Quick Hits: Saunders, Reds, Yankees, Hamilton

Congratulations to our own Ben Nicholson-Smith on being named one of the 100 most influential Canadians in baseball by Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun for the second year in a row.  In addition to BN-S, fellow MLBTR writers Luke Adams (also of HoopsRumors) and Mark Polishuk earned honorable mention for their stellar work.  Here’s tonight’s look around baseball..

• Even though many seem to feel getting a hitter is the bigger priority for the Orioles right now, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com would like to see the O’s continue their pursuit of Joe Saunders and get involved with Shaun Marcum.
• Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) looked at the biggest risks taken by MLB teams this offseason.  The Reds made the list for their decision to put the newly-acquired Shin-Soo Choo in center field and so did the Yankees for letting Russell Martin and Nick Swisher go elsewhere while signing Ichiro Suzuki and Kevin Youkilis who are well past their primes.  Bowden also suggests that the Tigers should get a closer with experience like Brian Wilson to support rookie Bruce Rondon.
• Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com looks at ten questions facing the Angels in 2013, including the issue of whether Josh Hamilton is worth the $125MM contract he received this winter.  It’ll take longer than one year to fully answer that question, but in the short-term the Halos would like to see the slugger stay healthy.
• The Dodgers are full of promise in 2013 but an awful lot happened in the last year and change to put them in that position, notes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com.  The ball started rolling in November of 2011 when Frank McCourt finally agreed to sell the team.