All the Chicago Cubs have been doing this fall is holding introductory press conferences, but the team will now have to hold at least one more.

The meet and greet will be for whoever they hire as their new manager after announcing on Wednesday that Mike Quade won’t be around for the last year of his contract in 2012. New team president Theo Epstein says he flew to Quade’s home in Florida to deliver the news.

A quintessential baseball lifer, Quade took over from Lou Piniella near the end of the 2010 season before guiding the 2011 Cubs to a 71-91 finish. He will still be paid the $980,000 he was set to make, adding to the Cubs’ pile of sunk costs.

Said Epstein in a press release:

“When I joined the Cubs last week, I knew that Mike had a reputation as an outstanding baseball guy, as a tireless worker, and as a first-rate human being. After spending some time with him this past week, it became apparent to me that Mike’s reputation is well-deserved. His passion, knowledge of the game, commitment, and integrity stood out immediately.

“While Mike is clearly an asset to any organization and any Major League staff, [GM] Jed [Hoyer] and I believe that the Cubs would benefit long-term from bringing in a manager for 2012 who can come in with a clean slate and offer new direction.”

Epstein says Quade’s replacement “must have managerial or coaching experience at the Major League level.”  That would seemingly rule out Ryne Sandberg — who Ken Rosenthal reports will be interviewed by the St. Louis Cardinals (!) — while keeping the door open on current coaches like Milwaukee’s Dale Sveum and Tampa Bay’s Dave Martinez.

Considering that Quade was given an affordable two-year contract after being the interim manager, you always had to figure that he was seen by the Ricketts family as expendable. That said, Wednesday’s news surprises me a little bit as I was figuring that Epstein and Hoyer would set their sights on bigger and more pressing renovations. Quade was still a cheap placeholder and if they figured out they liked working with him in 2012 then, hey, all the better.

But this dismissal clearly shows that everything on the North Side is going to have Epstein’s stamp on it from the start. Let the speculation for the regime’s first big hire begin.

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IRVINE, Calif. – Stephen Strasburg, meet struggle. Might as well accept its presence now, as grating and demanding as it inevitably will become.

Struggle is bound to ride shotgun with Strasburg during his fast-track journey through the upper reaches of the minor leagues and into the big leagues. Barring a cataclysmic turn of events, he will be the first pick in the June 9 draft, going to the abysmal Washington Nationals. The hitters he faces will be professionals, beginning the day he reports to whatever minor league outpost the Nats send him after he signs for the most money ever handed an amateur.

Eventually he’ll face Albert Pujols(notes) and David Wright(notes) and Ryan Howard(notes). Struggle will clear its throat and make its voice known.

Comparatively, Strasburg heard only whispers Friday against Virginia in what is almost certain to be the flame-throwing right-hander’s last college game. Virginia beat San Diego State 5-1 in an NCAA regional opener at UC Irvine, handing Strasburg his first loss since last summer’s Olympics.

He allowed two runs in seven innings, striking out 15 and walking none while throwing 118 pitches, a line that would make most any pitcher proud. But it wasn’t good enough, especially early, when the second batter Strasburg faced, Phil Gosselin, smoked a knee-high 97-mph fastball against the scoreboard beyond the left-field wall for a 400-foot home run.

Strasburg became a bit unhinged in the second, two wild pitches sandwiched between two singles that produced another Virginia run. When Gosselin batted again, Strasburg threw his only 99-mph pitch of the game, then fumbled a dribbler in front of the mound for an error. The going got easier as the game progressed – he struck out the last three hitters he faced – but the damage was done and Strasburg’s pitch count mounted until seven innings became his finish line.

“Everybody had the jitters,” Strasburg said. “It was tough playing a team we’d never heard of. There was no scouting report to rely on the first time through the batting order.

“We thought they were tipping our pitches when [catcher] Erik Castro set up so we changed it up a little after the first two innings. We went more to sinkers, sliders and the changeup earlier in the count.”

Until Friday, Strasburg’s ascent to the pinnacle of prospects had been remarkably trouble free. He entered the regionals with a 13-0 record, a 1.24 ERA and 180 strikeouts in 102 innings. His fastball has touched 103 mph and normally sits at 98 mph. Some scouts feel his slider is a better pitch than the fastball. And his stuff is complemented by ungodly command.

Knowing all that, Virginia’s hitters took an aggressive approach. They’d prepared by taking batting practice standing 40 feet from a pitching machine cranked to maximum velocity.

“We looked for the fastball and knew he’d be around the plate,” Gosselin said. “His velocity supplied the power. I just wanted to get the barrel on the ball.”

Meanwhile, San Diego State couldn’t get anything going against Virginia right-hander Robert Morey, a late-blooming sophomore who had read about Strasburg’s exploits in Washington newspapers and online. Although the Aztecs had at least one runner every inning, Morey didn’t allow a run through six, and three relievers finished up.

“Robert Morey was the story of the game,” Virginia Coach Brian O’Connor said.

Which only proves that Strasburg struggled. Tony Gwynn(notes), the Hall of Famer who is in his seventh season as San Diego State coach, agonized over whether to pitch Strasburg on Friday or Saturday. Had the Aztecs’ No. 2 starter, Tyler Lavigne, pitched Friday, he could have been brought back for Monday’s final if they got that far in the double-elimination format. Not Strasburg, not when he’d had at least five days rest between every start this season. Not when he stands to become an instant multi-millionaire before summer ends as long as his arm is healthy.

Asked if there was any scenario in which Strasburg would pitch Monday, even in relief, Gwynn answered, “What do you think?” Maybe realizing it didn’t matter what the questioner thought, only whether he would call on Strasburg on two days rest, Gwynn added, “Rather than look ahead until Monday, let’s look ahead to tomorrow.”

College coaches are notorious for ratcheting up the pitch counts of even top big league prospects as the regionals progress to super-regionals and into the World Series. But don’t expect it from Gwynn. He wouldn’t jeopardize Strasburg’s future even though this is San Diego State’s first regional appearance since 1991.

No. 7-ranked Virginia took exception to being sent 3,000 miles to a regional that includes the No. 1 team in the nation (UC Irvine), the defending World Series champion (Fresno State) and the team with the best pitcher. After winning the ACC tournament, the Cavaliers thought they deserved better treatment from the NCAA selection committee.

Not until an hour before game time did they learn they would face Strasburg.

“We were pretty excited,” Gosselin said. “He had the best college season of all time. We saw it as an opportunity.”

Soon enough the Virginia players will be able to make the 115-mile drive from Charlottesville to Washington, buy tickets and root for Strasburg pitching for the Nationals. Or will they?

“I’m a Phillies fan,” Gosselin said. “I hope they knock him around.”

He smiled, perhaps reflecting on his home run, then added, “It’s always cool to see guys on the highest stage that you’ve been successful against.”

By the time Strasburg reaches the big leagues, he probably won’t remember Gosselin, Morey or any other Virginia players. He’ll remember leading San Diego State to the regionals. And he’ll remember his introduction to struggle.

When it comes to trade leverage, Jake Peavy(notes) may have more of it than any player in recent memory. He lives in paradise, hurls in one of the best pitchers parks and has full no-trade powers despite not being a 10/5 guy.

And so he says that he won’t pitch for most American League teams, won’t pitch on the East Coast and won’t pitch for any town that doesn’t have at least six Applebee’s, four Red Lobster and two On The Border  restaurants within city limits or a 20-minute drive.

OK, so I made that last requirement up (at least I think I did) but I’m saying right here that Peavy simply has too much leverage for his own good. If he’s waiting for his perfect woman — which appears to be the handcuffed-by-the-team-sale Cubs — he’s going to be waiting for awhile. At this point, he’s placed too many qualifiers on his future team and so he’s stuck in Padres purgatory behind the Dodgers when he could be helping another team bolster its own division presence.

So can he just pick between Milwaukee and Philadelphia already?

I don’t blame Peavy much for vetoing last week’s trade to the White Sox. The Pale Hose aren’t going anywhere, have a defense that should be come with a NC-17 warning and play in a launching pad that’s going to become even more so once the warm air arrives at The Cell. The no-trade clause exists exactly for trades like that one.

Who can blame him? 

But since we’re more likely to see the Cubs start officially referring to themselves as the Iowa Cubs than Peavy putzing around Wrigleyville, it’s time for him to look hard at both the Phillies and Brewers before deciding which team would be best for him.

Philadelphia may be on the East Coast, but Phillies fans are hungry for good pitching now that Brett Myers(notes) is out for the foreseeable future and would like nothing more than to “Take Jake.” As The Fightins’ point out, the Phils have the contracts of Myers, Adam Eaton(notes) and Geoff Jenkins(notes) coming off the books and have sold plenty of tickets post-World Series to pay for it anyway. Building a pitching rotation around Peavy and Cole Hamels(notes) would ensure a competitive team for the years to come and the core of position players would do wonders for his run support.

But of course, Philadelphia’s “geographical difference” comes into play, says Peavy’s agent, and that’s enough to make you want to shake Peavy by the shoulders and yell, “Hey guy! You don’t have to live there in the offseason and you’re only there half of the time during the season anyway! Plus you’ll have easy access to TastyKakes!” 

Meanwhile, Milwaukee seems a better fit for the Alabama boy who says he prefers the Midwest. The Brewers are near the top of the NL Central and should contend all season. Since owner Mark Attanasio said he was willing to pay CC Sabathia(notes) $100 million to become a Wisconsin resident, his bluff should be called to see if Peavy’s $60 million tab would be a problem. We’ve already seen how great Milwaukeeans can be toward an ace pitcher and Peavy’s arrival would no doubt be greeted the same way as Sabathia. Plus, you know, he’d get to face Pittsburgh and Houston a lot. 

Anyway, if Attanasio can greenlight the financial risk and come up with a decent package for the Padres, it’s a win-win for everyone. Throw in a case of Schlitz and call it a day.  

Of course, that’s assuming that Peavy doesn’t put any more requirements on this situation that has dominated our thoughts for much longer than it should have. What’s next? 24/7 access to water-skiing? A city that offers free Wi-Fi?  Access to a world-class opera?

I mean, c’mon already, Peavy … pick!

The Yankees arrived in Cleveland for their weekend series on Thursday and took advantage of their off day by heading out to Quicken Loans Arena to watch future New York neighbor LeBron James put on a playoff show. A-Rod even bumped into Jay-Z (when did he get hair?) during the Yankees’ field trip and I’d be willing to pay exactly $3.99 to hear the conversation that happened between them. I mean, that’s a billion dollars of B.S. going on right there.  

This isn’t an official C-a-C, but tell me in the comments what these two could possibly be talking about. Also, a few of the other Yankees bearing WITNESS to LeBron and the Clevetown LeBrons on Thursday night can be found below:

(OK, so I just threw Joe Torre in there to see if you were still paying attention. He was actually at Game 4 of the Western finals earlier this week in Denver.)

Chris Volstad grew up in South Florida, was the 16th overall pick of the Marlins in 2005 and, after a quick rise through the farm system, is establishing himself as one of the league’s tallest and best young right-handers.

Now that the Greater Miami area agreed to help finance a new stadium for the beloved Fish, thus encouraging financial stability for the club, Volstad might be a resident for life.

When the Marlins stopped by Wrigley Field earlier this month, Volstad submitted to the Answer Man treatment and gave some insight into what it’s like being a big fish in the pond that is Major League Baseball.

David Brown: Some places list you at 6-foot-7, other sources say 6-8. Are you still growing?

Chris Volstad: Oh [laughs], maybe they got me with shoes on but I am actually 6-8. For the record, yes, 6-8.

DB: There’s another pitcher in the Marlins’ system named Sean West, who’s 6-8 and might soon reach the majors. When and if he does, will it also put pressure on you to become 6-9 when the time comes?

CV: Nah [laughs]. We stand next to each other and we are exactly the same height. So no pressure at all. We’ll be the same, 6-8, and be fine with that.

DB: The Marlins might have the best basketball team in the NL East next season.

CV: We could put together a pretty good basketball team with Sean, J.J. [Josh Johnson], Andrew Miller, Burke Badenhop … although I’ve never seen him play basketball. Cam Maybin played in high school. He would run the point. I’d probably be a 3-4 [power forward]. I’m not really the post guy, but short-range jumpers. Maybe a turnaround jumper.

DB: Why do you wear your pants all the way to your shoes?

CV: I never could wear ‘em to my shoes growing up because they couldn’t make ‘em that long. So now that I can, I’ve decided that I want to. I’m taking advantage.

DB: Do you think it makes you look even taller?

CV: Um, it might. I haven’t had people tell me that.

DB: Josh Johnson, conversely, shows off big socks. Don’t you think his lower legs get cold?

CV: No, but he’s got the calves to show off, too. I don’t, so I need to keep those pants down.

DB: Did you grow up playing other sports, too?

CV: I played basketball and volleyball a couple of years in middle school but mostly just baseball and basketball. High school basketball, I played my first three years and the team was average at best. We didn’t really make the playoffs or anything, so, senior year I skipped basketball to focus on baseball.

DB: Your brother [Kyle] is a volleyball player in college?

CV: Yeah, he plays at a school that’s kind of close to here — Quincy University. And he plays football, too.

DB: You grew up in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Sounds like the nicest apartment complex ever, but it’s really a whole town?

CV: Yeah, it is. I’m not sure how big it is, but it connects right to Jupiter (the town, not the planet) and it all kind of blends together. It’s really nice; I’ll probably end up staying there my whole life.

DB: Was it hard to have an all-time favorite Marlin growing up because he was inevitably traded in some kind of cost-cutting measure shortly after arriving?

CV: Honestly, I watched the Braves more growing up. Their pitching staff, you know? I was a pitcher, so I watched Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz. Those are my three guys. I didn’t really follow the Marlins as much.

DB: So, you liked the Braves … and the Gators?

CV: Sure, Florida Gators. I’ve got cousins who live in Gainesville. And I also watched the Cowboys a lot when I was younger. They were a dynasty growing up and a bunch of guys at school liked them, too. Gave us something to talk about.

DB: I’ve seen athletes quoted dozens of times about how they tune out a big crowd, to the point that it’s hard for them to notice at all what goes on in the stands. Conversely, do you tune out Dolphin Stadium if there’s only 1,000 people watching you guys?

CV: Uh, yeah [laughs]. We tune all that out. Once the game starts, it’s all about the game. No matter what’s going on in the stands, if it’s a ton of people or no people at all.

We really can’t wait for the new stadium. It’s going to be awesome. I think all of South Florida is excited about that. It’ll be a guaranteed game every day, no rain delay, it’ll be air-conditioned — 70 or 75 degrees. It’s going to be awesome.

DB: Were you really referred to as “Osprey” growing up?

CV: Yeah [sighs]. One of my high school coaches gave that to me for whatever … I guess because of my wingspan [stretching arms out] at first base. One day, he yelled it out and it stuck ever since then.

DB: Growing up in Illinois, I didn’t really know what an osprey was.

CV: It’s a preying bird that (usually) lives near the oceans. The nickname’s just mostly among my high school buddies.

DB: “Osprey” just sounds like a “nice” bird. Aren’t you more like a “Condor” Volstad?

CV: Maybe like a blue heron, maybe, I don’t know. Ospreys are pretty fierce. People don’t know that, but they really are.

DB: Part of the scouting report in Baseball America says about you: “Raised well by a dentist father and hygienist mother…” How many cavities do you have?

CV: None! Never had a cavity. My brother’s had a few and he takes better care of his teeth than I do. I guess I’m just lucky, I don’t know.

DB: Anybody’s teeth on the Marlins really need work?

CV: In here? I don’t know, I’m not the dentist. If my dad was here, he’d be able to tell you who needed help.

DB: So that wouldn’t have been your calling had baseball not worked out?

CV: That’s not really my thing. I was going to study engineering. I like the math that’s involved and all that.

DB: Wrigley Field is the site of a bad moment in Chris Volstad history, after one of your fastballs got away and hit umpire Gerry Davis in the throat.

CV: It was here, yeah. The pitcher was up, trying to bunt, and the bat screened out our catcher’s eyes and he couldn’t see the ball coming. So he just guessed and the ball hit the umpire right [under] the mask. I mean, it was a bad situation.

DB: Did you think, “Oh, what have I done?”

CV: Yeah, a little bit. He had to come out of the game and they had to switch up the umpire rotation a little bit. Thankfully, umpires don’t hold that against me.

DB: Dodgers star Andre Ethier(notes) has expressed concern about posing for photos with fans — even inside the stadium — because he fears his image might be twisted into something heinous. What is your policy if fans want to get a shot of you while out on the town?

CV: I try stay away from pictures out in public places, just to keep the record clean. I don’t want anything misconstrued. At the ballpark, in uniform, you’re all right. But you never know these days, with Photoshop, what people might do.

DB: Are you prepared to embrace the fame you’ll receive as a baseball player?

CV: I think so but I don’t have any fame yet, obviously.

DB: Just wait until this interview comes out!

CV: Yeah [laughs]. If it happens, as it grows, I’ll get more and more used to it.

DB: Will anyone on the Marlins fall prey to the mini trend of ballplayers growing mustaches?

CV: I don’t think so, because I don’t think we have too many guys who would look good with a mustache. I’m not a big fan of the trend — maybe it’s because I can’t grow one. We have guys who would grow beards if they could. I think we’ll stay away from the mustache. Badenhop has a pretty hairy face, but I don’t know about mustaches. We’re all pretty clean-shaven.

DB: How many fishermen do you suppose it took to catch Billy Marlin?

CV: Ha! Who knows? That’s pretty funny, but he’s a great mascot. Dangerous, too, with the bill, walking around. He’s got to watch out when he’s bending over. He’ll poke you with that thing. He needs to look out.

DB: Hall of Famer Jim Palmer traded some golf lessons in exchange for tutoring some Little Leaguers in the art of pitching. You happened to be one of the players. Let’s say someone approaches you someday to return the favor to some kids. What might you require in return?

CV: Golf lessons sound pretty good; I need ‘em. Lessons would be something I’d look for. That would be pretty nice. The way I play, I don’t worry about the sport too much. I’d probably hurt myself if I did.

Most weekday evenings, Big League Stew looks at five approaching games worth monitoring. As they occur, feel free to discuss the night’s happenings with other Stewies in the comment section below.

Yankees at Indians, 7:05 ET We’ll probably be saying this any time Joba Chamberlain(notes) makes a start in Cleveland, but we’ll go ahead and say it anyway.

Break out the bug spray!

However, while those pesky midges have been out and about at The Prog lately, Joba (2-1, 3.97) might have to worry about other creatures than the one that interrupted his relief appearance during the 2007 ALDS. A flock of seagulls —the dirty birds, not the group — have been causing all sorts of havoc over this four-game series, which the Tribe will try to split with a victory tonight.

Between them, the Tigers, Rangers and Reds have made one playoff appearance this decade. That total could double—at least—in 2009.

As the season slips into June, the Tigers lead the A.L. Central by four games, the Rangers are 5 1/2 games ahead in the A.L. West and the Reds are crowding the Brewers and Cardinals in the N.L. Central.

This week, all three clubs face challenges from bona fide contenders that will go a long way in determining if they’re indeed ready to shed their perennial also-ran status.

Tigers
Ahead: Playoff regulars Boston and the L.A. Angels visit Comerica Park.
Update: After breaking camp with a staff full of pitching questions, the Tigers have come together. They are second in A.L. ERA and lead the majors in bounceback seasons, thanks to Justin Verlander(notes), Fernando Rodney(notes), Joel Zumaya(notes) and Dontrelle Willis(notes). Rick Porcello(notes), a 20-year-old lefty, has emerged as an A.L. Rookie of the Year favorite.

“They’re playing like everyone expected them to play last year,” Royals CF Coco Crisp(notes) said. “Expectations were high last year and it didn’t happen. With a little pressure off, they’re playing better.”

Rangers

Ahead: A trip to New York and Boston will provide some sort of statement.
Update: Everyone outside of Texas figured the Rangers were keeping first place warm for the injury-depleted Angels. Well, as the Angels have gained their health, the Rangers have strengthened their lead. Their pitching is holding up and they still lead the majors in homers.

Reds

Ahead: After being swept at Milwaukee, series still await at St. Louis and home against Chicago.
Update: For a change, the Reds are relying on pitching—their 4.07 ERA is sixth best in N.L.—and power. They will have to count even more on pitching because their best hitter, Joey Votto(notes), just went on the disabled list for “stress-related” issues.

“We knew their pitching would be improved,” Brewers G.M. Doug Melvin said. “And they would be one of the teams in this race. It’s going to be close all summer.”

This story first appeared in the June 1 edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today for free.

The return of the cleanup hitter. When the Cardinals put up the worst offensive numbers in baseball over a 14-game stretch—as they just did—you’d figure they’ve been missing a big bat. You’d be right. You’d probably figure that bat would belong to Albert Pujols(notes). And you’d be wrong.

Outfielder Ryan Ludwick(notes), due back from the disabled list Friday night in San Francisco, has been the missing link. His early production (eight homers, 26 RBIs in 30 games) helped the Cardinals lead the N.L. in scoring (133 runs) in April. Even more than his numbers, though, the Cardinals have missed the protection Ludwick provides Pujols.

Since Ludwick left the cleanup spot, the Cardinals have been held to three runs or fewer in nine of 14 games and rank last in the majors in runs (44), batting average (.220) and on-base percentage (.291).

Pujols has felt Ludwick’s absence as much as anyone.

If Pujols has a weakness, it is that he can become frustrated when he isn’t seeing enough strikes. As a result, he will expand his zone. Without Ludwick, Pujols hasn’t seen many strikes (why he ever sees many is another story). Pujols has walked 16 times for a healthy .483 OBP, but he has only one homer with six RBIs and five strikeouts. Those numbers pale against his production over his first 26 games when he hit 13 homers, drove in 34 runs, struck out 11 times and walked 22 times.

The Cardinals have moved into first place in this Ludwick-less stretch because their pitching has stepped up. They have held opponents to three runs or fewer in their past nine games, seven of which they won.

All-Star voting. The first returns are in, and I have few quibbles with the fans’ choices. The Marlins’ Hanley Ramirez(notes) is a more deserving choice at shortstop than the Brewers’ J.J. Hardy(notes), but no worries. Ramirez will make the team even if he isn’t voted to the N.L. starting lineup. The Ramirez slight is compensated by the fact that fans finally are recognizing St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina(notes), who holds a slim lead over Houston’s Pudge Rodriguez.

While Manny Ramirez’s(notes) fourth-place spot among N.L. outfielders is giving talk-show hosts something to rail on, don’t expect much whining from me if Ramirez moves into the top three. If the fans want to tell us that they’re not bothered by players who use performance-enhancing drugs, let them. Fans are footing the bill for all of this, right?

What will be more telling is what happens with Alex Rodriguez(notes). His impact on the Yankees since he returned from hip surgery makes him worthy of All-Star recognition. But Evan Longoria(notes), as he should, is running away with the starting spot at third base. If that holds, A-Rod’s appearance at the midsummer classic in St. Louis would be up to his fellow players and managers.

Let’s see if A-Rod’s colleagues dock him for his admission of using steroids. If A-R od is left off their ballots, commissioner Bud Selig could make A-Rod one of the finalists for the final roster spot chosen by online voting. But don’t count on that.

Good times in Baltimore. Hey, the Orioles are doing something right. They are bringing up uber-prospect Matt Wieters(notes) when the club is at home. The switch-hitting catcher is expected to debut tonight against Dontrelle Willis(notes) and the Tigers. Wieters, 23, has been likened to a “Joe Mauer with power” (before Mauer turned up his power anyway). Wieters has hit lefties better than righthanders at Class AAA this season. His numbers in 39 games: .305, 5 homers, 30 RBIs (.324, 2, 9 against lefties).

Those wild and crazy Padres. For a club one game over .500, the Padres have had a roller-coaster season. Picked to finish last in the N.L. West by Sporting News, they started 9-3. Then they went 4-19. Now they’re on an 11-1 run going into three games at Denver.

One person who isn’t surprised by the success is closer Heath Bell(notes), who has played a big role in it by converting all 14 of his save opportunities. When the Padres’ hot start was overlooked nationally, Bell actually phoned the desk at MLB Network to voice his complaint.

“All the media likes coming to San Diego, but San Diego gets no air time,” Heath said recently. “So we jumped out to a good start and everybody said, ‘They won’t last.’ Then we struggled and everyone said, ‘I told you so.’

“Well, I predict after the All-Star break, if the Dodgers are still in first place, they’re going to look behind them and go, ‘Dude, San Diego is right there.’ ”

You can be sure Bell will do his part, on and off the mound. “I’m not looking to get myself out there, but if people are talking about that weird guy in San Diego, they’re talking about the San Diego Padres. That’s all right with me,” he said.

Coming soon: the June 9 draft. When his high school season began, 6-5 righthander Jacob Turner was considered a potential first-round pick. Less than two months late r, Turner has emerged as a “top five talent,” according to an area scout who has followed his career.

Why the climb? The velocity on Turner’s fastball has increased about 5 mph. It topped out at 97 mph when he pitched—and lost, 3-0—his final high school game for Westminster Christian Academy (St. Louis) on Wednesday. Scouts attribute the increase to additional arm strength and a cold, rainy start to the season. As the weather turned warmer in Missouri, the heat rose on Turner’s fastball.

Turner’s stock has improved, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be the first high-school pitcher chosen. He is being advised by the Scott Boras empire, and as the area scout pointed out, “That takes some teams out of the picture just like that.”

The area scout said he has been as impressed by Turner’s calm demeanor as his big-time stuff. “I’ve seen him a lot and he always looks just like he does right now,” said the scout as Turner warmed up for an inning.

After Wednesday’s 2-1 loss at Cleveland, the defending A.L. champion Tampa Bay Rays are four games under .500, in fourth place in the A.L. East, six games out of first and facing serious injury problems. Suddenly, Sporting News‘ preseason prediction of a third-place finish for Tampa Bay in the A.L. East doesn’t seem as controversial as it did in early April. But how concerned should the Rays be?

Chris Bahr says there still is plenty of time to recover, but Stan McNeal says the Rays are in deep trouble.

Here is McNeal’s take:

Mediocrity doesn’t cut it in the A.L. East, and that is too bad for the Rays. Mediocre is as good as it has gotten for Tampa Bay this season.

A season after their historic run to the World Series, the Rays have spent two days over .500 (none since they were 4-3 on April 13). They have had stretches when they’ve played like contenders. They won five of their first seven against the Red Sox and took two thrillers at Yankee Stadium earlier this month. Just last weekend, they mauled the Marlins with outbursts of 15 and 10 runs.

Mostly, though, Tampa Bay has spent the season just trying to be average. Until this week. The Rays’ season has unraveled in a five-game losing streak during which they had more bad fortune than the Gatorade cooler in the Cubs’ dugout.

First, the Rays lost second baseman Akinori Iwamura(notes) for the season when he blew out his knee and ankle trying to turn a double play against the Marlins. Two days later, shortstop Jason Bartlett(notes) (sprained ankle) joined Iwamura on the disabled list. In addition to forming the foundation of the Rays’ defense, both Iwamura and Bartlett were hitting over .300. And manager Joe Maddon called Bartlett the team MVP.

On Monday, the Rays blew a 10-0 lead at Cleveland in a debacle that low-lighted their season-long pitching problems. Top prospect David Price(notes) followed the lead of other Rays starters who have been unable to pitch deep into games. Given a double-digit lead, Price couldn’t make it through the fourth inning. The bullpen—again—did not hold up well to the stress.

Even if the bullpen can right itself—a challenge made tougher with no set closer—the Rays have other woes:

• Only two starters, Matt Garza(notes) and James Shields(notes), have pitched to expectations.

• The lineup has sizable holes because of slow starts by outfielders B.J. Upton(notes) (two homers, .191 average) and Pat Burrell(notes) (one homer, now injured), the club’s big free-acquisition.

• The club’s big offseason trade—starter Edwin Jackson(notes) for outfielder Matt Joyce(notes)—has worked out decidedly in Detroit’s favor so far. Joyce has spent most of the season in the minors while Jackson ranks among the A.L. leaders with a 2.58 ERA.

• Last and far from least: The Yankees have surged to the top of the A.L. East, and the Red Sox long ago overcame their slow start. Catching either team will take a great effort, a task that seems out of reach for the average (at best) Rays.

OFFSEASON ACTION

Or as the case may be (and certainly by the standards of last winter), idleness.

The Tigers a year ago were the hot pick to win their division and battle the Boston Red Sox for AL supremacy after trading for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis and jacking up their payroll to $138 million (actually leading to some offseason action a few weeks back, namely writing a $1.3 million luxury tax check).

They finished last, of course, and spectacularly, meaning now is the time for solutions because the 2006 World Series buzz is gone and no one’s coming to the park to see a team that couldn’t catch the ball, throw it or put it in play with runners in scoring position.

So they dumped some old guys. Catcher Ivan Rodriguez, shortstop Edgar Renteria, closer Todd Jones and starter Kenny Rogers either are playing somewhere else or retired. Pitching coach Chuck Hernandez was fired because nobody could explain what happened to Justin Verlander or Nate Robertson. He was replaced by Rick Knapp, hired out of the Twins’ system.

Manager Jim Leyland was allowed to stick around, but in another development that qualifies as inaction, he goes into 2009 with only one season left on his contract.

And despite a bullpen that generally made the last four innings worse than the first five, the Tigers so far have passed on what was a decent market for closers.

Instead, general manager Dave Dombrowski, who once built a winner out of nothing in Detroit and certainly can make something of this, has kept his moves small. Adam Everett takes over at shortstop, Gerald Laird at catcher. Edwin Jackson, who found organizational love and strike-zone consistency in Tampa Bay, takes a place in the rotation after Verlander, Armando Galarraga and, the Tigers hope, Jeremy Bonderman.

REALITY CHECK

Another year like the last one and they’ll be paying Dombrowski to break up the ballclub he assembled, starting with the manager.

It’ll ride with the pitching staff. Management was convinced its core starters had amassed too many innings the previous two seasons and therefore backed off their spring training workload. A couple of months into ’08, that strategy clearly hadn’t worked, everybody’s fastball still was a little sluggish, and the season was gone.

Now they need Verlander to be the guy who averaged 17½ wins in his first two seasons, not the one who lost 17 in his third one.

Now they need Bonderman to come back from circulatory surgery. And Robertson from whatever the heck happened to him.

Now, after watching other organizations make the big plays on Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes, Kerry Wood, J.J. Putz, Trevor Hoffman and the like, they need Fernando Rodney to point that big fastball and fabulous changeup at the catcher’s mitt in the ninth inning. Either that, or get lucky with Jason Isringhausen or Tom Gordon.

Now they need Dontrelle Willis to, oh, just be a big-league pitcher again.

There’s more, of course. Brandon Inge gets third base, but it would be nice if he hit, too. Miguel Cabrera led the league in home runs, which was fair considering the $152 million contract extension, but it would be nice – really nice – if he hit a few more of those in the first three months. It’s about Gary Sheffield’s health and potential walk years for him, Magglio Ordonez and Placido Polanco, and it’s about having a few things go right after a season in which everything went wrong.