Playing Fact or Fiction with All of MLB's Hottest Spring Training Buzz

It might not look like spring training for a wide swath of the country that's enduring yet another miserable winter storm, but baseball is officially back in action, and the countdown to Opening Day—which currently sits at 31 days for all but the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs, who start a day earlier than everyone else—has begun.

With the exhibition season underway, speculation abounds as to the immediate futures of some players, whether they be prized youngsters looking to make their mark or seasoned veterans looking for a chance to show that they've still got something left to offer. 

We'll tackle all that and more in this week's edition of Fact or Fiction.

Jose Peraza Will Break Camp with Atlanta

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We can count Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez among those in Braves camp who believe that the team's top prospect, Jose Peraza, should remain with the team once the regular season starts.

“He’s a special guy,” Gonzalez told reporters, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's David O'Brien. “He’s not coming in to just have fun and experience his first big-league camp.”

There's no question that in terms of pure talent, the 20-year-old Peraza, a converted shortstop, stands above the rest of the team's options—Alberto Callaspo, Kelly Johnson and Phil Gosselin—at the keystone to start the season.

Not only has Peraza hit everywhere that he's played, but his speed and baserunning acumen make him a problem for the opposition whenever he gets on base. While not quite on the level of Cincinnati's Billy Hamilton, he's swiped an impressive 124 bases over the past two years at an 80 percent success rate.

As Gonzalez half-jokingly admitted, he'd have to convince some in the front office to include the youngster on the team's 25-man roster, which would likely come at the expense of Gosselin, who has proved to be a versatile utility player and valuable addition to the bench.

Verdict: Fiction

There's simply no reason for Atlanta to rush Peraza to the big leagues—or to start his service-time clock.

Torii Hunter Will One Day Become Minnesota's General Manager

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Players staying involved with the game they love after they've hung up their cleats for the last time is nothing new in baseball. While broadcasting and coaching are the two most popular options, former players litter the baseball landscape in a variety of roles at every possible level. 

That includes the role of general manager, a job that four former players are currently entrusted with in the major leagues.

Former Player	Current Team	Playing Career	Primary Team as Player
Ruben Amaro Jr.	Phillies	1991-1998	Phillies
Billy Beane	A's	1984-1989	Twins
Jerry DiPoto	Angels	1993-2000	Rockies
Dave Stewart	Diamondbacks	1978-1995	A's

One day, Torii Hunter wants to add his name to that list. 

"I really want to get into that front office, make some changes, and build a team that I want to build," Hunter told USA Today's Bob Nightengale. "I'd love to learn everything from Terry [Ryan]. He'll be a mentor. One day, that's my goal, to be GM of the Twins.''

Ryan, who was part of Minnesota's front office when the team drafted Hunter out of high school in 1993 and has a long-standing relationship with the five-time All-Star,  believes Hunter has all the makings of a terrific executive—but is in no rush to see him trade in his uniform for a suit.

"I've heard that, but I'm more interested in telling him to play the game until he's ready for that type of opportunity," Ryan told MLB.com's Spencer Fordin. "There will be opportunities for him once he gets done in a lot of areas."

Verdict: Fact

Why not? Stranger things have happened before, and Hunter has always come across as an intelligent guy with a good head on his shoulders who understands more than just the on-field aspect of the game. 

Los Angeles' Half-Price Sale on Andre Ethier Will Facilitate a Trade

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Sources tell CBS Sports' Jon Heyman that the Los Angeles Dodgers are willing to pick up roughly half of the money left on Andre Ethier's contract—around $23 million—in order to trade the disgruntled veteran this spring.

Ethier has been vocal in his desire to start and unwillingness to accept a reserve role, as he did in 2014, but barring injury, and with Carl Crawford, Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig entrenched as the team's starting outfield, the only option available to him in Los Angeles is the latter.

Nothing Ethier does this spring is going to change that.

It's long been speculated that the Dodgers would have to eat a substantial portion of Ethier's contract if they had any chance of finding a willing trade partner, and Ethier at roughly $9 million a year is certainly a far more attractive option than the full-price version.

Verdict: Fiction

Two things are at work against the Dodgers here. First, the team has no leverage in talks to trade Ethier, whose value is at an all-time low, and other teams know it. Of equal importance is that most teams simply don't have room in their budgets for another significant salary.

Until Los Angeles is willing to pick up nearly all of the money left on Ethier's deal, this untenable situation will remain unresolved.

Rusney Castillo's Injury Means Boston Won't Trade an Outfielder

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With Rusney Castillo sidelined indefinitely with an oblique injury, the foregone conclusion that Boston would trade some of its outfield depth before Opening Day has been thrown into question.

Oblique injuries are tricky and have a nasty reputation for hanging around long after they're believed to be fully healed, so you can understand Boston manager John Farrell's reluctance to put a timetable on the 27-year-old's return to action.

“Too early to determine that now,” Farrell told The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo when asked whether Castillo would be ready to go on Opening Day.

In his absence, Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. figure to receive the bulk of the playing time in center field, and one (or both) could break camp with the club if Castillo, who told Cafardo he's feeling better, has to start the year on the disabled list.

Verdict: Fiction

While Castillo's injury could extend Bradley Jr.'s stay in Boston, it doesn't change things for Bryce Brentz, Allen Craig, Daniel Nava and Shane Victorino, any one of which could still be moved individually or as part of a larger package to bolster the team's rotation (or another area of need).

Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.

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