From now until the regular season begins, Fantasy Flings is where you'll find interesting story lines about your favorite teams from Spring Training. If there is a position battle, a nagging injury, a comeback story or a youngster making a surge for the "big club" we'll let you know the fantasy implications.Los Angeles Angels
It turns out the Angels only rented Mark Teixeira for a few months. Now it's time to find a replacement. Kendry Morales tore up the Dominican Winter League to the tune of a .404 batting average with eight home runs and 29 RBI in only 26 games. He's also 6-17 through six Spring Training games. Nobody expects, or even asks, Morales to fill Teixeira's shoes, but the Cuban defector could blast 18 to 20 home runs and bat upwards of .280 if given full-time at-bats. He's a great late round fantasy draft flier in mixed-leagues and should be grabbed in AL-only leagues of any depth.
Oakland Athletics
The top of the A's rotation seems set, or maybe I should say seemed. In question was the final spot, being fought over by Gio Gonzalez and Josh Outman. Now, with Justin Duchscherer's sore elbow jeopardizing his early season availability, the team might need to find two back-end starters. In addition to Outman and Gonzalez, the pool of candidates has increased to include Edgar Gonzalez and Jerome Williams. The pair of Gonzalelez's (There's a nickname needed there for sure) are pitching well to this point. Edgar has six strikeouts and zero walks in six innings of work and Gio has three strikeouts and zero walks in four innings of work. Outman and Williams have both been touched up a bit, but this battle is far from decided.
Seattle Mariners
Left field fixture Raul Ibanez is off to play in Philadelphia so one of the biggest battles this spring for the Mariners will be in the outfield. Ken Griffey Jr. will likely spend time there and at DH. The host of others expected to fight for playing time which include Mike Morse, Michael Wilson and Wladimir Balentien, to name a few, likely won't have much fantasy value unless they find a way to amass 500 at-bats. Another hotly debated topic in Mariners camp is the closer position. Mark Lowe and Roy Corcoran assume to be front runners, but coaches can see David Aardsma stepping in if either or both of them falter in spring.Corcoran has been the best of the bunch thus far pitching two perfect innings with two strikeouts and zero walks.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers have three hot prospects at the catcher position; all should be starters in the majors someday. Who's going to get the majority of the at-bats in '09? Many feel Taylor Teagraden is the most well rounded player of the bunch, and he's been showing off his arm in early games. But with the bat, Max Ramirez and Jarrod Saltalamacchia are a step ahead. Saltalamacchia is 7-14 with four doubles and five RBI and has seen the majority of the at-bats in live games. Ramirez has three hits in five at-bats and Teagarden is only batting .200 in ten at-bats with five strikeouts.
