Rankings/List

The 2010 MLB season provided a few teams that finished well above expectations..

Who would have guessed that the San Diego Padres would be on pace to make the playoffs all the way up to the last game of the season?

Who would have guessed that the Cincinnati Reds, a team that hadn't made the playoffs in 15 years, would hold off the mighty St. Louis Cardinals for supremacy in the N.L Central?

And of course, there is the Rangers and Giants. Who would have thought that two average teams in '09 would defeat the heavily favored Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees?

LET'S MAKE A DEAL! Potential superstars in baseball are defined in multiple ways.

There's the rising prospect, the reborn veteran, the under-the-radar sleeper, and of course, the proverbial number one overall draft picks like Justin Upton.

But the organizational side of a team is in a constant motion of re-tooling their investments in the same way a mechanic tinkers with a project car until he gets everything just right.

Heading into 2011, there are a bevy of players we can all talk about who could be considered potential superstars; I stuck with 10.

Victor Martinez will receive a four-year deal for $50 million with the Detroit Tigers, according to Venezuelan reporter Ignacio Serrano of El Nacional, who first reported the agreement.

The Associated Press reported that the deal is pending the results of a physical. Martinez made $7.7 million last season.

The contract is a good one for Detroit, who needs offense. They did not have any player with an OBP over .350.

If he could also catch on a fairly regular basis, his value would be even greater, as his offense is rare for a backstop, but not as great for a DH.

Today's announcement of Josh Hamilton as the American League's Most Valuable Player means baseball's annual end-of-season awards series is over.

Few times of year breed as much controversy and debate amongst baseball fans as awards season. Over the last few weeks, we've seen countless arguments for who should win what and why, starting with Derek Jeter's Gold Glove and running nonstop until now.

With Billy Wagner keen on retiring after the 2010 season, Frank Wren knew he would find himself this off-season once again shopping for bullpen arms.

Even with stellar rookie seasons by Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel out of the bullpen, Atlanta will seek at least one veteran arm to help out in late innings, as well as mentor the talented yet young relief corp.

If you're a baseball fan, you know your team could land key acquisitions and great role players.

Free agency is underway, and there are stars available like Rangers pitcher Cliff Lee and Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford. No one denies their talent and they would be a huge prize for any team.

But what about the busts?

Cliff Lee is a phenom on the mound.  With the ball in hand and the crowd going bananas, Lee oftentimes shines.  His prowess as a big-game pitcher is no longer questioned, despite another World Series loss for his team, this time the Texas Rangers.  

The one team that has long coveted this stud lefty is the money-powered New York Yankees.  Why not? Unlike most teams, they can afford Lee's services, and they're looking for another arm in their rotation right now—or at least they should be.  

Derek Jeter is a Yankee. Let's get that out of the way before we get to anything else on this list.

The Yanks and Jeter's agent are all talk right now, but there's still lots of wheeling and dealing to be done before the start of spring training, and the Yankee captain is too much of a fan favorite for them to let him get away. 

That being said, there is the slimmest of chances that somehow, someway, Hank and the Steinbrenners screw this thing up. What becomes of the Yankee captain then?

The New York Yankees are going to re-sign Derek Jeter, right? Right? Surely, they'll find some money in their infinite budget to bring back their captain, a guy who has led the team to five World Series Championships.

Though the Yankees will ultimately reach some sort of middle ground with Jeter, keeping him in pinstripes for the rest of his career, they aren't making things easy.

The Yankees' brass has called out Jeter on a couple occasions this offseason, saying his ego is getting in the way and that they won't overpay for a guy who isn't worth as much as he thinks he is.

Terry Collins has been selected as the new manager of the New York Mets, a source confirmed to MLB.com on Sunday evening.

He wasn't my first choice to replace Jerry Manuel, but I'll support him and trust that Sandy Alderson and Co. have made the right decision.

Now the Mets have a manager for the 2011 season, there's work to be done and Collins will have a busy offseason.