The Cincinnati Reds won the National League Central in 2012, but the team still has some weaknesses entering the 2013 season.

After being up two games to none against the San Francisco Giants, then losing three straight games at home in Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati Reds fans and team members were left with a bitter taste in their mouths at the end of last season.

It’s been a long time since Roberto Alomar manned second base for the Toronto Blue Jays, and boy do they miss him. What was once a point of strength and consistency for the ballclub has become a revolving cast of players.

If the San Francisco Giants formula for success is as strong as it appears to be, they could have a run for their money coming from the St. Louis Cardinals over the next decade.

The cornerstone of the Giants success hasn’t come from blockbuster trades and massive free-agent splashes. It has come from two things, smart player acquisitions and some serious homegrown pitching.

Ever since 1965, the MLB has been having its annual amateur draft. Back when it first started, there were really three drafts every year—one in January for players who graduated in the winter, one in June for players who graduated in the spring and one in August for players who were committed to summer league amateur teams.

The Minnesota Twins are in a position where they need to make moves to improve the active roster. In such situations, a team may decide to trade their biggest piece in order to make a quick upgrade.

On the surface, the Twins may not have that piece. However, that could change if they decide to make Joe Mauer available.

The calendar is just days away from turning to 2013. With that, the book will effectively be closed on the 2012 season as we look ahead toward the year to come in MLB.

But 2012 provided several memorable performances that won't be quickly forgotten.

Obviously, some players were recognized for their achievements with MLB's individual awards, honoring the best hitters and pitchers in each league. Their place in baseball history is assured.

Every year, in sports, there are underrated players who break onto the scene with great performances.

And, every year, people try to predict who those players will be. And this year, I have some ideas.

Despite successful 2012 campaigns, these players aren't getting much attention for a variety of reasons. However, in 2013, they will be getting attention, for some good performances, in fantasy and real life. And then, they'll be shining in the bright lights of October.

But who will those players be? Well, why don't you find out.

The Tigers rode their starting rotation to a Central Division title and an appearance in the World Series. The Tigers have insured they will have the same rotation (more or less) that pitched a great postseason for Detroit.

They do have several questions facing them for the 2013 season, can they stay healthy, can Porcello or Smyly take a hold of the fifth job, and can recently re-signed Anibal Sanchez pitch as well as he did down the stretch and in the playoffs.

Life isn’t exactly a fairytale. If it was I’d be writing this from a beach in the middle of the tropics, but instead I sit in the middle of the snow-filled farm country of Minnesota. There’s real rich soil, but it doesn’t quite have the same warmth as sand between your toes.

Sports have their own fairytale scenarios, usually referencing Cinderella. The MLB’s biggest Cinderella story might be the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks. The D-Backs beat out the ugly stepsister New York Yankees and won their date with the Commissioner’s Trophy.