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With nearly their entire World Series roster returning for the 2013 season, the San Francisco Giants have the luxury of allowing their top prospects to marinate in the minor leagues a bit longer. Frankly, it is better that way, since their farm system isn't exactly ready to pop out a slew of major league stars.

But there are a few promising players, in particular an exciting outfielder—who could be contributing to the big club sometime this season.

Getting a right-handed bat for the outfield was one of the offseason priorities for the Philadelphia Phillies.

They were taken in the 2007 MLB Amateur Draft. Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman consider themselves best friends on and off the field. They are expected to do big things again for the Atlanta Braves in 2013.

Pitchers and catchers will report any day now, but until then there's still plenty of unfinished business to tend to out on the free-agent market.

Here we are in late January, and notables like speedy center fielder Michael Bourn and veteran starting pitcher Kyle Lohse still don't have contracts. Proven closers like Jose Valverde and Brian Wilson are also still looking for work, and I suspect all of us are waiting for the Texas Rangers to do something.

When the Giants non-tendered reliever Brian Wilson earlier this offseason, the chance remained that he could return to the team on a more reasonable contract.

While the level of excitement in Toronto about baseball has not been this high since the World Series runs of 1992 and 1993, the level of expectation is considerably high. For close to two decades, franchises like the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers continuously had very high payrolls with no championship to show for it.

Just when it seemed the Boston Red Sox couldn't get any lower than fried chicken and beer in the club house, the baseball world witnessed Jon Lester’s career-worst 11 runs against Toronto, Daniel Bard’s transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation and Josh Beckett’s golf game.

The Philadelphia Phillies finally relinquished the crown to the emerging Washington Nationals squad in the surprising NL East division last season. The headline-grabbing Miami Marlins finished last in the division after having such high hopes and the New York Mets?

Sony PlayStation recently named Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen as the new cover player for the highly anticipated video game MLB 13 The Show set to release on March 5.

Did we mention McCutchen can do a mean Cleveland from Family Guy imitation?

Just how desperate were the Philadelphia Phillies to sign a right-handed, power hitting corner outfielder with Major League experience? Desperate enough to forget what solid defense looks like? Desperate enough to jeopardize the playing time and development of a pair of young outfielders with a lot to lose by sitting on the bench (or wasting away in Triple-A)?