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Mike "Pags" Pagliarulo is on the front line, watching Spring Training games from a seat right behind home plate, squeezed in between a guy with a radar gun and a guy wearing a Hawaiian shirt, enjoying the sun and some hot dogs. Ahh, the life. Pags will be reporting his observations, with an eye on which players are looking good and which are looking, well, Punto-ish.

MINNESOTA

Fantasy Alert: Francisco Liriano pitched a simulated game in Fort Myers yesterday. He threw a plus fastball (high 80's, low 90's), a tight slider and a very good changeup. Liriano's "stuff" was better than expected, and the coaching staff was elated. It was an incredibly good sign for the Twins, but they'll need to see how he recovers today and tomorrow before getting too excited.

On a sad note, the Twins are planning on using a player during game to do analysis for their radio broadcast. Catcher Mike Redmond will be broadcasting games during the fifth inning. Although a broadcast from the dugout is cutting edge and promises to generate good interest, there are many issues with this arrangement from a pure baseball perspective. At the top of the list would be Mike Redmond being paid for eight innings of work while the rest of the team is paid for nine. Contribution to radio should never be intertwined with a player's commitment to the game itself. Our writer Jason Wolf previously had some strong comments about the Redmond broadcasting.

Unfortunately for the Twins and their fans, Kevin Mulvey and Phil Humber, acquired from the Mets in the Johan Santana trade, appear to be struggling. Bad control and, as a result, falling behind too many hitters shows they aren't ready for the majors. They have to make a lot of adjustments in the short time that is Spring Training for them to have a shot at starting the season on the major league roster.

CINCINNATI

Fantasy Alert: Adam Dunn appears to be staying on the baseball better this spring. He is driving the ball with power to all fields early in camp. I would look for Dunn to get off to a good start this season, and I believe his strikeout total will come down. He's made a few adjustments at the plate, but I'd like to reconfirm these modifications after seeing him play a few more times.

Fantasy Alert: Ken Griffey Jr. is running very well, he's playing centerfield and is seeing the ball good off the bat. If his legs stay healthy he will be more productive at bat. Power at the plate is produced largely by the use of a hitter's legs, and at this time Griffey seems to have healthy legs.

Despite giving up a couple of runs, Aaron Harang pitched well. He was able to maintain a consistent arm slot for most of pitches. His fastball showed good life to it, and he worked at a good pace. Harang used a hard fastball, changeup and a very good curve when runners got in scoring position. A general rule among baseball experts is that "hard throwers" take a bit longer during spring training before they are effective. Soft-tossers usually look good early but fade fast. Harang is definitely not a soft-tosser.

PITTSBURGH

Andrew McCutchen is playing well on offense. He has a ton of talent, but you can tell this kid is very green. Although not seen in the box score, McCutchen made a few mental errors in left field. He is not yet ready to play at the big league level, but if his progress moves as quickly as his legs, he'll be the everyday center fielder by mid-season.

Zack Duke threw the ball fairly well. His pitching mechanics looked good, and he was able to repeat his delivery. Duke is the kind of pitcher that is committed to pitching inside - a rare, but good, trait for pitchers. Duke's problem, however, is that he's not intimidating when he throws inside. In contrast, Andy Pettitte is committed to throwing inside, and hitters appear to back off the plate differently when he throws in.

BOSTON

Tim Wakefield pitched well for Boston. But then again, what the hell do I know about hitting knuckleballers. I think all of them belong in the Hall of Fame.

Fantasy Alert: Clay Buchholz got hit hard. He is a hard thrower and he didn't have command of his fastball. But that's similar to almost every pitcher in camp. While the media may be making a big deal about this early struggle, Red Sox fans shouldn't be alarmed. His pitching mechanics looked okay, he didn't appear to labor and he was able to finish off his pitches - all good signs.

Craig Hansen (remember, him?) has made a slight adjustment to his delivery, and that allows him to use a higher arm slot. He's not consistent with it yet, but it's a good change. With the new arm slot, he's able to create more depth on his slider, while getting it in the strike zone. Hansen isn't ready for the majors, but this is a good sign for him.

By Mike Pagliarulo of www.DugoutCentral.com