Yanks duo Severino, Judge among Top 100 Prospects

The annual ranking of baseball's Top 100 Prospects is assembled by MLBPipeline.com Draft and prospect experts Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis, who compile input from industry sources, including scouts and scouting directors. It is based on analysis of players' skill sets, upsides, proximity to the Majors and potential immediate impact to their teams. The list, which is one of several prospect rankings on MLBPipeline.com's Prospect Watch, only includes players with rookie status in 2015. Team-by-team Top 30 Prospects lists for 2015 will be unveiled in March.

Mayo: Breaking down the Top 100 | Callis: Best tools in the Top 100

Severino, who turns 21 in February, signed for $225,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2011 and shot toward the top of the rankings with a pair of strong seasons that included a scoreless inning in the 2014 SiriusXM All-Star Futures game at Target Field. A 6-foot tall, 195-pound hurler with an easy delivery, Severino features a fastball that usually sits between 94-95 mph with sink and can run as high as 98 mph. His changeup is developing into a plus pitch and his slider shows potential.

"Coming into this season, he was probably our big secret," Yankees Minor League pitching coordinator Danny Borrell recently told MiLB.com. "I don't think we'll be keeping a secret in him anymore. Anytime you're 93-99 [mph] and you have a breaking ball that he changes speeds on, he can make it a breaking ball/curve, and then he'll throw 89-90 [mph] as a true slider. Both of those can be plus pitches, and then his changeup just drops off the table, and he can throw it to righties and lefties. I don't think there's anyone in baseball who hasn't heard about him now."

Severino reached Double-A Trenton as a 20-year-old in 2014, going 2-2 with a 2.52 ERA in six starts there, and was 6-5 with a 2.46 ERA in 24 combined outings with Class A Charleston, Class A Advanced Tampa and in the Eastern League, leading the system with 127 strikeouts against 27 walks in 113 1/3 innings. He projects to begin the year in Trenton and could reach the Majors by 2016.

"He has that uncanny ability to slow the game down," Borrell said. "When runners get on base, he can just eliminate a running game just because of how quick he is to the plate. And he knows what pitches to throw in what counts. He's a lot of fun to watch."

Judge, who turns 23 in April, was a supplemental round pick by the Yanks out of Fresno State in 2013. The 6-foot-7, 230-pounder has drawn physical comparisons to Hall of Famer Dave Winfield and split last season between Charleston and Tampa, batting a combined .308 with 17 home runs and a system-leading 78 RBIs in 131 games.

Top Prospects: Judge, NYY

Top Prospects: Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Aaron Judge has prodigious raw power and a strong arm in the outfield

"Everyone is enamored with his size," Yankees Minor League hitting coordinator James Rowson told MiLB.com. "A guy with that size and that type of plate discipline, I think is very hard to come by. He doesn't chase many pitches out of the strike zone, he's a patient hitter and that's going to go a long way."

The Yanks were pleased to see Judge's production continue in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .278/.377/.467 with four home runs in 24 games and showed a strong arm from the outfield. Judge projects to see time at Double-A in 2015 and could advance to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, putting him on track to get to the big leagues in '16.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Broadcasters Sterling, Grant strong after trying incidents

"I lost everything," Sterling said. "But thank God, if it had been 2 in the morning I'd be dead."

The next day, on the other side of the country, Grant learned that the Fiat carrying his wife, daughter and her boyfriend had been rear-ended on a San Diego freeway. The car rolled twice and wound up resting on its crushed roof. All three survived. The kids were in the back seat and walked away unscathed.

His wife, Mary, was driving, and she suffered a concussion and slash to the head that needed 12 staples to close. A CT scan of her brain revealed no further damage. Grant, a fun-loving former big league pitcher and TV analyst on Padres broadcasts, posted the picture of the wrecked vehicle on his Facebook page.

"It's been a very emotional week going through all that stuff, and you saw the pictures," Grant said. "She's recovering from the concussion, has some dizziness. Who knows what the effects later on are going to be, but she's lucky to be alive."

This was the week of Jan. 18-24 that was: Late in the afternoon that Wednesday, Sterling arrived home to find smoke billowing from the Avalon at Edgewater apartment building in Edgewater, N.J. When the flames began leaping from the structure, the spectacular fire could be seen across the Hudson River in Manhattan. The building burned to the ground. That same day in San Diego, pioneer sportscaster Jerry Gross, 81, succumbed to prostate cancer. How far does Gross go back? When the Major League Padres made their debut on April 8 1969, Gross was in the broadcast booth with Duke Snider and Frank Sims.

That Thursday, Grant was at the dentist's office when he began receiving frantic emergency calls from the police and his daughter, Alexis, notifying him about the horrific accident.

The old adage is that bad things usually come in threes. Not this time. Not that week. The game of baseball suddenly took a backseat to life's grim realities. It could have been much worse.

"Life goes on and I didn't get hurt," said Sterling. "Nobody got hurt. Isn't it amazing? I mean, that was some fire. That was 'The Towering Inferno,' that I'm sure you've seen. But this was real, this was reality."

Despite smelling smoke, Sterling took the back elevator up to his top-floor apartment. When the door opened, the smoke was so dense he couldn't see.

"So, I thought, 'Hey, John, you better get out of here.' I did and that was that," he said, departing to the ground floor in the same elevator. "I just had the clothes on my back."

Sterling calls Jeter's walk-off

BAL@NYY: Sterling calls Jeter's memorable walk-off

9/25/14: WFAN's John Sterling calls Derek Jeter's memorable walk-off single in Jeter's last game ever at Yankee Stadium

Sterling lost the rest of his clothes, all of his pictures, all of his phone numbers, and the remainder of his possessions, including four of the five rings commemorating the World Series won by the Yankees during his 25-year New York radio tenure. He just happened to be wearing the 2009 ring on his left hand. Sterling has spent the past week in a nearby hotel, but thanks to the largess of a Yankees fan who's in Florida for the winter, he's moved into a home in Upper Saddle River, N.J., and will stay there until time comes in early March to join the club for Spring Training.

"Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers," Blanche Dubois famously says in the Tennessee Williams play "A Streetcar Named Desire."

And so it has been for Sterling, who since the fire has replaced some of his wardrobe and received hundreds of messages from friends, colleagues, fans and listeners. Possessions certainly can be replaced. A life cannot.

For Grant, the initial picture of the accident he posted received 1,228 likes and 648 comments. The next day he showed three more pictures of the demolished white car, sitting back on its tires, the roof folded like an accordion, the front windshield smashed and the front side windows blown out. Moments after the collision, the three squeezed out of the prone vehicle through what had become narrow window spaces.

"Went to the yard today to get 'personals' from the car," Grant said in the second-day post. "Couldn't believe the damage after seeing it upright. How Mary survived this is beyond me."

When Grant's daughter first called, her voice didn't come through. Finally an unidentified female told him that his wife and daughter had been in a car accident.

"That's the worst phone call you ever want to get," he said.

They were taken to Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., with Grant in hot pursuit. Understandably, he freaked out. Since last January, the Padres have lost two significant members of their broadcast crew: Jerry Coleman and Tony Gwynn.

"It's a situation you never want to experience," said the 51-year-old Grant, who pitched in parts of four seasons for the Padres, from 1987-90, and has worked on their broadcasts for the past 19 seasons. "I didn't know what to think. I was hanging on edge. Finally seeing them at the hospital and realizing they were OK. ... They were beaten up a little bit, but everybody was alive."

These are certainly the moments that try a person's soul. It's impossible for the mind not to spin forward and contemplate how bad things might have really been. Then, as Sterling so aptly put it, life goes on. There are baseball games to be played, broadcasts to be relayed, Spring Training is just around the corner.

Barry M. Bloom is a national reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Boomskie on Baseball. Follow @boomskie on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yanks reportedly add veteran arm Baker on Minors deal

The Yankees signed right-hander Scott Baker to a one-year, Minor League contract on Friday, according to multiple media reports.

Baker has appeared in just 28 games in the Majors during the past three seasons, making just 11 starts, but could get a chance to prove himself as a starter in 2015. The club has not confirmed the deal.

If Baker, 33, makes the Major League roster, his contract will be worth $1.5 million, according to CBS Sports.

The move gives the Yankees potential depth at the back end of their starting rotation if Baker can pitch closer to his performance before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2012. At the very least, it is a low-risk deal that provides New York with another pitching option.

The Yankees enter the season counting on the health of three starters -- Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and Michael Pineda -- who all missed significant time in 2014 with injury along with right-hander Ivan Nova, who is expected to miss at least the first month of the season to recover from his own Tommy John surgery.

The Yankees have yet to announce their non-roster invites for Spring Training, but Baker figures to be a candidate. He collected a 5.47 ERA in 25 games for the Rangers last season, and allowed 15 home runs in 80 2/3 innings.

Baker, a second-round pick by the Twins out of Oklahoma State in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft, was a solid starter for Minnesota prior to the surgery, accumulating a record of 63-48 and a 4.15 ERA during a span of seven seasons.

Jamal Collier is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jamalcollier. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yankees rely on veteran strength at the corners

Fifty-eight games in a Yankees uniform were enough to change the opinions, and it didn't hurt that Headley made a good first impression with a walk-off hit in his debut. With Headley agreeing to a four-year, $52 million contract and Mark Teixeira back for his seventh season with the Yanks at first base, the club feels it will feature veteran strength at the corners in 2015.

"There's a lot of talent on this roster, when you go around the diamond and you look at the players that we have," Headley said. "There's a tremendous background. The guys played well last year and will continue to play well for the foreseeable future. I think when you come to the Yankees, you understand what the goals are each and every year, and that's to win."

Headley, 30, should provide stability following a season in which the Yankees tried Kelly Johnson, Yangervis Solarte, Scott Sizemore and Zelous Wheeler at third base -- none of whom is still with the organization. The Yanks have made it clear that they don't know what to expect from Alex Rodriguez, who will turn 40 in July and has been limited to 44 games since 2012 due to injuries and suspension.

Two years removed from a career-best 31-homer, 115-RBI campaign with San Diego, Headley batted .262 with six homers and 17 RBIs during his half-season with New York. He hit safely in his first eight games for the club, scoring internal bonus points when he came back quickly from a 98-mph Jake McGee fastball to the jaw in a Sept. 11 game against the Rays.

Headley exits the ballgame

TB@NYY: Headley gets hit by a pitch, exits the game

9/11/14: Chase Headley gets hit by a pitch in the face and exits the game with an injury

"It was pretty obvious after a week or so that I was extremely lucky to get a chance to play in the pinstripes," Headley said.

One issue that bears watching could be Headley's back; he required a cortisone injection last June while with San Diego, and his movement appeared to slow toward the end of the season. Headley said that he discussed his status with the Yankees and other clubs, who seemed not to see any red flags.

"The second half of the season at least, it didn't give me any issues, so I've been staying on top of it," Headley said. "I understand some of the things that are important for me to keep it healthy, some of the things I can do to try to manage it and stay on top of it. I don't foresee it being an issue going forward."

That brings the discussion to Teixeira. The Yanks are hopeful that his right wrist will be stronger now that another full winter has passed since his July 2013 procedure. Teixeira acknowledged some doubts after being unable to train regularly, and those concerns seemed to show themselves in the form of fatigue and injuries, particularly in the second half.

Teixeira's two-run homer

BAL@NYY: Teixeira lines a two-run shot off foul pole

9/24/14: Mark Teixeira drills a two-run home run off the foul pole in right field, cutting the Yankees' deficit in the 8th inning

Teixeira batted .216 with 22 homers and 62 RBIs in 123 games last year, slugging 17 of those homers before the All-Star break and all but four from the left side of the plate. Teixeira, who turns 35 in April, hit just .179 (32-for-179) with a .573 OPS in the second half. He also sustained injuries to his right hamstring, left rib cage, left lat and left pinkie finger.

"Obviously, the first half I battled through some things, and I felt good about my first half, but the second half has been terrible," Teixeira said in September. "I've been saying it for the past few weeks: I need to get stronger, I need to get healthier, and hopefully not have those issues that I've had the second half of the season next year."

Rodriguez is sure to command headlines during Spring Training, though the Yankees have been cautious about placing expectations. At best, their thinking is that Rodriguez could be a serviceable option to back up Headley at third base and possibly take grounders at first base, but mostly he is being looked at as a designated hitter.

A-Rod's strong throw

TOR@NYY: A-Rod makes a strong throw to retire Lawrie

8/22/13: Alex Rodriguez grabs Brett Lawrie's grounder and throws to first to get the out just in time

"I don't have a set number on anything," manager Joe Girardi said recently. "I think for a guy that really hasn't played in two years, you have to be fair to him and see how he's moving, see how he's swinging the bat, to see where the best place is to put him to get the most out of him. I think that's what you have to do. He understands that, and obviously we want him to be a big part of our offense."

It's possible that Rodriguez will have to battle for spring at-bats with Garrett Jones, who was acquired from the Marlins in December. Jones, 33, hit .246 with 15 homers and 53 RBIs in 146 games for Miami last year and owns 117 home runs in a seven-year big league career.

"Obviously, his left-handed bat is made for our ballpark," Cashman said. "You saw us go through a season last year where we didn't have a legitimate backup first baseman. Now we do. He can be a choice for our manager to DH against right-handed pitching, can back up first base and right field, and when he's going right, he can take advantage of our short right-field porch."

The Yanks have several backup options at the corners. Jose Pirela is expected to play a role at some point this season, and though he is viewed as a second baseman, he could see time at either first or third. Brendan Ryan, a shortstop by trade, saw time at both corners in 2014, and Brian McCann handled first base competently when pressed into duty.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Carpenter excited to don pinstripes

"B-Mac is the kind of guy that you love going to battle with," Carpenter said on Tuesday. "He's a team guy, he busts his butt out there, he's everything you could ask for in a leader, especially a catcher. To be reunited with him, it's going to be really, really special. The kind of words he shared with the front office, wanting to pull the trigger on trying to get me, it really boosts your confidence, that's for sure."

Carpenter will try continue the positive strides he made over the past two seasons with the Braves, after he logged a combined 2.63 ERA and 10 strikeouts per nine innings over 121 appearances. He was especially sharp in 2013, compiling a 1.78 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP in 56 outings, and Carpenter credits McCann with having made a significant impact.

"He told me, 'When you come in and blow through the order and just attack people, your stuff is good enough that you can get these people out,'" Carpenter recalled. "'As soon as you truly believe that, you're going to go on and do some big things.'

"So then there was one game, and I think I struck out three guys in a row and we're going off the field. He kind of got excited and goes, 'That's what I'm talking about right there! That's what I need!'"

The trade came as a surprise to Carpenter, who had attended the wedding of Braves teammate Chris Johnson the night before in Atlanta, but he is no stranger to baseball's transient nature. The Yankees are Carpenter's sixth organization; drafted by the Cardinals, Carpenter saw big league time with the Astros and Blue Jays before being packaged as part of the unique October 2012 trade that installed John Farrell as Boston's manager.

Carpenter never pitched for the Red Sox, as he was claimed by the Braves a month later, and he explained his success in Atlanta as a result of finally getting a chance to settle down.

"Honestly, it was just the opportunity to be able to go out there and throw in familiar innings," Carpenter said. "You're throwing in the back end of the game, seventh, eighth, ninth inning. You start getting more comfortable with that. When I was coming up through the Cardinals' organization, that's what I had done; I closed and had been a setup man.

"Getting back to a comfortable part of the game was really, really key for that. Being given that opportunity, setting up for Craig [Kimbrel], and it was just a matter of somebody giving me a chance."

Carpenter will have that in New York. With Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller expected to battle for the closer's role, the Yankees could have Carpenter slot into the sixth or seventh innings, depending on how they choose to use Adam Warren. In theory, Carpenter could replace Shawn Kelley, who was dealt to the Padres in December.

Carpenter said that he has spoken to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, manager Joe Girardi and pitching coach Larry Rothschild about what to expect, and he's eager to see what his assignment will be. Looking over the roster, Carpenter believes that the bullpen will be a difference-maker.

"I think it can be really, really strong," Carpenter said. "There have been multiple people talking about it throughout baseball, the potential that our bullpen has. It can be one of the best in the Major Leagues. I'm really excited to get down there to Tampa, just get started and see where we end up."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Which prospects will make the Top 100 cut?

Mayo and Callis compiled the rankings with the help of the rest of the MLBPipeline team and input from industry sources, including scouts and scouting directors. It is based on analysis of players' skill sets, upsides, proximity to the Majors and potential immediate impact to their teams. The list, which is one of several prospect rankings on MLBPipeline.com's Prospect Watch, only includes players with rookie status in 2015. Prospect Watch also follows the guidelines laid out by the Collective Bargaining Agreement: Players who are at least 23 years old and played in leagues deemed to be professional (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Cuba) are not eligible.

Last year's top prospect, Twins center fielder Byron Buxton, remains eligible for this season's edition. But four other players ranked in the top 10 last year have graduated to the Major Leagues. In all, 27 players from the 2014 Top 100 have exhausted their rookie status.

Those graduations have hardly left Buxton alone at the top of the rankings. Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant and Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor -- all ranked in the top 10 a year ago -- remain in the Minor Leagues and closely followed Buxton on the list in July's midseason update.

Other prospects raised their profiles within the last year. Blue Jays left-hander Daniel Norris and center fielder Dalton Pompey vaulted from Class A Advanced Dunedin to Toronto in just five months. Braves second baseman Jose Peraza took off after moving from shortstop, and Phillies shortstop J.P. Crawford thrived in his first full professional season. The 2014 Draft class has already made its impact on the big leagues, as Royals left-hander Brandon Finnegan became the first of last June's draftees to reach the Major Leagues.

All of those players ranked among the top 10 players at their positions in MLBPipeline.com's Top 10 position lists released over the last two weeks. The Cubs, Mets and Red Sox led all teams with five players apiece on those rankings.

But which team will have the most prospects in the Top 100? And with more than a quarter of the Top 100 moving up to the Major Leagues, who will join the rankings?

Those questions and more will be answered tonight, assuredly followed by a spirited debate. Fans can follow along on Twitter as several top prospects, including Lindor and Norris, will join MLBPipeline in live tweeting during the show using the hashtag #MLBPipeline.

The rankings and debate among fans and analysts is just the beginning. For more coverage of the Top 100 rankings, visit MLBPipeline and follow @MLBPipeline on Twitter.

Prospects tweeting during the broadcast
Jose Berrios, RHP, Twins
Andrew Heaney, LHP, Angels
Lindor, SS, Indians
D.J. Peterson, 3B, Mariners
Norris, LHP, Blue Jays
Addison Russell, SS, Cubs
Robert Stephenson, RHP, Reds
Austin Meadows, CF, Pirates
Eddie Butler, RHP, Rockies
Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Pirates
Noah Syndergaard, RHP, Mets

Teddy Cahill is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tedcahill. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Carpenter excited to don pinstripes

"B-Mac is the kind of guy that you love going to battle with," Carpenter said on Tuesday. "He's a team guy, he busts his butt out there, he's everything you could ask for in a leader, especially a catcher. To be reunited with him, it's going to be really, really special. The kind of words he shared with the front office, wanting to pull the trigger on trying to get me, it really boosts your confidence, that's for sure."

Carpenter will try continue the positive strides he made over the past two seasons with the Braves, after he logged a combined 2.63 ERA and 10 strikeouts per nine innings over 121 appearances. He was especially sharp in 2013, compiling a 1.78 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP in 56 outings, and Carpenter credits McCann with having made a significant impact.

"He told me, 'When you come in and blow through the order and just attack people, your stuff is good enough that you can get these people out,'" Carpenter recalled. "'As soon as you truly believe that, you're going to go on and do some big things.'

"So then there was one game, and I think I struck out three guys in a row and we're going off the field. He kind of got excited and goes, 'That's what I'm talking about right there! That's what I need!'"

The trade came as a surprise to Carpenter, who had attended the wedding of Braves teammate Chris Johnson the night before in Atlanta, but he is no stranger to baseball's transient nature. The Yankees are Carpenter's sixth organization; drafted by the Cardinals, Carpenter saw big league time with the Astros and Blue Jays before being packaged as part of the unique October 2012 trade that installed John Farrell as Boston's manager.

Carpenter never pitched for the Red Sox, as he was claimed by the Braves a month later, and he explained his success in Atlanta as a result of finally getting a chance to settle down.

"Honestly, it was just the opportunity to be able to go out there and throw in familiar innings," Carpenter said. "You're throwing in the back end of the game, seventh, eighth, ninth inning. You start getting more comfortable with that. When I was coming up through the Cardinals' organization, that's what I had done; I closed and had been a setup man.

"Getting back to a comfortable part of the game was really, really key for that. Being given that opportunity, setting up for Craig [Kimbrel], and it was just a matter of somebody giving me a chance."

Carpenter will have that in New York. With Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller expected to battle for the closer's role, the Yankees could have Carpenter slot into the sixth or seventh innings, depending on how they choose to use Adam Warren. In theory, Carpenter could replace Shawn Kelley, who was dealt to the Padres in December.

Carpenter said that he has spoken to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, manager Joe Girardi and pitching coach Larry Rothschild about what to expect, and he's eager to see what his assignment will be. Looking over the roster, Carpenter believes that the bullpen will be a difference-maker.

"I think it can be really, really strong," Carpenter said. "There have been multiple people talking about it throughout baseball, the potential that our bullpen has. It can be one of the best in the Major Leagues. I'm really excited to get down there to Tampa, just get started and see where we end up."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Inbox: Do Yanks have pieces to contend in 2015?

This won't be breaking news, but two major things jump out about this roster: The Yankees need to get better seasons out of big-ticket veterans like Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and Mark Teixeira, and they can't afford injuries to their key performers. Sure, that's true of every team in the league, but the Yanks really do have to keep guys out of head trainer Stevie Donohue's office -- especially Masahiro Tanaka, where any one pitch could be his last for 12-18 months. The Yankees like how their defense and the bullpen look, and so it's going to really weigh on the health of the rotation and the middle of the lineup to get the Yanks back to the postseason in 2015.

Submit a question to the Inbox

You know what John Sterling always says (by the way, we're glad that he is safe after a massive fire at his apartment complex and is already replenishing his collection of neckties): "You can't predict baseball." But that doesn't stop people from trying, and as of right now, Fangraphs.com computes the Yankees to finish 83-79 with a plus-14 run differential, scoring an average of 4.15 runs scored per game and allowing 4.04 runs per game. According to those projections, that'd have them tied with the Rays for third in the American League East, trailing the Red Sox (88-74) and Blue Jays (84-78). I'm no math major, but that feels about right to me.

No one in the organization was satisfied with last year's 84-win showing, and so it's probably a good thing that those projections can change between now and April. At the very least, what you can read into it is that the Yanks seem to be on the low end of the playoff range going into the spring. If things break right and they can add a few more wins -- one example would be by making a productive midseason addition, like last summer's move for Martin Prado -- you could be thinking about October baseball. We shall see.

What are the chances of the Yankees signing another mid-tier pitcher to a one-year deal, like Chris Young or Brandon Beachy?
-- Frank P., Puerto Rico

They say you can never have enough pitching, and after the Yanks used 13 starters last season, it's a statement that they are acutely aware of. Last week, we talked a little bit about Johan Santana being the ideal kind of guy that you could bring into camp on a flyer, but Young's expected pay bump (from $1.5 million, coming off last year's strong comeback campaign) probably takes him out of the running, considering New York just gave $5 million to Chris Capuano.

Status of 2015 Yankees rotation

Yankees pitching staff beginning to take shape

MLB.com's Matt Waymire and Bryan Hoch discuss how the Yankees pitching staff will shake out and whether the team is done making moves

Beachy is coming back from his second Tommy John surgery and isn't expected to be ready until May, at which time the Yankees believe they'll have Ivan Nova just about ready to contribute. Considering that and the fact that all seems quiet on the pitching front, it looks like they may be content to go into the spring with Adam Warren, Bryan Mitchell and Chase Whitley as their main depth options, while mixing in a few non-roster invitees to fill out the crowd.

Could the Yankees play Didi Gregorius at shortstop with Stephen Drew at second base against righties, and then use Drew at short with Rob Refsnyder or Jose Pirela at second base against lefties?
-- John C., Commack, N.Y.

It's something the Yankees can kick around in the spring, and it would be good to keep Drew sharp at shortstop just in case, but that scenario probably means that Brendan Ryan isn't on the 25-man roster for some reason. Ryan doesn't hit much, but the Yankees feel he'll earn a spot with his plus defense and serve as a versatile 25th man of sorts. If not, Ryan is a movable piece at $2 million (trade or release), and the Yanks expect that Pirela or Refsnyder will play a role at some point.

Yankees acquire Didi Gregorius

Yankees acquire slick-fielding SS in three-way trade

On December 5, the Yankees made waves in the trade market as they acquired shortstop Didi Gregorius from Arizona

Gregorius' performance against left-handed pitchers could improve; he told the YES Network that he has been facing lefties while hitting during the winter, and he surely will face as many as possible this spring. General manager Brian Cashman said that the Yankees are ready to have Gregorius platoon against righties if necessary, because lefties have eaten up Gregorius to the tune of a .184 average (30-for-163) with a .490 OPS. He'll be just 25 next month, so there's time to improve on that relatively small sample.

There seem to be two theories on how to beat the shift -- hit through it or hit the other way. How does hitting coach Jeff Pentland feel about hitting with a shift on?
-- Chris, Philadelphia

Not surprisingly, that topic came up during his recent introductory conference call with reporters. In response to a question about Teixeira's difficulties with the shift, Pentland replied that players sometimes need to think more in the middle of the diamond rather than trying to pull the ball so much, but he wanted to keep specifics to a minimum until he builds a relationship with those players.

Pentland on joining Yankees

Jeff Pentland ready to work with Yankees' hitters

New Yankees hitting coach Jeff Pentland discusses his experience coaching in the Majors and becoming familiar with the Yankees' lineup

In general terms, though, Pentland acknowledged there is some weight to the idea that these players have been successful for a long time doing things a certain way, and if anything is to be changed, it needs to happen during the six weeks of Spring Training. By the time Opening Day rolls around, it will be too late.

"Once the season starts, it's very difficult to even think about changing swings," Pentland said. "You're always tinkering and fine-tuning, and you've got older guys ... you're not inventing the wheel here. You're not making wholesale changes. If I tried to do that, they'd shut me out in a heartbeat.

 120 Sports: Reviewing Yankees' offseason

"These guys have been around, they know what they're doing, and they know how successful they've been. You'd be surprised how open-minded most of them are. I've got my work cut out for me as far as them getting to know me and trust me. Then we go from there. If we're not making any adjustments at all, then I'm not doing my job."

Marco Scutaro was designated for assignment by the Giants. Is there a chance the Yankees could pick him up for second base?
-- Josh Z., New York City

Not likely. Scutaro had fusion surgery in December, and it seems possible that he has already played his last big league game; it'll be four to six months before they know for sure, but back injuries are never easy to come back from, especially at 39. By the way, just hearing Scutaro's name always brings me back to Oakland in April 2007 and that walk-off homer off Mariano Rivera that clanged off the Coliseum's left-field foul pole. Ctrl-A, delete, rewrite.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yankees rely on veteran strength at the corners

Fifty-eight games in a Yankees uniform were enough to change the opinions, and it didn't hurt that Headley made a good first impression with a walk-off hit in his debut. With Headley agreeing to a four-year, $52 million contract and Mark Teixeira back for his seventh season with the Yanks at first base, the club feels it will feature veteran strength at the corners in 2015.

"There's a lot of talent on this roster, when you go around the diamond and you look at the players that we have," Headley said. "There's a tremendous background. The guys played well last year and will continue to play well for the foreseeable future. I think when you come to the Yankees, you understand what the goals are each and every year, and that's to win."

Headley, 30, should provide stability following a season in which the Yankees tried Kelly Johnson, Yangervis Solarte, Scott Sizemore and Zelous Wheeler at third base -- none of whom is still with the organization. The Yanks have made it clear that they don't know what to expect from Alex Rodriguez, who will turn 40 in July and has been limited to 44 games since 2012 due to injuries and suspension.

Two years removed from a career-best 31-homer, 115-RBI campaign with San Diego, Headley batted .262 with six homers and 17 RBIs during his half-season with New York. He hit safely in his first eight games for the club, scoring internal bonus points when he came back quickly from a 98-mph Jake McGee fastball to the jaw in a Sept. 11 game against the Rays.

Headley exits the ballgame

TB@NYY: Headley gets hit by a pitch, exits the game

9/11/14: Chase Headley gets hit by a pitch in the face and exits the game with an injury

"It was pretty obvious after a week or so that I was extremely lucky to get a chance to play in the pinstripes," Headley said.

One issue that bears watching could be Headley's back; he required a cortisone injection last June while with San Diego, and his movement appeared to slow toward the end of the season. Headley said that he discussed his status with the Yankees and other clubs, who seemed not to see any red flags.

"The second half of the season at least, it didn't give me any issues, so I've been staying on top of it," Headley said. "I understand some of the things that are important for me to keep it healthy, some of the things I can do to try to manage it and stay on top of it. I don't foresee it being an issue going forward."

That brings the discussion to Teixeira. The Yanks are hopeful that his right wrist will be stronger now that another full winter has passed since his July 2013 procedure. Teixeira acknowledged some doubts after being unable to train regularly, and those concerns seemed to show themselves in the form of fatigue and injuries, particularly in the second half.

Teixeira's two-run homer

BAL@NYY: Teixeira lines a two-run shot off foul pole

9/24/14: Mark Teixeira drills a two-run home run off the foul pole in right field, cutting the Yankees' deficit in the 8th inning

Teixeira batted .216 with 22 homers and 62 RBIs in 123 games last year, slugging 17 of those homers before the All-Star break and all but four from the left side of the plate. Teixeira, who turns 35 in April, hit just .179 (32-for-179) with a .573 OPS in the second half. He also sustained injuries to his right hamstring, left rib cage, left lat and left pinkie finger.

"Obviously, the first half I battled through some things, and I felt good about my first half, but the second half has been terrible," Teixeira said in September. "I've been saying it for the past few weeks: I need to get stronger, I need to get healthier, and hopefully not have those issues that I've had the second half of the season next year."

Rodriguez is sure to command headlines during Spring Training, though the Yankees have been cautious about placing expectations. At best, their thinking is that Rodriguez could be a serviceable option to back up Headley at third base and possibly take grounders at first base, but mostly he is being looked at as a designated hitter.

A-Rod's strong throw

TOR@NYY: A-Rod makes a strong throw to retire Lawrie

8/22/13: Alex Rodriguez grabs Brett Lawrie's grounder and throws to first to get the out just in time

"I don't have a set number on anything," manager Joe Girardi said recently. "I think for a guy that really hasn't played in two years, you have to be fair to him and see how he's moving, see how he's swinging the bat, to see where the best place is to put him to get the most out of him. I think that's what you have to do. He understands that, and obviously we want him to be a big part of our offense."

It's possible that Rodriguez will have to battle for spring at-bats with Garrett Jones, who was acquired from the Marlins in December. Jones, 33, hit .246 with 15 homers and 53 RBIs in 146 games for Miami last year and owns 117 home runs in a seven-year big league career.

"Obviously, his left-handed bat is made for our ballpark," Cashman said. "You saw us go through a season last year where we didn't have a legitimate backup first baseman. Now we do. He can be a choice for our manager to DH against right-handed pitching, can back up first base and right field, and when he's going right, he can take advantage of our short right-field porch."

The Yanks have several backup options at the corners. Jose Pirela is expected to play a role at some point this season, and though he is viewed as a second baseman, he could see time at either first or third. Brendan Ryan, a shortstop by trade, saw time at both corners in 2014, and Brian McCann handled first base competently when pressed into duty.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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2015 Prospect Watch: Top 10 second basemen

Leading the array of new faces is Jose Peraza, who could soon be part of a formidable double-play combination with Andrelton Simmons in Atlanta. Micah Johnson and Devon Travis are the two players who remain from last year's list, though Travis has a new parent club after a November trade from the Tigers to the Blue Jays.

1. Jose Peraza, Braves: A breakout season saw Peraza race to Double-A Mississippi and the top of the Braves' prospects list. He has top-scale speed and stole 60 bases in 110 games, the third-highest total in the Minors last season. Peraza was a capable shortstop before moving to the right side of the infield last year, and he's quickly become an above-average defender at his new position.

Top Prospects: Peraza, ATL

Top Prospects: Jose Peraza, 2B, Braves

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Jose Peraza focuses on making contact rather than hitting for power and controls the strike zone

2. Micah Johnson, White Sox: After leading the Minor Leagues with 84 stolen bases in 2013, Johnson was slowed by hamstring injuries in '14. Before the injury brought his season to an end in August, he advanced to Triple-A Charlotte and played in the Futures Game. Johnson remains on track to make his big league debut this season.

Top Prospects: Johnson, CWS

Top Prospects: Micah Johnson, 2B, White Sox

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Micah Johnson has superior speed and the tools to be a table-setter at the top of a lineup

3. Forrest Wall, Rockies: The effects of a right shoulder injury in 2011 have limited Wall to second base, but they haven't slowed him at the plate. He was one of the better high-school hitters in last year's Draft and posted a .907 OPS in 41 games with Rookie-level Grand Junction during his professional debut. His on-base skills and speed make him a good fit at the top of the order.

Top Prospects: Wall, COL

Top Prospects: Forrest Wall, 2B, Rockies

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Forrest Wall has an advanced approach at the plate and plus speed on the basepath

4. Dilson Herrera, Mets: Traded to the Mets in the August 2013 deal that sent John Buck and Marlon Byrd to the Pirates, Herrera excelled in his first year with his new organization. He began the season with Class A Advanced Port St. Lucie and ended it in Queens. The 20-year-old has an advanced understanding of hitting and has the makings of an offensive-minded second baseman.

Top Prospects: Herrera, NYM

Top Prospects: Dilson Herrera, 2B, Mets

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Dilson Herrera shows a knack for hitting, with a balanced swing and an ability to make consistent hard contact

5. Sean Coyle, Red Sox: After three injury-plagued seasons, Coyle did a better job staying on the field in 2014 and produced a career-best year as a result. He ranked third in the Eastern League with a .883 OPS and earned a trip to the Futures Game. Coyle has an aggressive approach at the plate and uncommon power for a second baseman.

Top Prospects: Coyle, BOS

Top Prospects: Sean Coyle, 2B, Red Sox

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Sean Coyle has one of the highest ceilings among Boston's position prospects

6. Devon Travis, Blue Jays: Overlooked coming out of Florida State in 2012, Travis has outperformed his status as a 13th-round pick. His .351 batting average was second best in the Minor Leagues in 2013 and his batting average ranked in the top 10 in the Eastern League in '14, despite an oblique injury that hampered him in the first half. He'll look to continue his success this season with his new club.

Top Prospects: Travis, TOR

Top Prospects: Devon Travis, 2B, Blue Jays

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Devon Travis has a quick, compact swing and controls the barrel of the bat well

7. Rob Refsnyder, Yankees: Named the Most Outstanding Player at the 2012 College World Series, Refsnyder made a smooth transition to the professional ranks and adeptly handled a change in positions, moving from the outfield to second base. After reaching Triple-A last year, he's expected to make his big league debut sometime this season.

Top Prospects: Refsnyder, NYY

Top Prospects: Rob Refsnyder, 2B, Yankees

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Rob Refsnyder has established himself as the best pure hitter in New York's system

8. Ryan Brett, Rays: The Rays had six of the first 100 picks in the 2010 Draft and used four of them on high-school players. After a solid full season with Double-A Montgomery, Brett has a chance to be the first of that group to reach the big leagues. His speed-and-contact approach make him a potential top-of-the-order hitter.

Top Prospects: Brett, TB

Top Prospects: Ryan Brett, 2B, Rays

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Ryan Brett has a compact swing and quick hands, allowing him to make consistent, hard contact

9. Darnell Sweeney, Dodgers: Like Travis, Sweeney was selected in the 13th round of the 2012 Draft and he has hit everywhere he's been in the Minor Leagues. He's moved around the diamond some, playing second base, shortstop and center field last year. That versatility should help him as he tries to break through to the Major Leagues, but he's good enough offensively to be an everyday player.

Top Prospects: Sweeney, LAD

Top Prospects: Darnell Sweeney, 2B, Dodgers

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Darnell Sweeney is a switch-hitter who can do a little bit of everything

10. Avery Romero, Marlins: In his first year in full-season ball, Romero finished fifth in the South Atlantic League in hitting and earned a midsummer promotion to Class A Advanced Jupiter. His quick, short swing helps him square balls up and use the whole field to hit. Romero was a shortstop in high school and his defense has shown steady improvement since the Marlins moved him to second base.

Top Prospects: Romero, MIA

Top Prospects: Avery Romero, 2B, Marlins

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Avery Romero has all the hallmarks of becoming an offensive-minded second baseman

Next up
As Jose Altuve was putting questions about his height to bed by winning the 2014 American League batting title, another speedy, diminutive second baseman was matriculating in the Astros' Minor League system. Tony Kemp, like Altuve, is listed at 5-foot-6, and is starting to put together an impressive track record at the plate. The 2013 SEC Player of the Year excelled in his first full professional season, hitting .316/.411/.449 with 41 stolen bases in 131 games between Class A Advanced Lancaster and Double-A Corpus Christi.

While scouts believe Johnson has more upside, Carlos Sanchez , his teammate in the White Sox organization, beat him to the big leagues in 2014. Sanchez split time between second base and shortstop in the Minors, but primarily played second base during a six-week stint at the end of the season with the White Sox. He'll have a chance to again play a prominent role in Chicago this season.

Teddy Cahill is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tedcahill. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Inbox: Do Yanks have pieces to contend in 2015?

This won't be breaking news, but two major things jump out about this roster: The Yankees need to get better seasons out of big-ticket veterans like Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and Mark Teixeira, and they can't afford injuries to their key performers. Sure, that's true of every team in the league, but the Yanks really do have to keep guys out of head trainer Stevie Donohue's office -- especially Masahiro Tanaka, where any one pitch could be his last for 12-18 months. The Yankees like how their defense and the bullpen look, and so it's going to really weigh on the health of the rotation and the middle of the lineup to get the Yanks back to the postseason in 2015.

Submit a question to the Inbox

You know what John Sterling always says (by the way, we're glad that he is safe after a massive fire at his apartment complex and is already replenishing his collection of neckties): "You can't predict baseball." But that doesn't stop people from trying, and as of right now, Fangraphs.com computes the Yankees to finish 83-79 with a plus-14 run differential, scoring an average of 4.15 runs scored per game and allowing 4.04 runs per game. According to those projections, that'd have them tied with the Rays for third in the American League East, trailing the Red Sox (88-74) and Blue Jays (84-78). I'm no math major, but that feels about right to me.

No one in the organization was satisfied with last year's 84-win showing, and so it's probably a good thing that those projections can change between now and April. At the very least, what you can read into it is that the Yanks seem to be on the low end of the playoff range going into the spring. If things break right and they can add a few more wins -- one example would be by making a productive midseason addition, like last summer's move for Martin Prado -- you could be thinking about October baseball. We shall see.

What are the chances of the Yankees signing another mid-tier pitcher to a one-year deal, like Chris Young or Brandon Beachy?
-- Frank P., Puerto Rico

They say you can never have enough pitching, and after the Yanks used 13 starters last season, it's a statement that they are acutely aware of. Last week, we talked a little bit about Johan Santana being the ideal kind of guy that you could bring into camp on a flyer, but Young's expected pay bump (from $1.5 million, coming off last year's strong comeback campaign) probably takes him out of the running, considering New York just gave $5 million to Chris Capuano.

Status of 2015 Yankees rotation

Yankees pitching staff beginning to take shape

MLB.com's Matt Waymire and Bryan Hoch discuss how the Yankees pitching staff will shake out and whether the team is done making moves

Beachy is coming back from his second Tommy John surgery and isn't expected to be ready until May, at which time the Yankees believe they'll have Ivan Nova just about ready to contribute. Considering that and the fact that all seems quiet on the pitching front, it looks like they may be content to go into the spring with Adam Warren, Bryan Mitchell and Chase Whitley as their main depth options, while mixing in a few non-roster invitees to fill out the crowd.

Could the Yankees play Didi Gregorius at shortstop with Stephen Drew at second base against righties, and then use Drew at short with Rob Refsnyder or Jose Pirela at second base against lefties?
-- John C., Commack, N.Y.

It's something the Yankees can kick around in the spring, and it would be good to keep Drew sharp at shortstop just in case, but that scenario probably means that Brendan Ryan isn't on the 25-man roster for some reason. Ryan doesn't hit much, but the Yankees feel he'll earn a spot with his plus defense and serve as a versatile 25th man of sorts. If not, Ryan is a movable piece at $2 million (trade or release), and the Yanks expect that Pirela or Refsnyder will play a role at some point.

Yankees acquire Didi Gregorius

Yankees acquire slick-fielding SS in three-way trade

On December 5, the Yankees made waves in the trade market as they acquired shortstop Didi Gregorius from Arizona

Gregorius' performance against left-handed pitchers could improve; he told the YES Network that he has been facing lefties while hitting during the winter, and he surely will face as many as possible this spring. General manager Brian Cashman said that the Yankees are ready to have Gregorius platoon against righties if necessary, because lefties have eaten up Gregorius to the tune of a .184 average (30-for-163) with a .490 OPS. He'll be just 25 next month, so there's time to improve on that relatively small sample.

There seem to be two theories on how to beat the shift -- hit through it or hit the other way. How does hitting coach Jeff Pentland feel about hitting with a shift on?
-- Chris, Philadelphia

Not surprisingly, that topic came up during his recent introductory conference call with reporters. In response to a question about Teixeira's difficulties with the shift, Pentland replied that players sometimes need to think more in the middle of the diamond rather than trying to pull the ball so much, but he wanted to keep specifics to a minimum until he builds a relationship with those players.

Pentland on joining Yankees

Jeff Pentland ready to work with Yankees' hitters

New Yankees hitting coach Jeff Pentland discusses his experience coaching in the Majors and becoming familiar with the Yankees' lineup

In general terms, though, Pentland acknowledged there is some weight to the idea that these players have been successful for a long time doing things a certain way, and if anything is to be changed, it needs to happen during the six weeks of Spring Training. By the time Opening Day rolls around, it will be too late.

"Once the season starts, it's very difficult to even think about changing swings," Pentland said. "You're always tinkering and fine-tuning, and you've got older guys ... you're not inventing the wheel here. You're not making wholesale changes. If I tried to do that, they'd shut me out in a heartbeat.

"These guys have been around, they know what they're doing, and they know how successful they've been. You'd be surprised how open-minded most of them are. I've got my work cut out for me as far as them getting to know me and trust me. Then we go from there. If we're not making any adjustments at all, then I'm not doing my job."

Marco Scutaro was designated for assignment by the Giants. Is there a chance the Yankees could pick him up for second base?
-- Josh Z., New York City

Not likely. Scutaro had fusion surgery in December, and it seems possible that he has already played his last big league game; it'll be four to six months before they know for sure, but back injuries are never easy to come back from, especially at 39. By the way, just hearing Scutaro's name always brings me back to Oakland in April 2007 and that walk-off homer off Mariano Rivera that clanged off the Coliseum's left-field foul pole. Ctrl-A, delete, rewrite.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Carpenter excited to don pinstripes

"B-Mac is the kind of guy that you love going to battle with," Carpenter said on Tuesday. "He's a team guy, he busts his butt out there, he's everything you could ask for in a leader, especially a catcher. To be reunited with him, it's going to be really, really special. The kind of words he shared with the front office, wanting to pull the trigger on trying to get me, it really boosts your confidence, that's for sure."

Carpenter will try continue the positive strides he made over the past two seasons with the Braves, after he logged a combined 2.63 ERA and 10 strikeouts per nine innings over 121 appearances. He was especially sharp in 2013, compiling a 1.78 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP in 56 outings, and Carpenter credits McCann with having made a significant impact.

"He told me, 'When you come in and blow through the order and just attack people, your stuff is good enough that you can get these people out,'" Carpenter recalled. "'As soon as you truly believe that, you're going to go on and do some big things.'

"So then there was one game, and I think I struck out three guys in a row and we're going off the field. He kind of got excited and goes, 'That's what I'm talking about right there! That's what I need!'"

The trade came as a surprise to Carpenter, who had attended the wedding of Braves teammate Chris Johnson the night before in Atlanta, but he is no stranger to baseball's transient nature. The Yankees are Carpenter's sixth organization; drafted by the Cardinals, Carpenter saw big league time with the Astros and Blue Jays before being packaged as part of the unique October 2012 trade that installed John Farrell as Boston's manager.

Carpenter never pitched for the Red Sox, as he was claimed by the Braves a month later, and he explained his success in Atlanta as a result of finally getting a chance to settle down.

"Honestly, it was just the opportunity to be able to go out there and throw in familiar innings," Carpenter said. "You're throwing in the back end of the game, seventh, eighth, ninth inning. You start getting more comfortable with that. When I was coming up through the Cardinals' organization, that's what I had done; I closed and had been a setup man.

"Getting back to a comfortable part of the game was really, really key for that. Being given that opportunity, setting up for Craig [Kimbrel], and it was just a matter of somebody giving me a chance."

Carpenter will have that in New York. With Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller expected to battle for the closer's role, the Yankees could have Carpenter slot into the sixth or seventh innings, depending on how they choose to use Adam Warren. In theory, Carpenter could replace Shawn Kelley, who was dealt to the Padres in December.

Carpenter said that he has spoken to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, manager Joe Girardi and pitching coach Larry Rothschild about what to expect, and he's eager to see what his assignment will be. Looking over the roster, Carpenter believes that the bullpen will be a difference-maker.

"I think it can be really, really strong," Carpenter said. "There have been multiple people talking about it throughout baseball, the potential that our bullpen has. It can be one of the best in the Major Leagues. I'm really excited to get down there to Tampa, just get started and see where we end up."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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A-Rod has meeting with incoming Commissioner

Alex Rodriguez reached out to Major League Baseball and incoming Commissioner Rob Manfred this week as he prepares to return to the field with the Yankees following a one-year suspension for violation of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

The purpose of Rodriguez's visit to MLB's offices at 245 Park Avenue in New York was to clear the air as he prepares to attempt to resurrect his career, according to the New York Post, which first reported the story. Manfred was Commissioner Bud Selig's point man for the Biogenesis investigation that led to the suspension of A-Rod and 13 others.

In what was viewed as an apology and reconciliation, Rodriguez arrived without representation from the Major League Baseball Players Association or personal attorneys.

Paul Hagen is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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2015 Prospect Watch: Top 10 second basemen

Leading the array of new faces is Jose Peraza, who could soon be part of a formidable double-play combination with Andrelton Simmons in Atlanta. Micah Johnson and Devon Travis are the two players who remain from last year's list, though Travis has a new parent club after a November trade from the Tigers to the Blue Jays.

1. Jose Peraza, Braves: A breakout season saw Peraza race to Double-A Mississippi and the top of the Braves' prospects list. He has top-scale speed and stole 60 bases in 110 games, the third-highest total in the Minors last season. Peraza was a capable shortstop before moving to the right side of the infield last year, and he's quickly become an above-average defender at his new position.

Top Prospects: Peraza, ATL

Top Prospects: Jose Peraza, 2B, Braves

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Jose Peraza focuses on making contact rather than hitting for power and controls the strike zone

2. Micah Johnson, White Sox: After leading the Minor Leagues with 84 stolen bases in 2013, Johnson was slowed by hamstring injuries in '14. Before the injury brought his season to an end in August, he advanced to Triple-A Charlotte and played in the Futures Game. Johnson remains on track to make his big league debut this season.

Top Prospects: Johnson, CWS

Top Prospects: Micah Johnson, 2B, White Sox

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Micah Johnson has superior speed and the tools to be a table-setter at the top of a lineup

3. Forrest Wall, Rockies: The effects of a right shoulder injury in 2011 have limited Wall to second base, but they haven't slowed him at the plate. He was one of the better high-school hitters in last year's Draft and posted a .907 OPS in 41 games with Rookie-level Grand Junction during his professional debut. His on-base skills and speed make him a good fit at the top of the order.

Top Prospects: Wall, COL

Top Prospects: Forrest Wall, 2B, Rockies

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Forrest Wall has an advanced approach at the plate and plus speed on the basepath

4. Dilson Herrera, Mets: Traded to the Mets in the August 2013 deal that sent John Buck and Marlon Byrd to the Pirates, Herrera excelled in his first year with his new organization. He began the season with Class A Advanced Port St. Lucie and ended it in Queens. The 20-year-old has an advanced understanding of hitting and has the makings of an offensive-minded second baseman.

Top Prospects: Herrera, NYM

Top Prospects: Dilson Herrera, 2B, Mets

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Dilson Herrera shows a knack for hitting, with a balanced swing and an ability to make consistent hard contact

5. Sean Coyle, Red Sox: After three injury-plagued seasons, Coyle did a better job staying on the field in 2014 and produced a career-best year as a result. He ranked third in the Eastern League with a .883 OPS and earned a trip to the Futures Game. Coyle has an aggressive approach at the plate and uncommon power for a second baseman.

Top Prospects: Coyle, BOS

Top Prospects: Sean Coyle, 2B, Red Sox

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Sean Coyle has one of the highest ceilings among Boston's position prospects

6. Devon Travis, Blue Jays: Overlooked coming out of Florida State in 2012, Travis has outperformed his status as a 13th-round pick. His .351 batting average was second best in the Minor Leagues in 2013 and his batting average ranked in the top 10 in the Eastern League in '14, despite an oblique injury that hampered him in the first half. He'll look to continue his success this season with his new club.

Top Prospects: Travis, TOR

Top Prospects: Devon Travis, 2B, Blue Jays

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Devon Travis has a quick, compact swing and controls the barrel of the bat well

7. Rob Refsnyder, Yankees: Named the Most Outstanding Player at the 2012 College World Series, Refsnyder made a smooth transition to the professional ranks and adeptly handled a change in positions, moving from the outfield to second base. After reaching Triple-A last year, he's expected to make his big league debut sometime this season.

Top Prospects: Refsnyder, NYY

Top Prospects: Rob Refsnyder, 2B, Yankees

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Rob Refsnyder has established himself as the best pure hitter in New York's system

8. Ryan Brett, Rays: The Rays had six of the first 100 picks in the 2010 Draft and used four of them on high-school players. After a solid full season with Double-A Montgomery, Brett has a chance to be the first of that group to reach the big leagues. His speed-and-contact approach make him a potential top-of-the-order hitter.

Top Prospects: Brett, TB

Top Prospects: Ryan Brett, 2B, Rays

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Ryan Brett has a compact swing and quick hands, allowing him to make consistent, hard contact

9. Darnell Sweeney, Dodgers: Like Travis, Sweeney was selected in the 13th round of the 2012 Draft and he has hit everywhere he's been in the Minor Leagues. He's moved around the diamond some, playing second base, shortstop and center field last year. That versatility should help him as he tries to break through to the Major Leagues, but he's good enough offensively to be an everyday player.

Top Prospects: Sweeney, LAD

Top Prospects: Darnell Sweeney, 2B, Dodgers

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Darnell Sweeney is a switch-hitter who can do a little bit of everything

10. Avery Romero, Marlins: In his first year in full-season ball, Romero finished fifth in the South Atlantic League in hitting and earned a midsummer promotion to Class A Advanced Jupiter. His quick, short swing helps him square balls up and use the whole field to hit. Romero was a shortstop in high school and his defense has shown steady improvement since the Marlins moved him to second base.

Top Prospects: Romero, MIA

Top Prospects: Avery Romero, 2B, Marlins

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Avery Romero has all the hallmarks of becoming an offensive-minded second baseman

Next up
As Jose Altuve was putting questions about his height to bed by winning the 2014 American League batting title, another speedy, diminutive second baseman was matriculating in the Astros' Minor League system. Tony Kemp, like Altuve, is listed at 5-foot-6, and is starting to put together an impressive track record at the plate. The 2013 SEC Player of the Year excelled in his first full professional season, hitting .316/.411/.449 with 41 stolen bases in 131 games between Class A Advanced Lancaster and Double-A Corpus Christi.

While scouts believe Johnson has more upside, Carlos Sanchez , his teammate in the White Sox organization, beat him to the big leagues in 2014. Sanchez split time between second base and shortstop in the Minors, but primarily played second base during a six-week stint at the end of the season with the White Sox. He'll have a chance to again play a prominent role in Chicago this season.

Teddy Cahill is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tedcahill. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Inbox: Do Yanks have pieces to contend in 2015?

This won't be breaking news, but two major things jump out about this roster: The Yankees need to get better seasons out of big-ticket veterans like Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and Mark Teixeira, and they can't afford injuries to their key performers. Sure, that's true of every team in the league, but the Yanks really do have to keep guys out of head trainer Stevie Donohue's office -- especially Masahiro Tanaka, where any one pitch could be his last for 12-18 months. The Yankees like how their defense and the bullpen look, and so it's going to really weigh on the health of the rotation and the middle of the lineup to get the Yanks back to the postseason in 2015.

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You know what John Sterling always says (by the way, we're glad that he is safe after a massive fire at his apartment complex and is already replenishing his collection of neckties): "You can't predict baseball." But that doesn't stop people from trying, and as of right now, Fangraphs.com computes the Yankees to finish 83-79 with a plus-14 run differential, scoring an average of 4.15 runs scored per game and allowing 4.04 runs per game. According to those projections, that'd have them tied with the Rays for third in the American League East, trailing the Red Sox (88-74) and Blue Jays (84-78). I'm no math major, but that feels about right to me.

No one in the organization was satisfied with last year's 84-win showing, and so it's probably a good thing that those projections can change between now and April. At the very least, what you can read into it is that the Yanks seem to be on the low end of the playoff range going into the spring. If things break right and they can add a few more wins -- one example would be by making a productive midseason addition, like last summer's move for Martin Prado -- you could be thinking about October baseball. We shall see.

What are the chances of the Yankees signing another mid-tier pitcher to a one-year deal, like Chris Young or Brandon Beachy?
-- Frank P., Puerto Rico

They say you can never have enough pitching, and after the Yanks used 13 starters last season, it's a statement that they are acutely aware of. Last week, we talked a little bit about Johan Santana being the ideal kind of guy that you could bring into camp on a flyer, but Young's expected pay bump (from $1.5 million, coming off last year's strong comeback campaign) probably takes him out of the running, considering New York just gave $5 million to Chris Capuano.

Status of 2015 Yankees rotation

Yankees pitching staff beginning to take shape

MLB.com's Matt Waymire and Bryan Hoch discuss how the Yankees pitching staff will shake out and whether the team is done making moves

Beachy is coming back from his second Tommy John surgery and isn't expected to be ready until May, at which time the Yankees believe they'll have Ivan Nova just about ready to contribute. Considering that and the fact that all seems quiet on the pitching front, it looks like they may be content to go into the spring with Adam Warren, Bryan Mitchell and Chase Whitley as their main depth options, while mixing in a few non-roster invitees to fill out the crowd.

Could the Yankees play Didi Gregorius at shortstop with Stephen Drew at second base against righties, and then use Drew at short with Rob Refsnyder or Jose Pirela at second base against lefties?
-- John C., Commack, N.Y.

It's something the Yankees can kick around in the spring, and it would be good to keep Drew sharp at shortstop just in case, but that scenario probably means that Brendan Ryan isn't on the 25-man roster for some reason. Ryan doesn't hit much, but the Yankees feel he'll earn a spot with his plus defense and serve as a versatile 25th man of sorts. If not, Ryan is a movable piece at $2 million (trade or release), and the Yanks expect that Pirela or Refsnyder will play a role at some point.

Yankees acquire Didi Gregorius

Yankees acquire slick-fielding SS in three-way trade

On December 5, the Yankees made waves in the trade market as they acquired shortstop Didi Gregorius from Arizona

Gregorius' performance against left-handed pitchers could improve; he told the YES Network that he has been facing lefties while hitting during the winter, and he surely will face as many as possible this spring. General manager Brian Cashman said that the Yankees are ready to have Gregorius platoon against righties if necessary, because lefties have eaten up Gregorius to the tune of a .184 average (30-for-163) with a .490 OPS. He'll be just 25 next month, so there's time to improve on that relatively small sample.

There seem to be two theories on how to beat the shift -- hit through it or hit the other way. How does hitting coach Jeff Pentland feel about hitting with a shift on?
-- Chris, Philadelphia

Not surprisingly, that topic came up during his recent introductory conference call with reporters. In response to a question about Teixeira's difficulties with the shift, Pentland replied that players sometimes need to think more in the middle of the diamond rather than trying to pull the ball so much, but he wanted to keep specifics to a minimum until he builds a relationship with those players.

Pentland on joining Yankees

Jeff Pentland ready to work with Yankees' hitters

New Yankees hitting coach Jeff Pentland discusses his experience coaching in the Majors and becoming familiar with the Yankees' lineup

In general terms, though, Pentland acknowledged there is some weight to the idea that these players have been successful for a long time doing things a certain way, and if anything is to be changed, it needs to happen during the six weeks of Spring Training. By the time Opening Day rolls around, it will be too late.

"Once the season starts, it's very difficult to even think about changing swings," Pentland said. "You're always tinkering and fine-tuning, and you've got older guys ... you're not inventing the wheel here. You're not making wholesale changes. If I tried to do that, they'd shut me out in a heartbeat.

"These guys have been around, they know what they're doing, and they know how successful they've been. You'd be surprised how open-minded most of them are. I've got my work cut out for me as far as them getting to know me and trust me. Then we go from there. If we're not making any adjustments at all, then I'm not doing my job."

Marco Scutaro was designated for assignment by the Giants. Is there a chance the Yankees could pick him up for second base?
-- Josh Z., New York City

Not likely. Scutaro had fusion surgery in December, and it seems possible that he has already played his last big league game; it'll be four to six months before they know for sure, but back injuries are never easy to come back from, especially at 39. By the way, just hearing Scutaro's name always brings me back to Oakland in April 2007 and that walk-off homer off Mariano Rivera that clanged off the Coliseum's left-field foul pole. Ctrl-A, delete, rewrite.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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A-Rod has meeting with incoming Commissioner

Alex Rodriguez reached out to Major League Baseball and incoming Commissioner Rob Manfred this week as he prepares to return to the field with the Yankees following a one-year suspension for violation of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

The purpose of Rodriguez's visit to MLB's offices at 245 Park Avenue in New York was to clear the air as he prepares to attempt to resurrect his career, according to the New York Post, which first reported the story. Manfred was Commissioner Bud Selig's point man for the Biogenesis investigation that led to the suspension of A-Rod and 13 others.

In what was viewed as an apology and reconciliation, Rodriguez arrived without representation from the Major League Baseball Players Association or personal attorneys.

Paul Hagen is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yankees will make television return to PIX11

NEW YORK -- The Yankees will be seen again on PIX11 this season, returning to the channel that served as their over-the-air broadcast television home spanning the eras from Joe DiMaggio to Derek Jeter.

The YES Network and Tribune Media Company announced Thursday that they have reached a multiyear agreement under which PIX11 has secured over-the-air rights to Yankees games in the New York area. Financial terms were not disclosed.

PIX11 will televise approximately 20 games this season, with its broadcast schedule to be announced at a later date. PIX11 served as the broadcast home of the Yanks from 1951-98. The Mets also have an agreement with PIX11 that runs through 2017.

YES, which remains the exclusive local television rights holder for the Yankees, will televise 125 games this season. The Yanks had over-the-air telecasts on My9 from 2005 through last season.

"We are eager to enter into this new chapter with PIX11," YES Network president and CEO Tracy Dolgin said in a statement. "We look forward to working with PIX11 to bring all of the excitement, tradition and passion of Yankees baseball to fans throughout the tri-state area. At the same time, we have appreciated working with My9, which had been our local broadcast partner since 2005."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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2015 Prospect Watch: Top 10 first basemen

Two players graduated off of last year's list, while there are four repeats. Three of the newcomers come courtesy of the 2014 Draft.

1. Josh Bell, Pirates
Bell is the only one on this Top 10 who has never played an official regular-season game at first base. An outfielder for his first few years of pro ball, Bell started playing first base at instructs and the Arizona Fall League last autumn. That should free his outstanding switch-hitting bat from the logjam of young outfielders in Pittsburgh.

Top Prospects: Bell, PIT

Top Prospects: Josh Bell, 1B, Pirates

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Josh Bell has a mature offensive approach and hits for both power and average from both sides of the plate

2. Matt Olson, A's
With Kris Bryant and Joey Gallo in the Minor Leagues, Olson's power is easily overshadowed. But his 37 homers in 2014 were good for third in the Minors behind that tandem. He's hit 60 homers over the past two years while driving in 190. He also led all Minor Leaguers with 117 walks a year ago, showing he's developing into more than an all-or-nothing hitter.

Top Prospects: Olson, OAK

Top Prospects: Matt Olson, 1B, Athletics

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Matt Olson broke out as one of the game's top first base prospects in 2014

3. Greg Bird, Yankees
Speaking of patient hitters at the position, Bird led the Minors in walks in 2013 and has a career .407 on-base percentage heading into the 2015 season. While back issues have hampered him in the past, he's shown more than enough power for the position, including during an MVP performance in the Arizona Fall League in 2014.

Top Prospects: Bird, NYY

Top Prospects: Greg Bird, 1B, Yankees

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Greg Bird combines power and patience, working counts until he gets a pitch he can hammer

4. Dominic Smith, Mets
Smith was thought to be the best pure hitter from the high school group in the 2013 Draft class. He's still more potential than production, though the Mets feel he held his own as a teenager in the South Atlantic League in 2014. His left-handed swing and advanced approach at the plate should allow him to hit for average and power in the future.

Top Prospects: Smith, NYM

Top Prospects: Dominic Smith, 1B, Mets

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Dominic Smith has excellent hand-eye coordination and an advanced approach at the plate

5. A.J. Reed, Astros
A terrific two-way player in college who served as the University of Kentucky's ace and won the 2014 Golden Spikes Award as a result of his dual efforts, Reed's pitching career ended after the Astros took him in the second round of last June's Draft. It seems like a good decision after Reed posted a .289/.375/.522 line while reaching full-season ball in his pro debut.

Top Prospects: Reed, HOU

Top Prospects: A.J. Reed, 1B, Astros

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: A.J. Reed made significant strides as a hitter and can consistently square balls up with power

6. Casey Gillaspie, Rays
Another top college bat from the 2014 Draft class, the Rays took Gillaspie out of Wichita State with the 20th overall pick, 17 picks earlier than his older brother Conor, now the third baseman for the White Sox. Gillaspie is a switch-hitter with power from both sides and an advanced approach at the plate, giving him the chance to hit for average and pop as he progresses.

Top Prospects: Gillaspie, TB

Top Prospects: Casey Gillaspie, 1B, Rays

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Casey Gillaspie shows power from both sides of the plate and has improved his overall offensive approach

7. Christian Walker, Orioles
Walker has quickly made it to big league-ready status following a college career that included consecutive national championships and just two-plus years in the Minors. While his first full season was solid, he really broke out in year two, leading the organization in home runs and RBIs. Steve Pearce and Chris Davis currently stand in his way.

Top Prospects: Walker, BAL

Top Prospects: Christian Walker, 1B, Orioles

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Christian Walker is a capable defender at first and has an outstanding work ethic

8. Dan Vogelbach, Cubs
The Cubs went way over slot to sign Vogelbach in the second round of the 2011 Draft for his offensive potential. For the most part, he's played the part well, showing the ability to hit for average, get on base and flash some power. The bat is going to have to play because, even though Vogelbach has worked tirelessly on his conditioning, he's a well below-average runner and defender.

Top Prospects: Vogelbach, CHC

Top Prospects: Dan Vogelbach, 1B, Cubs

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Dan Vogelbach controls the strike zone, makes consistent contact and uses the entire field

9. Bobby Bradley, Indians
The last entrant from the 2014 Draft class, Bradley hails from the Mississippi high school ranks. His left-handed swing provides plenty of power, but he has the chance to be more than just a one-dimensional slugger. He could move up this list if he can follow up his Rookie-level Arizona League triple crown performance during his first full season.

Top Prospects: Bradley, CLE

Top Prospects: Bobby Bradley, 1B, Indians

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Bobby Bradley has an extremely advanced bat and his swing creates plenty of bat speed

10. Jesus Aguilar, Indians
It may seem like Aguilar has been around forever, but while he did make his United States debut in 2010, he's still just 24 years old. Left unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft in the past, he's shown he has the ability to be a real run producer the last two seasons. He doesn't have anything left to prove in the Minors, but a spot in Cleveland doesn't appear to be open.

Top Prospects: Aguilar, CLE

Top Prospects: Jesus Aguilar, 1B, Indians

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Jesus Aguilar has produced everywhere he?s gone and his raw power is unquestioned

Next up

A pair of recently traded first basemen could hit their way onto the Top 10 at some point in 2015. Rangel Ravelo was sent by the White Sox to the A's in the Jeff Samardzija trade in December. The 2010 draftee has always hit for an average, with a career .301 mark, but he started adding a little bit more extra-base pop of late. Initially a third baseman, he moved over to first in 2013.

Jake Bauers is now behind Gillaspie on the Rays' first baseman depth chart, coming from the Padres in the big three-team deal that sent Wil Myers to San Diego. In his first full season, Bauers acquitted himself well in the full season Midwest League as an 18-year-old. He makes consistent contact and there should be more power to come, which is important considering that he's a below-average runner limited to first base only.

Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLBPipeline.com and writes a blog, B3. Follow @JonathanMayoB3 on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yankees will make television return to PIX11

NEW YORK -- The Yankees will be seen again on PIX11 this season, returning to the channel that served as their over-the-air broadcast television home spanning the eras from Joe DiMaggio to Derek Jeter.

The YES Network and Tribune Media Company announced Thursday that they have reached a multiyear agreement under which PIX11 has secured over-the-air rights to Yankees games in the New York area. Financial terms were not disclosed.

PIX11 will televise approximately 20 games this season, with its broadcast schedule to be announced at a later date. PIX11 served as the broadcast home of the Yanks from 1951-98. The Mets also have an agreement with PIX11 that runs through 2017.

YES, which remains the exclusive local television rights holder for the Yankees, will televise 125 games this season. The Yanks had over-the-air telecasts on My9 from 2005 through last season.

"We are eager to enter into this new chapter with PIX11," YES Network president and CEO Tracy Dolgin said in a statement. "We look forward to working with PIX11 to bring all of the excitement, tradition and passion of Yankees baseball to fans throughout the tri-state area. At the same time, we have appreciated working with My9, which had been our local broadcast partner since 2005."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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2015 Prospect Watch: Top 10 first basemen

Two players graduated off of last year's list, while there are four repeats. Three of the newcomers come courtesy of the 2014 Draft.

1. Josh Bell, Pirates
Bell is the only one on this Top 10 who has never played an official regular-season game at first base. An outfielder for his first few years of pro ball, Bell started playing first base at instructs and the Arizona Fall League last autumn. That should free his outstanding switch-hitting bat from the logjam of young outfielders in Pittsburgh.

Top Prospects: Bell, PIT

Top Prospects: Josh Bell, 1B, Pirates

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Josh Bell has a mature offensive approach and hits for both power and average from both sides of the plate

2. Matt Olson, A's
With Kris Bryant and Joey Gallo in the Minor Leagues, Olson's power is easily overshadowed. But his 37 homers in 2014 were good for third in the Minors behind that tandem. He's hit 60 homers over the past two years while driving in 190. He also led all Minor Leaguers with 117 walks a year ago, showing he's developing into more than an all-or-nothing hitter.

Top Prospects: Olson, OAK

Top Prospects: Matt Olson, 1B, Athletics

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Matt Olson broke out as one of the game's top first base prospects in 2014

3. Greg Bird, Yankees
Speaking of patient hitters at the position, Bird led the Minors in walks in 2013 and has a career .407 on-base percentage heading into the 2015 season. While back issues have hampered him in the past, he's shown more than enough power for the position, including during an MVP performance in the Arizona Fall League in 2014.

Top Prospects: Bird, NYY

Top Prospects: Greg Bird, 1B, Yankees

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Greg Bird combines power and patience, working counts until he gets a pitch he can hammer

4. Dominic Smith, Mets
Smith was thought to be the best pure hitter from the high school group in the 2013 Draft class. He's still more potential than production, though the Mets feel he held his own as a teenager in the South Atlantic League in 2014. His left-handed swing and advanced approach at the plate should allow him to hit for average and power in the future.

Top Prospects: Smith, NYM

Top Prospects: Dominic Smith, 1B, Mets

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Dominic Smith has excellent hand-eye coordination and an advanced approach at the plate

5. A.J. Reed, Astros
A terrific two-way player in college who served as the University of Kentucky's ace and won the 2014 Golden Spikes Award as a result of his dual efforts, Reed's pitching career ended after the Astros took him in the second round of last June's Draft. It seems like a good decision after Reed posted a .289/.375/.522 line while reaching full-season ball in his pro debut.

Top Prospects: Reed, HOU

Top Prospects: A.J. Reed, 1B, Astros

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: A.J. Reed made significant strides as a hitter and can consistently square balls up with power

6. Casey Gillaspie, Rays
Another top college bat from the 2014 Draft class, the Rays took Gillaspie out of Wichita State with the 20th overall pick, 17 picks earlier than his older brother Conor, now the third baseman for the White Sox. Gillaspie is a switch-hitter with power from both sides and an advanced approach at the plate, giving him the chance to hit for average and pop as he progresses.

Top Prospects: Gillaspie, TB

Top Prospects: Casey Gillaspie, 1B, Rays

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Casey Gillaspie shows power from both sides of the plate and has improved his overall offensive approach

7. Christian Walker, Orioles
Walker has quickly made it to big league-ready status following a college career that included consecutive national championships and just two-plus years in the Minors. While his first full season was solid, he really broke out in year two, leading the organization in home runs and RBIs. Steve Pearce and Chris Davis currently stand in his way.

Top Prospects: Walker, BAL

Top Prospects: Christian Walker, 1B, Orioles

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Christian Walker is a capable defender at first and has an outstanding work ethic

8. Dan Vogelbach, Cubs
The Cubs went way over slot to sign Vogelbach in the second round of the 2011 Draft for his offensive potential. For the most part, he's played the part well, showing the ability to hit for average, get on base and flash some power. The bat is going to have to play because, even though Vogelbach has worked tirelessly on his conditioning, he's a well below-average runner and defender.

Top Prospects: Vogelbach, CHC

Top Prospects: Dan Vogelbach, 1B, Cubs

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Dan Vogelbach controls the strike zone, makes consistent contact and uses the entire field

9. Bobby Bradley, Indians
The last entrant from the 2014 Draft class, Bradley hails from the Mississippi high school ranks. His left-handed swing provides plenty of power, but he has the chance to be more than just a one-dimensional slugger. He could move up this list if he can follow up his Rookie-level Arizona League triple crown performance during his first full season.

Top Prospects: Bradley, CLE

Top Prospects: Bobby Bradley, 1B, Indians

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Bobby Bradley has an extremely advanced bat and his swing creates plenty of bat speed

10. Jesus Aguilar, Indians
It may seem like Aguilar has been around forever, but while he did make his United States debut in 2010, he's still just 24 years old. Left unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft in the past, he's shown he has the ability to be a real run producer the last two seasons. He doesn't have anything left to prove in the Minors, but a spot in Cleveland doesn't appear to be open.

Top Prospects: Aguilar, CLE

Top Prospects: Jesus Aguilar, 1B, Indians

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Jesus Aguilar has produced everywhere he?s gone and his raw power is unquestioned

Next up

A pair of recently traded first basemen could hit their way onto the Top 10 at some point in 2015. Rangel Ravelo was sent by the White Sox to the A's in the Jeff Samardzija trade in December. The 2010 draftee has always hit for an average, with a career .301 mark, but he started adding a little bit more extra-base pop of late. Initially a third baseman, he moved over to first in 2013.

Jake Bauers is now behind Gillaspie on the Rays' first baseman depth chart, coming from the Padres in the big three-team deal that sent Wil Myers to San Diego. In his first full season, Bauers acquitted himself well in the full season Midwest League as an 18-year-old. He makes consistent contact and there should be more power to come, which is important considering that he's a below-average runner limited to first base only.

Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLBPipeline.com and writes a blog, B3. Follow @JonathanMayoB3 on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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