The death of an athlete is always a shock to the system. But, the death of a young person, athlete or otherwise, is downright devastating. The Orange County Register is reporting that 22-year-old Los Angeles Angels right-hander Nick Adenhart was among three killed in a traffic accident in Fullerton, Calif., early Thursday morning.

This was especially shameful, given that simple obedience of traffic laws could have prevented it. According to the OC Register, a 22-year-old man named Andrew Thomas Gallo ran a red light, struck Adenhart’s Mitsubishi, then attempted to flee the scene on foot. Read more »

The Los Angeles Daily News had some glowing words for 20-year-old left-hander Clayton Kershaw Monday. Terms like “poise” and “maturity” were used when describing Kershaw, who the Daily News says has all but locked up a spot in the Dodgers’ rotation already.

Kershaw’s arrival in the majors last season was a big deal. We at ImaginaryDiamond.com made an early comparison to Philadelphia Phillies lefty Cole Hamels, saying:

“Their arsenals are different, but their deliveries are similar and the results, at least through one start, are looking very much the same. Kershaw is armed with a live fastball and a deadly curveball, where Hamels features a quality fastball and a plus-changeup.” Read more »

Filed under: Columns, News and Notes | Tagged: Clayton Kershaw, Cole Hamels, fantasy mlb, Los Angeles Dodgers | No Comments »

One player’s injury is another’s opportunity. Sensitivity be damned, fantasy owners have to process that information, make decisions and take advantage of the new-found chance a player has.

On Thursday, St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Troy Glaus, a fine player in his own right, made the decision to undergo surgery on his right shoulder. The procedure could cost Glaus up to three months, while opening the door for a young player in the organization to claim an everyday job. Read more »

The acquisition of former top prospect outfielder Felix Pie sets into motion a fantasy relevant chain of events in Baltimore. The Orioles, after dealing left-hander Garrett Olson and minor league pitcher Henry Williamson to Chicago on Sunday, are committed to giving Pie every chance to succeed, according to the Baltimore Sun.

The Sun reports that Pie will split time in left field with recently acquired Ryan Freel, but he could fare better than that. The O’s would have no complaints if Pie took command of the job and moved Freel into a fourth outfielder/utility player role. Meanwhile, Luke Scott will take over full-time designated hitter duties and Aubrey Huff will get the majority of his time at first base. Read more »

Good story by Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Jim Salisbury, who breaks down each of the Philadelphia Phillies’ six potential arbitration cases. He also gives a refresher on just how arbitration works, which is always handy for an often confusing, misunderstood process.

The defending World Series champions have some of the more intriguing cases, especially in first baseman Ryan Howard. Howard set a record with his $10-million ruling last season, now will be seeking somewhere in the $18 million range, according to the Inquirer. Read more »

Michael Young didn’t have to like it, but he accepted the Texas Rangers’ plan to move him to third base, the Dallas Morning News reported on its blog Thursday. This clears the way for young Elvis Andrus to debut at shortstop and for Hank Blalock to shift into the primary designated hitter role. 

A very professional move by Young, who came to terms with a position change after taking an adamant stance against it. He cited pride for his initial resistance to the idea, then duties to his teammates and talks with team president Nolan Ryan as reasons for coming around. Read more »

The outlook is not so bright now, but could be exponentially better in the long-term for Tampa Bay Rays outfielder B.J. Upton.

After battling a shoulder injury for much of the 2008 season, he had surgery this winter to repair a torn labrum. The Tampa Tribune reports that Upton may not be ready for opening day, but he should be in much better position to produce when he returns. Read more »

The Atlanta Braves had a rough start to their offseason. After completing a trade with the Chicago White Sox for pitcher Javier Vazquez, they missed out in the A.J. Burnett sweepstakes, failed to strike a deal with the San Diego Padres for Jake Peavy, got spurned by shortstop Rafael Furcal, and lost franchise ace John Smoltz to Boston.

But, in the last five days, general manager Frank Wren is trying to reverse the club’s string of bad luck. On Saturday, the club signed Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami, and on Tuesday inked free agent Derek Lowe to a four-year, $60-million deal, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Read more »

Shortstop Michael Young is not playing along, but the Texas Rangers have ideas of a grand position shuffle in 2009. Young, a five-time All-Star at short, is unhappy that the organization has “told” him to move to third base, according to the Dallas Morning News, and is demanding a trade. Young’s discontent puts a damper on moves that could work quite well for fantasy owners.

Young inexplicably won his first Gold Glove at shortstop last season, despite defensive statistics suggesting he was one of the most stationary in the game. A move to third would give the Rangers more range, but with inexperienced Elvis Andrus at short. Read more »

One has sure-fire Hall of Fame credentials. The other is a strong candidate for enshrinement. Both John Smoltz and Trevor Hoffman are capping their careers in new cities, inking one-year deals with the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers, respectively, on Thursday.

While Smoltz, recovering from shoulder surgery, is in better position to chase a championship in Boston, Hoffman was simply in pursuit of a job and found one that paid $6 million for the 2009 season. Both, in our estimation, did well for themselves. Read more »