• The Tigers announced tonight they've demoted Max Scherzer and Scott Sizemore to Triple A, with Armando Galarraga and Danny Worth getting the call.  Both Scherzer and Edwin Jackson have disappointed since changing teams in December's big deal.
• Hank Blalock comes to Tampa Bay determined to be a more well-rounded player, according to MLB.com's Adam Berry and Bill Chastain.
• The Marlins could make a 40-man roster move soon to bring back Mike Lamb, tweets MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Lamb was designated for assignment last week and is currently in Triple A.
• Despite Adam LaRoche's successful 2009 stint in Atlanta (.325/.401/.557 in 57 games), the Braves didn't approach him about returning, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• Alan Schwarz of the New York Times takes an in-depth look at the likely first overall pick in next month's draft, Bryce Harper.
• Nats manager Jim Riggleman says that the club will have to consider making a roster move with reliever Brian Bruney, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (via Twitter).
• Mets pitcher Oliver Perez won't accept a demotion to Triple-A if asked, tweets David Lennon of Newsday.  Perez has been bumped out of the starting rotation and placed in the bullpen.
• Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes that Eric Byrnes and Morgan Ensberg are making the most of life-after-baseball.
• Brewers pitching prospect Jeremy Jeffress will have to wait a little bit longer to return to the mound once he is reinstated, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.  Jeffress, the 18th overall pick in the 2006 draft, has tested positive for a "drug of abuse" on three separate occasions.

"To be honest, I don't really have any interest,” Byrnes said. “I've never been scared for it to be done, for life after baseball, and it's not because I didn't love the game."

Byrnes, who first told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports of his retirement from the game, now plays softball every Wednesday for a slow pitch team (check the Chronicle article out for some memorable photos). Byrnes told Morosi it's time for him to surf, golf and read his daughter bedtime stories.

"Am I retired from baseball? Yes. Am I retired from life? Not even close."

Reports hinted that Byrnes could retire earlier in the month, after the Mariners released him. He wraps his career up with a .258/.320/.439 line compiled with five teams. He will have pocketed a total of $39MM by the end of the season, according to Baseball-Reference. The D'Backs are paying Byrnes most of his $11MM salary this year, with the Mariners contributing $400K.

"I think this is the end.  You never say never, but I think this is it. Parts of 11 seasons, man — I gave everything I had to the game. I can look myself in the mirror and know that I gave it my all. I'm proud of that."

Known for his all-out approach, Byrnes would finish with a .258/.320/.439 line across eleven seasons for the Athletics, Rockies, Orioles, Diamondbacks, and Mariners.  His best years were 2004 and '07, the latter season prompting the Diamondbacks to give him a three-year, $30MM extension that runs through this year.

• Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues (via Twitter) wonders if the recently released Eric Byrnes could be the Yankees' short-term replacement for the injured Curtis Granderson.
• Triple-A shortstop Chin-lung Hu may be promoted if Rafael Furcal lands on the DL, writes Evan Drellich of MLB.com.  The Dodgers were reportedly shopping Hu in late March and one has to imagine that they're happy to still have him aboard.
• The Giants' patchwork job on offense may be enough for the club to make a serious run at the NL West title, says Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports.
• Two players in Boston's farm system who played together for quite a while will be reunited at the Triple-A level, writes Daniel Barbarisi of The Providence Journal.

The 34-year-old agreed to a one-year deal with Seattle in late January.  While Byrnes is earning $11MM in the final year of the three-year pact he signed with the D'Backs, the Mariners are responsible for just $400K of that sum.

Seattle has also made a trio of in-house adjustments, sending Matt Tuiasosopo to Triple-A while promoting Ryan Langerhans and Josh Wilson.  All four roster moves have been confirmed by a team press release. 

Shannon Drayer of ESPN Radio Seattle (via Twitter) points out that Langerhans and Wilson were not on the 40-man roster, meaning that another move is on the horizon.  She later tweeted that the move will not be shifting a player to the 60-day DL and it will likely not involve a player on the 25-man roster (also via Twitter).

Earlier this evening, both Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner and Larry Stone of The Seattle Times predicted that Byrnes' days in Seattle were numbered.

• R.J. Anderson of Fangraphs weighed in on the Royals' demotion of Alex Gordon.
• Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner (via Twitter) has a gut feeling that the M's will release Eric Byrnes tomorrow.  Heading into today's game, Byrnes had a slash line of .107/.265/.179 in 34 plate appearances.
• Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star tweets that reports of the Royals selling Ramon Colon to Korea's Kia Tigers appear to be premature.  However, the deal for the righty should happen sometime mid-week.
• In a guest piece at Minorleagueball.com, Twins' prospect guru Seth Stohs tells readers about five Twins prospects that you might not know, but probably should.
• ESPN New York's Ian O'Connor spoke with Omar Minaya about several Mets-related issues, including his early impression of Ike Davis and Jerry Manuel's contract status. Minaya offers praise for Manuel, but says he won't be approached about an extension until season's end.
• The New York Post's Joel Sherman writes that the Rays' front office will continue to keep their club competitive, regardless of how many fans are in the stands. He also opines that the presence of Desmond Jennings and Jeremy Hellickson in Triple-A Durham gives the team the flexibility to make a trade that would help them both immediately and in the long-term.
• Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times examines how the Dodgers' cost cutting has affected their scouting and player development.
• J.D. Durbin has signed a one-year deal with NPB's Softbank Hawks, according to Kyodo News. The 28-year-old right-hander last pitched in the majors in 2007 for the Phillies.

The Tigers went on the finish the season 43-119, and were rewarded by selecting Justin Verlander with the second overall pick the following season. Here's this week's set of links from around the web…

• A Cubbies Consilience throws some kudos Jim Hendry's way for his offseason.
• Camden Crazies calls the O's trade for Julio Lugo an okay one.
• The Kept Faith finds some players Kevin Towers passed on while he was the Padres' GM.
• 1 Blue Jays Way remembers Roy Halladay's time in Toronto.
• Meanwhile, Around The BasePath looks at some expectations for Halladay's first year in Philadelphia.
• Drunk Jays Fans wonders why Lyle Overbay was named the team's every day first baseman when he can't hit lefties.
• Lookout Landing compares Eric Byrnes and Ryan Langerhans with regards to the Mariners' spare outfielder's job.
• Bronx Bombers Beat examines the Yankees' plan for Phil Hughes.
• More Hardball lists the players who will begin the season on the disabled list.
• Capitol Avenue Club rounds out the Braves' roster.
• Crashburn Alley looks at the Phillies' winners and losers from Spring Training.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Arizona released the 33-year-old earlier this month after he hit just .218/.271/.382 in 482 plate appearances during the first two seasons of the three-year, $30MM extension he signed prior to the 2008 season. The Diamondbacks are still on the hook for Byrnes' $11MM salary in 2010, less whatever the Mariners are paying him (likely the league minimum).

To make room for Byrnes on the roster, Seattle designated first baseman Tommy Everidge for assignment, reports Ryan Divish of The Tacoma News Tribune (via Twitter). They had just claimed Everidge off waivers from the Athletics two weeks ago.

• The Marlins aren't that confident in Kiko Calero's ability to hold up as well as he did last year, tweets MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
• The Nationals designated right-hander Marco Estrada for assignment to make room for Tyler Walker according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson, via Twitter. 
• The A's have no interest in Eric Byrnes, tweets Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com.  
• The Dodgers are a finalist for Derrick Turnbow, tweets MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. 
• The Mets are interested in Josh Fogg, according to Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog. 
• Mike Timlin said on WEEI.com that he will stay in retirement this year. Last year, Timlin pitched in the Rockies' minor league system. 
• Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports notes that Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos is "open to anything." The Jays could stand to add a corner outfielder and there are a number of options available should the Jays decide to pursue them. 
• I wrote an article for my fantasy website, RotoAuthority.com, suggesting that overhyped "sleepers" can still provide a profit.
• USA Today's Bob Nightengale tweets that Gary Sheffield might be a good fit for the Reds, and that Sheff was "on his way" to the Diamondbacks before they signed Adam LaRoche.
• Brandon Webb still contends that re-signing with the D'Backs is his first choice, in an article written by MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.
• Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Reds, Padres, White Sox, and Royals inquired on the Yankees' Brett Gardner this winter, with hopes of using him as a starting center fielder.
• Bill Shanks of Scout.com makes a case for the Braves to sign Johnny Damon.
• Yahoo's Tim Brown tweets that the Dodgers are one club eyeing Garret Anderson for a fourth outfielder role.

FRIDAY, 1:52pm: The D'Backs have designated Eric Byrnes for assignment, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The D'Backs will presumably have trouble trading Byrnes, who has some no-trade protection and will make $11MM this year. The club may well end up releasing him within the next ten days.

If they release Byrnes, the D'Backs will have obtained a hugely disappointing return on the three-year $30MM deal they signed the outfielder to in 2007. In the 482 plate appearances he's made under the new deal, Byrnes hit .218/.271/.382. Byrnes, 34 next month, was a positive on defense in nearly 900 innings the last two seasons, according to UZR.

• The Rangers signed 16-year-old Colombian catcher Jorge Alfaro for $1.3MM, reports Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.  Click here to watch video, courtesy of Kiley McDaniel.
• The Mariners agreed to sign 17-year-old righty Kevin Quintanilla out of El Salvador.
• Here's a link to Jon Heyman's latest at SI.com, where he ranks which teams have had the best offseasons so far.
• ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Yankees did not make an offer to Jerry Hairston Jr., nor have they had recent contact with Johnny Damon.
• Olney also says the Rockies "are staying in contact with Jason Giambi, but they are considering other options first."
• Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel names the Brewers' arb-eligible seven, while also noting that GM Doug Melvin "remains in touch with the agents for free-agent lefties Doug Davis and Jarrod Washburn."
• Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star writes about the Blue Jays' six arb-eligibles, noting that GM Alex Anthopoulos will not negotiate beyond Tuesday's deadline.
• Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner believes Eric Byrnes is a fit for the Ms, though he acknowledges that the team already has several injury-prone players.  Cameron would be willing to pay about $1MM for Byrnes.  Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic looks back at the positive side of Byrnes' Arizona tenure.
• In a FanGraphs article, Cameron says the WAR stat does value relievers correctly, and teams are just overpaying for closers.
• WEEI's Rob Bradford wonders if Jonathan Papelbon's 2010 salary will lead to Theo Epstein's first arbitration hearing.
• White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko told MLB.com's Scott Merkin that he wants to stay with the team beyond 2010, the last year of his current contract.
• Yahoo's Jeff Passan examines the Athletics, who he feels are set up to contend in 2011.
• At the Cubs Convention over the weekend, GM Jim Hendry said fans can "expect to have two new faces" before Spring Training.  The Cubs seek a reliever and a bench bat. 

• Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reflects on Eric Byrnes' time with the D'Backs.
• Skip Schumaker tells MLB.com's Matthew Leach that he and the Cardinals are nearing an agreement on a 2010 contract.
• MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets that the Marlins were willing to offer $20MM to Aroldis Chapman.  
• MLB.com's Scott Merkin writes that a handful of teams have contacted Jim Thome, including the Rays, though nothing is imminent. 
• Owner Tom Ricketts defended general manager Jim Hendry this Saturday at the Cubs' annual convention, according to Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com.
• Shi Davidi from the Canadian Press spoke with both Justin Morneau and Jeff Francis at Baseball Canada's Annual Awards Banquet Saturday. Morneau expects to begin full workouts in a couple of weeks as a season-ending stress fracture in his back appears to have healed without issue. Francis is recovering from shoulder surgery but expects to be ready for Spring Training.
• Bill Ladson tweets that Ryan Zimmerman thinks the Nationals are having their best offseason since he's been with the organization. Some of the larger moves we've seen the Nats make include signing Jason Marquis, Matt Capps, and Ivan Rodriguez, in addition to trading for Brian Bruney.
• Eric Chavez told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he is comfortable with shifting to a utility role after the addition of third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff.
• Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter) "overheard" that the Brewers will sign at least one more pitcher.  Recently, Milwaukee outrighted pitcher Omar Aguilar to Triple-A, though assistant GM Gord Ash claimed it wasn't in anticipation of an acquisition.
• ESPN's Buster Olney writes that the Marlins didn't give Josh Johnson an extension just to appease the "Powers That Be".  Those within the organization expected the deal to get done well before the joint press release from the commissioner's office and the players' union.
• Olney also writes that the Marlins are still looking for bullpen help and will sift through the remaining free agent relievers, including Kiko Calero.  Florida declined to offer arbitration to Calero, to avoid giving him a raise on his $500K salary in 2009.

• Eric Byrnes, who was recently designated for assignment by the D-Backs, told Shea that San Francisco would be the "best fit" for him geographically.  Byrnes grew up a Giants fan and makes his offseason home in the Bay Area.  The 33-year-old outfielder also admitted that he's not in a position to call himself an everyday player.
• Shea floats ex-Giant Randy Winn as an option for the Mets should they seek someone to fill-in while Carlos Beltran recovers from surgery.
• Adam LaRoche turned down a two-year, $17MM offer from the Giants to sign with the Arizona, where he may receive as little as $6MM for one year.  LaRoche said that one reason for his decision was that he preferred Chase Field's hitting conditions to AT&T Park.