- If you haven't heard by now, Justin Huber was traded by Kansas City to the Padres (see also this link). While Huber had expressed a desire to be a part of the Royals - who really seem to be moving in the right direction - this move has to be a positive one for him. All indications were that there was not much room for him at Kansas, despite his excellent form this spring. The trade to the Padres means that he will start on the 25-man roster, which is a lot better than being shipped off to triple-A. As a Padres fan, I am pretty stoked with the news too! And things might look good for him even landing a fair bit of time in the game, as Padres centrefielder Jim Edmonds is under an injury cloud and may start the year on the DL. This would see Scott Hairston shift from left field to centre, and could open the door for Huber. Huber certainly didnt muck around, in his first performance for the Padres he went 0-for-3, striking out once. But he did draw a walk and score a run. Many Royals fans seem disappointed that Huber has left the club, but he certainly seems to have been held in high regard at Kansas. Check out this post from Undying Royalty for some comments. Hopefully he will get a good shot at things in San Diego.
- Trent Oeltjen is still in camp with Arizona. This is a pretty good sign for him, as he was participating as a non-roster invitee. He went 0-for-1 today, striking out against the White Sox. Stay tuned for more news on what 2008 is likely to hold for Oeltjen.
- Grant Balfour pitched today as Tampa Bay beat the Indians. However he struggled with his control, giving up 4 walks, one of which was with bases loaded. Hopefully this was just a one off for Balfour, who has had a reasonable spring, and looks to make the Rays' pen
- With the Braves, Peter Moylan pitched the first inning in their loss to the Mets. Bobby Cox wanted to give his relievers a hitout before the season starts, so Moylan opened things up. He took the loss, giving up 3 hits, 3 runs and 1 walk, while getting 1 strikeout over his one inning of work.
- The Phillies have dropped Travis Blackley from their major league camp. They sent him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. This is disappointing, but hopefully Blackley can refine his stuff and see some time in the bigs this year.
- In other news, Seattle have optioned Ryan Feierabend to triple-A. This is good news for Ryan Rowland-Smith. Feierabend was one of his main rivals for a spot in the M's pen, so things could be looking up for RRS.
Stay tuned for more info as the major league clubs finalise their rosters prior to opening day on Monday. Please feel free to leave a comment, or drop me an email if you have some news to report
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