Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

That's Brandon Moss , the Royals' new DH. He signed a two-year deal with Kansas City over the weekend, after belting 28 homers but hitting just .225 last season for the Cardinals. Kansas City will be the seventh team for the Georgia native, seen here with the A's against the Yankees in 2014.

From July 20th, 2015 at New Britain Stadium: the Binghamton Mets visit the Rock Cats. It turns out to be a sneak peak at a couple of players who'd make their major league debuts a year later -- pitcher Seth Lugo (above) and outfielder Brandon Nimmo (below). Never considered a top prospect. Lugo opened a lot of eyes going 5  & 2 (with a tidy 2.67 ERA) in 17 appearances for the 2016 Mets -- turning in several quality starts as the Mets lost most of their projected starting pitchers to injuries. Nimmo also had his moments, batting .274 over 32 big league games. With Matt Harvey, Steven Matz and Jacob de Grom expected to be at full strengh, Lugo might wind up in the bullpen; barring a trade involving a veteran, Nimmo might be crowded out of the Mets outfield picture. Both give Sandy Alderson the confidence that capable fill ins are just a phone call (and long flight) away at Las Vegas as the Amazins begin to shape the 2017 roster.

Here's a golden oldie: from Shea Stadium's final summer, July 10th, 2008. Freddie Lewis leads off the game for San Francisco, facing the Mets' John Maine. Below, the focus is on the left field area, with Shea's replacement Citi Field, rising in the background.

From June 24th, 2010: the Tigers wrap up a win over the Mets at Citi Field. Superstar Miguel Cabr era (#24) is ready for high fives with his teammates, with fellow Venezuelan Magglio Ordonez (#30) first to approach.  Ordonez, who enjoyed a productive 15-year career in the majors, heads our January 28th baseball birthday bunch, along with these notable names: Jermaine Dye, who played 14 seasons in the big leagues, first with the Braves, then the Royals, A's and White Sox. Bill White, whose multi-faceted baseball career spanned playing 1st base for the Giants, Cardinals and Phillies, to being Phil Rizzuto's Yankee broadcasting partner and straight man and serving as American League President. Pete Runnels, a 1950s infielder with the Senators who came into his own playing alongside Carl Yastrzemski with the early '60s Red Sox. Lyn Lary, the shortstop who broke in alongside Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig on those powerhouse Yankee teams of the early 1930s. George Wrigh

Things didn't go the way Jay Bruce or the Mets had hoped after last year's deadline deal. The slugging outfieder was obtained from Cincinnati to give protection to Yoenis Cespedes, and give Mets a backup plan should Cespedes leave as a free agent. Jay struggled his first six weeks in New York (hitting just .219) and didn't contribute much until the season's last couple of weeks. But with Yo back in the fold, the Mets now have a surplus of outfielders. Carrying a $13 million salary, the "thrifty" Mets would like to swap Jay for prospects to creat payroll room for another reliever or two. The market's been very slow for players whose skills overlap with Bruce's, and GM Sandy Alderson hasn't been able to move him. Now, the Mets are resigned to Bruce being with them in spring training -- and beyond. They've told him plan on playing right field this summer.

Let's wind the time machine back to July 19th, 2007. We're at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island as the Red Sox's Triple A Paw Sox host the Phillies top farm club the Ottawa Lynx. A few points to ponder as you look over the photo below. This is the one and only season the Lynx were a Phillies affiliate. The team moved to Allentown, PA for 2008 and have thrived ever since as the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs. I didn't hold onto the program from this game and can't identify anyone on the field. It's clear that number-31 is pitching for Pawtucket. Thanks to Baseball Cube, that's longtime major leaguer Jon Lester , who has starred for the Red Sox and Cubs. And a player whose number ends in 0 is batting for Ottawa. Oddly,  Baseball Cube  says there is no 2007 Lynx player with a number ending in 0. So any help you can provide will be much appreciated.

Ray Kroc purchased the San Diego Padres, saving them from possible bankruptcy or relocation. A losing club drawing less than a million fans a year, the future looked bleak until the McDonalds magnate stepped in. A lifetime baseball fan who'd once tried to buy the Cubs from the Wrigley family, Kroc paid $12 million for the franchise. He quickly proved himself to be uninhibited, or maybe a little unhinged. On opening night, with the team trailing and moments after Matty Alou was picked off base, Ray spoke to the crowd via the PA system: "Fans, I suffer with you. I’ve never seen such stupid ballplaying in my life." Under Kroc's ownership, the Padres never made the post-season. Ironically, they finally won the NL West in 1984, ten months after Kroc passed away at age 81. Ray Kroc is the subject of the current Michael Keaton film, The Founder. Seen above: San Diego Stadium was the Padres home when Kroc owned them. The venue was  later renamed in honor of popular lo

Due to the tragic news regarding Yordano Ventura and Andy Marte, this scheduled post was pushed back a day. 2016 was another lost season for Ike Davis . Just four years after belting 32 home runs -- with half his games in slugger-unfriendly Citi Field -- the onetime 1st round draft spent time with both the Rangers and Yankees minor league teams (here, with the Scranton Railriders) but didn't impress.  He wasn't able to take advantage of a what appeared to be a good opportunity with the Yankees. In June, with both Greg Bird and Mark Teixieira on the disabled list, he only lasted eight games in the Bronx. Managing just 3 hits in 15 plate appearances, Davis showed few of the skills that seemed to have him set for stardom in Queens. He soon landed back in the minors with Scranton. But not long after I caught him in action (in early August against Lehigh Valley), Ike was released. Now, Davis has to hope that he can impress some organization while playing for Team Israel i

Shockingly, the baseball world was again jolted on Sunday by the loss of a young star in his mid 20s. Only four months after that September Sunday where we learned of Jose Fernandez' death in a late night boating accident, word spread about Yordano Ventura 's fatal car wreck. While he'd yet to reach the pinnacle of the sport the way Jose had, Yordano was clearly a big time talent. Having already played on a World Series champion, here was a 25-year old with 38 career victories and tremendous promise. It was all snatched away on a roadway in his native Dominican Republic. Unspeakable. If that news wasn't tragic enough, within minutes we learned of another fatal car wreck in the Dominican. Andy Marte , an infielder who never quite became a regular with the Braves and Indians, last played in the majors in 2014 and spent the last two years in Korea. You're never prepared to hear this kind of news. The first time I recall such an off-season shocker was the plane cra

We're at Citizens Bank Park on August 30th, 2012 : Kyle Kendrick on the mound for the Phils. Leading off for the Mets, rightfielder Mike Baxter. And Baxter plants one in the right field seats for an immediate Mets lead. Look at number-7, Michael Martinez. The Phils right fielder watches a fan catch the ball that soared over him -- and the fence. Chase Utley also got a good look at Baxter's blast. Then, it was his turn to bat in the bottom half of the 1st inning. A good look at Citizens Bank Park's bleachers, outfield concourse and ivy-covered center field wall. A perfect summer afternoon -- especially for Phillies fans. The home team rallied to win this one, 3-2. And if its Philadelphia, there's always time to zoom in on the Phanatic.

From April 16th, 2016: Mariners outfielder Nori Aoki leads off in the top of the 1st inning against CC Sabathia and the Yankees. What jumps out of this image to you? The leg kick? The steely concentration in his expression? The way New York catcher Austin Romine extends that glove hand into harm's way?

Pedro Alvarez has been a productive power hitter... belting 20 or more home runs four times, including 22 with the 2016 Orioles. While the onetime Pirate has never hit for a high average, you'd think some team would have gobbled him up by now. But less than a month before camps open, he's still looking for a job. Several other power hitters are in the same situation as Alvarez. Mark Trumbo, Mike Napoli, Adam Lind, Justin Morneau and Brandon Moss remain unsigned. This oversupply has also hurt the Mets as they try to move pricey outfielder Jay Bruce. With so many free agents available for just money, the Mets' hope of getting some value in exchange for the former Red is dwindling.

Congratulations to Tim Raines (above), Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez , the Cooperstown Class of 2017. Raines, who starred for a dozen seasons with the Expos, was the second best leadoff man of his era and ranks just behind Rickey Henderson as a basestealer. He led the NL in steals four straight years -- and swiped 70 or more six years in a row. A seven-time .300 hitter, he joins Gary Carter and Andre Dawson as Hall of Famers whose careers were primarily spent in Montreal. ( The photo above was taken at the 2011 Pinstripe Passions collectibles show .) Bagwell, who played all 15 of his seasons in Houston, was a great all-around hitter. He totaled 449 home runs while batting a career .297 -- and, thanks to walking 75 or more times in 12 seasons, posted a lifetime .408 on-base percentage. Rodriguez set the standard for defensive catchers during the 1990s. The 13-time gold glove winner threw out at least 50% of attemped base stealers nine times in his 21 seasons. He was also a ke

  Plenty of baseball news came from Toronto on Monday. After a long winter of rumors and apparent animosity, the Blue Jays came to terms with Jose Bautista (above) on a new contract. And while Joey Bats and the Blue Jays decided to let bygones be bygones, Toronto said goodbye to another hard hitting outfielder, Michael Saunders (below). The British Columbia native enjoyed a sizzling first half of 2016, with 16 home runs, but cooled off dramatically after the All Star Break. He's now heading to Philadelphia on a one-year deal with the goal of restoring his free agent value. Playing a full season at slugger-friendly Citizens Bank Park might be the tonic Saunders needs to prove that he wasn't just a flash-in-the-pan.

...you share it with Trevor Bauer . One of the Indians crew of quality young starters, he won 12 games during the 2016 regular season, but lost both his starts in the World Series. With training camps opening three weeks from now, you can bet that he and his teammates, having missed a title by what amounts to one inning and one rally, will be even more focused on getting back to the fall classic and changing that outcome. While no Baseball Hall of Famers were born on this date, there are some notable names linked to January 17th: Emmauel Burris (seen right:), the veteran utilityman who spent 2016 with the Phillies. Brad Fullmer , a power-hitting 1st baseman with the Expos, Blue Jays and Angels, whose most famous play was stealing home in game two of the 2002 World Series was the first in 38 years -- since Tim McCarver in 1964. Chili Davis , who belted 350 home runs in his 19 year career and is now one of the game's most respecting hitting coaches. Pete LaCock , the 1

From May 7th, 2016: A pitch from Matt Barnes of the Red Sox would be the last one for this bat used Yankee catcher Austin Romine.

Could the color, the vibrancy and atmosphere be more perfect than this image from last July at PNC Park in Pittsburgh? The deep blue sky, vivid white clouds and the plush green field symbolize the delight anyone from 9 to 90 feels at a game.

From July 6th, 2016: the throw to Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman arrives a fraction of a second before the Phillies' Freddy Galvis reaches the bag. Considering the players involved, should this be subtitled -- hat tipping a golden oldie -- "Do the Freddie?"

While baseball players are often superstitious -- notice the way some exaggerate jumping over chalk lines -- these guys have no problem wearing number 13 on their back. Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis and recently retired Yankee Alex Rodriguez aren't triscadecaphobic. Neither is Mets shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who enjoyed a very productive 2016 season after coming to Flushing as a free agent. Another noteworthy 13 is Omar Vizquel (below). Not only did he wear it during his 24 year playing career, he continues to sport the number as the Tigers 1st base coach. Did you notice a common thread among Galvis, Cabrera and Vizquel? They're all natives of Venezuela -- and along with other standouts such as Ozzie Guillen, Maicer Izturis and Dave Concepcion, seem to have adopted it as a kind of national connection.

Yesterday, Mallex Smith had one of the most unique days in baseball history. Wait a minute: it's mid-January. And we're not talking about Caribbean League ball. So here's the story: he was traded twice in one day. The speedy outfielder, who spent much of 2016 with Braves, the biggest name in a deal between Atlanta and Seattle involving mostly prospects. The Mariners then flipped him to the Rays, with pitcher Drew Smyly heading to Safeco. You have to wonder what's running through Smith's head -- a player who had every reason to think he was an important cog in the Braves' rebuild; now he finds himself with a struggling Tampa Bay club that seems a long way from contention -- especially with division rivals in Boston, New York, Baltimore and Toronto ready to battle it out for the post-season again. This image of Mallex Smith is from last May 4th's Mets/Braves game at Citi Field.

From the A's/ Yankees game last April 20th: an Oakland player, while his side was up to bat, left his cap and glove "just so" on the dugout steps. I couldn't help but capture it with my Canon.

On Monday, the Nationals announced that Max Scherzer would miss the upcoming World Baseball Classic, to give his right hand more time to heal. Until the team mentioned it, the reigning Cy Young Award winner hadn't heard anything about a stress fracture in the knuckle of his right ring finger. Max said (in a story on the Nats website) it began to bother him in late August. And here's where the concern begins -- even though he was off from October through December, the pain never went away. Clearly, giving their number-one pitcher all the time he needs to heal has to be their top priority -- especially with the Mets getting their injured moundsmen back this year. Time might not be on Max's side -- pitchers and catchers begin to report for spring training five weeks from now.

From August 2016: I snapped this image of the Rays' franchise player from the photo well next to the visitors dugout at Yankee Stadium.

These four players who suited up for the Yankees Double A farm club on April 19th, 2015 have since made it to the big leagues. We'll start with outfielder Aaron Judge (above) and (below) catcher Gary Sanchez. With baseball emphasizing youth and athleticism, not to mention the cost-advantages for organizations that develop their own players, seeing the home grown Yankees succeed is a positive sign. The core of the last Bronx dynasty -- Jeter, Pettitte, Posada, Rivera, Williams -- came up through the Yankee farm system. While there are still question marks attached to pitcher Luis Severino (a disappointing 2016) and 1st baseman Greg Bird (out all year after shoulder surgery), the idea of "Young Yankees" is a better bet to energize fans. Compare that strategy to bringing in retreads from other organizations -- or overpaying for free agents whose performance likely will diminish over time. We're just five weeks away from when camps open and all four of the playe

From March 7th, 2016: Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright working against the Mets in a Grapefruit League game in Jupiter, Florida. He'd go onto win 13 games during the regular season.

Jarrod Dyson is heading to Seattle. The Royals traded their speedy fourth outfielder to the Mariners on Friday for pitcher Nat Karns. Dyson, who turns 33 in August, stole 25 or more bases in each of the past five seasons. Never hitting for enough power or average to secure an everyday spot, he's entering his walk year. And he'll do it hitting alongside such new teammates as Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager, all likely to reach 30 home runs. Speaking of homers, Dyson couldn't outrun this right field porch blast by Brett Gardener when the Royals played the Yankees last May.

A consistent run producer the last eight years with the Rockies, Carlos Gonzalez  is entering his walk year. Now 31, the outfielder passed 200 career home runs last summer and made the NL All Star team for third time. But what's in his future? Does he continue to be a Colorado mainstay? Or, like longtime teammate Troy Tulowitzki, will be be traded? And how will the arrival of free agent Ian Desmond, impact CarGo's role on the Rockies? One thing is clear: considering the stats he's posted, the 7-year, $80-million deal that ends this year has been a flat-out bargain. Lots of questions, not a lot of answers to go along with this image from Yankee Stadium last June 21st.

August 21st, 2007: an unusally cool and damp summer's evening at Citizens Bank Park -- the end of a three-city trip that began at RFK Stadium, continued with a rainout at Camden Yards, and finished up in Philadelphia. Above: The Phillies Aaron Rowand faces 6-foot-9 Dodger pitcher Mark Hendrickson. Below: Lefthanders always seemed like kryptonite to Ryan Howard, who pops up against Hendrickson. The weather was so chilly for this time of year, I recall our stopping at K-mart before the game to buy some cheap generic sweatshirts!

...you share it with the reigning National League MVP Kris Bryant of the Cubs. Fittingly, he fielded the ground ball that turned into the final out of the 2016 World Series -- to snap that 108-year drought. Not quite as rare, but still notable, he's only the sixth player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same or consecutive seasons. This image is from the Cubs/Mets game at Citi Field last July 1st.

On a slow news day, the biggest baseball item I found was the Orioles signing Jesus Montero . You remember him... or maybe you don't -- after all, it's been five years since he made a splashy debut as a Yankee rookie before being traded to Seattle. But he never became the player the Mariners hoped for. The native of Venezuela didn't appear in the majors at all in 2016; instead, he was with the Blue Jays' AAA farm club, where he batted over .300. Good numbers, but not enough for Toronto to hold onto him. Instead, he heads to Baltimore on a minor league contract with the chance to make the big club in spring training. Might hitter-friendly Camden Yards help Montero revive his career? A big maybe. It certainly proved a tonic for the turnarounds from Nelson Cruz and Mark Trumbo. But should be impress in spring training, he'll first have to serve a 50-game suspension for using a banned stimulant.