Baseball

That creaking sound you hear coming from the general direction of the NL West is that of a door of opportunity opening up, and it has everything to do with an injured $215 million pitcher.

The Oakland Athletics announced on Monday that they signed former Angels pitcher Joe Blanton to a minor league deal, assigning him to Triple-A Sacramento. For Blanton, who was originally drafted by the Athletics, the signing results in a homecoming as well as an opportunity to bounce back from a forgettable year with the Angels.

The New York Mets have had little reason to be optimistic for the past few years, but this year has the potential be different.

The St. Louis Cardinals were tabbed by Baseball America in 2013 as the top minor league system in Major League Baseball. That marked a massive turnaround for an organization that had been consistently ranked near the bottom over the past 15 years.

The Chicago Cubs' System Check video offers a quick overview of the team's farm system, addressing its strengths and weaknesses and how it can improve moving forward. The video also breaks down the Cubs’ top prospects for 2014—Javier Baez, Albert Almora and Kris Bryant—including each player's ETA in the major leagues and potential long-term role within the organization.

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What Jonny Gomes has lost in terms of beard, he has certainly gained tenfold in patriotism.

It's only fitting that the New York Yankees are one of the final two teams, along with Tuesday night's opponents, the Houston Astros, to experience their first game of the 2014 season.

As Derek Jeter's 20th and final major league season begins in Houston, the Yankees captain can be described as a leader, winner and offensive genius. For media members and fans, statistics and accolades tell the story of an all-time great shortstop.

During a rare season when the San Francisco Giants' starting rotation struggled as a whole, finishing with the seventh-highest ERA (4.37) in baseball in 2013, Buster Posey's decline in production went relatively unnoticed. 

Hey, the Miami Marlins are 1-0 and are in the first place in the National League East.

At this rate, they will go 162-0 and win the World Series.

Too much, too soon?