Fan News

In a 2014 season when countless players were injured and the Texas Rangers finished buried in the standings, Adrian Beltre was about as close to a bright spot as there was to be found. Now, the team has decided he'll likely be a key player for at least the next two seasons, picking up his contract option. 

John Blake, the Executive Vice President of Communications for the Texas Rangers, made the news official:

With their latest signing, the Boston Red Sox have undoubtedly upgraded their future. But as a bonus, it might also lead them to upgrade their present.

Meet Yoan Moncada, and then prepare to meet Boston's new ace.

We'll get to that. But first, the news itself, which MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez reported Monday morning:

So in the end, Yoan Moncada will keep the red socks from those snazzy Cuban uniforms we’ve seen in international play. And all hail the Boston Red Sox.

Yoan Moncada, the teenage Cuban sensation, is now imminently close to being officially associated with Major League Baseball after reportedly agreeing to terms with the Boston Red Sox.  

Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com first broke the news Monday, the details of which Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports supported. Sanchez wrote:

Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington has reportedly been given a contract extension that keeps him aboard beyond the 2015 season. 

The Internet recently had some fun with Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval after a photo surfaced of him looking bigger than usual at spring training. 

However, Kung Fu Panda wants to prove to everyone that his weight won't be a problem for the upcoming season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers aren't above shopping for potential bargains, as evidenced by their reported signing of right-handed pitcher Brandon Beachy. 

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Dodgers signed Beachy to a one-year deal with a team option for 2016. 

Eric Stephen of True Blue LA provided contract details:

Zack Greinke's 2015 season isn't off to a great start, as the Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander reportedly received a preventive shot to help his pitching elbow.  

According to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, the Dodgers announced that Greinke will be shut down after getting a "lubricating injection."

The Boston Red Sox and manager John Farrell have had a fruitful relationship in their two years together. As a result, the two sides have reportedly decided to extend their marriage for at least two more seasons. 

While we typically have to wait for at least part of the regular season to play out in order to truly understand what, if any, impact a new face will actually have on his new team, the work begins in earnest during spring training.

It matters not if it's a coach, a manager or a player, for the groundwork that's laid during the exhibition season goes a long way toward dictating whether that impact will ultimately be felt (and viewed) as a positive or negative one.