Brad Ziegler may start the season as the closer for the A’s because of Joey Devine‘s elbow problems.
Scott Downs won’t be a co-closer with B.J. Ryan, but he will receive significant opportunities to close this season.
Jason Bergmann will start the season at closer if Joel Hanrahan is not yet ready.
Daniel Murphy will bat second for the Mets. If Jose Reyes gets on, the distraction could give him some pitches to hit, and with David Wright batting third, he should score a lot of runs. Luis Castillo will now bat eighth.
Although Victor Martinez will play first base a lot, Kelly Shoppach is still not a good pick at catcher, because there is too much competition at DH, and he can’t play any other positions.

By now you’ve learned a few things, hopefully:

• Roles in baseball change every day.
• This column is not published every day.

Unlike my daily show, which records an episode, well, daily, there are a few things that make this column different from the show:

• If I miss a day because I am on vacation, there is no column.
• If nothing happened yesterday, there is no column. This will happen a lot in the offseason.
• This column is actually informative and entertaining, which the show is not.

Also, I only go back 24-48 hours in my reports. If enough of you legitimately use my column as your fantasy sports bible, I can go into greater detail when I skip days, but I just don’t see this to be the case. So with that established, let’s see what’s going on.

It’s often said not to waste high draft picks on starting pitching. Of course, it depends on what your fellow GMs do on draft day. Everyone is a good bargain at some point. But in general, you want to use those early picks on a shallow position, such as third base, shortstop or second base. Then, you can pay attention to your waiver wire, and pick up someone like Ricky Romero. If he has a quality start (6 IP or more, 3 ER or less), snatch him up. He’ll hurt your WHIP a bit, but he otherwise can create some nice fantasy numbers.

Brandon Morrow will close in Seattle. Kevin Gregg has beat out Carlos Marmol to do the same for the Cubs.
Carlos Villanueva will close in Milwaukee while Trevor Hoffman is out.

Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill are the No. 4 and 5 starters for Oakland.
Anthony Reyes will be the No. 5 starter in Cleveland.
Ross Ohlendorf has made the Pirates’ starting rotation.

I’m surprised at the amount of feedback I have received so far with this little newsletter. The consensus is pretty clear:

• Tell me when pitchers become or are no longer starters.
• Tell me when pitchers become or are no longer closers.
• Tell me when hot prospects get called up.
• Tell me who injury replacements are.
• Go get a real job.

This makes sense. Why read something for 10 minutes when 90% of it is stuff you already know about or can’t do anything about? So with that in mind, here is your ever-evolving newsletter.

Danys Baez is no longer competing for a SP slot. He’s not going to return to closing, so you can simply forget about him.
Adam Everett hurt his ankle yesterday in the first inning when he slid awkwardly into second on a double. It’s understandable, considering how out of practice he is when it comes to extra-base hits. His replacement would be Ramon Santiago.

He’ll Be Fine

Clayton Kershaw was hit in the hip by a line drive.
Brian Schneider and his knee will get five starts a week.
Garret Anderson and his calf are coming along.
Mark Loretta strained his groin.
Jack Cust has a tight back.
Michael Young has quadriceps issues.
Manny Ramirez has a sore hamstring.
Doug Davis has triceps issues.
Troy Tulowitzki had a sore back.
Ryan Church had a tooth pulled.
Mike Pelfrey has a sore leg.
Chipper Jones has a strained oblique.
Vernon Wells had hamstring issues.
Wandy Rodriguez had a bruised finger.

Name Recognition Means Nothing

Jason Schmidt threw 88 yesterday, but he is not starting the season with the club. You can add him from waivers if he rehabs well.
Ken Griffey Jr. is worth a dollar in AL-only leagues. So is Eric Chavez, who may not even be ready for the beginning of the season.
Sidney Ponson is a No. 5 starter at best.
Eric Byrnes appears to be over his hamstring, but where will he get his at-bats?
Livan Hernandez is the fifth starter and should only be used in NL-only leagues.
Maicer Izturis should only be used in AL-only leagues.
Juan Rivera is the fourth outfielder. Gary Matthews Jr. is the fifth.
Fernando Tatis is worth a dollar in NL-only leagues.
Ivan Rodriguez should not be your starting catcher.

Injured Starters

Cole Hamels should miss the first week of the season.
Tim Redding will begin the season on the DL.

Sleepers for Keeper Leagues

Reassigned to minor league camp: Eduardo Nunez, Juan Miranda, Austin Jackson, Freddy Garcia, John Niese, Brian Burres, Curtis Thigpen, Matt Clement.
Julio Pimentel is opting for rehab instead of surgery.
Austin Jackson will likely begin the year at AAA.
Ross Ohlendorf is worth a dollar in NL-only leagues.
Emmanuel Burris is leading Kevin Frandsen in the battle for the second base job.
Aaron Poreda could still start, but his control makes it iffy.
Optioned: Jake Fox, Sam Fuld, Luis Mendoza.
Chad Paronto strained his shoulder and will likely start the season in the minors.
Paul Kelly will be out until the All-Star Break.
David Purcey could surprise this year.

Major League Starter Doesn’t Mean Fantasy League Starter

Josh Outman is losing ground in the race to be a fifth starter. His competition is Dana Eveland, Sean Gallagher, Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson.
David Pauley will not start this season. The 3-4-5 spots will come from this list: Hayden Penn, Adam Eaton, Mark Hendrickson, Brian Bass, Alfredo Simon and Danys Baez.
Cha Seung Baek looks terrible.
The fourth and fifth starters will be two of these: Ricky Romero, Brad Mills and Scott Richmond.

Breakout Candidates

Mike Aviles will bat second.
Chad Tracy is not thinking about his knee.
Nelson Cruz has been raking since he got back from the World Baseball Classic.

Closer Alert

Rafael Soriano will set up for Mike Gonzalez.
Brad Zeigler will be the setup guy for Joey Devine.
Tom Gordon threw a bullpen, but he will not close this year even if he does play.
Eddie Guardado is going to be a setup guy.
Tyler Walker has an oblique injury and is no longer in the running.

Other Stuff

1-2-3-4-5 for Baltimore is Brian Roberts, Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Aubrey Huff and Melvin Mora.

He’ll Be Fine

Alex Gonzalez (Reds SS) strained his hamstring.
Nick Johnson had wrist surgery but will be starting at first for the Nationals.
Alex Gordon pulled his hamstring.
Fausto Carmona was struck by a line drive.
J.D. Drew has a $14 million hand contusion.
Kevin Youkilis has a healed heel.
Carlos Beltran has a stiff neck.
Orlando Cabrera has a tight back.

Starting Job in Jeopardy

Dana Eveland has been getting rocked all spring.

Name Recognition Means Nothing

Brad Penny should only be used in AL-only leagues.

Injured Starters

Rich Hill might begin the season on the DL.
Justin Duchscherer threw a bullpen yesterday.

Sleepers for Keeper Leagues

Chase Headley will be starting in left field.
Kelvin Pichardo was suspended for using a banned substance.
Chris Coghlan is hitting with power but should start the season in AAA.
Ricky Romero is good in AL-only leagues but may only be an injury replacement for Casey Janssen.
Scott Moore can hit, but there are no at-bats for him.
Joe Bisenius has been reassigned to the club’s minor league camp. So has Sam Narron. And Blake Hawksworth. And Yasuhiko Yabuta. And Paul McAnulty. And Daniel Bard.
Derek Rodriguez was sent back to the White Sox.
Landon Powell has a tight oblique but will be a backup anyway.
Brad Harman was optioned. So was Lou Marson. And Kyle Kendrick. And Tyler Greene. And Michael Bowden.
Brandon Knight cleared waivers.
Max Scherzer is a fifth starter but has enough K’s to consider adding for a dollar.
Jonathan Van Every will start the season in the minors.
Buster Posey impressed but just isn’t ready yet.

Major League Starter Doesn’t Mean Fantasy League Starter

J.A. Happ, Chan Ho Park and Carlos Carrasco are battling for a fifth starter role. Same with Micah Owings and Homer Bailey. Owings is OK in NL-only leagues.
Zach Duke is a very average pitcher.
Eric Hinske should only be used in NL-only leagues. Same with Jeff Suppan, who is a No. 1 this year.
Shawn Hill signed with the Padres but is a No. 4 at best.

Breakout Candidates

Matt Kemp may be moving up the batting order because of his continued good performance this spring.

Closer Watch

Seth McClung is the favorite in Milwaukee.
Jason Hammel will be deep in the bullpen but walks too many guys for it to matter what he does.
Brandon Lyon only has the job by default.
Henry Rodriguez was sent to AAA. So was Vince Mazzaro.
Brian Wolfe has shoulder problems.
Chris Perez has finally begun throwing.
Joey Devine threw a bullpen yesterday and should be fine.

Other Stuff

Ronny Paulino and Chris Coste are backups at best. Carlos Ruiz is the starter.
Mike Hampton is worth considering as a No. 2.

He’ll Be Fine

Erik Bedard had sore legs.
Wandy Rodriguez has a bruised index finger.
Koji Uehara has a sore hamstring.
Today is Brad Penny‘s first start because of his shoulder.
Johan Santana had elbow discomfort. Remember: Don’t draft him. Trade for him in June.
Troy Tulowitzki has a sore back.
Dustin Pedroia had a sore oblique.
Mike Lowell had offseason hip surgery.
Robinson Cano has a sore shoulder. It only affects him when he throws.

Starting Job in Jeopardy

Horacio Ramirez has been very inconsistent.
Joe Mather may lose the third base gig to David Freese.

Name Recognition Means Nothing

Wilson Betemit should not be taken till the end of the draft.
Darin Erstad only belongs in NL-only leagues because he is stuck behind Michael Bourn, Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee.

Injured Starters

Brandon Backe is on the DL.
Eric Chavez hurt his shoulder and still has not played.
B.J. Upton will be out at least two weeks.

Sleepers for Keeper Leagues

Junichi Tazawa has been optioned to AA.
Matt Brown and Kendry Morales are battling it out for the first base job.
David Price is still scheduled to be optioned, but he may stick with the big club.
Adam Jones will be starting in center field. So will Cameron Maybin, and he will be batting leadoff.
Paul Janish may make the team but will only be a backup.

Major League Starter Doesn’t Mean Fantasy League Starter

Elvis Andrus is a 20-year-old rookie starting shortstop who can’t hit.
Matt Kemp is only going to bat seventh once Manny Ramirez is back.
Jonathan Sanchez should be dealt if he gets off to a hot start.
Dallas Braden will be lucky to be a No. 4 starter. Same with Brian Moehler.
Jerry Owens should be the starting center fielder, but he can’t hit.
Miguel Olivo will be the starter, but he should be your No. 2 catcher.
Jeff Mathis will get more starts with Mike Napoli DHing on occasion, but he can’t hit.
Nick Punto should only be considered in AL-only leagues, especially if you can get 2B eligibility. (He is the starting SS this year.)

Closer Alert

Todd Coffey will start out in middle relief.
Evan Meek has a fatigued shoulder and may not even make the team.
Troy Percival has looked great but will be on a short leash because of the deep bullpen.
Carlos Villanueva and Seth McClung are the leading candidates for replacing the injured Trevor Hoffman.

Breakout Candidates

Josh Fields will start in a platoon but could get the full-time gig.

Other Stuff

Randy Winn may bat leadoff.
There are no at-bats available for Daric Barton.
Jody Gerut and Jerry Hairston will platoon.
Chad Tracy will be the starter at first base.
Jeremy Reed, Ryan Church, Fernando Tatis and Daniel Murphy are fighting for the same at bats in the outfield.
Adam Lind, Travis Snider and Jason Lane are fighting for the same at bats.
Ben Zobrist has multiple position eligibility, but he sucks at all of them. Same with Ty Wigginton.
Ian Snell will be a cheap WHIP/ERA guy, but don’t expect a lot of wins.
The Twins will rotate four outfielders: Michael Cuddyer, Denard Span, Carlos Gomez and Chris Young. Span usually bats leadoff, and Cuddyer looks to get the shortest end of the stick, although the other three are so young that invariably one will stop hitting.

He’ll Be Fine

Eric Byrnes had an injured hamstring.
Brandon Phillips ate a bad burrito.
Orlando Cabrera hurt his back.
Manny Ramirez has a bad hamstring. So does Brad Hawpe.
Derrek Lee‘s quad is still sore.
Dallas Braden had a root canal. He should only be used in AL-only leagues.
Dallas McPherson has a tight oblique and should only be used in NL-only leagues.
Kevin Youkilis is wearing a special boot so he can kick more ass.
Garret Anderson is testing his calf.

Starting Job in Jeopardy

Austin Kearns hasn’t been promised anything.
Jose Capellan was rocked again.
Alex Romero is out of options and just taking the field now.

Name Recognition Means Nothing

Ken Griffey Jr. reminds me of when Reggie Jackson played his final year in Oakland. Even if he plays every day, his best years are behind him.
Travis Hafner is having a terrible spring. So has Gil Meche.
Joba Chamberlain is still no more than a fifth starter.

Injured Starters

Alex Gordon has a tight right knee.
Trevor Hoffman may start the season on the DL. Brad Hennessey definitely will.
John Parrish is going to have arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder.
B.J. Upton was hit by a pitch and still has to rehab his shoulder.
Garrett Atkins still has a groin injury.
Cole Hamels took some anti-inflammatories for left elbow tightness.

Sleepers for Keeper Leagues

Kendry Morales (1B) is finally starting.
Matt LaPorta (LF) will start the season in the minors.
Anthony Reyes (P) has finally figured it out.
Chris Getz (2B) has been named the starter.
Paul Phillips (C) is at best a backup for now.
Jeff Larish (1B) should make the club but won’t start.
Colby Rasmus (OF) should make the club but will platoon.
Jason Smith (3B) and Edwin Maysonet (2B) are fighting for a bench spot. Expect Smith to get it, but neither will do much this year.
Bryan LaHair (1B) was optioned and, if he is recalled, would be OK in AL-only leagues. Same with Phil Hughes (P).
Mike Carp (1B) was optioned and may be a year away. The Mariners consider him the first baseman of the future.
Gaby Hernandez (P) was optioned.

Major League Starter Doesn’t Mean Fantasy League Starter

Kevin Millwood is Texas’ Opening Day starter. Big deal.
Sean Marshall might sneak into the rotation but should only be used in NL-only leagues. Same with Chan Ho Park.
Anibal Sanchez is still inconsistent.
Josh Anderson should start in center field but should only be used in NL-only leagues.
John Maine just doesn’t look right out there. He doesn’t appear to be experimenting. He’s just not that good.
All Tom Glavine is going to get you is wins.
Russ Ortiz will be the fifth starter. Same with Brandon Morrow.
Gaby Sanchez should start at first base but should only be used in NL-only leagues.
Clayton Richards will be the fifth starter but should only be used in AL-only leagues.

Closer Alert

Jason Motte, not Chris Perez.
R.A. Dickey will end up in long relief.
Matt Lindstrom will be fine.
Jim Johnson has tendinitis but will end up in middle relief anyway.

Breakout Candidates

Billy Butler has looked good so far.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia is the starting catcher.
Jeremy Hermida is the starter in left field.
Jay Bruce‘s average should improve from last year.
Paul Maholm has had a great spring and appears to have finally figured it out.
If this isn’t the year Michael Cuddyer gets it done, he may never start again.
Alex Rios just keeps getting better and has had a great spring.

Other Stuff

Josh Bard signed with Washington, which means the team is not happy with Jesus Flores and Wil Nieves.
Chris Gomez will likely be cut.

He’ll Be Fine

Jason Marquis was doing some testing with where on the rubber he stands, resulting in his bad start.
Adam Wainwright’s finger surgery is completely behind him.
Oliver Perez’s fatigue will go away. He pitched in the World Baseball Classic, but this is overrated as a problem.
Derrek Lee is taking batting practice.
Rich Harden ate a bad burrito. So did Justin Morneau. And Orlando Cabrera.
Hanley Ramirez has right shoulder tendinitis.
Brad Lidge had forearm tightness.
Chan Ho Park has hamstring issues.
Gaby Sanchez has a lower-leg contusion.
Jerry Hairston ate a bad burrito but is merely a speed option in NL-only leagues anyway.
Pedro Feliz has a bad back and should only be used in NL-only leagues. Same with Brandon Moss, who sprained his right thumb.
Chase Utley had hip surgery.
Placido Polanco was hit by a pitch.

Name Recognition Means Nothing

Frank Catalanotto is worth a buck in AL-only leagues, but that’s it. He’s going to be pinch hitting mostly.
Carl Pavano hasn’t been the same since signing that huge contract and getting injured.
Jose Contreras is doing well after Achilles problems, but he’s not fantasy-ready.
What does Barry Zito’s name even mean anymore?
Jason Varitek will lose a lot of starts to Josh Bard.
Michael Barrett and Rod Barajas may be splitting time 50/50.
Danys Baez isn’t a closer anymore and recovering from Tommy John surgery to boot.
Laynce Nix will not be starting if he even makes the team.
Chipper Jones hurt his oblique and will hurt something else soon enough.
Brian Schneider is a No. 2 catcher in NL-only leagues.
Ivan Rodriguez should not be starting for you. He’s just not that good anymore.
Livan Hernandez will be a fifth starter.
Akinori Iwamura is not going to hit at the top of the order despite his good showing in the World Baseball Classic.

Sleepers for Keeper Leagues

Brett Anderson (P) won’t make the club, but if your league lets you draft guys in spring training, nab him. Same with Tommy Manzella (2B/SS).
Glen Perkins (P) is a good pickup in the late rounds in AL-only leagues. Same with Phil Hughes, especially if you can keep minor leaguers.
Josh Anderson (OF) is winning the job in Florida, making him good in NL-only leagues. He is a SB threat.
Rick Porcello (P) might start but should only be taken in AL-only leagues.
Jeff Karstens (P) and Virgil Vazquez (P) are fighting for Tom Gorzelanny’s (P) old spot. He was sent down.

Starting Job in Jeopardy

Kevin Correia isn’t really a difference maker anyway, so the risk becomes completely unnecessary. Ditto for Seth McClung.
Justin Duchsherer will start the season in the pen but will work his way back into the rotation. Let someone else draft him, and then trade for him when his owner is upset that he isn’t starting.
Collen Ballester may not make the rotation. He’s worth a dollar in NL-only leagues.
Andrew Miller will be lucky to be a fifth starter. It looks bleaker for Greg Smith.

Major-leaguer starter doesn’t mean fantasy-league starter

Clay Buchholz will likely end up a fifth starter. Same with Franklin Morales.
Matt Garza needs to prove himself and will be drafted higher than where he’ll be a good value.
Nate Robertson is only worth a dollar in NL-only leagues. Same with Russ Ortiz.
Johnny Cueto is only worth it in 5×5 NL-only leagues.
Jeremy Bonderman should only be taken at the end of drafts. Someone else will take him by then. Try to trade for him if he has a slow start.

Injured Starters

J.D. Drew is surprisingly hurt, now with a bad hand to go with his bad back.
Mark Worrell is having Tommy John surgery and will be out for the year.
Fausto Carmona was hit with a line drive.
Kelvim Escobar will be back in May.

Closer Alert

Eddie Guardado is looking more like a middle reliever.
C.J. Wilson will be the setup guy. Same with Dan Wheeler.
That means Troy Percival is closing.
Jonathan Papelbon is not hurt.
Joey Devine is looking like the guy.

Other Stuff

Mike Redmond will start until Joe Mauer is back, whenever that is. Try to trade him when Mauer starts his rehab assignment or if he gets off to a fast start.
Jorge Posada is batting leadoff because Derek Jeter is at the World Baseball Classic.

Starting Pitching

Noah Lowry will be back in May. Only pick him up for a dollar in auction leagues. He needs an injury to see regular starts.
Jeremy Bonderman looks good so far.
Josh Outman is a good late-round pickup in keeper leagues, especially if your league lets you disable minor leaguers.
This means don’t draft Edgar Gonzalez.
Casey Janssen is hurt and competing for a spot. Don’t draft him.
Kris Benson is a fifth starter at best.
John Lannan is the Opening Day starter. Really. This means he’ll be matched up against a lot of good pitchers this season, so even though he will give you a good WHIP, don’t expect more than 12 wins.
Franklin Morales should make the rotation, but he will wreck your WHIP.
Clayton Kershaw is trying to strike less guys out this year. That means better WHIP and ERA and more IP, but less K’s.
Aaron Laffey will be starting, but Cleveland’s got a thin rotation behind Cliff Lee. Avoid him.
Aaron Heilman is just a fifth starter.
Cole Hamels will be fine.
Should he sign somewhere, stay away from Pedro Martinez.
And stay away from Wandy Rodriguez.
Chris Volstad is a sneaky pickup.
Kenshin Kawakami is hurt.

Closers

Francisco Cordero has looked terrible this spring, but who else in Cincinnati is going to close?
Neal Cotts is a good guy to stash on your roster, because Carlos Marmol has not yet proved he can close regularly without melting down.
Stay away from Trevor Hoffman.
Matt Lindstrom will be fine.
Jason Motte has been amazing.
This means stay away from Ryan Franklin.

Catcher

Matt Wieters won’t be the starter right away, but he is too good to ignore, especially in keeper leagues.
Brian Schneider will be fine.

First Base

Chris Shelton is at it again. Don’t fall for his antics. Pick him up for a dollar in auction leagues and try to trade him if he gets off to a fast start.
Look for Micah Hoffpauir to be traded. He’s got power but is stuck behind Derrek Lee, who has a sore quad but will be fine. Hoffpauir’s a bit old, so consider his strong spring an audition for another team (and a bit of a fluke).
Paul Konerko is back.
Expect Gaby Sanchez and Dallas McPherson to platoon.

Second Base

Dustin Pedroia will be fine.
Luis Castillo will not bat leadoff when the regular season starts.

Third Base

Evan Longoria is replacing Chipper Jones in the World Baseball Classic. Try to avoid this guy. High-profile guys tend to be drafted early, and a sophomore jinx could be in order.
Do not expect Scott Moore to start, despite a strong spring.
Geoff Blum will be fine.

Shortstop

If you have no Red Sox fans in your league, try to pick up Jed Lowrie in the middle rounds.
That means: Don’t draft Julio Lugo.
Hanley Ramirez will be fine.
Miguel Tejada won’t go to jail.
Jose Reyes is batting leadoff again.

Outfield

Jason Lane appears to be the starter because of a strong spring, but he’s a streaky hitter. You can pick him up for a dollar in auction leagues for the purpose of trading him if he gets off to a fast start.
That means Adam Lind is in trouble. Leave him alone.
Jeff Francoeur is worth a shot at the end of the draft. His arm keeps him in the lineup when his hitting stops, so if he gets off to a fast start, you might be able to trade him.
Wladimir Balentien will make the roster but is not expected to start. He is worth a dollar in keeper leagues and can be traded if he gets off to a fast start.
Stay away from Carlos Quentin and Pat Burrell. If you have them, try to trade them.
Stay away from Geoff Jenkins and Matt Stairs unless they are traded.
Brett Gardner is the starter, and Melky Cabrera is the backup. But if the Yankees trade for Mike Cameron then everything changes.
Starting OF in Texas appears to be Josh Hamilton, David Murphy and Nelson Cruz.
That means Marlon Byrd is worth a dollar in AL-only leagues, but that’s it. And it also means to stay away from Andruw Jones. Julio Borbon will be a stud, but not yet. Keep an eye on him in keeper leagues.
Michael Bourn will get you stolen bases this spring, but when the Astros get off to a slow start — they are terrible this year — he will be benched or cut.
Josh Willingham may not start this year. The outfield is shaping up to be Adam Dunn, Elijah Dukes and Lastings Milledge.