Monday roundup

I'm sitting on pins and needles here with this Amare business. To steal an expression from my mother, I have officially put all my eggs in one basket. The Bulls need to make this happen. If they don't - whether Pax/Reinsdorf screw it up or Kerr decides to hold on to Amare - I sort of have no idea what their plan for the future should be. But with Amare, I think we're looking at one of the best teams in the East for a long time, starting next season. These are some big stakes.

The trade deadline is Thursday at 2 p.m.

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Your all-Ricky links of the day

My SpringTraining09 White Sox preview

My interview on the Sox at C70.

My weekly SlowBreaker column, up at 11 a.m.

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I'm starting to gear up for fantasy baseball season, both at TFF and with my own team. Fellow TTCS'er Phil Barnes and I bought a team this year in a $100 AL-only keeper league, so that'll probably grab hold of most of my sports attention span, particularly if I'm still Amare-less come the weekend.

When I say we bought a team, I don't mean we just paid the entrance fee. We purchased an already set team featuring guys like Dustin Pedroia, Justin Verlander, Josh Beckett, and Paul Konerko, and we'll fill out the rest of our roster in the March 7 supplemental draft. Barnes got a subscription to Baseball Prospectus for Christmas to help us out, so I figure I'll abuse my power and post some of the more interesting stuff I find at BP here. Kevin Goldstein just published his top 100 prospects list, here are a few notable things:

- It should come as no surprise that the top Sox prospect is Gordon Beckham, who comes in at No. 28. The best case scenario for Becks: September call-up this year, top 15 prospect on most of these lists next offseason, and opening day starter (at either 2B, SS, or 3B) in 2010.

- Aaron Poreda (No. 74) and Brandon Allen (No. 99) also both crack the top 100 for the Sox. Most consider Allen, a first baseman, below catcher Tyler Flowers and third baseman Dayan Viciedo in the Sox' system.

- Chris Carter, the man the Sox traded to Arizona for the one and only Carlos Quentin, checks in for the Diamondbacks at No. 48.

- Best prospect in the AL Central? Royals prep-to-pro first baseman Eric Hosmer (No. 18).

- Josh Vitters is the top Cub at No. 34

- I think Michael Bowden is the only local guy on the list. The Red Sox pitcher and former Waubonsie Valley star comes in at No. 31.

- The guy most of the posters at SSS wanted the Sox to draft last year instead of Beckham was Justin Smoak, now a 1B prospect for the Rangers. He checks in at No. 22.

Also from BP on Friday:

The Twins still have room in their payroll to add a player, and they're contemplating signing free-agent third baseman Joe Crede, though they are balking at his reported asking price of a guaranteed $7 million for one year with incentives that could push the deal to $11 million. "We have payroll room, and we're not done," Pohlad said. "The season hasn't started yet. Frequently, transactions occur during spring training, so it still could happen. I mean, there's nothing from us saying, 'Don't. We're done. Go into the season, and keep your fingers crossed.'"

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That's all I got for ya right now. Hopefully we'll get some good news on the Bulls front soon, but, to be honest, my gut feeling says Kerr chooses to keep Amare in PHX.

And yes, I fully expect Stompy to post a 9,000 word NBA All-Star game DVR-blog in the next 45 seconds.