<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'># Yes, the Brewers are serious about batting the pitcher eighth and Jason Kendall ninth. The team's assistant scouting director, Tony Blengino, and statistical analyst Dave Lawson suggested that such an arrangement could help the club score 25 to 30 more runs. Manager Ned Yost first began toying with Kendall and Rickie Weeks as dual leadoff hitters when he was considering batting Ryan Braun second. Mike Cameron will hit in the No. 2 hole instead after he completes his 25-game suspension, but Yost still likes the idea of Kendall hitting ninth. The plan, Yost says, makes sense only because Kendall is a unique hitter — one with a career .375 on-base percentage and extreme ground-ball tendencies. Hitting him behind the pitcher would help prevent him from grounding into double plays. # The Dodgers' decision on whether to trade for a third baseman such as the White Sox's Joe Crede or Tigers' Brandon Inge is "all about the budget and whether (owner Frank) McCourt will allow them to add money," according to a source familiar with the team's thinking. Even for high-revenue teams, significant payroll increases are rare during spring training. Crede, earning $5.1 million this season, is more affordable than Inge, who is owed $19.1 million over the next three years. The White Sox also might settle for prospects, while the Tigers want more immediate help for their bullpen. # The Mariners continue to look for a veteran right-handed hitting outfielder, major-league sources say, indicating that club officials are less than satisfied with the four players competing for their final outfield spot — Wladimir Balentien, Charlton Jimerson, Mike Morse and Jeremy Reed. Jimersen and Morse, who are out of options, must clear waivers for the Mariners to send them to the minors. Reed is a left-handed hitter, and the Mariners' preference is a right-handed complement for their two corner outfielders, Raul Ibanez and Brad Wilkerson. # Two teams that recently inquired about Angels outfielder Reggie Willits were told that he is unavailable. The outfielder the Angels want to trade, one rival executive says, is Juan Rivera. Even if Rivera proves adequate at first base, his at-bats will be limited. Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter, Gary Matthews Jr. and Garret Anderson are ahead of him in the outfield rotation, and Casey Kotchman will play first against right-handers. Willits has minor-league options remaining. Rivera is a free agent at the end of the season. # The Cubs' desire to add Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts and a right-handed hitting platoon partner for center fielder Felix Pie stems in part from their inexperience up the middle. Pie and catcher Geovany Soto are rookies, and shortstop Ryan Theriot is entering his second full season. Japanese right fielder Kosuke Fukudome also is a rookie, at least by major-league standards. The Angels are in a similar position, with two relatively inexperienced players, Erick Aybar and Maicer Izturis, competing at shortstop. Two more, Jeff Mathis and Mike Napoli, share the catching and another, Howie Kendrick, starts at second base. Manager Mike Scioscia, however, said he has "absolutely no apprehension" about the lack of experience in the possible job-sharing arrangements at catcher and short. Hunter, by the way, has come up with a great nickname for Kendrick — "Bam-Bam." Other Angels call Kendrick "Truck," but "Bam-Bam" is more fitting for a player whom many project as a future batting champion. # The Nationals, dealing with a surplus at second base, should have little difficulty trading Cristian Guzman, Ron Belliard or Bret Boone. The Orioles, for starters, might need a replacement for Roberts. Several other clubs also could stand to improve at second. Start with the Rockies, who lost free agent Kaz Matsui to the Astros. At the moment, Jeff Baker is outhitting Jayson Nix, a defensive specialist, but a Baker-Todd Helton combination might leave the team with too little range on the right side. The White Sox are looking at Juan Uribe, Danny Richar, Pablo Ozuna and Alexei Ramirez. The Twins are trying to decide between Brendan Harris and Nick Punto. The Cardinals aren't all that happy with Adam Kennedy. Belliard, earning $1.6 million this season and $1.9 million next season, is perhaps the most logical player for the Nationals to trade. Guzman is too expensive at $4.2 million, and the Nats already employ Boone's father, Bob, in the front office, and brother Aaron, as an infield reserve. A comeback by Bret would be difficult to resist. # Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora, who at times appeared to be sleepwalking last season, seems revived at age 36. "He looks 100 percent better," one scout says. "I can't believe how well he's moving. He made a backhand play the other day that I haven't seen him make in two or three years." Andy MacPhail, the Orioles' president of baseball operations, also is impressed. "I wasn't here last year. I don't have anything to measure it by," MacPhail says. "But he has had a great spring." # Just like the Twins, the A's might exceed expectations. "I keep hearing both Bay Area teams are terrible," one rival GM says. "San Francisco, yes, but I think the A's could be better than people think." The A's believe that, too, and GM Billy Beane clearly is enjoying the influx of youth created by his trades of Dan Haren, Nick Swisher and Mark Kotsay. Left-hander Greg Smith, part of the A's six-player return for Haren, is drawing raves for his deception and savvy, and club officials envision three potential No. 3 hitters — Travis Buck, Daric Barton and Carlos Gonzalez. # The Rangers' exchange of left-hander John Danks for right-hander Brandon McCarthy in a five-player trade in Dec. 2006 is looking worse and worse. McCarthy, who twice went on the disabled list and pitched only 101 2/3 innings last season, might not be ready to start the season due to a problem in his forearm/elbow area. Danks, meanwhile, could be poised for a breakthrough. A rival executive who witnessed one of his recent outings said, "It was the best I've ever seen him." # Miguel Olivo is emerging as a better all-around player than the Royals anticipated, a worthy challenger to the team's starting catcher, John Buck. Olivo, a favorite of Joe Girardi and his staff with the Marlins in 2006, has hit 16 homers in each of the past two seasons and thrown out 31 percent of opposing base stealers in his career. His career OBP, however, is only .275. # Brewers outfielder Gabe Kapler on Ryan Braun's transition from third base to left field: "He's not just going to scrape by. I think he's going to be a very good outfielder. There really are no limitations for him. There is nothing physically that is going to stop him. There is nothing mentally that is going to stop him." Braun, who brims with confidence, insists that he eventually would have developed into a good third baseman — "I know it," he says — and Yost does not disagree. "I have absolutely no doubt — he would have become a very good third baseman," Yost says. "But we don't have the time right now (to wait)." # Matt LaPorta, the Brewers' No. 1 draft pick out of the University of Florida last June, seems destined to become the team's next great young slugger. One scout, referring to LaPorta as "a beast," predicted that he would make a rapid ascent to the majors. For now, though, LaPorta is blocked by three young players — Braun in left, Corey Hart in right and Prince Fielder at first.</div> http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7890610...st-with-change-
