There are two main aspects about Spring Training that I vocally dislike. The first is the overreaction to Spring stats. For the most part, that seems to have either died down this year or just hasn't begun yet. The second is that it's so much longer than I always remember it being.
I like that baseball is back. I even went down to Phoenix to go watch some. That milestone is now firmly passed though. I have integrated baseball back into my every day consciousness, but now I still have two weeks of Charlie Haeger, Sean Kazmar and the likes playing the 6th through 9th innings. I would very much enjoy the team making another 10-15 roster cuts so that I could have Spring games involving players that I am more interested in watching and for longer than a single inning or a handful of at bats.
One such person is Josh Lueke. Off field issues aside, it's clear he has the talent to at least be in the discussion for a Major League job if not outright have earned one. And he happens to find himself, team-wise, is a great situation as the Mariners bullpen blew last year and Lueke finds his competition to be the likes of Jamey Wright, Chris Ray and Justin Miller. Not the stiffest of tasks to out-impress that field.
Yet, the PR flack still to come over Lueke as a Mariner is likely a real consideration for the team. Whether the increased likelihood of carrying Milton Bradley into the starting lineup helps or hurts that is an interesting debate with no conclusive answer. I know where I want Lueke to start the season, but I have no idea which way the front office is leaning. Where are you?