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Spring training is inching closer and closer for the New York Mets. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Port St. Lucie on February 15 to begin their journey through the 2014 MLB season.

Jeff Baker, Marlon Byrd, LaTroy Hawkins and Scott Kazmir each took advantage of spring training invites in 2013, earning a spot on the Opening Day roster of their respective teams and following up with strong seasons.

2014 is an even year, so the San Francisco Giants have to win the World Series. Right?

Not exactly, but San Francisco does have the pieces in place to make a playoff run if all goes well. Several players in particular will be important in making 2014 a season to remember, unlike 2013.

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Taking a temperature reading in the dead of winter is never fun, but with February officially underway and spring training just around the corner, it won't be long before everything starts to thaw and eventually warm up in Major League Baseball.

On the heels of a week that saw the New York Yankees come to terms with Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka on a seven-year, $155 million deal, this past week has been a significantly quieter one around the league.

February can be a rough time to be a big-name MLB free agent. In fact, it can be a rough time to be any kind of free agent.

There are still plenty of teams searching for that one final piece. The problem, of course, is that by this point in the offseason nearly every club has long since surpassed its respective budget. 

The five-player trade between the Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics involving Jed Lowrie and Chris Carter, who both went on to have highly productive seasons for their new teams in 2013, was the lone "blockbuster" trade from last February.

It doesn't mean that we won't have an eventful month ahead of us, with the potential for multiple impact trades to happen. Several big names have already been discussed in trades this winter and it wouldn't be a big surprise to see a few of them head into spring training with a new team.

It's no secret that the only hope that exists for the Chicago Cubs is in their farm system. Top to bottom, they're one of the best in baseball; they were ranked No 4, according to Keith Law of ESPN Insider (subscription required).

The heavy lifting of the MLB offseason is done with spring training less than a month away. By mid-February, pitchers and catchers around the league will be in Arizona and Florida, respectively, getting tuned up with position players not far behind.

Spring training is right around the corner! The Arizona Diamondbacks will be the first MLB team to hold a full-squad spring training workout on February 12, while the remaining teams will be in action no later than February 23, when the Colorado Rockies will have their entire team together.

In the meantime, teams continue to monitor the free-agent and trade markets, as well as the waiver wire, as they contemplate any last-minute wheeling and dealing.