They write songs about center fielders, from (where have you gone) Joe DiMaggio to Willie, Mickey and the Duke. They write books about center fielders.

Catchers, shortstops and first basemen are important, but center fielders live on.

And yet in all the years of the Hall of Fame, only six players who started at least 1,500 games in center field have been voted in by the Baseball Writers Association of America. On Wednesday, it will become seven.

The new year may have just kicked off, but Bartolo Colon wasted no time jumping in.

The right-hander is already working to make the most of the $7.25 million deal the New York Mets struck with him to bring him back for one more season.

Having spent lavishly, both in cash and prospects, to bolster their pitching staffs, teams are finally beginning to turn their attention to the bats that remain available this offseason.

While free-agent outfielders such as Yoenis Cespedes, Alex Gordon and Gerardo Parra have been the subject of increased chatter on the rumor mill, teams are also looking to the trade market as a way to bolster their respective lineups, with an eye on potentially available outfielders as well.

It sat on my desk for several days just before Christmas. In the envelope. Unsealed. Stamp affixed. Questions nagging.

Finally, into the mail it went.

Last-minute Christmas card? No.

My Hall of Fame ballot.

Coming off a huge breakout in 2015, Yoenis Cespedes has a rare sort of distinction on the free-agent market. He's arguably the most talented player still available, but he is also arguably the biggest question mark still available.

The crazy part about Yoenis Cespedes, Chris Davis, Alex Gordon and Justin Upton all remaining unemployed at this late date in the offseason is that there's still a tremendous need for corner bats across the game.

The Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals are just a few of the contending clubs who should add an impact hitter as the 2016 season inches ever closer.

For most of the last two years, the New York Yankees specialized in acquisitions that were anything but flashy. Many were useful and some were surprisingly good, but none of them screamed, "Look at us!"

Like trading for Aroldis Chapman did. Now that's a Yankee move.

Mike Piazza, the best offensive catcher in baseball history, isn't in the Hall of Fame. And nobody can really explain why.

Yes, you will hear phrases like "stain of the steroid era" and "cloud of suspicion." But these are the facts: Piazza was never suspended for performance-enhancing drug use. His name did not appear in the Mitchell Report, and it hasn't surfaced in any subsequent PED revelation.

Everything is better with Jim Ross broadcasting it.

That includes baseball.

The legendary WWE announcer hosted a Twitter Q&A on Sunday, and one fan asked him about the possibility of calling games for the Pittsburgh Pirates:

Ross was all over it:

Can you imagine Ross calling a walk-off win or a huge play from Andrew McCutchen?

Major League Baseball's hot stove has cooled considerably since the winter meetings came and went, but with a number of impact free agents still searching for a new home, there is plenty of action still on tap before the start of spring training.

While things have slowed, this past week was by no means devoid of action. Aroldis Chapman was traded, and Scott Kazmir, Kenta Maeda and Stephen Drew all made their free-agency decisions.