Opinion

The Oakland A's shocked the baseball world last year by winning 94 games and sweeping the Texas Rangers during the final weekend of the season to win the AL West. Have they done enough this winter to give themselves a legitimate shot to repeat as division champs in 2013?

This offseason, general manager Billy Beane traded for outfielder Chris Young, catcher John Jaso and reliever Chris Resop. He also signed shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima and re-signed starting pitcher Bartolo Colon.

As the MLB offseason pushes to a close, it's been an active winter of free-agent signings and blockbuster trades.

While there have been a number of terrific moves that worked out well for both sides, there are also a handful of moves that should have been made but never came to fruition.

Here is a look at five MLB offseason moves that should have been made for the good of the teams involved in 2013.

Begin Slideshow

When you think about it, there should be no wonder why the baseball closer has been known throughout history as being the one guy on the roster with a screw loose.

Justin Verlander is the best pitcher on the planet, and the Detroit Tigers should do everything they can to ensure that he never puts on another jersey.

The 29-year-old hurler was the Tigers' No. 2 overall pick in the 2004 amateur draft and made his major league debut just a year later on July 4, 2005.

Justin Verlander is one of the top pitchers in baseball, and the Detroit Tigers have to ensure that he spends his whole career in a Tigers uniform.

New York Yankees prospect Tyler Austin was not a well-known player at the start of the 2012 season.

But in less than one year, Austin has steadily risen through the Yankees' ranks to become the No. 3 prospect in the organization.

Still just 22, this 6’2”, 200-pound Georgia native is a speedy athlete with steadfast lumber and an above-average arm.

The New York Yankees off-season has been a quiet one due to ownership implementing a new frugal stance.

Instead of story-lines about signing the biggest free agents, Yankee fans were relegated to watching the realities of missing the 2013 postseason grow by the day.

So as a result, fans, the media, and bloggers alike have been provided with plenty of things to grumble about.

With a surplus of players who could fit the bill as a major league catcher, the Boston Red Sox find themselves in the rare position of strength heading into spring training.

The trade speculation involving Justin Upton and the Yankees officially ended on Thursday.

The Arizona Diamondbacks dealt their superstar outfielder to the Atlanta Braves in a seven-team deal that sent Upton to Atlanta for Randall Delgado, Martin Prado and other prospects.

Playing in the World Baseball Classic every three or four years for your respective country is a great honor that every major league ballplayer has to have in the back of his mind. 

This March, the third annual World Baseball Classic will take place. Spring training begins on March 1 for the Orioles, and the first game of the WBC is on March 8.