Opinion

For a time, it looked like the Seattle Mariners had lost Hisashi Iwakuma. During that time, they had the look of a solid yet flawed team.

But then Iwakuma fell back into their laps. And now, well, surprise! What was a solid but flawed team now looks like a plain ol' solid team.

The term “untouchable” is always relative, and the parameters of it depend on the organization and front office that hold said player who might be off limits in trade discussions.

Strictly going off their last four seasons, the Boston Red Sox have a 25 percent chance of finishing in first place in 2016 and a 75 percent chance of finishing in last place.

But in the words of Han Solo, never tell me the odds. Not those odds, anyway. The 2016 Red Sox are custom-designed to avoid the fate of the 2012, 2014 and 2015 clubs, and we're here to promise they will.

And now for a message to Atlanta Braves fans who are down in the dumps about the club's rebuild: Don't be afraid to get your hopes up.

Just ask any fan of the New York Mets or Chicago Cubs. 

At this point, I'll believe Jake Odorizzi is headed to the Los Angeles Dodgers when he takes the mound at Dodger Stadium. Or maybe not until he throws his first pitch in Dodger blue.

It was Tuesday, Sept. 1, when they all filed into the Fenway Park baseball conference room: pro scouts, amateur scouts, administrators—all for one of those change-of-command meetings that can lead to sleepless nights and bottles of Tums.

Dave Dombrowski, hired a mere two weeks earlier as Boston's incoming president of baseball operations, walked in to conduct the meeting and, as he did, carried with him a couple of the thickest notebook binders that maybe had ever been seen in Fenway.

Don Mattingly led three straight Los Angeles Dodgers teams to 90-win seasons and postseason appearances. He's the only manager in Dodger history—Brooklyn or Los Angeles—with three straight first-place finishes.

The stockpile is in place. 

The brain trust is comfortable and mapping out how to do its next big thing.

All that is left is for the Los Angeles Dodgers to actually strike the stunning deal.

Last fall, an All-Star third baseman was traded and proceeded to have an MVP season for his new team.

Now, the Chicago White Sox are hoping history repeats itself.

It’s midway through December, and this has already been one of the most active Major League Baseball offseasons in recent memory. Plenty of teams have been dealing aggressively, making smart acquisitions or signing key free agents to counter the moves made by their divisional rivals.