It's noise season.
Every day, through Opening Day in six weeks, will feature timelines loaded with poorly framed images and videos of players from all 30 teams.
Play-by-play tweets, live look-ins at Alex Rodriguez taking swings on a back field in Florida, and of course, the Best Shape of His Career (BSOHC) stories.
For every useful nugget of information that surfaces from columns, blogs, and tweets, there will be 49 useless ones.
If I were to build a list of players that I am most interested in seeing firsthand this spring, most of the players would fit into one of three groups.
1. Free agent signings from overseas dating back to last fall -- Rusney Castillo, Yasmany Tomas, Jung-Ho Kang, Yoan Lopez, and Yoan Moncada.
2. Prospects I haven't seen play yet -- Kris Bryant, Noah Syndergaard, Miguel Sano, and Carlos Rodon.
3. Good players who were hurt last year -- Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, Ryan Braun, Joey Votto, and Prince Fielder.
Schedule permitting, I will see two games in Arizona around the weekend of LABR, and I won't get to Florida for any portion of spring training. As a result, the ability to watch spring games on MLB Network, and to sift through the rubble and track players is crucial.
Sometimes the smallest detail can make all of the difference in the world.
I want to focus on Fielder as an example.
Two weeks ago, he was given a clean bill of health by the same doctor (Dr. Drew Dossett) who performed his neck surgery last May.
Without seeing him swing a bat, or move around in the field, that clean bill of health was encouraging, but not particularly meaningful.
Here's a video of Fielder taking swings during a batting practice session Monday via Anthony Andro of Fox Sports Southwest.
The very last swing that he takes in the sequence is particularly interesting to me. He takes a huge cut, and doesn't appear to be holding anything back as he follows through.
He looks like the typical, healthy Prince that has racked up six 30-homer seasons since becoming a full-time big league player in 2006. Physically unencumbered. "Firing the glutes," to borrow an increasingly popular expression.
Currently, Fielder is the 65th player coming off the board in terms of Average Draft Position. Even if he's able to progress through a completely normal spring training (by all accounts, he has no restrictions), will he go much higher than 50th overall in most drafts?
Considered a safe first-round pick entering last season, has the nature of his injury led the market to overcorrect his value?
Fielder averaged 33 homers and 112 RBI from 2011-2013, and even when his numbers slipped during his second season in Detroit (.279/.362/.457, 25 HR, 106 RBI), he was a $25 player in 15-team mixed leagues, ranking in the top-30 among position players in dollars earned.
Barring an unforeseen leap into Round 3 of Main Event style drafts, Fielder is becoming much more interesting to me at his current price than he was as a commodity that was completely unseen just a few days ago.
Monday's Barometer
Rising
The Red Sox won the Yoan Moncada sweepstakes. (More on Moncada from James Anderson and Clay Link in the second episode of our new Prospect Podcast.)
Miguel Cabrera didn't have any pain or soreness in his ankle the day after he was cleared to start hitting.
Alex Avila is a legitimate candidate to bat second against right-handed starters for the Tigers this season.
Matt Harvey resumed throwing sliders in his bullpen session Sunday.
Garrett Richards is expected to return very soon after the start of the regular season.
Michael Wacha (shoulder) and Mat Latos (elbow, knee) have no restrictions this spring.
Falling
Homer Bailey has not been cleared to throw from a mound yet.
Chase Utley is behind schedule in Phillies camp due to a sprained ankle that he suffered in January.
Jurickson Profar is expected to miss all of 2015 after having a torn labrum repaired Monday, but a late-season return hasn't been ruled out.
The Mariners have been impressed by Danny Hultzen this spring, but are viewing him more for 2016 according to manager Lloyd McClendon.
Etc.
Kris Bryant will see time in the outfield during spring training in addition to getting work at third base.
B.J. Upton is now known as Melvin Upton Jr.
Mike Zunino is hoping to use right-center field more effectively in 2015.
Raul Mondesi checked in at Royals camp approximately 15 pounds heavier than last season.
Adrian Beltre's 2016 option has been picked up by the Rangers.
Brett Anderson is hoping to catch up to the Dodgers' other pitchers early in camp, but he's slightly behind schedule as the first full week of workouts begins.