New York Yankees catchers made for a living, breathing definition of the term "pushover" in 2013. Combined, they managed just a .289 on-base percentage and 26 extra-base hits.

Thanks to the club's latest signing, however, the position can now be considered upgraded.

For nearly a decade, Brian McCann has been one of the top catchers in all of baseball. He finally cashed in on his elite status at the position, signing a five-year, $85 million deal with the New York Yankees, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. 

CBS' Jon Heyman also added this:

McCann certainly earned his big payday.

With the shocking Ian Kinsler for Prince Fielder trade on Wednesday night, the Texas Rangers took the baseball world by storm.  

Finally—and let me emphasize that—Texas has a premier power bat at first base.  Since GM Jon Daniels traded Mark Teixeira to the Atlanta Braves in 2007, the club has tried desperately to fill the position on a trial-and-error basis.  

The latest news on baseball's international free-agent front is that a pair of high-profile Cuban players have defected and already established residency in another country.

One of the biggest things that came out of the 2013 World Series for the Boston Red Sox was the arrival of Xander Bogaerts.

With every at-bat and play in the field, Bogaerts showed all of the characteristics that people had been projecting for him during his minor league days.

Every MLB team is faced with a number of tough decisions each offseason, as whether or not to pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade or big free-agent signing can sometimes influence the entire future outlook of the franchise.

This offseason is no different, and with a relatively weak crop of free agents, there could be more activity on the trade market than usual.

Great pitching ultimately prevails in the MLB postseason, but qualifying for October baseball in the first place requires a formidable offense.

Five teams in particular ought to be busy this winter pursuing established hitters through trades and free agency as they aspire to remain relevant in 2014. 

MLB free agency is a couple of weeks old, but we're still waiting for the big fish to be reeled in by new suitors.

The offseason action so far has featured a few low-profile signings, but the dominoes have yet to fall when it comes to the top players available. For now, the hot stove is heating up heading into the winter meetings on Dec. 9-12 as teams communicate and get a feel for the market.

Let's take a look at 15 of the top targets available, with a focus on their best-case and worst-case scenarios.

If you love prospects, then it doesn’t get any better than the Arizona Fall League.

With six teams comprised of baseball’s top prospects from all 30 organizations, the AFL provides an opportunity to witness the future of the game on one field.

Jose Bautista may well have played his final games with the Toronto Blue Jays.