For a time, it looked like the Seattle Mariners had lost Hisashi Iwakuma. During that time, they had the look of a solid yet flawed team.

But then Iwakuma fell back into their laps. And now, well, surprise! What was a solid but flawed team now looks like a plain ol' solid team.

The Chicago White Sox signed right-handed pitcher Nate Jones to a three-year, $8 million extension Friday, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. By inking the new deal, Jones will forego his final two years of arbitration eligibility. 

The Texas Rangers and veteran starting pitcher Colby Lewis reportedly reached an agreement on a one-year, $6 million deal late Thursday.

Every blockbuster trade and free-agent signing that is made during the offseason is made with a high level of confidence that everything will play out according to plan and the transaction will be a big win for the franchise.

As we know, though, that's not always the case.

Last offseason saw some brilliant moves made, headlined by the Toronto Blue Jays acquisition of Josh Donaldson and a string of under-the-radar moves by the Kansas City Royals that worked to perfection.

The term “untouchable” is always relative, and the parameters of it depend on the organization and front office that hold said player who might be off limits in trade discussions.

Strictly going off their last four seasons, the Boston Red Sox have a 25 percent chance of finishing in first place in 2016 and a 75 percent chance of finishing in last place.

But in the words of Han Solo, never tell me the odds. Not those odds, anyway. The 2016 Red Sox are custom-designed to avoid the fate of the 2012, 2014 and 2015 clubs, and we're here to promise they will.

Seeking infield depth for next season, the Pittsburgh Pirates re-signed versatile utility man Sean Rodriguez to a one-year contract. 

The Pirates announced Rodriguez's signing on their official Twitter account Thursday. 

Rodriguez spent last season with the Pirates, appearing in 139 games and hitting .246/.281/.362 with four home runs. 

It was Tuesday, Sept. 1, when they all filed into the Fenway Park baseball conference room: pro scouts, amateur scouts, administrators—all for one of those change-of-command meetings that can lead to sleepless nights and bottles of Tums.

Dave Dombrowski, hired a mere two weeks earlier as Boston's incoming president of baseball operations, walked in to conduct the meeting and, as he did, carried with him a couple of the thickest notebook binders that maybe had ever been seen in Fenway.

Don Mattingly led three straight Los Angeles Dodgers teams to 90-win seasons and postseason appearances. He's the only manager in Dodger history—Brooklyn or Los Angeles—with three straight first-place finishes.

The stockpile is in place. 

The brain trust is comfortable and mapping out how to do its next big thing.

All that is left is for the Los Angeles Dodgers to actually strike the stunning deal.