Preview/Prediction

As countdowns to the beginning of the season have begun for Los Angeles Dodger fans, pitchers and catchers have reported and the start of spring training is just around the corner. While there are still a few questions, it’s important to know what to look for and expect as camp opens.

As pitchers and catchers report for duty, baseball fans can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Before long, the 2014 Major League Baseball season will begin.

After a long, cold winter, baseball is back. 

For most of us, the wait was endless. If you latched onto the hot-stove season, disappointment likely followed.

Oscar Taveras was widely regarded as the top offensive prospect in baseball headed into the 2013 season and was expected to make an immediate impact upon reaching the major leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Fresh off their first playoff appearance since 2007, the Cleveland Indians are now just days away from the start of spring training.

The Indians made some big changes to the roster this offseason, but the biggest moves came in the form of the free-agency departures of Scott Kazmir, Joe Smith and Ubaldo Jimenez. The team attempted to address these moves through a flurry of minor league signings while also adding closer John Axford and outfielder David Murphy to the big league roster.

The Tampa Bay Rays are preparing to begin their spring training for the 2014 season. The team is coming off another successful season, making the postseason for the fourth time in six seasons.

Unlike many recent years, the Rays do not have to begin spring training discussing the loss of any marquee players needing to be filled with an unproven prospect.

T-minus four days until Oakland A's pitchers report for spring training. Five days after that, the rest of the squad officially opens camp in Phoenix, Arizona. Baseball is upon us.

The 2014 Oakland A's will look familiar.

Four-fifths of the rotation is the same. There are no new faces in the starting lineup. The bullpen and bench saw the most turnover.

Spring training is always entertaining.

We have almost made it to spring training, and 2014 is looking like a bright year for several young pitchers. Young pitchers seem to have a tendency to break into the majors with authority.

Every now and then, a surprise player takes MLB by storm to lead the league in a major category seemingly out of the blue.

Such was the case in 2013, when slugging Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis exploded for an MLB-best 53 homers and 138 RBI. But as we look ahead to 2014, we can expect a lot of the same from the usual suspects.

It has been a long and winding road for Michael Pineda to make his first start with the New York Yankees, but now it's time for Pineda to take that next step in his career and become a full-time starter.

The Philadelphia Phillies are noticeably and understandably excited about the start of spring training in Clearwater, Fla.:

Given the painfully dull and disappointing offseason, it is no wonder the Phillies want to talk about something else.