• Third baseman Yunel Escobar could wind up on the disabled list, Jeff Fletcher of the Register tweets. Escobar left yesterday’s game after bunting a ball off his face. X-rays came back negative, but he is sore. The 33-year-old is batting a strong .320/.368/.402 in his first season with the Angels. He has a $7MM club option for next season.
• Angels pro scouting director Hal Morris is leaving the organization to work in athlete development for Fantex in San Francisco, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Fantex is the company that makes deals with athletes, paying them an upfront sum in exchange for a percentage of their future earnings and then offering shares of those players to investors. Its MLB players include Jonathan Schoop, Maikel Franco, Collin McHugh, Yangervis Solarte, Tyler Duffey and current Angel Andrew Heaney. Morris, the former Reds first baseman, was a candidate for the Angels’ GM job before the team hired Billy Eppler.

The 1990 fourth-round selection made three All-Star teams and won two Silver Sluggers. He was especially productive in 2002, when the Angels won it all, and 2003. Anderson led the American League in doubles both years, posting a combined OPS+ of 129.

Anderson agreed to a minor league deal with the Dodgers last March, but they cut him in August after a disappointing season. The 38-year-old hit .181/.204/.271 for the Dodgers and didn't draw interest as a free agent this winter.

We've got a lot of links to get to, so let's dive right in…

• Joe Posnanski tries to determine who the worst everyday player in baseball is.
• Royals Review breaks down all the changes the Royals have gone through since the start of last season.
• Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness congratulates Garret Anderson on the worst offensive season in Dodgers history.
• Bright House Sports Network looks at the Rays' history of waiver trades, plus some names they might target this month.
• The Process Report wonders if this season will be Dan Wheeler's last stand in Tampa.
• DRays Bay tries to figure out if Gabe Kapler should be designated for assignment.
• Disciples of Uecker thinks the Jim Edmonds–Chris Dickerson trade was the best for everyone.
• Around The Majors posted a two part series looking at the events that have brought Andres Torres' career back from the dead (parts one & two).
• Meanwhile, Joe Pawlikowski at FanGraphs examines Pat Burrell's resurgence since joining the Giants.
• The Nats Blog breaks down Stephen Strasburg's first bump in the road.
• Red Sox Beacon re-introduces us to Carlos Delgado.
• U.S.S. Mariner looks at the job security of Major League managers, or the lack thereof.
• Camden Crazies explains the Buck Showalter magic going on in Baltimore.
• Randall On Baseball revisits the trade that sent Brandon Morrow to the Blue Jays for Brandon League.
• Baseball 101 looks at a different way of valuing relievers based on the work of Bill James.
• Baseball Analysts analyzed the Rule 5 Draft.

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

The Dodgers, who committed $550K to Anderson before the season, appear to have some interest in another outfielder: Jose Guillen. Anderson now hits the free agent market, but finding another big league job this year will be a major challenge.

• Jay Gibbons, who retired from baseball a season ago, is grateful for his latest opportunity with the Dodgers, writes Evan Drellich of MLB.com.
• Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times wonders why the Dodgers waited until now to designate Garret Anderson for assignment.
• The Pirates fired pitching coach Joe Kerrigan and bench coach Gary Varsho, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Mets manager Jerry Manuel told reporters that Fernando Martinez and Jeff Francoeur won't platoon all of the time, according to Michael Baron of MetsBlog.  Yesterday we learned that Francoeur was unsatisfied with the arrangement and was ready to meet with GM Omar Minaya to discuss trade possibilities.

The 38-year-old Anderson hit just .181/.204/.271 in 163 total plate appearances this year, though he was slightly better in 52 pinch-hitting appearances (.240/.269/.360). The Dodgers signed him to a minor league deal worth $550K back in March, and are still on the hook for his salary for the remainder of the season.

Gibbons, 33, was mashing to the tune of a .347/.375/.594 batting line with 28 doubles and 19 homers in 376 Triple-A plate appearances this year. He spent last season with the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League, and hasn't appeared in the big leagues since 2007. The lefty swinger spent time at first and in both corner outfield spots this year, so he should step right into Anderson's role and provide an immediate upgrade.

Anderson signed a minor-league contract with L.A. in March and made the club with the expectation that he would provide veteran leadership, a backup glove in the outfield and left-handed pinch-hitting help off the bench.  While Dilbeck says Anderson is "great in the clubhouse," the outfielder has posted a .470 OPS in 140 plate appearances and his limited time in the field has been shaky (a -8.8 UZR/150).  

Dilbeck thinks L.A. has more to gain by cutting Anderson and keeping rookie Xavier Paul as the left-handed outfield reserve.  Dilbeck notes that Paul himself hasn't performed overly well (a .649 OPS in 94 PAs) but Paul at least has upside, whereas there's little evidence that Anderson will turn things around in the second half.  GM Ned Colletti gave Anderson a vote of confidence in May, but if the problem, as Colletti claimed, was that Anderson hasn't yet adjusted to a backup role, then two more months of struggles would seem to imply that Anderson may never find that comfort zone.  Anderson's career 103 OPS+ is a sign that he may have been a poor choice for the "professional hitter" pinch-hitting job in the first place.

In spite of Anderson's problems this season, he would likely get picked up by another team in the hopes that his experience could aid a playoff contender (and that his numbers would pick up with a change of scenery).  If Dilbeck's prediction of July 24 as the Dodgers' decision day is correct, Anderson would have lots of time to catch on with another team should he actually be released.

Here are a few links from around the web…

• Royals Authority thinks about the unthinkable: trading Zack Greinke.
• Pittsburgh Lumber Co. busts the myth that Neal Huntington can't spot talent.
• DRays Bay wonders if the Rays should cut Pat Burrell and replace him with Hank Blalock. 
• The Crawfish Boxes looks at Lance Berkman's trade value.
• Feeling Dodger Blue says that Garret Anderson may not be long for the Dodgers. 
• At Home Plate says that Carl Crawford's future is uncertain.

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

• Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told MLB.com's Ken Gurnick that he's sticking with Garret Anderson despite the former slugger's struggles as a pinch hitter and occasional outfielder this year.
• As Danny Knobler of CBS Sports points out, Barry Zito is making that $126MM contract look a little more tolerable to Giants fans these days.
• The White Sox named Jerry Krause their director of international scouting. The former Chicago Bulls GM had been overseeing the team's scouting in the Dominican Republic.
• If you have experience designing databases, MLBTR has a project for you. We’re interested in finding someone to design a searchable database for the site, so send an email to mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com if you are the right person for the job.
• The Mets released Shawn Riggans, who had been in the minors, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (via Twitter).
• Check out Tim's appearance on 590 KFNS in St. Louis right here.
• The Reds released outfielder Josh Anderson from their Triple A club, reports Michael Grant of the Courier-Journal.
• Brad Penny told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he'd like to re-sign with the Cardinals, but if he doesn't he appreciates the opportunity they've given him.  Penny ranks eighth in the NL with a 1.99 ERA, a figure he'll look to improve upon against the Astros tonight.  The Cardinals also have Adam Wainwright and Jaime Garcia in the NL's top ten.
• The Mariners were choosing between Brandon Morrow and Daniel Bard for the fifth overall pick in the '06 draft, learned WEEI's Alex Speier.
• Yahoo's Jeff Passan looks at ten popular phenoms making waves this year.
• Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News solves the mystery of the new delivery Barry Zito busted out in his first Giants bullpen session a few years ago.
• Chuck Hixson of PhillyBaseballNews.com looks at a few closers who might be available should the Phillies start looking.

The Dodgers have contractual control over the 35-year-old first baseman until Friday, when his opt-out clause goes into effect.  Mientkiewicz says he doesn't understand why he has yet to be cut loose as Angel Berroa and Eric Gagne were both released upon their requests.

Mientkiewicz, known best for his defense, declined an offer from manager Joe Torre to stay on with the club as a coach.  In twelve big league seasons, the veteran has a career slash line of .271/.360/.405.

• Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer hears that Eric Wedge is taking this year off by choice.  The former Indians skipper, who is still under contract with the club for one more year, was connected to the Mets' bench coach job for a while.
• The strong play of Nats rookie shortstop Ian Desmond could bump Cristian Guzman from the starting lineup, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com.  However, it  will be difficult for Washington will find a taker for Guzman's $8MM salary.
• Newly acquired Dodger Garret Anderson knows that he's fighting for a very limited role with club, writes MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.  Anderson played in 135 games for the Braves last season, hitting .268/.303/.401 with 13 HRs.
• Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that Giants pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim has the right to opt out of his contract on March 15th if he doesn't think he'll make the 25-man roster.  The 31-year-old – who last pitched in the majors in 2007 – signed a minor league deal with San Francisco in February.
• Bobby Valentine told Marlins beat reporters that he was never spoke with club owner Jeffrey Loria about managing the team, writes Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.  Bobby V said the speculation was unfair to skipper Fredi Gonzalez, who led guided Florida to 87 wins and a second-place finish in the NL East.
• Arizona GM Josh Byrnes said that the club wants to look at internal candidates first if Brandon Webb is unable to start the regular season, tweets MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.  Byrnes added that the club, as always, will keep an eye on the waiver wire as Spring Training winds down (also via Twitter).
• Despite the impressive play of Josh Bell, Miguel Tejada will be the Orioles' starting third baseman barring a "dramatic" event, writes Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun.  The O's signed Tejada to a one-year, $6MM deal in late January.
• Joe Posnanski takes a look at the history of the Rule 5 draft.  Fun Fact: The Rule 5 draft goes back more than 100 years.

Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times first reported the news and tweeted details; Jon Heyman of SI.com also added contract details (via Twitter).

Anderson, 37, hit .268/.303/.401 in 534 plate appearances with the Braves last season.  UZR/150 had him at 16.5 runs below average in left field in 2009 – strictly backup material at this point in his career.  The Dodgers signed five other outfielders to minor league deals this winter: Alfredo Amezaga, Brian Barton, Brian Giles, Prentice Redman, and Michael Restovich.

• Heyman writes that the Rays and Marlins are thought to have interest in Hank Blalock.  We discussed Blalock here; his prospects are dim now that the Indians, Orioles, Braves, and Pirates have gone in different directions.
• Heyman notes that the Yankees love Carl Crawford and that could be one reason they were reluctant to give Johnny Damon a two-year deal.  We discussed Crawford's situation earlier today.
• The Diamondbacks offered Mark Reynolds an extension to cover his first three arbitration years, in the $11MM range.  That'd be quite a concession, since he should easily top $5MM in his first arbitration year.
• Heyman tweets that the Braves and Reds "could be in the mix" for outfielder Garret Anderson.  Presumably, Anderson is in line for a minor league deal.  He was linked to the Dodgers before they signed Reed Johnson.

• Bryce Harper is not among the top ten on the Pirates' draft rankings currently, reports Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  Jason Marquis, Ryan Zimmerman, Nyjer Morgan, and Ivan Rodriguez have all voiced their desire for the Nats to sign Orlando Hudson, tweets MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
• The Phillies have talked about Chien-Ming Wang, but don't believe he's a fit, according to Scott Lauber of the News Journal.
• Brewers pitching coach Rick Peterson says it's up to Mark Mulder to decide if he wants to pitch for the Brewers, according to this tweet from Haudricourt.
• The Brewers have pulled their latest offer to Corey Hart and are preparing for an arbitration hearing with him, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Orlando Cabrera wasn't willing to move from shortstop, so he picked the Reds over the Rockies, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown. 
• Chien-Ming Wang will end up on one of the coasts, according to this tweet from Jon Heyman of SI.com. 
• Melvin Mora is talking extensively with the Rockies and another club, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. 
• The Dodgers are in the midst of talks with Garret Anderson, writes Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times. 
• Tony Jackson of ESPN.com adds Reed Johnson, Gabe Gross and Brian Giles to the list of backup outfielders the team is considering.
• The Indians are talking about bringing Russell Branyan back, according to Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. A reunion seems unlikely unless Branyan doesn't see appealing offers elsewhere.
• The Brewers engaged Jason Marquis but backed off since they were convinced he would sign with the Mets, writes Ken Davidoff of Newsday. 

• Heyman tweets that the Angels and Dodgers could pursue Garret Anderson.
• Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets that the Mets are falling behind in their attempts to sign John Smoltz.
• As Rob Bradford of WEEI.com notes, Theo Epstein says the Red Sox do not have a policy against negotiating extensions during the season.
• The Red Sox, Phillies, Diamondbacks and Rockies watched Oscar Villarreal throw today, tweets Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse.
• An MLB executive tells ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that Jermaine Dye turned down $3.3MM from the Cubs before they signed Xavier Nady for the same price (Twitter link).
• MLB.com's Bill Ladson tweets that money may prevent the Nationals from signing Orlando Hudson. Adam Dunn believes Washington is Hudson's first choice.
• The club could go after Adam Kennedy if Hudson signs elsewhere, tweets Ladson. 
• The Blue Jays have money, but aren't going to spend for the sake of spending, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. 
• In case you'd like more on the Johnny Damon-Yankees drama, SI's Jon Heyman talked to the player and GM.
• Alex Rodriguez was "staring at retirement right in the face" last March when diagnosed with a torn labrum in his hip, he told Kim Jones of the YES Network Wednesday night.
• Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wonders if aging players are the new market inefficiency.
• Cameron compares Jason Bay to Josh Willingham and concludes that the two outfielders are pretty similar. 
• In an interview with SNY's Kevin Burkhardt last night, Mets GM Omar Minaya insisted he has full autonomy.  Joel Sherman of the New York Post doesn't buy it.
• U.S.S. Mariner's Dave Cameron tweets of rumblings that the Royals and Mariners have discussed Alberto Callaspo. 
• The Red Sox signed catcher Gustavo Molina to a minor league deal, reports WEEI's Rob Bradford.  Molina, 28 in February, hit .209/.233/.308 for the Nationals' Triple A club last year.
• Larry Granillo of Wezen-Ball digs up the true story behind Andre Dawson, the Cubs, and the blank check in '87.
• Twins lefty Glen Perkins explained his grievance to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.