Fan News

For the second time in three years, the San Francisco Giants will enter spring training with the feeling of being World Series champions. 

However, there are still some questions that need to be answered and some concerns about the defending champions.

With spring training officially underway, it's time to begin pre-draft preparations for 2013 fantasy baseball leagues.

If you're like me, you've already done a draft or two to see where certain players are being taken and how to pick out the diamonds in the rough that slip to later rounds.

If you're not like me, well, it's time to start preparing.

Last season was a big year for breakout fantasy stars. Several guys came from seemingly nowhere to produce big numbers and be weekly starters on their manager's fantasy rosters.

With spring training starting to get underway, MLB teams will be closely examining their rosters to see who can make the biggest impact. However, there are still a number of players that remain free agents looking to make a difference for any of the 30 teams.

Topps unveiled the world's largest baseball card on Tuesday, measuring 90 feet by 60 feet. 

MLB.com tweeted pictures of the card, which showcases Detroit Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder:

As if the 5'11", 275-pound behemoth could get any bigger. 

A couple years ago, the cut fastball was Mariano Rivera's pitch. He was the only pitcher in baseball who threw it with any regularity, not to mention with any real skill.

Now it seems like every pitcher in the majors features a cutter in his repertoire. The popularity of the cutter has increased dramatically, and hitters around the league aren't crazy about it.

Opening Day is getting closer, and teams are in a flurry trying to make last-minute moves to position themselves for contention come spring. 

The Cleveland Indians are undoubtedly one of the busiest teams, signing a slew of big names, most recently Michael Bourn. 

However, as we learn almost every year through free agency, all that glitters is not gold. 

As we all take our guesses on whether or not the Minnesota Twins will improve on their back-to-back last place finishes in the American League Central, the 2013 Twins already look very different from the team that took the field in 2012.

With another descent to the bottom of the AL Central, there's reason to believe that the 2014 team will look even more different.

But how different, exactly?

For a number of years, the New York Mets have had the distinction of having one of the worst farm systems in Baseball. Between poor drafts and unwisely trading away prospects for washed-up Major Leaguers, the Mets have not had the luxury of tapping into homegrown talent.

The arrival of spring training marks both the unofficial beginning of the spring season itself, and the unofficial end of baseball's offseason.

Teams don't know what their Opening Day rosters are going to look like yet, but by now they're all stocked with enough players to pick and choose from over the next few weeks. The free-agent market, meanwhile, is almost entirely dried up.