HDWEB: Sad Junior nearly ruins the day, but Bryce Harper and Brett Gardner would like a word

Good afternoon HDWEB'ers, it's March 6th and Ervin Santana still doesn't have a job. Here's everything you need to know.

If you have ideas or suggestions, send 'em my way at @justinbopp.

• Matt Carpenter, Cardinals discussing contract extension - SBNation.com
  St. Louis is looking into a long-term deal with their surprise MVP candidate.

• Yasiel Puig exits with upper back injury, but expected back in lineup Thursday - True Blue LA
  Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig left Wednesday's game with soreness in his upper back, but he is expected to be back in the starting lineup on Thursday.

• Cole Hamels Suffers Setback - The Good Phight
  Cole Hamels is unlikely to pitch in April after suffering another setback.

• Tigers owner Mike Ilitch admits he has been dealing with health issues - Bless You Boys
  As part of a statement as to why he will not be in attendance for the number retirement of the Red Wings' Nick Lidstrom, Tigers owner Mike Ilitch admits to having health problems.

• Jeff Samardzija extension: Cubs GM Hoyer prefers to extend right hander - SBNation.com
  Samardzija has frequently appeared in trade rumors this offseason, but the Cubs hope to keep him in Chicago.

• Bovada makes Texas Rangers the favorite in the A.L. West - Lone Star Ball
  Bovada has the Rangers at 7 to 4 odds of winning the A.L. West, the best odds of any team in the division

• Jose Fernandez shines in spring debut; Zobrist, Jennings lead Rays - SBNation.com
  Recapping Wednesday afternoon's spring training games, which saw Jose Fernandez return to the mound in fine form.

• Mark Teixeira injury: Yankees 1B 'ticked' by lack of swings in camp - SBNation.com
  Teixeira was hoping to get some work in at the cages, but the Yanks shut him down after a short batting session.

• The Red Sox Epic Battle for utility man - Over the Monster
  Brock Holt vs. Jonathan Herrera. Only one man can win. Feel the excitement.

• Yankees spring training: Hitters' Making the Team Meter - Week One - Pinstripe Alley
  Examining where players without guaranteed spots on the Yankees' Opening Day roster stand in their quest to make the team after one week of Spring Training:

• Roster cuts are imminent in Lakeland - Bless You Boys
  The Tigers will be making their first roster cuts of the spring within the next few days as the team approaches the 2014 season.

• Zack Greinke throws bullpen session, return to mound closer - True Blue LA
  For the first time in six days, Dodgers starter Zack Greinke threw off a mound, still dealing with a strained right calf.

• Are Major League Baseball Teams Deploying Their Scouts Efficiently? - The Crawfish Boxes
  Texas, California, and Florida lead the nation in draftees, and not coincidentally, in scouts. But is the way the scouting community is currently situated the best way?

• Minor League Ball Gameday: Thursday, March 6 - Minor League Ball
  Bogaerts and Baez showed off their respective boom sticks while each of the four Top 100 pitching prospects in action had scoreless appearances.

• Lucas Giolito and A.J. Cole Top MLB.com's List of the Nationals' Top 20 Prospects - Federal Baseball
  MLB.com released their list of the Washington Nationals' Top 20 Prospects this afternoon. Right-handers Lucas Giolito and A.J. Cole were atop the rankings. While Giolito is no.1, Cole is likely closer to making an impact at the major league level...

• Eduardo Nunez and hope eternal - Pinstripe Alley
  Sometimes all you need is one chance. And then a few more. Maybe one after that, too.

• Talking Chop's 2014 prospect breakout candidates - Talking Chop
  The Talking Chop prospect team discusses our favorite breakout candidates for 2014.

• Keith Law names Mookie Betts the 'most blocked' prospect in baseball - Over the Monster
  Where oh where will Mookie Betts wind up?

• Combining Value and Production, Cardinals' Rotation is Good, But the Tigers' is Better - Viva El Birdos
  With a solid young staff behind Adam Wainwright this season, the Cardinals' rotation is a good mix of production at decent prices. When surveying all of baseball, however, the Tigers is the best.

• Player performance in a free agent year: an analysis - Beyond the Box Score
  Do players perform better in their free agency walk years? Read and find out.

• NL West 2014: Juan Uribe, Michael Cuddyer among regression candidates - SBNation.com
  Uribe and Cuddyer were both really old and really good in 2013. It's highly possible that those two guys will boast only one of those characteristics when 2014 all said and done.

• Phillies Defensive Philosophy "Shifting" (See What I Did There?) - The Good Phight
  Up until now, the Phillies have been one of the few teams in baseball not to employ defensive shifts against their opponents. Wednesday's spring game against Atlanta showed that may no longer be the case.

• The Dustification of Chris Heisey - Red Reporter
  Is it possible that Dusty Baker stunted Heisey's development?

• What is a microdiscectomy, and what does it mean for Andy Dirks? - Bless You Boys
  In short, nothing we should be too worried about when it comes to Andy Dirks' timetable for return.

• Revisiting the Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki extensions - Purple Row
  It's hard to believe that it's been three years already since Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki signed long-term extensions with the Rockies. Let's check in on how that has gone so far.

• Robinson Cano and the lineup protection myth - Lookout Landing
  There's an increasing amount of chatter that says the Mariners have to "protect" Robinson Cano in the lineup or his offense will be wasted. Don't fall for it.

His secret? Thin Mints, it appears. RT @1067thefandc: WHOA. Look how huge Bryce Harper is now. http://t.co/thGnImTY4B pic.twitter.com/ObK8SBEenv

— Mr. Irrelevant (@MrIrrelevantDC) March 5, 2014

• Bryce Harper is jacked, carrying Girl Scout Cookies - SBNation.com
  Look at how big Bryce Harper is, then let's RANK THESE COOKIES!

• Helping Fox with their 'Keys to the Game' - SBNation.com
  A free service.

• Cool Padres Card: Jason Thompson and His Surfboard - Gaslamp Ball
  Upper Deck had such great and offbeat photography back in the 1990s; this Jason Thompson card is a prime example. In a shot reminiscent of Tim Flannery's 1988 Fleer and Ryan Klesko's 1996 Pinnacle,...

• Help Joba Chamberlain choose his Opening Day facial hair - Bless You Boys
  On Opening Day,do you want to see Joba Chamberlain in a mustache? Maybe a goatee? How about a full beard? Or should he be clean shaven? You can help make the call!

• Mark Teixeira and juice: A love story through GIFs - Pinstripe Alley
  Everyone's favorite bizarre juice fanatic took a YES reporter into his juicing lair. The world may never be the same.

• Five Great Rick Ankiel Throws (GIFs) | Serious Jammage
  Let us never forget that amazing arm.

Estádio Municipal de Braga -- Coolest outfield in the world? h/t r/baseball