Some teams aren't getting the new emphasis on defense

I've written about some teams with position battles at second and third base.
This installment includes a look at some teams with options, or should I say problems, at first base -- and how they're solving those.
The White Sox and Mariners seem willing to go the route of weakening their defense in exchange for the possibility of increased offense. The Pirate no doubt will have their eyes on the waiver wire or trade possibilities.
Chicago signed Cuban 1B Jose Abreu, possibly expecting 1B Paul Konerko to retire. His decision to return for a farewell season created a logjam at first base/DH, with Adam Dunn already there. The proposed solution is to have Dunn play left field. Sox pitchers no doubt are overjoyed.
Seattle's taking a similar tack. 1B Justin Smoak might have saved his position with a strong second half in 2013. But then they traded for 1B/OF Corey Hart, whose outfield days are numbered at best. The Mariners also are working failed C Jesus Montero at first base. So there could be something like Smoak at first, Montero as a shaky DH and Hart as a shaky outfielder in a big outfield. Sure, Seattle has added 2B Robinson Cano to RHP Felix Hernandez and 3B Kyle Seager, but what else is there?
Pirates 1B Gaby Sanchez is making noise about being a full-time player this year. The right-handed batter wasn't very effective in just a platoon role against lefties last season, so how can he really be expected to produce every day. The alternatives or possible platoon players are left-handed batters Travis Ishikawa, who has been found wanting elsewhere, and the unproven Andrew Lambo and Chris McGuiness.
-- Reports say the Red Sox are close to signing LHP Chris Capuano to fill the rotation spot that would have gone to RHP Ryan Dempster except that he decided not to pitch this year. They're interchangeable fifth starter at this stage of their careers, and probably average of below-average among fifth starters.
-- For starters: No surprise, RHP Adam Wainwright will start the opening game for the National League-champion Cardinals.
New Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said he hasn't decided among his wealth of right-handed talent: Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and Anibal Sanchez. I'd rank them in that order. If Scherzer couldn't get the Opening Day start after the season he had in 2013, when would he? Verlander is 31, so logic tells us he isn't likely to have another year as good as his glory days. Sanchez can be unhittable; the inconsistent one can also be hittable.
Detroit has decided on a starter for its opening exhibition game Tuesday against Florida Southern College, and its Ver ... no, not Verlander, but rookie RHP Drew VerHagen, who finished last season at Double-A Erie. I saw VerHagen on a few occasions when he was at Rockwall-Heath High School in Texas. He was drafted in the fourth round out of Vanderbilt in 2012.
* * *
Basketball. Team Fresh Prints maintained its 7-1 lead for this week. Friday's games could be the key to protecting that lead or even going ahead in free throw percentage for an 8-0 sweep. It appears that I'll have nine players to my opponent's two. If my starting nine can shoot well at the foul line, they could put a big dent in the .050 by which they trail in free throw percentage. The downside is that a bad shooting night could all but eliminate the chance of leading in free throws and could also drop the field goal percentage behind. The six other counting categories should be all but wrapped up Friday night.

Romero, Willis continue strong pitching

Blue Jays LHP Ricky Romero became the first pitcher to record three wins this spring, with a pitching line of 552225 in a 13-3 victory over the Orioles. Baltimore CF Adam Jones hit a home run against Romero, who has a 1.93 spring ERA. Orioles RHP Jeremy Guthrie continued to struggle. He gave up two home runs to Toronto OF Travis Snider and one of the two homers C John Buck hit. Buck’s other tater was against RHP Frank Mata. Jays OF/3B Jose Bautista cooled off, with an 0-for-4 game dropping his average to .524.
In the Dodgers’ 7-3 win over the Cubs, LF Manny Ramirez hit his first homer, a two-run blast against RHP Ryan Dempster.
Tigers LHP Dontrelle Willis continued his comeback with a line of 300012 in their 5-4 victory over the Astros. OF Brennan Boesch drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning against journeyman RHP Gary Majewski. Don’t get too excited about Boesch. He led the Double-A Eastern League in home runs last season, but he’ll be 25 in April.
OF Jonny Gomes, who had to sweat out most of the off-season before the Reds re-signed the free agent, hit his third homer. The shot against LHP Jeremy Sowers provided the only runs in Cincinnati’s 6-2 loss to the Indians. File this away: Indians C prospect Jesus Montero played left field in the game as the Tribe look for a position to get his bat into the lineup.
The Twins scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning on 3B prospect Luke Hughes’ double against their former teammate, RHP Brian Bass. That gave Minnesota a 5-4 victory over the Pirates. Pittsburgh OF/2B Delwyn Young slugged his fourth homer – against RHP Clay Condrey, whose chances to play a significant role in the Twinkies’ bullpen took a hit from a line of 133300 that inflated Condrey’s ERA to 10.80.
The Mets continued to hit with more power than they showed at just about any time last season. LF Jason Bay homered against Marlins LHP Renyel Pinto, and RF Jeff Francoeur connected against RHP Ricky Nolasco as New York won 5-2. LHP Hisanori Takahashi – not Ken Takahashi, who pitched some for the Mets last year – earned an extended save with a line of 2 1/3 20011. Don’t count on a lot from this Takahashi, who will be 35 (at least) when the season begins.
Rangers LF Josh Hamilton homered for the second consecutive day. His third of the spring was against Brewers LHP Manny Parra, who struggled to a line of 565505. With Texas RHP Tommy Hunter unable to go, RHP Guillermo Moscoso filled in as the starter, with a line of 2 1/3 32204. The Rangers’ pitching star was LHP Matt Harrison, with eight strikeouts in four innings. In Texas’ 6-4 victory, its pitchers struck out 16 Milwaukee batters. Included were three each by 2B Rickie Weeks and RF Corey Hart.
Rays 1B Carlos Pena hit a solo homer, his first this spring, but that wasn’t enough as the Yankees defeated Tampa Bay 6-4.
Sample Scouting Report:
Ricky Romero, LHP, Blue Jays
Ht.: 6-0 Wt.: 210 T: L Age: 25 Inj. Risk: 10 Alt. Pos.: SP
{2010} Romero can strike out major league batters, but his success comes mostly from retiring them on ground balls. He has had a very good exhibition season, in part because of a cut fastball he worked on during the off-season. There’s cause for concern that he might not be able to do as well as he did last season. Romero, whose best minor league ERA was 4.42, slumped to 6-6 with a 5.54 ERA during the second half of his rookie major league season. He might not be able to reach higher expectations this season because he could be making nearly half of his starts against the superior competition of the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays in the American League East. Don’t confuse him with Davis Romero, another recent Toronto left-handed pitching prospect. Born: Nov. 6, 1984, Los Angeles, Calif. 2009: Blue Jays, 178 IP, 13 W, 4.30 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 0 S, 141 SO.
Projection
IP: 180 W: 11 ERA: 4.15 WHIP: 1.40 S: 0 SO: 138 Value: $2