Spring Training is Here!

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Despite the bitter cold winds and the snow still on the ground, it feels like spring. Baseball is back. Not that it actually goes anywhere for those of us who are really into this stuff. I haven't posted as much as I would have liked to the last few weeks but trust me that I have a lot of work almost ready to go. So make sure you have subscribed to the RSS Feed, signed up for the free e-mails (check the sidebar), or just keep coming back everyday. You won't want to miss the sleepers, the mounds of draft prep I have for you, an article on calculating inflation and lots more.

Check out these cool sites that can advanced your fantasy prep immensely:

RotoBase.com (All the stats you need on a player in one place)

MLBDepthCharts.com (All the roster news and information you need)

RotoJunkie.com (The ultimate Fantasy Baseball Message Board)

Spring Training Report: Barry Zito

Barry Zito was always a little overrated when he was a member of the Oakland Athletics. That meant that rather than an annual Cy Young contender he was more like a slightly above average starter. There are a million theories about what has happened to him since then -- everything from growing lazy to missing his old pitching coach. But what is absolutely certain is that thus far he has been a disaster for the San Francisco Giants and the fantasy owners that have drafted him. This period may be coming to a close.

Barry Zito has shown increased energy and a real desire to recover what he has lost this spring. And while this is certainly subjective noise, it is starting to bear out in his spring stats. Observers like manager Bill Bochy and center fielder Aaron Rowand have noted that his control has been much sharper and he is pitching in a sytle closer to the way he pitched in Oakland. His spring stats still don't look very good but they have been much better in his last two starts and the new found energy has been present throughout spring training.

Fantasy owners shouldn't target Zito in fantasy drafts but in leagues where you have the ability to hold him in reserve or easily replace him -- Zito is becoming worthy of a late round speculative pick.

MLB.com Report on Zito's latest start

Depth Charts and Updated Rosters

One of the most common questions I've seen from owners is where can I find updated Spring Training Rosters. The rosters at MLB.com are updated by different people at different speeds and levels of accuracy. A relatively new site called MLB Depth Charts seems to be doing a good job of it. I have my quibbles with their projections but that's irrelevant as far as the rosters themselves are concerned.

MLB Depth Charts

NL EAST

* ATLANTA BRAVES
* FLORIDA MARLINS
* NEW YORK METS
* PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
* WASHINGTON NATIONALS

NL CENTRAL

* CHICAGO CUBS
* CINCINNATI REDS
* HOUSTON ASTROS
* MILWAUKEE BREWERS
* PITTSBURGH PIRATES
* ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

NL WEST

* ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
* COLORADO ROCKIES
* LOS ANGELES DODGERS
* SAN DIEGO PADRES
* SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

AL EAST

* BALTIMORE ORIOLES
* BOSTON RED SOX
* NEW YORK YANKEES
* TAMPA BAY RAYS
* TORONTO BLUE JAYS

AL CENTRAL

* CHICAGO WHITE SOX
* CLEVELAND INDIANS
* DETROIT TIGERS
* KANSAS CITY ROYALS
* MINNESOTA TWINS

AL WEST

* LOS ANGELES ANGELS
* OAKLAND ATHLETICS
* SEATTLE MARINERS
* TEXAS RANGERS

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