Just a reminder that yesterday kicked off "Fantasy Week" here at BDD. Each day or so our writers will analyze a MLB division from a fantasy baseball perspective.

First up...the National League East by Scott Edelman

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Mark Shapiro, General Manager of the Cleveland Indians. Mark was very cordial and forthcoming, but in the interest of time, I decided to summarize some of the more revealing pieces of the interview instead of transcribing the entire dialogue.

1) When I asked about jumping on the trade for Josh Barfield as opposed to feeling out the free agent market and possibly making an attempt to sign Ronnie Belliard, Shapiro expressed a great deal of comfort with his decision. As he put it, “you don’t want to wait for things to come to you and find yourself without any options.” The Indians had Barfield ranked high on their list of potential acquisitions.

2) Shapiro is happy with the addition of experienced arms in the back end of the bullpen although he wouldn’t go so far as to say he was satisfied. He feels that the Indians “are better equipped to handle the season” with this bullpen.

3) Mark was pretty clear when he said “Casey Blake is going to see a lot of time at first base.” He said that the move leaves Ryan Garko competing for an extra spot on the club. Shapiro expects Garko to play against lefthanders at first base and be a bat off the bench.

He also made some very interesting points. Shapiro said it’s not always about one player vs. another. Rather, it’s about what makes up the best overall team. He specifically mentioned that they have to take into account defense, foot speed, and the abilities of players who can’t easily change positions.

4) I brought up the defensive deficiencies of Jhonny Peralta as our own Rob McQuown suggested I do. I asked Shapiro if he publicly critiqued Peralta in an attempt to light a fire under the young shortstop. He said that there was no strategy behind his comments, and that the bottom line was, “He just needs to be better for us to win. We can’t win with a shortstop who played the way he played last year. We can’t be a championship team.”

Sounds like Jhonny will be on a short leash this season! 

Other general notes from the interview with Mark Shapiro

·         Fausto Carmona will be the team’s 6^th starter, and it’s very possible he will have an opportunity to pitch real soon.

·         The organization will let Adam Miller set his time table for progress. If he shows he can attack hitters, develop confidence, and be successful at AAA, he will be starting in Cleveland before long.

In case you missed it, and you have no reason whatsoever to miss it, BDD friend Kevin Goldstein posted his top 100 prospects for 2007 over at Baseball Prospectus.

While we’re on the topic of friends, Dan Fox continued his analysis of rule changes you should be aware of going into the new season.

According to the Journal News, Orlando Hernandez was sent to New York to be examined after complaining of soreness in his upper neck area. General manager Omar Minaya said, ``I’m not concerned … it’s more preventative than anything.’’The area is above the shoulder blades and Hernandez will be examined for a disk problem.

Dodgers Luis Gonzalez and Andre Ethier putting on impressive power displays during batting practice, yesterday as both reached the administration building behind right field.

Marlins right-hander Josh Johnson threw Wednesday and said his arm feels fine.

Chicago White Sox shortstop Juan Uribe has received permission from a judge to attend spring training in Tucson, Ariz. Under the judge's ruling, Uribe will no longer have to appear in court twice a month for the remainder of the case. Instead, he must put down a $15,400 deposit guaranteeing he will make his next scheduled court appearance, slated for March 17.

J.D. Drew arrived at camp for the Red Sox yesterday and immediately claimed his shoulder felt wonderful.

Cleveland Indians RHP Keith Foulke announced his retirement today after a ten year major league career highlighted by an All-Star appearance and a World Series championship.

Statement from Foulke regarding today’s decision: “After lengthy thought I have come to the decision to retire from Major League Baseball, effective immediately.  Over the last few weeks, while preparing for the 2007 season, my body has not responded as it has in years past.  I feel strongly I will not be able to perform at the level where I need to be to help the Indians this season.  I am thankful for the opportunity that Mark Shapiro, Eric Wedge and the entire Cleveland Indians organization have given me.  They are a class organization and I wish them the best of luck in 2007.”

JD Drew, who was signed as a free agent on January 26, has officially been added to the major league roster, putting Boston’s roster at 40 players.

Talk about stringing things out!

The Orioles have signed Steve Trachsel to a one-year, $3.1 million contract that includes a $4.75 million club option for 2008 as well as performance bonuses based on innings pitched. Once again, the scoop comes from Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com.

According to Fox Sports.com, right-hander Kris Benson will miss the entire season due to a partially torn rotator cuff. Benson, 32, will require surgery to repair his injury, which came to light after he began throwing in off-season workouts.

The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have agreed to terms with All-Star catcher Joe Mauer on a four-year contract worth at least $33 million.

Mauer, 23, led the Major Leagues with a .347 (181-521) batting average and became the first-ever American League catcher to win the batting title. In addition, Mauer set career-highs in nearly every offensive category, including, hits, runs (86), doubles (36), triples (4), home runs (13), rbi (84), walks (79) and slugging percentage (.507), while his .429 on-base percentage ranked third in the American League.

“We are pleased to have an agreement with one of Minnesota’s brightest young stars,” said Twins General Manager Terry Ryan. “Joe has become one of the game’s great young players on and off the field. He has a bright future with this organization and means a great deal to the people of Minnesota.”

Mauer became just the fourth different Twins player to win a batting title and the first since Kirby Puckett (.339) in 1989. His .347 batting average was the highest since Puckett hit .356 in 1988. The St. Paul, Minnesota native was named the American League Player of the Month for June after hitting .452 (42-93) with a .528 on-base percentage in 24 games. The following month, Mauer was named to his first All-Star Game, July 11 at Pittsburgh.