The Boston Red Sox won the offseason, adding Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Bobby Jenks and Dan Wheeler to a team that was already capable of making a playoff run.

On Opening Day in Arlington, facing the defending American League champion Texas Rangers, all the attention was on the new faces in the lineup and bullpen. However, after falling to a 9-5 defeat, the blame fell squarely on two players who have been in Boston for years: Jon Lester and Daniel Bard.

Baltimore Oriole Jeremy Guthrie showed up to play Friday night at Tropicana Field and he pitched like the first-round draft pick he is.

Prior to the 2007 season that featured CC Sabathia’s last run at a World Series ring in Cleveland, Guthrie was claimed off waivers from the Indians.

He has spent the better part of his career in relative obscurity on a bad team in a division dominated by powerhouses.

Opening Day is upon us! And each year, teams are destined to begin their regular seasons with certain core players on the disabled list, down with some sort of ailment. But it seems like more than ever in 2011, big-name players have been hitting the disabled list early and often.

Here’s a look at the unheralded players who played well yesterday.

Houston Astros at Philadelphia Phillies

Wilson Valdez, playing for Chase Utley, went 2-for-4 with the game-tying RBI. He’s no Utley, but it’s a nice start. Shortstop Angel Sanchez batted second for the Astros, going 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Neither is good fantasy option.

If you forgot that the Pittsburgh Pirates were a Major League team, I don't blame you.

Being a Pirates fan is possibly the most difficult job in sports. The only thing I would consider worse would be being a fan of the Seattle Supersonics or the Montreal Expos or some other team that left right in front of your eyes.

The last time the Pirates finished with more wins than losses was 1992. I was four years old. Yes, you read that correctly. Four years old!

Well it's finally here. All the research, opinions and projections will actually be put to the test. As does every fantasy baseball season, 2011 starts off quite interesting with key injuries and trades in the offseason.

No Chase Utley at the top of the 2B lists this year. Johan Santana in many leagues is not even being drafted. Zack Greinke's short DL stint to start the season in his new home isn't exactly the way to start a relationship. With lesser injuries we watch Corey Hart and Mat Latos.

The Seattle Mariners could have opted to keep Michael Pineda in the minor leagues to start the season, likely saving themselves millions of dollars (due to arbitration time). 

Instead the team opted to reward the 22-year-old righty after he dominated in spring training (2.12 ERA, 15 K, 6 BB over 17.0 innings) by naming him the fifth starter.

Finances aside, it really should have been an easy decision for the Mariners to make. 

MLB Opening Day 2011 got off to a grand start on Thursday afternoon, and while there were some fairly impressive pitching performances, there were also some prodigious blasts as well.

In Cincinnati, the Reds and starter Edison Volquez got off to a bit of a shaky start when Milwaukee Brewers hitters Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez started the game with back-to-back home runs, the first time that has happened on Opening Day since 1969.

While Major League Baseball’s Opening Day might be the greatest days ever, it also might be the most overrated. A lot is made of who wins and who loses and a lot is made over game one of 162: John Kruk has already hit the panic button on the Milwaukee Brewers.

However, there are those rare cases when something does happen on Opening Day that sheds some insight into the future. Today’s Opening Day tilt between the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals is an example of that.

San Francisco Giants Fall 2-1 To Arch Rivals in Opener

Let the championship hangover griping begin!

Well, I guess that might be a little premature. But still, the Giants didn't look so hot in their season opener on Thursday night, dropping a game on the road to the Los Angeles Dodgers by the final of 2-1.