As for the designation of small market for this column, there are 11 teams with payrolls under $70 million. Believe it or not, Cleveland, Cincinnati and the Giants are not among them. Thus you have the reasoning behind this shindig as well as some incredibly nostalgic and poignant family story-telling to warm yourself with while you sip your hot cocoa.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS

Week: 1-6           L10: 2-8           Overall: 24-22, 2^nd AL WEST

How upset do you think the Athletics were in losing Santiago Casilla to the DL this week? To paraphrase a quote from City Slickers, if upset were people, it would be China. Casilla showed signs of dominance last year to the tune of a 9.32 dominance (DOM) ratio and 4.08 command (CMD) rate. This year, Casilla's stuff has been given the legitimate baseball term of "filthy" as he sports a ridiculous 10.24 DOM and 1.86 CMD. You'd think there'd be no replacement for him in the bullpen. I mean, Chad Gaudin and Alan Embree now become primed for the assignment of long relief, and neither is pitching badly. But if you need to replace Casilla, consider Joey Devine who yielded only his second run of the season Monday. Prior to his 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB and 1 K performance, Devine was sporting a sick 11.21 K/9 average combined with a 2.03 BB/9 average. It added up to a ridiculous 0.51 ERA, 0.85 WHIP in 17 2/3 innings. The kid is mowing them down at top closer ratios, and while Keith Foulke may have the setup position for now, if Huston Street stumbles, there's a chance Devine might see some save opportunities. For the record, Street's demise isn't exactly imminent as he rebounded after a shaky non-save outing this weekend to throw two innings of relief while striking out five.

With the injuries mounting on the A's, Bob Geren was forced to bring up young shortstop Gregorio "George" Petit from Triple-A Sacramento for his first major league start. It wasn't exactly unwarranted, as Petit batted .304 in 37 games, with 15 RBI, zero home runs, 12 doubles, two stolen bases, 11 walks and 32 strikeouts in 148 at bats. So it appears he was brought up for his contact hitting as a temporary fill in for injured Mark Ellis, who now has a strained hamstring. Petit made a decent impression, going two for three with a double in his debut, though he did get picked off first. Rookies!

UPCOMING SERIES: TAM (5/20-5/21), BOS (5/22-5/24)

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Week: 5-1           L10:6-4           Overall: 28-16, 1st NL WEST

There doesn't seem to be much doubt that Randy Johnson's back is feeling better. Sunday, he looked like the R.J. of old, tossing seven scoreless innings and striking out five. This development, along with the anticipated re-activation of Doug Davis, sends Max Scherzer back to the bullpen for longer relief work. However, with his high 90's fastball and slider mix, along with a K/9 of 10.71, Scherzer could be falling in line this year for some setup/closer duty later on should Brandon Lyon's anticipated stumble occur. Besides Juan Cruz, Scherzer has the highest dominance ratio on the team. Let's also be real here. Arizona can afford to bring Davis and his 1.86 WHIP back because they're winning. It's a feel-good story, but how long is Scherzer going to sit in a backup role with the kind of stuff he has? Even though Scherzer is 0-2 in his three starts, he's struck out 23 in 19 innings and has yielded only five earned runs. All five were yielded in his first ever start. Since then, he's been the victim of little run support and bad late relief. I expect by the second half, he'll have found his way back into the starting rotation.

Chris Young has brought his average up almost twenty points in the last week. Since May 11th, he's gone 8-for-24 with five doubles and four RBI. Stephen Drew must have realized that Augie Ojeda had Bob Melvin's attention, because since last week, he's also heated up, batting 9-for-25 with two doubles, a triple, a home run and four RBI of his own. Drew now sports a .280 average with five home runs. But it's Mark Reynolds that has really come back to earth. After a seven home run April, Reynolds has yet to go yard in the month of May. Keep in mind that Reynolds is only in his second year, so streakiness will happen. He's already well on pace to beat last year's total in home runs and RBI. So the draft pick you most likely spent on him will be well worth it.

UPCOMING SERIES: @FLA (5/20-5/22), @ATL (5/23-5/26)

FLORIDA MARLINS

Week: 1-4           L10: 5-5          Overall: 24-19, 1st NL EAST

What is fodder to one team is food for another. Just two weeks after the Cubs released Jacque Jones, the Marlins are feeding on the 33-year-old. The implication is simple: with Josh Willingham out, Fredi Gonzalez is unhappy with what he's getting from the leadoff spot and is worried about the long-term output of his outfield period. As of Sunday, Alfredo Amezaga and Cody Ross have a combined .208 average with just four home runs (all Ross's), sixteen RBI and three stolen bases. While Jones isn't exactly a guy who is lighting it up this year, certainly his career .278 BA combined with veteran experience feels like an improvement. Ross seems to be emerging on the winning end of centerfield battle, particularly since his last two hits were home runs. Though Amezaga started Sunday against the Royals, now that the Marlins added the left-handed hitting Jones, you'll find Amezaga on the soon-to-be-benched list. With Alejandro de Aza rehabbing his ankle and Cameron Maybin developing in Triple-A, Amezaga has little time to shape up.

The news on Josh Willingham is not good. He still can't swing without pain, and that means a longer stint on the DL than originally anticipated. This is good news for Luis Gonzalez owners as he has started every game in May and is batting .321 for the month. Considering that Gonzalez was brought to the team for exactly this reason, he's worth an NL-only spot on your roster. However, the signing of Jones makes this outfield fluid, so you may want to keep an eye on this team and its lineup for the next few weeks. Monitor Willingham as well because back injuries can be very fickle. Meanwhile, Anibal Sanchez is expected to throw batting practice this week, meaning he should get his shot back in the rotation by July. Burke Badenhop, you've been warned.

UPCOMING SERIES: ARI (5/20-5/22), SFO (5/23-5/25)

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Week: 4-3           L10: 5-5           Overall: 20-26, 5th NL EAST

Tim Redding continues to be one of the unheralded pitchers of the 2008 season. On Monday, Redding put another quality start under his belt garnering his sixth win of the season. He now has pitched 13 2/3 scoreless innings. His last two starts give him a stat line of 12 2/3 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 4 BB 6 K.

On the other side of the coin, Dmitri Young couldn't have picked a better time to find someone to work out what turned out to be a hip flexor problem. Nick Johnson's torn wrist tendon will keep him out for at least a month. It's bad news for not only a guy who could have easily been in the running for comeback player of the year, but for fantasy owners who took a flier on him. If you didn't have Young behind Johnson, the cost just rose substantially. Aaron Boone may also see his playing time increase, as Young hits better from the left side of the plate by almost twenty average points over the last three years.

UPCOMING SERIES: PHI (5/20-5/21), MIL (5/23-5/26)

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

Week: 4-1           L10: 7-3          Overall: 23-20, 3rd, AL EAST

Since being recalled from the International League, Garrett Olson has provided five solid starts, keeping the Baltimore Orioles on the good side of .500. He's 3-0 garnering a combined stat line of 23 1/3 IP, 25 H, 18 K 7 BB for a 3.47 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. With Adam Loewen having found his way to the DL, Olson, who is only 24, will be continue to be charged with the fifth spot in the rotation.

Even though Baltimore's offense is ranked 24th in the league, the team has won seven of its last ten, including a two game sweep of the Red Sox. Brian Roberts has been on fire, going 7-for-18 in four game spurt, and 10-for-34 in his last ten. However, his stolen base tally has tapered. Having stolen 10 bases in the first month, Roberts has only tallied two in the first half of May while scoring all eight of his runs during this streak. While this is disappointing for those of us expecting perhaps a repeat of 2007's 50-steal plateau, Roberts will still garner between 30-40 steals easily. So don't panic.

UPCOMING SERIES: @NYY (5/20-5/22), @TAM (5/23-5/25)

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Week: 4-3           L10: 6-4           Overall: 20-23, 4th, NL CENTRAL

The Pittsburgh Pirates have spent loads of money the past few season on one-year contracts for veterans they hoped would not only assist the team, but perhaps re-energize their own careers. Doug Mientkiewicz was not expected to be that guy. But with Adam LaRoche (.207/5/20/15) and more recently Jose Bautista (.228/4/17/16) struggling, Mientkiewicz has been getting more and more playing time. In the last three games, he's batting .400 with one home run, three RBI and five runs scored. That kind of production has put him in a near platoon situation with the struggling Bautista. Although only batting .232 overall, in NL Leagues he's now an option, as John Russell needs consistent fielding while the mistake-prone Pirates sit atop the error leader board. Mientkiewicz will continue to garner starts by his glove alone.

And just as the Pirates seemed to be getting their mojo on, Ryan Doumit went and found a way to break something again. He'll be on the DL for at least a month until his broken thumb heals. Doumit was as good a hitting catcher as their was this year, posting a .350 average with five home runs and fifteen RBI. Raul Chavez will replace him on the roster, but don't expect him to be much more than a fill-in when Ronny Paulino needs rest.

UPCOMING SERIES: MIL (5/20-5/22), CHC (5/23-5/25)

TEXAS RANGERS

Week: 3-3           L10:6-4           Overall: 22-24, 3rd AL WEST

With Ramon Vazquez hitting .338 since taking over the starting job at third base, Ron Washington announced that Hank Blalock may make the move to first base. Certainly, this will help the oft-injured Blalock's health, but more to the point, will suddenly limit the playing time of Frank Catalanotto and/or Chris Shelton. While Shelton is batting .250 for the month of May and has raised his overall average to .200, the news of Blalock's position switch must have felt as good as a root canal. Surely Shelton must see the vultures swooping overhead, because even though German Duran is posting a .167, he will now be the backup third baseman. What's more, he's 23 and can still expect to see at bats versus LHPs.

Josh Hamilton is making under $400,000 a year but playing like a $10 million dollar prospect. He leads the majors with 49 RBI, is third in the AL with home runs (10), and is second on the Rangers with a .318 average. He's also hit three of his 10 home runs in the last five games, so news of his departure from Saturday's game due to injury had every Rangers fan holding their collective breath. They can release it, as Hamilton pinch hit on Sunday, and was back in the starting lineup Monday.

And C. J. Wilson's troubles continue, echoing our own Paul Bourdett's moniker of the Texas closer, "Smoke and Mirrors." He's now given up 11 earned runs in his last 11 1/3 innings. I'd expect Washington to give Wilson a break soon, meaning Eddie Guardado or Joaquin Benoit owners may see some save opportunities soon.

UPCOMING SERIES: @MIN (5/20-5/22), @CLE (5/23-5/25)

TAMPA BAY RAYS

Week: 4-3          L10: 7-3          Overall: 26-19, 2nd AL EAST

James Shields can't always be perfect. Monday night, after relinquishing three runs in the first two innings, Shields settled down until Frank Thomas belted a second home run to tie the game and effectively end Shield's day. After Shields garnered two complete games in three starts, giving up only three hits in eighteen innings, his three other starts between and since has seen him go 18 2/3 IP, 24 H, 14 ER 6BB 13 K. His inconsistency is hard to understand since his CMD is a very solid 2.07, though he has given up five home runs, second highest on the team. His worst outing of the season was against the Red Sox, the team that hits righties best in the majors to the tune of a .292 average. Yet he shut out Boston in his previous start against them. Familiarity breeding disaster? You be the judge. The good news is when Shields is good, he's very good, as well as economical, averaging a measly 87 pitches in each start of nearly seven innings.

Reliever Jason Hammel saw his first action in 11 days. Not that his relief effort was exactly a confidence boost from manager Joe Maddon as his appearance came in the midst of an extra-inning seesaw battle against Oakland that resulted in Hammel registering the win after pitching three scoreless frames. This was Hammel's first relief outing without surrendering a run. The 25-year-old is 3-2 with a 5.94 ERA and 1.86 WHIP for the season.

Lastly, just a few days removed of his second start of six shutout innings, Scott Kazmir has signed a four-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays that could be worth $40 million. I'd expect that'll give him motivation to stay off the DL for at least another month.

UPCOMING SERIES: @OAK (5/20-5/21), BAL (5/23-5/25)

COLORADO ROCKIES

Week: 3-4           L10: 4-6           Overall: 18-27, 3rd NL WEST

The struggling Rockies have won three straight at the beginning of a run of 19 home games in their next 32. Thus, the offensive numbers of the team should take an uptick.

With Ryan Speier headed to the DL, the Rockies are considering making yet another move to help their struggling pitching staff. The latest deal to be struck is that with former Padre Glendon Rusch, who was released by San Diego earlier this week. Speier was 1-1 this year with a blown save in his only opportunity. He played mostly a specialized relief role pitching 16 innings in 15 appearances. The Rockies have been seeking a replacement left-hander since Micah Bowie hit the DL. Bowie's shoulder will keep him out until at least June. According to the Denver Post, though Rockies recalled Josh Newman for the second time this year, the Rockies signed Rusch to a minor league deal as an alternative. This year Rusch had a horrible start, hurling 19 2/3 innings and surrendering 14 earned runs in limited duty. Newman has appeared in five games, giving up 9 hits and two earned runs with four walks and four strikeouts. Neither merits any attention right now.

Meanwhile, more drama continues to hit the Rockies as injuries mount. Omar Quintanilla took a hard slide in turning a key double play on Monday and is now questionable for the rest of the series against San Francisco. Quintanilla has only garnered six at-bats in the Rockies last seven games mainly because Clint Barmes has rediscovered his stroke. Barmes, who had a seven game hitting streak snapped May 14th, went right back to work and is on a five game hitting streak. During this thirteen game stretch he's gone 20-for-40 with seven multi-hit games and he's struck out only four times. Considering Jayson Nix is only hitting .268 in the minors, expect Barmes to hold the position at SS barring injury.

UPCOMING SERIES: SFO (5/20-5/21), NYM (5/23-5/25)

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

Week: 5-2          L10: 6-4           Overall: 21-23, 4th AL CENTRAL

Here's the scenario: Everyone at the party sat around waiting, you were tapping your watch to make sure it was still working. The doorbell rang and you opened it up to find that Jose Guillen had finally arrived. The old Jose Guillen might blame the traffic, or even you for giving him the wrong address. So, perhaps more important than his eight game hitting streak (halted Monday) in which he went 14-for-31 with a base knock and 11 RBI, Guillen announced that his slow beginning was his fault because he showed up to camp too heavy. Guillen, who in the past has pushed people and teammates away to the tune of six teams in a five year period, may not only have his bat back, but his helmet on straighter. His 16 doubles have him tied for second in the majors. In AL-only, he's an add for certain, because this streak is one you want to ride into July, and in mixed deep, consider him on the rise.

If you were going to have a no-no thrown against you, it might as well have been done this way. Jon Lester's return from lymphoma is nothing short of amazing, and if you were going to pick one guy you'd be honored to see succeed against your team you'd love it to be this one. Even the Royals can't feel that defeated by a great performance by a terrific role model. And let's give the Royals a break – they get a total of one day off in May.

Lastly, Joakim Soria signed a new contract for the Royals, a team not known for locking down young players for multi-year agreements when they're still two years away from free agency. The contract covers the next three years at a guaranteed salary of $8.75 million and could be worth as much as $32 million. The 24-year-old Soria has 11 saves in 11 chances this year.

UPCOMING SERIES: @BOS (5/20-5/22), @TOR (5/23-5/25)

MINNESOTA TWINS
Week: 2-5           L10: 4-6           Overall: 22-22, TIED 2nd AL CENTRAL

Just as Matt Tolbert seemed to be gaining the trust of Ron Gardenhire, he went and dislocated his finger diving into first base. With Tolbert expected to be out awhile, Howie Clark was brought up from Triple-A Rochester and he promptly delivered the game-winning single Monday night, give the Twin a 7-6 win over the Rangers. Clark is 34, and has had stints in the majors with Baltimore and Toronto, and will fill-in behind Alexei Casilla, Brendan Harris and Mike Lamb. Clark has never played more than 40 games at the major league level with a career .261 average, so consider him a bench player that is on borrowed time as soon as Tolbert heals. By the way, Alexei Casilla got his first hit since being called up last week – a three-run bomb, the first of his career.

We all know about Micah Owings nifty bat, but no one knew about Bobby Korecky. The barely-used reliever stepped in to pinch hit Monday night and slapped a single making him the first Twins' pitcher to ever get a hit in an American League game. He also got the win, tossing 1 2/3 flawless innings with two strikeouts and lowering his ERA to 2.57. Korecky has been used all of five times since being promoted from Rochester, so no need to go shopping here.

UPCOMING SERIES: TEX (5/20-5/22), @DET (5/23-5/25)