Opinion

The market for Cuban prospect Aledmys Diaz should begin to unfold this week in the wake of the shortstop’s 23rd birthday on Tuesday. He was officially declared a free agent last month after establishing residency (in Mexico) during the previous month.

Now, under Major League Baseball’s latest collective bargaining agreement, the team that signs Diaz will not be subject to international signing restrictions. Similarly, he is free to command a higher contract.

At least two players will pull off the insanely difficult task of being a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee. We will find out for sure when the inductions are announced on Jan. 9. 

In the meantime, we are left to speculate. This is a fun year to do just that. The list of accomplishments of this group of first-ballot players is amazing. Unfortunately, too many of those accomplishments are tainted by steroids. 

That is awful for the sanctity of the Hall, but it is fun to debate. 

The offseason is hardly young, but MLB trade rumors continue to fly.

The Philadelphia Phillies have not had a losing season since 2002, when they finished 80-81. The last ten seasons have provided the faithful fan base in Philadelphia with more things to cheer about than to jeer about. Unfortunately though, the end is near. 

It wasn't the farcical Mayan Apocalypse that dashed the hopes of Phillies fans everywhere. No. It was the mismanagement of a roster and farm system that will cause the destruction of arguably the best decade of baseball in this franchise's history. 

Numbers have always gone hand-in-hand with baseball, and more so now than ever before. We're nearing the point where you almost need a college degree to understand modern baseball analysis, which is far more complicated and more headache-inducing than the baseball analysis of yesteryear.

Pete Rose, baseball's giant who seems destined to be on the outside looking in, will premiere his TLC reality series with fiancee, Kiana Kim. 

The show, entitled Pete Rose: Hits and Mrs., follows the former Cincinnati Reds superstar who continues to fight his lifetime ban from the game of baseball. 

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.

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.