Roberts retires, hitting is hard, Jose Fernandez defects, changes from the '09 title, and Baby Bombers & Mets bonding in the AFL.
Baltimore Sun | Dan Connolly: Former Yankee and longtime Oriole Brian Roberts is calling it a career after fourteen seasons.
Grantland | Ben Lindbergh: Situational hitting is really hard. With the ever increasing use of the shift, the ability to "hit it where they ain't" is proving to be a difficult skill for this era's players to grasp.
Hardball Talk | Craig Calcaterra: As first rumored a few days ago, Jon Morosi confirmed this earlier report regarding Cuban second baseman Jose Fernandez's defection. Baseball America's Ben Badler said that Fernandez "is a polished, finished product with excellent plate discipline and on-base skills, though not much power."
Bleeding Yankee Blue | Mike O'Hara: BYB looks back at how much the Yankees have changed from the 2009 World Series Championship and expresses hope that the newest generation of Yankee prospects are studying the Dynasty years and not just the "Core Four."
Tim Rohan | New York Times: Yankees and Mets prospects like Aaron Judge, Greg Bird, and Brandon Nimmo have been bonding in the Arizona Fall League.