STARTING HURT

As we go to press, the following players will almost certainly begin the year on the DL, many of them with injuries that will cause them to be placed on the 60-day DL. Others will probably join them before Opening Day, which for most clubs is a week from tomorrow, March 31st.

When making your 40-man rosters, be advised that players who start the season on the DL do not have to count against your roster. You can wait until they are healthy to decide if you want to clear a roster spot for them, or else trade them to another club, or release them. But keep in mind if you do keep them on the DL, they count against your salary cap.

LHP Mike Gonzalez
RHP Chris Ray
LHP Troy Patton
RHP Curt Schilling
RHP Joel Zumaya
RHP Anibal Sanchez
RHP John Lackey
RHP Kelvim Escobar
IF Nomar Garciaparra
3B Andy LaRoche
LHP CHris Capuano
OF Mike Cameron
RHP Yovanni Gallardo
RHP Clay Hensley
RHP Mark Prior
LHP Noah Lowry
LHP Mark Mulder
RHP Chris Carpenter
LHP Scott Kazmir
OF Rocco Baldelli
RHP Brandon McCarthy
RHP Shawn Hill

OH, MAN! SERIES HERO CUT!

LHP Will Ohman, one of the surprise heroes of Yuma's 2007 postseason, has been unceremoniously cut after a lackluster spring.

Ohman has a 4.33 ERA in 220 games worth of appearances in 'reality' over parts of the last seven years and last year held left-handed batters to a .236 average...none of which, apparently, figured in the defending world champion's decision to let the 30-year-old southpaw pursue employment elsewhere.

This is just a small taste of the bloodletting going on this spring as BARB owners adjust to the new 40-man roster requirement. Remember, players who will open the season on the DL do not count against the 40-man roster, but once healthy must be added to it, or else be cut.