With Opening Day just around the corner, the San Francisco Giants are looking to redeem themselves after a 76-86 record in 2013.

The Giants have won two out of the last four World Series, but there are some serious question marks about their 2014 club.

Can their starting pitching return to old form? Will Pablo Sandoval have a productive season? Can their defense improve?

Here are five bold predictions for the Giants in 2014. 

The Philadelphia Phillies were a team to be reckoned with from 2007-2011. They were an example of what a franchise should embody with their ability to develop prospects, build chemistry and fill voids efficiently through free agency. Those teams won five National League East division titles, two National League Championships and one World Series.

We have almost made it to spring training, and 2014 is looking like a bright year for several young pitchers. Young pitchers seem to have a tendency to break into the majors with authority.

Hope springs eternal, and that may never be more true than in the hearts and minds of baseball fans. Every fanbase kicks off spring training with at least some sense of hope and optimism at the start of a new season.

There are obviously teams expected to contend each year, but the past two seasons have shown that dark-horse teams can emerge and make a push to October as well.

The Atlanta Braves had a difficult offseason. Star catcher Brian McCann and veteran pitcher Tim Hudson both left Atlanta and instead of replacing those players, the Braves stood pat.

Fans were restless.

Freddie Freeman should feel special on this fine day in February, as the word is he's the first $100 million player in Atlanta Braves history.

Good for him, but even better for the Braves. They just locked up a young, talented player who's on the rise for money that's really not all that absurd by today's standards.

First of all, the news itself. As the Braves happily announced on Twitter:

With spring training right around the corner, the New York Mets will have a number of sleeper prospects for fans to watch throughout February and March.

If all you're looking for is a typical 150-200-word blurb, then this should do the trick.

After Murphy’s Law wrecked their 2012 season, everything went the Boston Red Sox’s way in 2013. They won 97 games, the AL East title, the American League pennant and, of course, the World Series.

The very idea of Major League Baseball teams investing big bucks in unproven international players doesn't sound like a good idea. A look back at recorded history will say that, yeah, it's really not.

The twist, however, is that this might not be the case for much longer.

You can probably guess why we're about to have this conversation. Surely you've seen seen the three big contracts handed out to international stars since the middle of last October. If not, well:

Masahiro Tanaka is supposed to be a star. After all, he went 24-0 last season in Japan, and he seems to have all of the tools necessary for success. Read this analysis by our own Adam Wells if you want a more technical breakdown of this phenom, but let me give you a few highlights.