Spring fling

I don't usually put much stock in spring training stats unless a player is coming off an injury or there are other circumstances, such as in Dontrelle Willis' case because he was trying to reclaim his control.

So, in 16-2/3 innings, Willis walked 15 and gave up 25 hits. He plunked 2 batters and tossed 4 wild pitches. This isn't making me feel good about his spot in the rotation as the season gets under way. On the bright side, he only gave up 1 HR.

Here are some other numbers, good and bad.

Carlos Guillen: 5 HR and 12 RBI in 64 AB. If playing first base saves his legs and back, Guillen could be on his way to big numbers. I'm thinking OPS around .940.

Pudge Rodriguez: 8 HR in 56 AB. Offseason weights workout looks like it's paying off. With no solid backup until Vance Wilson's return, he will need his strength.

Placido Polanco: .415/.449/.677 in 65 AB. Should top 200 hits again as people worry about big boppers following him. And few will notice.

Marcus Thames: 4 HR and 10 RBI in 37 AB. Will he remain in Motown or be gone in exchange for an arm? In his last 162 games, he's got 34 HR and 97 RBI in 511 AB. If only he could raise that .239 BA and .292 OBP.

Gary Sheffield: .189 BA in 49 AB. Probably no big deal. Especially if that shoulder is healthy.

Nate Robertson: 1.26 ERA, 12 K/2 BB in 14-1/3 IP. Maybe this is the year Nate puts it all together. It seems more likely than a Willis turnaround.

Denny Bautista: 1.42 ERA, 12 K/3 BB in 12-2/3 IP. The new Zumaya.

Aquilino Lopez: 1.32 ERA, 15 K/3 BB in 13-1/3 IP. The new Rodney.

Kenny Rogers: 3.44 ERA in 18-1/3 IP. The Gambler's all in, probably for the final time.

Todd Jones: 10.24 ERA in 9-2/3 IP. Does this roller-coaster still go up, or is it all downhill from here?