Dodger Thoughts catches a quote from Los Angeles Dodgers GM Paul DePodesta that suggests the Dodgers may give Hee Seop Choi the chance to be the everyday first baseman this year, rather than him having platoon with someone who would hit against lefties. Choi demonstrated an ability to hit lefties in the minors, though Jim Hendry's acquisition of Eric Karros (which turned out to be a good one) before the 2003 season and Dusty Baker's usage of Choi prevented him from getting much of a chance to hit lefties for the Cubs.

Also, the Atlanta Braves have invited former Cub Roosevelt Brown to spring training, notes No Pepper. Brown, who destroyed Triple-A pitching, was never given much of a chance under Don Baylor, and has played the last two seasons with the Orix Blue Wave in Japan. He hit .307/.392/.539 in 2003 (see archived Cubs Chronicle post) and .269/.374/.472 last year. Last August, Derek Smart worried that Jason DuBois was starting to see the same treatment Brown received in the Cubs organization.