We are now more than halfway through January and spring training is just weeks away.

The Baltimore Orioles are coming off two consecutive winning seasons, including a playoff berth in 2012, and that—coupled with the team's talented core—gives O's fans hope for the 2014 season.

However, the Orioles have done virtually nothing to improve their team this winter, or at least in the sense of an impact signing of a bigger-name player.

Every prospect feels pressure to surpass expectations upon reaching the major leagues. After all, if the player is a high-profile prospect, then chances are he’s already viewed as a potential franchise cornerstone.

However, that’s nothing compared to the pressure felt by a prospect tabbed for an everyday role in The Show to begin a season. Such a scenario usually involves prospects that have at least tasted the major leagues—guys who understand what’s at stake and will do everything in their power to relish the opportunity.

For the Tampa Bay Rays, planning to trade star pitcher David Price isn't so much a matter of whether the price is right but when the timing is.

At the end of the 2013 season, speculation started that the small-market Rays more than likely would be swapping their ace left-hander, primarily because of his escalating salary and imminent free agency following 2015.

After an exceptionally slow start to 2014, suddenly a ton of MLB stars have agreed to new deals for the upcoming season.

Much of the activity has resulted from clubs and players looking to avoid the messy arbitration process. Friday marked the final day for arbitration-eligible players and teams to exchange salary figures, with potential arbitration hearings looming in mid-February.

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez's 211-game suspension was reduced to 162 games today as a result of his appeal, as was first reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Tim Brown of Yahoo!

It's been a relatively quiet but expensive offseason for the Los Angels Dodgers compared to years past. Last winter, they signed Hyun-Jin Ryu and Zack Greinke to big contracts. This year, it's been...Jamey Wright?

After months of arbitration hearings, deliberations and courtroom drama, Alex Rodriguez has been suspended for 162 games, according to a release from MLB.com, which also includes a statement from A-Rod. 

The Dodgers, who claim to be gearing their organizational philosophy more towards developing the farm system and spending less on flashy free agents, are now rumored to be the front runner for flashy free agent Masahiro Tanaka's services.

Alex Rodriguez's appeal finally has a resolution, and it's not one the slugger was hoping for, as he was suspended for the entirety of the 2014 Major League Baseball season. As you might expect, Twitter was absolutely ablaze with reactions upon hearing the verdict.

There are no perfect offseasons, though Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington came pretty close last offseason.