Baseball

A report surfaced this morning out of Baltimore saying that the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles had discussions on a possible three-way trade with pitcher Rick Porcello and shortstop J.J. Hardy being part of the deal.

First, it was Scott Hairston.

Then, it was Vernon Wells and even Lance Berkman.

Now, there's a new name that has entered the Hot Stove of rumors involving the New York Yankees.

With a little over a month to go until pitchers and catchers report, the Yankees' search for a bat continues.

After insisting on a three year deal but ultimately failing to land one, first baseman Adam LaRoche agreed to resign with the Washington Nationals for a two year deal with a mutual third year option.

The American League East is the most competitive division in baseball. From this division, the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles made the playoffs last October. The Tampa Bay Rays came up just short in their playoff push, but have competed for the division crown in each of the past five seasons.

Just how confident are the Los Angeles Dodgers and general manager Ned Colletti in their projected lineup for 2013?

As of now, the bulk of the MLB offseason activity is complete. The majority of the major free agents have signed. And if a blockbuster trade was going to take place, chances are it would have happened by now.

Five weeks remain between now and some of the most optimistic words in baseball:

"Pitchers and catchers report."

Before then, there are some things that still need to sort themselves out. While most of the MLB offseason is over, these storylines still need some sort of resolution.

Kyle Crick, Clayton Blackburn and Chris Stratton, the San Francisco Giants top three prospects according to FanGraphs, have yet to pitch above A-ball. Thus, they don't have the professional experience needed to make the opening day roster.

The Washington Nationals and first baseman Adam LaRoche have agreed on a two-year deal (via the Washington Post). The terms are not yet known, though the initial offer was believed to be roughly around $25 million.

The Miami Marlins' talent exodus reached laughable heights this offseason, but even with Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle playing above the border, there's still one reason to tune on the Marlins every night: Giancarlo Stanton. 

The Boston Red Sox need to finalize their deal with Mike Napoli.