Fan News

Major League Baseball's offseason has been hectic so far, in case you haven't noticed. And with six weeks to go before pitchers and catchers report, there's still more action to come.

Much of the focus to this point has been on all of the movement among big leaguers, what with free-agent signings and teams trading their top chips to new squads. But there has been almost as much activity on the minor league front, too.

Obsessing over Yoan Moncada yet?

No? Well, you should be. The 19-year-old Cuban is a potential franchise cornerstone, and the bidding for his services projects to be very crowded.

In recent seasons, the New York Mets have been plagued by some unfortunate injuries. Some injuries lasted no more than a few weeks, but others lasted months or even put an end to a player's season.

Joakim Soria had a forgettable time with the Detroit Tigers last season. After being shipped over in a trade from Texas he pitched poorly in the regular season (4.91 ERA), and even worse in the postseason (0-1, 45.00 ERA in two games).

From the Chicago Cubs bringing in Joe Maddon to the Toronto Blue Jays handing out a monster deal to Russell Martin, MLB teams have made some good decisions and some not-so-good ones this offseason.

What follows is a look around the league at the best and worst moves that each squad has made so far. In certain cases, "best" and "worst" were relative terms.

It's a problem every MLB team would love to have: a young star in the making prepared to break out but (possibly) blocked in the short term. 

Still, it can be a problem or, at least, a jaw-grinding conundrum.

Certainly, it's nice to have blue-chip prospects knocking on the door. But the "when" and "how" of their eventual ascent is frequently sticky, influenced by arbitration clocks, roster machinations and the simple, unavoidable question: Is he ready?

With the eyes of the sporting world fixated on the NFL playoffs, CFB bowl season, the NBA regular season and CBB conference play, the casual sports fan may need to brush up on the latest MLB offseason headlines. 

Now that we're on the other side of the New Year, the beginning of a new season doesn't seem that far away. Pitchers and catchers report in a little over a month, while Opening Day is just 87 days away.

Washington Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth may not be available when the regular season begins after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder. 

Continue for updates

Werth Undergoes Successful Surgery

Friday, Jan. 9

The Nationals announced an update on Werth:

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation is undoubtedly the strength of the team. It is loaded.

Two Cy Young winners head the staff, and the back half is talented as well. Legitimate arguments can be made that Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Hyun-jin Ryu are each among the top 20 pitchers in all of baseball, and new acquisitions Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson have question marks but are talented.

The St. Louis Cardinals have found success over the last few seasons with a strong pitching staff. The rotation, while successful, has been a source of injury concern. The team has seemed confident that the starting pitchers are healthy for the 2015 season. Their rumored interest in top-tier starters may suggest otherwise.