As Chase Utley gears up for another year in LA, Chooch starts his Mariners tenure, and Jimmy Rollins mulls retirement, Ryan Howard finally found himself a job. In the NL. In the division.

According to Mark Bowman, the Braves have signed Ryan Howard to a minor league deal, where he’ll go to extended Spring Training and then join Triple-A Gwinnett. If Howard makes the bigs this year, there will be plenty of chances for him to face off against his former team.

Hamels with the Rangers is fine. There’s no real history with the Dodgers, White Sox, or Mariners. But the Braves? THE BRAVES? I understand that a job is a job and Howard doesn’t want to hang it up, but seeing him inside the division is going to be very, very strange. As always, one mantra stays true: At least it’s not the Mets.

Kyle: You know how this ends– Howard hitting a walk-off on on 0-2 curve against the Phillies.