Juan Gone? Not Exactly.

Despite being on waivers (or perhaps not) earlier in the week, Juan Uribe will be with the Chicago White Sox in Cleveland next week, and he will be the first man up for the in-season competition at second base. Think of it like a bizarro version of American Idol - Uribe and Ramirez survived the whining and moaning of the audition phase and finally get to become shallow underachievers once the lights go up. Should we consider it good or bad that not one of the four contenders was able to win the job this spring? (That’s a rhetorical question.)

Uribe’s position is a tenuous one though - Alexei Ramirez, who could wind up as a stopgap solution in the outfield now that Carlos Quentin is banged up and Jerry Owens is on the DL, is knocking on the door with terrific spring numbers and long-term potential with the bat that puts Uribe to shame. Still, never underestimate the power of having to play for your job in professional sports - it could cause Uribe to fold like an accordion and expedite his exit, or it could motivate him to get back to being the player he was before he realize he could hit 30 home runs a year in Comiskey Park.