All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change.
1. Joba Chamberlain, RHP, Grade A
2. Jose Tabata, OF, Grade B+
3. Ian Kennedy, RHP, Grade B+
4. Alan Horne, RHP, Grade B
5. Austin Jackson, OF, Grade B-
6. Bradley Suttle, 3B, Grade B-
7. Dellin Betances, RHP, Grade B-
8. Austin Romine, C, Grade B- (hate grading guys who haven't played yet, could be C+)
9. Jesus Montero, C, Grade C+ (borderline B-)
10. Dan McCutchen, RHP, Grade C+

Grade A prospects are the elite. They have a good chance of becoming stars or superstars. Almost all Grade A prospects develop into major league regulars, if injuries or other problems don't intervene. Note that is a major "if" in some cases.

Grade B prospects have a good chance to enjoy successful careers. Some will develop into stars, some will not. Most end up spending several years in the majors, at the very least in a marginal role.

Grade C prospects are the most common type. These are guys who have something positive going for them, but who may have a question mark or three, or who are just too far away from the majors to get an accurate feel for. A few Grade C guys, especially at the lower levels, do develop into stars. Many end up as role players or bench guys. Some don't make it at all.

A major point to remember is that grades for pitchers do NOT correspond directly to grades for hitters. Many Grade A pitching prospects fail to develop, often due to injuries. Some Grade C pitching prospects turn out much better than expected.

Also note that there is diversity within each category. I'm a tough grader; Grade C+ is actually good praise coming from me, and some C+ prospects turn out very well indeed.

Finally, keep in mind that all grades are shorthand. You have to read the full comment for my full opinion about a player, the letter grade only tells you so much. A Grade C prospect in rookie ball could end up being very impressive, while a Grade C prospect in Triple-A is likely just a future role player.

In 1964, Hank was 7 and owned a small, cheap guitar that he banged around on at home. News hit that the Beatles were making a return concert at Cleveland's Music Hall and Hank watched all the reports on TV.

"I didn't ask to go see them, I was just following it on the news like everybody else, with all the excitement it created in the city," he says. "My dad came home from work one day and said, 'We're gonna go see the Beatles.' He was in his early 30s and into Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra and all that and he didn't know a thing about rock 'n' roll. Even at 7, I knew what to expect. But he didn't. So he got great seats, like fifth row, center. I remember every bit of that concert because we were so close.

"But the funny part was we were sitting there and there was no announcement. I'll never forget how George Harrison backed out onto the stage and he was laughing and joking with the other guys, and all hell broke loose. I mean, girls coming screaming down the aisles and people climbing on the back of our chairs. And my dad was looking around, like, 'What the expletive have we gotten into?' His reaction was classic."

>Asked by Couric whether he has ever used steroids, human growth hormone or any other performance-enhancing substance, "No," says Rodriguez. He gave the same answer to Couric's follow-up on whether he had ever been tempted to use them.

Replying to former Sen. George Mitchell’s statement yesterday that his report should be a call to action for baseball fans, Rodriguez says, "I think baseball's done a fine job of implementing some very strict rules. I mean, I got tested eight or nine times. I know some of my teammates got tested, you know, seven, eight…times," he tells Couric. "And, you know, if you think about where the game is today versus where it was six years ago, I think major league baseball has made some nice strides."

"My concern is that the image of Mac is one of a steroid pusher and supplier," Nitkowski, who played in Japan last season, said in an e-mail. "That couldn't be further from the truth." ...

"I certainly believe Mac," he said. "He had no reason to lie. He would not make things up to stay out of jail. He would only tell the truth."

First, I would like to say that contrary to media reports, I have never used steroids. I have no idea why the media would say that I have used steroids, but they have done so repeatedly. This is hurtful to me and my family.

In 2002 I was injured. I had heard that human growth hormone could promote faster healing for my elbow. I felt an obligation to get back to my team as soon as possible. For this reason, and only this reason, for two days I tried human growth hormone. Though it was not against baseball rules, I was not comfortable with what I was doing, so I stopped. This is it - two days out of my life; two days out of my entire career, when I was injured and on the disabled list.

If what I did was an error in judgment on my part, I apologize. I accept responsibility for those two days. Everything else written or said about me knowingly using illegal drugs is nonsense, wrong and hurtful. I have the utmost respect for baseball and have always tried to live my life in a way that would be honorable. I wasn’t looking for an edge; I was looking to heal.

If I have let down people that care about me, I am sorry, but I hope that you will listen to me carefully and understand that two days of perhaps bad judgment should not ruin a lifetime of hard work and dedication. I have tried to do things the right way my entire life, and, again, ask that you put those two days in the proper context. People that know me will know that what I say is true.

"Now is the chance to clean it up," Rivera said. "I heard the Commissioner say that he is going to do whatever it takes to do things right. If you're going to try to do things right, just clean it up for good. Start it now."

Rivera was a member of four Yankees World Series championship teams from 1996 through 2000, considered by many to be among the top dynasties in the sport's recent history. Even though the names of several teammates from those clubs surfaced in Thursday's release of the report, Rivera said that the Yankees' October achievements should not be suspect.

"I don't think so," Rivera said. "It was a lot of players involved in that. It's hard for baseball."

"I opted out simply because, let me preface it by saying it was a mistake," Rodriguez said. "I was pretty sure based on the information that I was getting that the Yankees were not interested in my services ... As far as the World Series, that was handled very poorly. My understanding was the letter would not go public until a day or two after the World Series was over. The timing was distasteful and very inappropriate. The whole thing was a mistake; it was a huge debacle." ...

"I was very angry about the whole situation, I was very upset, and I voiced that to [Boras] the one time I talked to him," Rodriguez said.

2008: $27 million
2009: $32 million
2010: $32 million
2011: $31 million
2012: $29 million
2013: $28 million
2014: $25 million
2015: $21 million
2016: $20 million
2017: $20 million