Baseball

Pitchers and catchers reported to spring training on Valentine's Day, and the rest of the squad joined their teammates on the diamond February 18.  

New Giants, like pitcher Tim Hudson and left fielder Michael Morse, are looking to prove themselves to their new teammates, but their spots on the roster are secure.  

After an arduous winter that hammered much of the country with freezing temperatures and heavy snow, there may be no better words in all of sports than “pitchers and catchers report.”

While that has already happened, there are plenty of notable dates remaining on MLB’s spring training schedule for the 2014 season. 

Let’s preview some of them.

Tuesday, Feb. 25: College Day

The MLB offseason has come to an end, as all 30 MLB teams have reported to spring training and preseason games are set to kick off next week.

It was an eventful offseason, headlined by the Seattle Mariners signing of Robinson Cano, the New York Yankees spending big on a handful of guys (including Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka) and several free agents struggling to find homes after receiving qualifying offers. 

As we head toward the first games of spring training, the Cincinnati Reds' roster contains quite a few "ifs." Fortunately, some of those "ifs" are in a position to break out both in spring training and the 2014 regular season.

The 2014 version of this list contains a few familiar faces. However, two prospects joined the rank of breakout candidates, with one holding the potential to make himself into one of the most dynamic players in all of baseball.

The last half-decade has been rough for the Chicago Cubs.

The franchise owns a 356-453 overall record since its last playoff berth in 2008, recording only one winning season (2009) during that span. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the Cubs are coming off back-to-back dismal seasons in which they combined for 197 losses.

However, help is on the way.

The Texas Rangers did plenty of housekeeping during the offseason.

Every spring training defined storylines are set. However, as it progresses, some unexpected developments take place and change everything fans had assumed. Breakout stars emerge and other “sure things” disappoint.

When Brett Lawrie made his major league debut in 2011, the baseball world was stunned by his performance.

Sure, the then-21-year-old Canadian native out of British Columbia was a top prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays’ system ever since he had been acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers.

The 2014 Chicago Cubs broke camp in Mesa, Ariz. this week with several unanswered questions in regard to their final 25-man roster. There are several position battles which will involve players who are on the cusp of making the major league squad. 

Which players currently on the roster bubble are going to have a tough time making the team?

Let's take a few moments to examine the players that project to be locks to make the team. 

Despite missing out on the postseason last October, the New York Yankees enter spring training as the biggest story in Major League Baseball.