MLB Prospect Watch

Links: Roster Moves and Minor League Assignments

• The St. Louis Cardinals send down closer prospect Chris Perez, according to the Associated Press.
• Brett Gardner beat out Melky Cabrera for the Yankees starting centerfield position, says Mark Feidsand of the Daily News.
• Colorado Rockies top pitching prospect Jhoulys Chacin will begin the season on Double-A, reports Jack Etkin of Inside the Rockies.  The move was made largely because the weather there will be more mild than at the Rockies Triple-A facility in Colorado Springs.

Links: Odds and Ends from Around Baseball

• He won't exactly be taking away playing time from Yankee captain Derek Jeter, but rookie infielder Ramiro Pena is making a strong case to make the major league roster out of spring training as a backup infielder, notes Kat O'Brien of Newsday.
• The Toronto Blue Jays uncertain rotation might have filled at least one of it's empty spots, thinks Morgan Campbell of the Toronto Star, after manager Cito Gaston made hints that rookie Ricky Romero may be claiming a turn in the rotation.
• Jordan Zimmerman will definately be making starts in Washington this spring, as he was named the Nationals 5th starter, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Link: McCutchen Making Decision Difficult for Pirates

• Update on McCutchen:  According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, McCutchen has been sent down to Triple-A.

• Despite the fantastic season incumbent center fielder Nate McLouth had in 2008, the Pittsburgh Pirates could very well have a new face roaming the outfield when they take the field at PNC Park this April.  Prospect Andrew McCutchen further cemented his case for a roster spot on Saturday with a 5-for-5 day against the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, including a home run and three doubles.  As Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports, it might be enough to move McLouth to one of the corners.

Assorted Links from Around the League

• With the White Sox starting rotation still up in the air, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times takes a look at the possibility of prospect Clayton Richard claiming one of the remaining spots out of Spring Training.
• The Atlanta Braves have a tough decision regarding their centerfield position, choosing between the out-of-options Josh Anderson and, as David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports, the red hot Jordan Schafer, who is making the Braves' decision tougher and tougher each day.
• Agree with the move or not, Matt Wieters of the Baltimore Orioles is saying all the right things regarding his impending demotion to Triple-A, reports Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun.

Links: Tigers' Porcello a Topic of Conversation

As Spring Training draws to a close, the Detroit Tigers are still trying to make a decision on who will claim their final spot in the starting rotation.  Surprisingly, the realistic consideration for top prospect Rick Porcello has remained throughout Spring Training, with a final decision likely to come sometime this week.  Here's what they've been saying in Detroit:

• Porcello hit his first major speed bump on the way to the majors in a Spring Training game on Thursday, according to the Associated Press.
• Tigers' beat writer Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press takes a look at what that outing means for Porcello and the Tigers.
• Fellow Free Press writer John Lowe puts a positive spin on the situation, however, and looks at Porcello's maturity.