Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Johnson, Yankees, Indians

On this date in 1982, the Dodgers broke up the longest-playing infield foursome in baseball when they traded second baseman Davey Lopes to the A’s for minor leaguer Lance Hudson.  The second baseman had played with Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, and Bill Russell in Los Angeles since 1974.  Garvey parted ways with the Dodgers after the ’82 season when he signed a five-year, $6.6MM deal with the Padres.  That would be the final year in L.A. for Cey as well as he was traded to the Cubs in the winter.  Russell, meanwhile, remained with the club before retiring in 1986.  Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere..

• Jays Journal talks expectations for Josh Johnson.
• Yankees Fans Unite brings us their top 40 Yankees prospects.
• Did The Tribe Win Last Night? caught up with Indians prospect Francisco Lindor.
• The Composite explains why the Mets shouldn’t sign Michael Bourn.
• I R Fast has the skinny on Hiroyuki Kobayashi.
• Lasorda’s Lair remembers a baseball pioneer.
• Swingin A’s thinks that Oakland overpaid for Jed Lowrie.
• Free Lance spoke with Scot Drucker of Paragon Sports International.
• Pinstripe Pundits wonders if the Yankees gave their best DHs to the Orioles.
• Braves Banter stacks this year’s Atlanta outfield against 2003’s cast.
• MLB Prospect Watch wonders if Mike Olt and Jurickson Profar will start 2013 in the outfield.
• Yanks Go Yard hopes that we see the debut of Pat Venditte this season.
• Baltimore Sports And Life discusses the value of the O’s first round pick in this week’s podcast.
• Rising Apple is hopeful that the Mets bullpen will be better in 2013.
• MLB Reports says it’s a big year for Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes.
• Rankings Professor gives us the top five catchers under 25.
• The Giants Cove looks at San Francisco’s pitchers of the future.
• Kings of Kauffman checked in with Royals beat writer Bob Dutton.  
• Puckett’s Pond talks Twins with a little help from Too Short.
• NASORB is happy about Felix Hernandez’s extension.
• NatsGM looks at Washington’s offseason moves.
• Shutdown Inning looks at the future of free agency.
• PhoulBallz sat down with Kevin Frandsen.