MLB

Opt-out clauses don't sound especially exciting. And they aren't, unless contract loopholes get your pulse pumping.

But they have reshaped the MLB offseason landscape, and they're redefining the nature of marquee free-agent negotiations. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing for players and front offices is a matter of some debate.

The future of Turner Field following the Atlanta Braves' departure has finally been determined, as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Katie Leslie and J. Scott Trubey reported Monday the 20-year-old venue will be sold to real estate firm Carter and Georgia State University.

Twenty-four years after he played his final game for the organization, the Boston Red Sox announced Monday they will retire Wade Boggs' No. 26 in May.

Boggs was overwhelmed upon hearing the news:

The MLB offseason is still far from over, but we have already seen a flurry of activity that began well before the winter meetings kicked off and has continued through the winter meetings.

While the top end of the free-agent pitching market has been picked fairly clean, a number of quality second-tier arms remain in the likes of Mike Leake, Scott Kazmir, Yovani Gallardo and others.

For a brief moment in time, the entire belief made a lot of sense. 

It was too logical not to.

Major League Baseball’s free agency and trade market had seen the predictable run on starting pitchers, and even a bunch of relievers. Then, somewhat predictably, the biggest position player on either market, Jason Heyward, signed his megadeal with the Chicago Cubs for $184 million over eight seasons.

It's an even year, San Francisco Giants fans. And that means—well, here's the thing. You want honesty?

It means nothing.

There is no mystical energy that binds the galaxy together and decrees the Giants must hoist a Commissioner's Trophy in 2016. Yes, they won titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. That's a fascinating numerical anomaly, but it's not a harbinger of things to come.

The good news for MLB's most inactive contenders like the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Kansas City Royals is that it's not even Christmas yet, which means there's still plenty of time left to shop.

The bad news for those clubs is that the offseason simply hasn't gone to script—at least not yet.

As the baseball world prepares to shut down for the holiday season, this is the perfect time to survey the league and figure out which contenders can afford to be patient and which ones should be hitting the panic button.

The reignited rivalry between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs didn't need any more heat. But Jason Heyward and Mike Matheny went ahead and added some spice anyway.

Jason Heyward signed an eight-year, $184 million contract with the Chicago Cubs this offseason after spending 2015 with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Yu Darvish missed the entirety of the 2015 season following Tommy John surgery, and the Texas Rangers starting pitcher could be out of the rotation for another month upon the start of the 2016 campaign.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels told Fox Sports' Jon Morosi on MLB Network Radio that Darvish could return in the middle of May.