Rankings/List

Barry Zito, who has struggled in a San Francisco Giants' uniform, still has three years and $57 million left on his contract. There is a good chance that Zito will be boughtout by the Giants, who already have a deep array of starting pitchers

Since the offseason before the 1999 season, when Mike Piazza and Kevin Brown signed by far the two biggest contracts ever at that time, there have been many gigantic contracts, almost none of which worked as a whole.

Jason Heyward started his Major League Baseball journey on Opening Day in 2010 with a home run on his first swing—at the age of 20.

He went on to have one of the better rookie years in recent memory, including ending up with the fourth highest on-base percentage (.393) in the National League.

As defending World Series champions, the San Francisco Giants had a relatively quiet offseason. 

General Manager Brian Sabean felt little need to shake up an intriguing roster filled with castoffs, journeyman and young talents starting to reach their potential. 

Sabean let World Series MVP Edgar Renteria leave for a one-year, $3 million deal with the defending NL Central champion Cincinnati Reds.

The 2011 MLB season is less than a month away and the buzz surrounding the sport is beginning to get cranked up.

The Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues are in full swing and there are plenty of big stories in the early action. Questions surrounding potential platoons in the field and battles for the fifth starter rage on as the countdown to Opening Day creeps closer.

There are also boatloads of trade rumors and even a few early off the field issues as well. Let’s take a look at the latest buzz for every MLB team.

As baseball's opening day approaches teams are sizing up their division chances. Spring brings excitement to every team. Even those teams whose chances look bleak have the potential to catch lightning in a bottle and make this season memorable.

For every team, it will take more than dumb luck to reach the postseason. They’ll need to play from their strengths and hope that there weaknesses can be covered or muted by breakout stars or exceptional play. So here’s a look at each teams strengths and their glaring weaknesses and what it means to each team. 

With the Mets' 50th season right around the corner, now is the perfect time to look back on the 10 most memorable seasons in Mets history.

The Mets have represented National League baseball in New York since 1962 and although the history of another New York team in the Bronx may be considerably most prestigious overall, the Mets have had their fair share of dominant years, culminating with four National League pennants and two World Series championships so far.

Despite it's relative weakness in terms of depth (Baseball America recently ranked Baltimore's system 21st), the Orioles still have one of the most intriguing farm systems in Major League Baseball.

Aside from a few standouts (Zach Britton and Manny Machado), they don't have much elite talent and very few polished prospects.

Only 10 percent of the population is left-handed. Despite a world against us (looking at you notebook spirals), being left-handed has its advantages. One place in particular is on the baseball field.

Albert Pujols and Michael Young have been the main headlines heading into the 2011 Major League Baseball season.

Pujols, one of the greatest players in the game's history, is seeking a record setting contract extension from the St. Louis Cardinals. 

Young, one of the most loyal players in Texas Rangers history, doesn't want to be moved to designated hitter full-time and is seeking a trade. 

The National League East looks to be an exciting race to the finish. From the historical rotation setting up shop in Philadelphia, to a promising offense in Atlanta, the race for the NL East crown will be as interesting as ever. This is a list of the projected starters at each position and the best players at each position.  

Begin Slideshow