Tracy Ringolsby's weekly baseball notes

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Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox is in the final year of his contract. Nobody is concerned, though.It is pretty well understood that Cox will manage the Braves until he doesn't want to manage them anymore. Winning a pro sports record 14 consecutive division titles earns a manager that type of security, particularly when the manager previously was the general manager, who put in place the scouting and player development departments that created the supply of talent for such long-running success.Things aren't as comfortable in Toronto and Baltimore, where Orioles manager Dave Trembley and Blue Jays manager John Gibbons are both in the final year of their contracts. They are the only other big-league managers who came into the season with only a year left on their contracts.With the major rebuilding plan the Orioles undertook this year, the expectation is that Trembley would get a couple years. He has a strong background in player development, which would help bring young players along at the big-league level, and new Baltimore boss Andy MacPhail knows Trembley well from when they were both with the Cubs.Gibbons could become a scapegoat if the Blue Jays don't contend in the seventh year of general manager J.P. Ricciardi's reign.Eighteen managers are signed through 2009, although that may not be enough to ease the pressures on Mets manager Willie Randolph, who was considered to be in danger of an early dismissal when the Mets fell apart in the final two weeks last season.There also are seven managers signed through 2010, and then there are Boston's Terry Francona, who is signed through 2011 with two years of options, and the White Sox's Ozzie Guillen, signed through 2012.INFIELD CHATTER-- Philadelphia designated Wes Helms for assignment, and that could spark a bidding war for him. The Giants and Dodgers both need help at third base and have some interest. They might not want to wait for Helms to clear waivers and become a free agent, though, because that would give Helms a chance to pick his own team.-- Outfielder Alfonso Soriano was hitless the first two games of the season in his new role as the No. 2 hitter, which prompted Cubs manager Lou Piniella to move Soriano back into the leadoff spot.-- Left-hander Clayton Kershaw is opening the season at Class AA Jacksonville, but the Dodgers figure to have him up before the All-Star break. They want to keep him out of the Pacific Coast League because they feel the ballparks are too hitter-friendly.THE ROTATIONFive biggest surprises of the spring:-- Baltimore released designated hitter Jay Gibbons, who, in addition to having $11.9 million guaranteed, was a favorite of owner Peter Angelos.-- Boston released catcher Doug Mirabelli, the personal catcher for knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. The Red Sox are hoping Kevin Cash can handle that job. Two years ago, after trading Mirabelli to San Diego, Wakefield was in such a funk that the Red Sox had to make a panic deal and gave up catcher Josh Bard and reliever Cla Meredith to get Mirabelli back.-- Outfielder Jay Bruce, the 2007 Minor League Player of the Year, was sent to the minors by Cincinnati along with right-hander Homer Bailey. Bailey was a virtual rotation lock going into camp, but after giving up 24 hits and 16 walks in 19 innings, he was sent out. Bruce might be an Evan Longoria-type move, designed to make sure he doesn't attain free agency as quickly.-- Right-hander Anthony Reyes made the Cardinals roster as a reliever. Manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan wanted him to start in the minors, but general manager John Mozeliak overruled them.-- Third baseman Joe Crede struggled in the spring, but the White Sox, hoping to create trade value early in the season, decided to keep him and sent Josh Fields, who led American League rookies with 23 home runs last year, back to the minors.CLOSING STATEMENTPlenty of attention has been given to the 2005 draft, which so far has produced outfielder Justin Upton (first pick overall by Arizona), third basemen Alex Gordon of Kansas City (second pick) and Ryan Zimmerman of Washington (fourth pick), left fielder Ryan Braun of Milwaukee (fifth pick), shortstop Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies (seventh pick) and right-hander Mike Pelphrey of the Mets (ninth pick) out of the first 10 selections in the round. Cincinnati's Bruce was the 10th player picked.Also, Boston outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury was the 23rd pick in the round and Tampa Bay right-hander Matt Garza was the 25th selection by Minnesota.But before that draft is declared the best ever, give 2006 a chance to develop.The first 10 selections include Kansas City right-hander Luke Hochevar (first pick), Colorado right-hander Greg Reynolds (second), Tampa Bay third baseman Longoria (third), Seattle right-hander Brandon Morrow (fifth), Florida left-hander Andrew Miller (sixth by Detroit), the Dodgers' Kershaw (seventh) and San Francisco right-hander Tim Lincecum (10th).Yankees right-hander Ian Kennedy was the 21st player taken.NUMBERS GAME-- 362: Consecutive games played for Cleveland center fielder Grady Sizemore, the longest active streak in baseball. Juan Pierre's 434-game streak ended when he didn't get into the Dodgers' season opener Monday.LINING UPSt. Louis manager Tony La Russa has popularized the idea of hitting pitchers eighth in the order, but it was Milwaukee manager Ned Yost who earned the distinction of being the first manager to have a pitcher hit eighth on opening day.The Brewers' opener Monday began one hour before St. Louis' game, which eventually was postponed anyway.Yost has decided to hit catcher Jason Kendall ninth this year to create a "double leadoff situation."HE SAID IT"It's nice to be that guy they want up there. You take pride in that. It's a tough spot to be in, so any time you can do that, you have to cherish it."-- Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals third baseman, who ended the season opener at brand new Nationals Park with Atlanta on Sunday with the fourth walk-off home run and eighth walk-off hit of his career.(Tracy Ringolsby writes for the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, Colo. E-mail ringolsbyt(at)RockyMountainNews.com.)