TCR Friday Notes

...the triumphant return.

- Earlier this week, Tom Verducci tackled the importance of rotation stability. A piece that easily could be re-titled: "The Value of Jason Marquis".

- Also at sportsillustrated.com, Joe Sheehan goes through his 2008 breakout candidates (I believe the article is on BP as well). Clip and save for your fantasty drafts.

- I'll be once again contributing to Wrigley Season Ticket 2008. An in-depth roster review of the 2008 Cubs with plenty of 100-year-World-Series-drought references and an article on our NL Central rivals. I believe you can pre-order now (available on Amazon.com as well) and it should ship near the end of March I believe. For the $10-$15 you'll end up paying, it's like TCR that you can take to the can (See if they put that in their marketing).

- Baseball America takes a look at the importance of velocity in pitching prospects. A quick look back at all the pitchers in their 2002 handbook that topped 98 mph on the gun and how they've fared and then a look a the 2008 prospects that have done the same. Zambrano made an appearance in 2002, Jeff Samardzija makes one in 2008. And we wonder why Hendry is in love with radar gun readings.

- Straight from the horse's mouth, the Padres definitely have interest in Matt Murton. Apparently Kevin Towers doesn't have the same issues as Hendry about talking about players on other teams. Or in the case of Mark Prior, actually talking to those players even though they're still under contract with another team.