Rankings/List

The Boston Red Sox might not want to trade John Lackey, given his strong 2013 season and his extremely team-friendly $500,000 club option for 2015. But, in all likelihood, they'll want to clear up a crowded rotation situation before the start of the season, and there may not be a better time to trade the veteran right-hander. 

Every season, there are a number of players in the MLB who put up disappointing numbers. They are coming off of strong seasons and either their power numbers, batting average or ERA fails to match what they did in the previous year.

Players regress for a number of reasons, and there are some key indicators which may hint at the fact that a player will fail to replicate his numbers from the previous season. A very high batting average on balls in play is one such example.

With the end of a year comes the final chapter of the season that nearly was. For the second year in a row, the St. Louis Cardinals were inches away from their 12th world championship.

The arrival of 2014 means it is time to put the season fully in the past and move forward to the future of the organization.

The 2013 season brought to the forefront many new faces within the organization that made an impact on 2013 and will in all likelihood continue to do so next season.

There have been a number of free-agent signings and trades thus far during the 2014 MLB offseason as teams look to improve their rosters for the coming season. Some of the deals have been surprises, and others have seemed like great fits.

Many teams out there have made moves that make sense based on what their offseason goals are. Some were looking to add players who will give them the best chance at a World Series in 2014, while others wanted to acquire young talent that would give them a solid core to build around.

It's still too early to declare a team as a "winner" or "loser" at this point in the offseason. Because there's still plenty of time left for them to make trades and several impact players still available on the free-agent market, the perception of how a team's offseason has gone can change in a moment's notice. 

A lot has happened, though, and there are teams that have certainly established themselves as having had a successful offseason and those who have either made enough questionable moves or non-moves to give their fanbase a reason to be disappointed. 

You know what happened in the 2013 Major League Baseball season?

A lot. A lot happened. Certainly too much to remember all of it, anyway.

But just some of it? Oh, let me tell you how we're going to remember just some of it.

There were moments here and there that we won't soon be forgetting. Some were the brand of weird that baseball specializes in. Others were the brand of amazing that baseball also specializes in. Others still were a little bit of both.

The Tampa Bay Rays face a daunting task each offseason.

Stay competitive on a tight budget.

Competing in the American League East is a difficult task by itself. When you add in the Rays budget compared to the spending ability of the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox, and the task becomes exponentially more difficult.

It's that time of year again. Everyone is swearing off junk food, buying gym memberships and looking up local charities in order to hit their New Year's resolutions. But if the Dodgers want to return to the NLCS and have another shot at the World Series, they better make a few of their own.

Suffice it to say, the 2014 MLB free-agent market is getting thin. 

Sure, Nelson Cruz is still available. Plus, a number of front-line starters are patiently waiting for new deals while the Masahiro Tanaka saga holds up the entire market for starting pitchers. Of course, all of those players are expected to command top dollar. 

The Kansas City Royals have been active in adding pieces to the club this offseason.  On the heels of a winning season, the team obviously feels that they will find themselves contending for the division title in 2014.