MLB: Small-market survival via "scouring scouts."

Peter Gammons / mlb.com / 5-29-11

There was a handful of scouts at an extended spring game at the Rangers' Surprise, Ariz., complex last week, while several others were at Florida extended spring games in Fort Myers and Tampa and Jupiter.

There are owners who may not believe that having scouts scour the Minor Leagues is cost efficient, but the survival of the small and middle markets in part depends on their ability to trade their veterans at the right time and get young talent in return. The classic example was when the Indians knew the time was right to move Bartolo Colon, with the Expos having a whiff of going for it, and in Grady Sizemore and Cliff Lee (and Brandon Phillips) received a foundation.

The Indians are now in the mode of attempting to reload, but they are at Memorial Day in first place because of their ability to scout other organizations. When they decided they wouldn't re-sign CC Sabathia, they got Michael Brantley and Matt LaPorta, who are rising everyday regulars. Asdrubal Cabrera is hitting .303 with 10 homers and an .899 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage), and they got him for Eduardo Perez from Seattle, as they got Shin-Soo Choo for Ben Broussard.

More (on Tampa Bay & Toronto as well): http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110529&content_id=19725570&vkey=perspectives&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb