner.

Robert MacLoud has some pre-spring training tidbits as does Bob Elliot.  The biggest thing is that BJ Ryan might be ready when the season begins.

After all, this time next week we will at least be thinking about Florida.

The final No-Prize of the week goes to the Bauxite who can not only name the title of the song for which today's headline is the first line of lyrics, but can also use that song title in a sentence describing the current Blue Jay player of the responder's choice. Ready? Go!

FWIW, the All-Internet Board of Judges that oversees all Web sites has determined that this week's previous winners -- ayjackson, Chuck and ChicagoJaysFan -- are in fact eligible to win again. How exciting! Will we have our first repeat winner, or can some raw rook out there break on through to the other side?

While we wait to find out, some baseball ...

• Robinson Cano got $30M from the Yankees
• Luis Gonzalez got a little less than that, $1M, from the Marlins
• Clemens/McNamee...do you care or are you bored?
• The Royals don't wan't Sammy Sosa. Will anyone?
• Erik Bedard is apparently in Seattle for a physical, meaning the over/under date on this trade being completed is now June 6, 2016.

What else is going on?

Okay, today's No-Prize goes to the person who can write a headline for this catch-all thread that is from a song with "Thursday" in the title. I got nothin' ... those old "Lady Madonna" Beatle lyrics are the closest I can come.

And for today's starters ...

• Brendan Donnelly to the Indians. Good pickup!
• Eric Hinske signed a minor-league deal with Tampa Bay. Makes sense.
• Bobby Kielty re-signed with the Red Sox, also a minor-leage deal. Meh.
• Happy 53rd birthday, Damaso Garcia!

Not much else going on ... or is there? You tell us!

 

First, again an official Batter's Box No-Prize, identify the source of the title of this thread. For extra credit, give a reasonable explanation -- I can't think of one! -- that the performing artist in question should be quoted in a baseball publication.

Now, yet again, erm, what's up? And yet again (again), ere are some starting points ...

• Nolan Ryan for President! (in Texas, anyway ...)
• Speaking of Prez races, this might have cost Rudy G. if he'd stayed in ...
• Bedard to the Mariners? Well, not yet ... (This is a recording ...)
• Roger Clemens "sentenced" to five hours on Capitol Hill ...
• What else?

Okay, y'all seem to like these catch-all threads, so here's another. First, for an official Batter's Box No-Prize, identify the source of the title of this thread. For extra credit, provide the next several lines ...

Now, again, erm, what's up? Here'are some starting points ...

• Juan Gonzalez has signed with the Cardinals? How's that going to work out?
• Curtis Granderson -- worth $30.25 million over five years?
• And Freddy Sanchez 3/$19M? Really?
• Bedard to the Mariners (finally)?
• Clemens is to testify today. So?

Got answers? Got other questions? Provide information backed with a link within!

Update 12:30pm:  Alex Rios signed - 1 year, $4.8 million.

The very first Hall of Names story on Batter's Box appeared way back on March 15, 2003 ... if you don't remember (and I barely do myself), it was the All-Food Team. Since then, nearly five years have passed, a full Baker's Dozen of Bauxites (that means 13) have stepped up to contribute to the series, which as of this writing, now stands at a count of 299. (If you care, they're all archived right here. )

But on to the business at hand, a Hall of Names team worthy of baseball's magic number, 300 (does that make this more of a Lobby of Numbers entry? Nah, that's Magpie's turf. Anyway ... )

So ... erm, what's up, then?

Super Bowl ... hoops ... hockey ... no so much baseball. Or is there? You tell us!

Okay, I'll start this Super Bowl Sunday Hall of Names exercise with a confession -- even though I now live in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, I am a New York Giants fan. And yes, I fully expect to see them completely torched by New England's Perfect Patriots today. (I hope I'm wrong, of course.)

And as much as I'd love to do a Hall of Names piece honoring XVII MVP QB Eli Manning, there have been just four MLB vets who went by "Eli," and just eight named Manning. Okay, if the Giants pull off the monumental upset, we'll see about piecing one together; but for now, as the title of this article should have already suggested, we'll focus that "honor" (jinx?) on the real probable XVII MVP QB ...

This isn't really "Hall of Names" territory -- at least not yet. It's more of a Reader Challenge to help pass time this February Friday ...

So here's the challenge for you all -- we've played with Anagramatics here on Da Box previously, but for newcomers, "anagramatics" means ...

Spring Training nears and roster-filling moves start to come around the majors; just in the last day ...

• The Marlins signed LF Luis Gonzalez and 3B Dallas McPherson;
• The Mariners signed OF-1B Brad Wilkerson.

And in the "minor league contract, with an invitation to spring training" category ...

• The Yankees signed 3B Morgan Ensberg;
• The Indians signed P Jorge Julio.

A few thoughts ...

Keith Law and Kevin Goldstein rank their top 100 prospects.  Both have Travis Snider at #7.  Law had Brett Cecil at 63.  And that's it for the Jays on these lists.

Law went a little against the grain with Evan Longoria as the top prospect.

Okay, it's not really "Breaking News," given the rumours of the past three months, but at long last, Johan Santana has changed professional addresses, moving on to the Big Apple. However, he's also, in a bit of an upset, changed leagues, as baseball's best starting pitcher -- sorry, Doc! -- is now a member of the New York Mets.

In return for Santana, the Twins will receive center fielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Phil Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra -- a package which, according to ESPN.com, "some talent evaluators believe could be the fourth-best offer that Minnesota received during this process."

Thoughts, anyone?