Carpe Diem (USAT)

Around Groundhog Day, Matt Carpenter was an invisible spare part, the type of player you wouldn't think about in a mixed-league draft.

Today, he's a trendy little sleeper. What a difference a month makes.

[Baseball 2013 from Yahoo! Fantasy Sports: Join a league today!]

The Cardinals haven't settled on a starter at second base yet; they're allowing Carpenter and Daniel Descalso to battle it out. Carpenter, 27, is an odd fit for the position, given that he's 6-foot-3 and hardly played there last year (five games), but so far, so good. The club has used Carpenter exclusively at second base this spring, looking to get him up to speed as quickly as possible. Manager Mike Matheny and infield coach Jose Oquendo have been encouraged to this point.

Carpenter's bat was useful during 296 at-bats lat year: .294/.365/.463, five homers. He did just fine against left-handed pitching (.784 OPS) and probably wouldn't need a platoon partner (Descalso is a left-handed batter anyway). Early spring returns also look good for Carpenter, as he's off to a 10-for-27 push with four doubles and five walks. Descalso gets points for his versatility, but he didn't hit a lick last year (.227/.303/.324).

Another Yankee down in Tampa (USAT)

The Yankees offense used to be the safest bet on the roto board, the ideal place to park your money and collect your rewards. But in 2013, this looks like a pedestrian and star-crossed group, a franchise in search of its identity (if not a start-fresh blueprint).

Curtis Granderson's arm injury was the first bombshell from Tampa, and it didn't take long for a second shot. Mark Teixeira felt a pop in his right wrist during Tuesday batting practice and the timetable came down Wednesday: he's out for 8-10 weeks. Tough times for the 30-something Yankees.

[Also: Eric Hosmer replaces Mark Teixeira for USA at World Baseball Classic]

But what does this mean for you, the average fantasy baseball owner who's looking to put together a draft board?

Teixeira's draft stock took the expected tumble as the Yahoo! crew assembled fresh ranks at first base. While the Yankees are calling it a wrist strain for Teixeira, this is the type of injury that could sap power for most or all of the season. Brandon Funston is now slotting Teixiera 22nd at the position; that's the highest in the group. Brad Evans, Andy Behrens and Dalton Del Don consider Teixeira the No. 24 option, while yours truly is the pessimist in the crowd (No. 28). Season to taste.

The Yankees didn't have obvious replacements for Granderson, and the same goes for Teixeira. This is an aging team with spotty depth. If you're in a mixed league, you probably know to avoid the Juan Riveras and Dan Johnsons of the world. Perhaps Eduardo Nunez can run into our hearts, subbing at third base if Kevin Youkilis slides to first. Maybe an ordinary free agent could be added, an Aubrey Huff or a Carlos Lee. Bottom line, these injuries aren't opening the door for hot prospects or blocked assets. For the first time in the Derek Jeter Era, the Yankees might be in a bit of trouble.

Intensities in the Twin Cities (USAT)

You're going to draft a catcher or two this year, it's unavoidable. No one wants a summer littered with passed balls. There are pros and cons to the name-brand catchers, but if you don't mind paying a big ticket for your backstop, Joe Mauer and Carlos Santana are names to strongly consider. Who's the top pick in the American League? Andy Behrens and Scott Pianowski have a difference of opinion; let the sparring begin.

Behrens to Open: The great thing about having the Mauer side in this debate is that I can base my argument on things that have actually happened in the very recent past. I don't need to convince anyone that Joe Mauer is going to make a leap in value, delivering the best stats of his career. That burden is entirely on the Santana side. A typical season from Mauer will beat anything that Santana has ever done in the big leagues.

Here's where Mauer finished among all catchers in year-end fantasy rank in each of the past eight seasons:

Carl Crawford's fresh start (USAT)When it comes to buzzy names and bloated paychecks, the Dodgers have few rivals in major league baseball. There are major fantasy options all over the Glendale diamond; this is a roster we have to take seriously.

Alas, aches and pains are part of this L.A. Story, too – especially in the outfield.

Left fielder Carl Crawford is coming off Tommy John surgery and it's not a guarantee he'll be ready for the opening of the season. Crawford suffered a "minor setback" this week, stiffness in his left forearm, and he was limited in his Thursday workout. Here's more from beat writer Ken Gurnick:

Crawford participated in drills other than throwing and hitting Thursday, saying the stiffness cropped up two days ago.

"It flared up on me," said Crawford. "We're just being careful. I don't think it's [anything] crazy, just everybody is being very careful. From what I'm hearing, this stuff happens and I wouldn't be surprised if it happens again. "We just have to stay on top of it. I don't look at it as a major setback. If I had to, I could do the things I'd have to do."

Manager Don Mattingly said Crawford might have thrown too much in his rehab from Tommy John elbow surgery.

"It's not uncommon going through this," Mattingly said. "We want to be cautious with Carl. There's plenty of time before Opening Day. I don't know if it's a setback, but it's a pause. We've had him doing so much, and this guy is a working machine. He wants to get out there, but Sue [Falsone, trainer] wants to be cautious. We don't want to push it."

Down year for a big-name goalie (USAT)

You should know the Shuffle Up rules by now, but we'll do a quick refresher. What's happened to this point is merely an audition; we're trying to rank the players based on how they'll play for the balance of the season. Consider basic Yahoo! scoring categories as we do this dance: wins, shutouts, save percentage and goals-against average. There are also contextual factors to consider, of course (supporting cast, job security), not to mention age and career arc and injury concerns.

Injured goalies are kept off the list, which is why Miikka Kiprusoff isn't here. (The way he's been playing, no big loss. We don't miss you, Kiprusoft.)

[Baseball 2013 from Yahoo! Fantasy Sports: Join a league today!]

Your respectful disagreement is always welcome, just be sure to support your argument; further the conversation, gamers. Win the debate, you might win the rank. I'll add comments as the day goes along, and this list might be tweaked during that period.

Game on. Make the jump, meet up between the pipes

Tough hit for The Grandy Man (USAT)

Keep those cell phones charged, MLB general managers. Brian Cashman might be calling you sooner rather than later.

We focused on the aging Yankees when we hit The Bronx in last month's Pressing Questions, but the reasonably-spry Curtis Granderson was the first to take a shot in spring training. Granderson fractured his right forearm Sunday in his first at-bat of camp, courtesy of a J.A. Happ fastball, and is expected to miss 10 weeks.

[Baseball 2013 from Yahoo! Fantasy Sports: Join a league today!]

The Yankees don't have an obvious replacement for Granderson, their freshly minted left fielder. Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki are settled in the other two slots. Unexciting non-roster options Matt Diaz and Juan Rivera are around, in addition to prospect Zolio Almonte. Maybe the Yankees will look at upgrading the spot for the first month or two, maybe not. There's no outfield help waiting in the DH spot, where Travis Hafner stands. (Anyone up for Soriano 2, Electric Boogaloo? Well, it's complicated.)

Fantasy owners need a new plan of attack for Grandy, who was a third-round selection in most leagues prior to the injury.

Skydome Slugger (USAT)

You might like Jose Bautista for his home-run bat, his attack mentality at the plate, or his cool sunglasses.

Me, I dig the guy because he's a one-man wrecking crew when it comes to Fantasy Myth Busting. Heck, the first three bullet points in this article will come straight from the Joey Bats file.

If you've played fantasy baseball for even a modest amount of time, you've surely come across scores of rules and tips. Some are wise and useful, while others fall under the fortune-cookie logic umbrella. And we'll never stop searching for the wisdom to tell the difference.

Settle in, settler, and let's offer up some well-regarded fantasy concepts that need to be re-examined, if not thrown into the shredder once and for all.

Any player likely to regress into the new season is a poor draft pick

To be fair, I've never heard anyone express this point in such a literal and binary way, but we can read between the lines. The Regression Police are everywhere. There are many handy ways to determine why a breakout or career year is unlikely to repeat, and no one wants to be the sucker the following year.

But regression is not a destination on its own. Regression is supposed to be a conversation starter, not a conversation ender. Even if we're confident in a regression call, we need two follow-up questions: Regression to what level? And how is the market pricing this regression candidate?

Super Soph (USAT)Today's collection of February nuggets is brought to you by the Letter H. Settle in, settlers.

Mike Trout and Bryce Harper might wind up being linked for their entire careers; at least we all should be hoping for that. A Magic-Bird type of run, shaped for the diamond, would be a blast to watch.

[Baseball 2013 from Yahoo! Fantasy Sports: Join a league today!]

With that general theme in mind, let's take a second and note the physical similarity to the players entering their post-ROY seasons. We've already had a talk about Trout's bulked-up physique in The Arcade (Andy Behrens blogged about it here, and I touched on it briefly here); now we'll check in with Harper.

The Washington wonderland reported to spring training more than ready for his close up, checking in at 230 pounds. That's nearly a 20-pound gain from the weight Harper played at last year. Here's more on Harper's gym work, courtesy of James Wagner and the Washington Post:

Harper built his body as big and strong as he could during the winter, an offseason activity he has made a mission since high school. He loses weight quickly; playing baseball nearly everyday for the next eight months, especially the hell-bent way Harper does, can do that to a body. By the end of spring training, Harper figures he will lose 10 pounds.

Since mid-November, when he started lifting again, Harper set his alarm for 4:50 a.m. four times a week, was up by 5 and was at Soder’s training facility in Las Vegas by 5:30 to join a group of minor league and major league players. The intense, non-stop workouts last between 90 minutes and two hours, a little longer on leg days. His older brother, Bryan, 23, a Nationals minor league pitcher, accompanied him.

“It gives me a good time to relax and hang out and clear my mind,” Harper said. “Lifting and stuff really helps me clear my mind. I love it.”

The Nationals wanted to move Harper out of center field as soon as possible, to prevent the mental and physical wear and tear on his muscular body. That was part of the reason for the late-November trade for Denard Span, the type of leadoff hitter and center fielder the Nationals have long coveted. But to Harper it didn’t matter where he was going to play, he was going to show up to camp at 230 pounds even if he was the everyday center fielder.

Okay, we're not talking about the biggest story of the season here – it's been a slow news week. But there are two positive takeaways to consider in this piece: I like the idea of Harper being on a corner outfield spot (in theory, that means less chances for mayhem), and I also like seeing that he plans to lose about 10 pounds from baseball activities over the next month or so. Don't lose any of that flexibility, killer.