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The Philadelphia Phillies‘ offseason is mercifully coming to a close. After a winter that saw a few too many bad contracts signed, fans would like to see what this supposedly-revamped team is capable of doing.

With pitchers and catchers set to report to spring training by February 12—just 13 days from now—some familiar and new faces will head down to Clearwater to show the team what they’ve got. Some of these players will make the team, while others will head to the minors for the start of the season or be cut from the organization altogether.

Keeping that in mind, here are scouting reports and 2014 projections for the Phillies’ pitchers and catchers.

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Allow me to tell you about one thing I’m not sure of and two things I am sure of.

The thing I’m not sure of: whether Bryce Harper will be my pick for the 2014 National League MVP. It’s still early for such things.

As for the two things I am sure of:

1. I did last year.
2. Harper certainly has MVP potential.

In 2012, the young Washington Nationals slugger won NL Rookie of the Year on the strength of a .270/.340/.477 line and 22 homers in 139 games. All at the tender age of 19. Harper actually got better at the plate in 2013, batting .274/.368/.486 with 20 home runs in 118 games. With an rWAR of 9.0, he’s one of the all-time great WAR heroes through the age of 20.

So yeah, it’s kinda scary that we can look at Harper and say with a straight face, “Hmmm…when do you think his breakout is coming?” He’s already accomplished a lot, but, well, people like you and I tend to expect more from a guy who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 16-year-old.

Perhaps Harper’s big, MVP-sized breakout will come this year. If it does, it will be because several things happened.

Thing 1: He Stayed Healthy

Remember when Harper came out of the 2012 All-Star break and managed just a .501 OPS over 32 games? It looked then like the league was figuring him out. 

But then this happened:

*That includes the 2012 postseason.

Around the middle of August in 2012, something clicked. Harper was on a tear down the stretch in 2012 and didn’t let up at the outset of 2013. He had been built up as a future superstar, and it looked like the superstar had arrived.

I put the cutoff for 2013 at 25 games, however, because it was in Harper’s 26th game that he crashed into an outfield fence in Atlanta. Shortly after that, this happened at Dodger Stadium:

Harper was dinged up after the first collision. He was dinged up even more after the second collision, eventually going on the disabled list in late May with a bad left knee.

That was pretty much the end of what once looked like a possible MVP season. Harper managed a modest .789 OPS after he returned from the DL in July, and by September he admitted that he had been playing hurt the whole time.

Harper eventually went in for knee surgery after the season was over. And judging from what he had to say at NatsFest, what he went through in 2013 forced him to put things in perspective. According to Sarah Kogod of The Washington Post, Harper’s looking to be a “little bit smarter” in 2014.

“I don’t want to run into another wall,” he said. “That killed me for the whole season. Having 15 stitches and having my knee all messed up and things like that, I don’t wanna do.”

I’ll take a wild guess and say that Harper is partially motivated by the fact that being hurt sucks. But I’m also guessing that he can see just as clearly as the rest of us how dangerous he was getting to be. Before his injuries intervened, his talent was leading the way.

Assuming that talent is still in there somewhere, it stands to reason that good health alone could be a huge factor in Harper putting up big numbers in 2014. But if he ends up with MVP-caliber numbers, it will probably be because he improved in other areas as well.

Such as…

Thing 2: He Showed Off Even More Opposite-Field Power

Harper has pull power and power up the middle taken care of. According to FanGraphs, 34 of his 42 career homers have either gone out to right field or center field.

But don’t sleep on Harper’s opposite-field power. Eight homers the other way is pretty good for a guy who’s only through his age-20 season, and what’s there is already on the right track.

Here are the splits:

It’s good that Harper hit more balls in the air the other way. It’s even better that he wasn’t wasting his time with those, as his HR/FB rate to left field also rose. In the end, these dingers were a major contribution to a much-improved .247 Isolated Power to the opposite field.

It’s not a fluke that this happened. Oppo power is one of those things that tends to come with experience, but increased strength also helps. We know that Harper had that in 2013, as he reported to spring training 20 pounds heavier than his playing weight in 2012.

Another year, same old story. Harper said in early January, via Anna McDonald of ESPN.com, that he was looking to come into spring training at around 240 or 245 pounds. He would lose a lot of that weight throughout the season but would still likely end up bigger than he had been in 2013.

More weight can only help Harper’s power, and one of the telltale signs that it did would be even more power the other way in 2014.

Another thing to watch is…

Thing 3: He Mastered Right-Handed Curveballs

Harper owns a .905 OPS over 734 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers. He’s not exactly out of his depth against them.

A big reason why is because he handles pretty much everything righties can throw at him. Per Brooks Baseball, it’s like this:

Those are some impressive numbers. I like the cutter numbers in particular, though I can’t say they surprise me given what we know about Ron Harper’s cutter per this tweet from Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post.

But maybe you noticed the key omission from that table: Where are the curveballs?

Yeah…about that. I figure it’s best to just show you this:

Harper hasn’t been completely baffled by right-handed curveballs but hasn’t quite figured them out yet either. It’s particularly discouraging that the progress he made in 2013 wasn’t worth all that much. He made more contact against righty hooks, but not good contact. That’s a pretty high ground-ball rate.

Now, sure, one thing about the 2013 data is that it’s heavily influenced by Harper’s nearly year-long struggle with injuries. In his first 25 games, he had three hits against righty curveballs and was generally looking better against them than he had been in 2012. Had he stayed healthy, who knows?

All the same, I’m guessing the book on Harper for righties recommends curveballs when appropriate. He should expect righties to be comfortable going to their hooks until he proves he can hit them.

If he does, then he’ll have right-handers pretty well covered. But if he’s going to be truly unstoppable…

Thing 4: He Hit Lefties

It’s hard enough for a lefty-hitting veteran with 10 years of experience to hit left-handed pitching. We really shouldn’t be surprised that Harper, a 21-year-old with two years of experience, hasn’t mastered lefty pitching.

The good news, however, is that this is yet another area where Harper made some strides in 2013:

You can look at that average and that ISO and say that Harper regressed against lefties last year. But it’s a good sign that his on-base percentage against them went up, and it’s also good that his walks went up and his strikeouts went down. If we make things simple, that says he was seeing lefties better.

Where it gets even better is that Harper actually managed most lefty pitches pretty well. According to Brooks Baseball, he hit .307 with a .160 ISO against the hard stuff. He was passable against curves with a .214 average and .143 ISO. He hit only .154 with no extra-base hits against offspeed pitches, but that’s not too big of a concern given that lefty pitchers don’t throw many changeups to lefty hitters.

Against sliders, however…well, you better take a look at this:

If we take a look at Brooks Baseball, we can see that these sliders tended to end up in the same place in 2013. About where you’d expect: low and away.

TexasLeaguers.com can show that Harper often obliged by swinging the bat:

This is yet another area where it’s hard to begrudge the guy. Any lefty hurler with a good slider knows he can make the lefty hitter at the plate look silly if he spins one away from him. Harper’s no different.

But still, he needs to be better than he’s been at picking these sliders up and laying off them. Easier said than done, to be sure, but he ought to have a pretty good idea when they’re coming in 2014. Like with the righty curveballs, he should know from experience what the book on him must say.

All in all, I’d say that Harper’s chances of having an MVP-caliber season will be good enough if he just manages to stay healthy in 2014. I mean, shoot, we all saw what he was doing before he got hurt. He had turned into a monster.

But if Harper stays healthy and hits for more oppo power and solves righty curveballs and handles lefties better, he’ll be a lot worse than a monster.

He’ll be a destroyer of worlds. 

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted/linked.

If you want to talk baseball, hit me up on Twitter.

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Spring training is right around the corner! The Arizona Diamondbacks will be the first MLB team to hold a full-squad spring training workout on February 12, while the remaining teams will be in action no later than February 23, when the Colorado Rockies will have their entire team together.

In the meantime, teams continue to monitor the free-agent and trade markets, as well as the waiver wire, as they contemplate any last-minute wheeling and dealing.

A handful of moves that proved to have an impact on the 2013 season were made during this time period last season, including the Indians’ signing of Michael Bourn, the Athletics’ acquisition of Jed Lowrie, and the finalizing of Francisco Liriano’s deal with the Pirates, which had been on hold because of an offseason injury to his non-throwing arm. Veterans Marlon Byrd and Kevin Gregg inked minor league deals, and Shawn Kelley was acquired by the Yankees after being designated for assignment by the Mariners.

Here is one move that each team should make before the start of camp.

All salary information provided by Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

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Recently, the New York Mets‘ 2014 hitting predictions were done, and now, it’s time for the starting pitchers predictions. The Mets’ present and future success will arguably be built around the rotation.

The starting pitchers will hope to do well on the mound, but other factors such as run support and the bullpen could always play a role in how many wins and losses the starters might end up having.

Here are some reasonable numbers that Mets fans should be able to expect from the team’s starting rotation.

Statistics are courtesy of Baseball Reference.

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The arrival of generational stars Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and Manny Machado in the major leagues during the 2012 season set a new standard for all future rookie classes.

Yet, in spite of the lofty expectations, the overall influx of young talent in the major leagues last season as a whole was more impressive than the now legendary 2012 class.

In fact, 30 of Prospect Pipeline’s preseason top 100 prospects for 2013 debuted in the major leagues last year, including 12 players that ranked in the top 25.

Many of those top-ranked prospects, such as Wil Myers, Jose Fernandez, Yasiel Puig, Gerrit Cole, Zack Wheeler and Christian Yelich, made an immediate impact and quickly justified the hype ascribed to them at the onset of their respective professional careers. However, except for Fernandez, who to everyone’s surprise opened the season in the Marlins starting rotation after pitching at High-A in 2012, all of the aforementioned players were promoted to the major leagues later in the season.

Thankfully, fans won’t have to wait until the latter months of the regular season for a glimpse at the future of baseball, as many of this year’s top-ranked prospects are expected to start the season in the major leagues.

So, in anticipation of the start of spring training, here’s a rundown of major league-ready prospects capable of making an impact out of the gate in 2014.

Jackie Bradley, OF, Boston Red Sox

Jackie Bradley made the Boston Red Sox’s Opening Day roster in 2013 thanks to an eye-opening performance in spring training (1.120 OPS, 13 R, 7 XBH) as well as injuries to several of the team’s outfielders.

However, the 23-year-old outfielder struggled to establish rhythm at the plate and posted a dismal .392 OPS through 12 games in April. After that, he spent the season bouncing between Triple-A Pawtucket and the major leagues. Bradley would ultimately appear in 37 games with the Red Sox, though he batted just .189/.280/.337 with eight extra-base hits in 107 plate appearances.

Though he didn’t shine in his time with the Red Sox last season, Bradley’s experience in the major leagues should pay enormous dividends as he prepares to take over for Jacoby Ellsbury as the team’s everyday center fielder. The gig will be his to lose—which is also why the organization recently signed Grady Sizemore—so expect the Red Sox to keep him on a short, performance-based leash.

Billy Hamilton, OF, Cincinnati Reds

Billy Hamilton took baseball by storm last season as a September call-up, going 4-of-4 in stolen-base attempts and scoring three runs as a pinch runner before logging his first career at-bat.

The Cincinnati Reds gave Hamilton three starts over the final month of the season to see what he could do, and the 23-year-old responded by batting .500 (7-for-14) with four runs scored, two doubles and six stolen bases in those games.

With Hamilton tabbed as the Reds’ Opening Day center fielder, the organization is finally ready to find out what it has in Hamilton. But will he become the star that his tools suggest, or merely an insanely fast reserve outfielder? One thing is certain, though: If Hamilton comes remotely close to reaching his sky-high ceiling, he could become a frequent All-Star and one of the game’s premier up-the-middle players.

Kolten Wong, 2B, St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals promoted Kolten Wong to the major leagues in the middle of August to add depth in anticipation of a playoff run. Besides a two-game outburst from August 19-20, when he combined to go 5-for-10 with a double and three stolen bases, the 23-year-old struggled to make the most of his limited playing time and batted only .153/.194/.169 in 62 plate appearances spanning 32 games.

With an above-average glove and potential plus hit tool, Wong is ready for an everyday gig in the major leagues. And with Matt Carpenter expected to take over at the hot corner in the wake of the offseason trade of David Freese, he’ll likely have every opportunity in spring training to prove he’s ready for an everyday gig at the highest level.

Xander Bogaerts, SS/3B, Boston Red Sox

Regarded as Boston’s top prospect for the last two seasons, Xander Bogaerts was promoted to the major leagues in late August to bolster the team’s roster for the stretch run. While the recently turned 21-year-old’s playing time was limited, he still impressed by batting .250/.320/.364 in 18 games and playing both positions on the left side of the infield.

The Red Sox decided to include him on their postseason roster, and the youngster validated their decision by batting .296/.412/.481 with nine runs scored, four extra-base hits and six walks in 12 games after emerging as the starting third baseman during the ALCS.

Bogaerts has the ceiling of one of baseball’s top players, with the potential to offer All-Star-caliber production at a premium position. Even if he’s forced to slide over to the hot corner, the bat should make him a perennial All-Star.

As of now, and unless the Red Sox bring back Stephen Drew on a one-year deal, the 21-year-old is poised to open the season as the everyday shortstop.

Kevin Gausman, RHP, Baltimore Orioles

It was a busy 2013 season for Kevin Gausman, as he was rushed to the major leagues as a starter in May (7.66 ERA in 24.2 innings) before finally finding success as a reliever in September. On the year, the 22-year-old appeared in 15 games out of the bullpen, posting a 3.52 ERA and 29-7 strikeout-to-walk rate in 23 innings.

The 6’3” right-hander has easy velocity at 94-99 mph with his four-seam fastball; his two-seamer registers a few ticks slower, but features more arm-side run. Gausman’s changeup is a legitimate plus-plus pitch in the low- to mid-80s with devastating, splitter-like drop, and he’s made noticeable strides improving his slider over the last year.

In general, Gausman’s electric arsenal and plus command profile give him an insanely high ceiling, and with a more consistent and effective breaking ball, he could realize that potential in short order. The right-hander will begin the 2014 season in the team’s big-league rotation and has the potential to emerge as one of the best young starters in baseball.

Taijuan Walker, RHP, Seattle Mariners 

Taijuan Walker opened the 2013 season by mastering the Southern League, posting a 2.46 ERA and a 96-30 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 84 innings at Double-A Jackson after struggling at the level during the previous year.

The 21-year-old received a promotion to Triple-A Tacoma in late June where he, in spite of being one of the younger pitchers at the level, held his own with a 3.61 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 57.1 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Given his success at both levels and overall maturation as a pitcher, the Mariners rewarded Walker with a promotion to the major leagues in late August. The right-hander didn’t disappoint, either, as he registered a 3.60 ERA and 12-4 strikeout-to-walk rate in 15 innings spanning three starts.

Manager Lloyd McClendon has already stated that he expects Walker to open the season in the starting rotation, though he’ll likely face competition during spring training with five other pitchers vying for one spot.

However, in order for Walker to both make the Opening Day roster and stick in the major leagues next season, he will need to show improved control compared to his 2013 campaign (particularly his time spent at Triple-A). Walker certainly has the raw stuff to be effective and hold his own at the highest level—as he demonstrated last September—but he still lacks the efficiency needed to work deep into games.

All videos courtesy of MLB Advanced Media

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Pretty much any story about the Los Angeles Dodgers these days is obligated to at least mention the club’s never-ending financial funding and bottomless bank account. All that money has helped the Dodgers acquire the talent to put them in position as favorites in the National League West.

One thing all that money can’t buy, though? A 10th starting position on the diamond—preferably in the outfield.

When it comes to their outfield, you see, the Dodgers have one of those, ahem, too-much-of-a-good-thing problems. In Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier, the club has four outfielders who have shown they’re worthy of starting every day. Alas, the rules of baseball allow a maximum of nine men on the field at once, three of which typically inhabit the large, expansive area covered in green grass.

What, then, are the Dodgers to do? Which of the four outfielders mentioned above might become the “odd man out” with the team due to start spring training in—get ready!—a little more than a week?

For a large portion of this offseason, there were all sorts of rumors that one of this quartet could get swapped as a way to help clear things up, as Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports wrote in November.

The two names mentioned most frequently were Kemp and Ethier, as noted a month later by Buster Olney of ESPN.

That speculation, though, has quieted down in recent weeks. At this stage, it’s looking more and more likely that the Dodgers will go into the 2014 season—their “Opening Day” series against the Arizona Diamondbacks begins on March 22—with all four outfielders on the 25-man roster.

While that can be problematic in some cases, it’s not necessarily a bad thing here. Sure, there are egos and (millions of) dollars on the line, but neither of those should be used to decide anything for a team that has World Series aspirations.

While Puig is clearly the least invested-in outfielder of the bunch (strictly monetarily speaking), there’s no way he’ll get shortchanged with playing time. Not when in only four months of action last year, the electrifying 23-year-old was easily the Dodgers’ best, most productive outfielder—and arguably their top position player—in what was his first taste of the majors.

That leaves Kemp, Crawford and Ethier to divvy up two spots. That still might seem like overcrowding, but then again, maybe not.

Kemp, remember, hasn’t been healthy for almost two full years by now. The 29-year-old has played just 106 and 73 games, respectively, in 2012 and 2013, while battling shoulder, hamstring and ankle problems.

Crawford, 32, has had injury issues himself, including elbow surgery in 2012 and a hamstring ailment last season. He made it into only 116 games in 2013 and a mere 31 in 2012.

The 31-year-old Ethier, on the other hand, has been rather durable, having managed 291 out of a possible 324 games the past two years.

Given this recent history, it seems highly probable that all four outfielders will be able to get their time in, even if that means it comes at the expense of one of the other three missing some action due to injury.

The other factor that helps this logjam? Kemp and Puig hit right-handed, while Crawford and Ethier bat from the left side. In theory, then, even when all four outfielders are healthy and playing well at the same time, manager Don Mattingly could find a way to rotate based on pitching matchups.

Crawford and Ethier continue to struggle against southpaws, posting OPS of .679 and .644 against lefties for their careers. It’s a good thing, then, that Kemp (.976 career OPS) and Puig (1.001 career OPS) absolutely obliterate opposite-armed pitchers.

The same thing holds true in reverse. Where Kemp (.795 career OPS) and Puig (.897 career OPS) aren’t quite as beastly against righties, Ethier (.906 career OPS) and Crawford (.809 career OPS) can pick up the slack, if need be.

Obviously, it’s not advisable to stunt Puig’s development while his career is still in its infancy by sitting him often against righties, but if he’s slumping, this could be a savvy maneuver.

Where things admittedly get a little tricky in all this is with defensive positioning. None of these four is a true center fielder. Kemp, the starter there for each of the last five years, has become below-average with the glove recently, and who knows what to expect from him in the field after multiple major injuries?

Ethier, the starter in right since 2007, actually covered capably enough for Kemp last season, meaning he’s likely the best option to back up at the spot in 2014. Plus, it works well that he and Kemp hit from opposite sides.

Ethier, though, should also see time in either corner, primarily as a way to give Crawford a day off in left, and occasionally, Puig in right.

By filling in at all three positions without necessarily being considered the definitive starter at any one of them, Ethier would appear to be the “odd man out” of this foursome.

Thing is, between Kemp’s and Crawford’s injury issues the past two seasons, as well as what could be growing pains and cold spells for the streaky Puig in his first full big league season, Ethier still is in line to see plenty of time.

Essentially, look for the Dodgers to employ a rotation where one of the expected starters—Kemp, Puig and Crawford—gets a day off every four or five days, with Ethier shifting across the outfield while still playing three or four games in a row to keep him in a rhythm.

Calling the situation “a good problem to have,” Mattingly told CBS Los Angeles in December about the potential plan heading into 2014:

I know somebody is not going to be happy the days that they don’t play. But also within that…we found out if we can give Carl an extra day off here or there, he seems to be even better. We think Matt will probably need the same type of thing, where you’re getting a day here and there. Andre, the same, days here and there.

These too-many-pieces “problems” do tend to work themselves out one way or another.

For evidence, just rewind to the start of Dodgers spring training last year. Heading into camp, Los Angeles had approximately 37 starting pitchers to fill its five-man rotation, and everyone was wondering how in the heck all of them would fit.

OK, really, it was more like eight rotation candidates: Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Josh Beckett, Chad Billingsley, Chris Capuano, Aaron Harang and Ted Lilly. Those first three worked out pretty darn well, but the other five? Well, there were injuries (Beckett, Billingsley, Lilly), inconsistent performances (Capuano) and trades (Harang) all within the first portion of the regular season.

Before the Dodgers knew it, what looked like a silly surplus turned into a severe shortage. Remember when they were forced to give starts to the likes of Stephen Fife and Matt Magill?

Point is, the Dodgers would be lucky to have an actual “odd man out” situation in the outfield in 2014, because that would mean all four prove productive and remain healthy for the entire season.

Even all that Dodgers money might not buy that kind of result.

To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter: @JayCat11

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It has been a long winter so far for Cubs fans in the Windy City. Two polar vortices and a failed attempt to land prized Japanese hurler Masahiro Tanaka have kept Cubs fans spirits in the proverbial icebox. There is hope, though, on the horizon, as pitchers and catchers officially report to Mesa in less than a month.

Let’s take a look at the pitchers and catchers that project to play key roles for the Cubs in 2014.

The Starting Rotation

The Cubs entered the offseason with hopes of improving a pitching staff that was close to the statistical bottom in most categories in the National League. The centerpiece of the offseason plan seemed to hinge on the signing of Tanaka. Theo Epstein and company made a strong pitch for Tanaka, but the 25-year-old ultimately chose to sign a seven-year, $155 million dollar deal, plus $20 million posting fee, with the New York Yankees.

With Tanaka no longer an option, the Cubs will have to rely on several incumbent starters to carry the pitching load as they continue to strive to become a viable contender.

The top of the Cubs rotation should be anchored once again by Jeff Samardzija. This will be the case unless one of the numerous trade rumors involving Samardzija comes to fruition. Epstein has said he expects Samardzija to take the ball on Opening Day.

If Samardzija remains a Cub, he will have to improve on the non-inspiring 8-13 record he posted last season. He has shown over his six-year career the ability to strike out batters (8.6 K/9 average) and compiled a career best 213.2 innings in 2013, but has failed to live up to expectations as a staff ace. It will be interesting to see whether or not Samardzija and the Cubs can work out a contract extension before the July 31 trade deadline.

One of the bright spots for the Cubs in 2013 was the pitching of Travis Wood. The 26-year-old southpaw posted a 9-12 record with a 3.11 ERA in 32 starts in 2013. Wood was the lone Cubs representative at the 2013 All-Star Game last summer at Citi Field in New York.

The future looks bright for Wood and the Cubs will need to decide whether or not to offer the lefty a long-term extension. The Cubs avoided arbitration with Wood, signing him to a $3.9 million deal for 2014.

The Cubs made a small move on Friday, signing free agent Jason Hammel who spent the last two seasons with the Baltimore Orioles.

The signing of Hammel gives the Cubs another experienced starter to be added to the mix. His best season as a starter came two seasons ago with the Orioles when he posted a 8-6 record, 3.43 ERA in 20 starts.  

The outlook for the last two spots in the Cubs rotation is a bit less clear as there are four potential candidates.

The first candidate vying for a spot in the rotation is the much-maligned right-hander Edwin Jackson. The 11-year veteran has been a huge disappointment since signing a lucrative four-year, $52 million contract with the Cubs last offseason. He led the NL in losses in 2013 with 18 and pitched to a 4.98 ERA.  

Carlos Villanueva didn’t pitch terrible in 2013 but didn’t impress either as he posted a 7-8 record with a 4.06 ERA. Both Chris Rusin and Jake Arrieta could contribute to the rotation in 2014. Rusin went 2-6 with a 3.93 ERA in 13 starts with the Cubs last season. Arrieta went 4-2 with a 3.66 ERA in nine starts with the Cubs in 2013.

The Cubs will also undoubtedly continue to explore free agent pitching possibilities. However, it seems unlikely that the Cubs will take a flyer on Ervin Santana or Ubaldo Jimenez, as they would have to give up a draft pick, per Bryan Rose of Fansided, Si.com. 

The Bullpen

The days of Carlos Marmol and his epic bullpen implosions are now firmly entrenched in the Cubs rearview. The 2014 squad will offer a combination of incumbents and new arrivals. The Cubs will depend heavily on Pedro Strop and Blake Parker to solidify the middle relief corps.

Strop was acquired last July via a trade with the Orioles. In 37 games with the Cubs, Strop posted a 2-2 record with a 2.83 ERA. He averaged 10.8 K/9 and showed the ability to get tough outs when needed. Parker also showed bullpen promise, posting a 2.72 ERA in 49 appearances, and striking out 55 in 46.1 innings pitched.

The Cubs will depend on lefty James Russell for late inning spots. Lefties batted .183 off of Russell in 2013. The North Siders also brought in lefties Jonathan Sanchez and Wesley Wright to vie for spots in the bullpen.

The closer role seems to be assigned to the newly acquired free agent Jose Veras. Signed by the Cubs earlier this month, Veras closed out 21 games last season in time split between the Houston Astros and the Detroit Tigers.

Other possible pitchers who could potentially see time in the Cubs bullpen in 2014 include Kyuji Fujikawa and Arodys Vizcaino, who both battled injuries last season.

Behind the Plate

Welington Castillo is the only holdover at the catching position from 2013 and projects to be the Opening Day starter. He spent last season splitting time with Dioner Navarro, who signed an offseason deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Castillo has yet to develop into a potent offensive threat but has shown his meddle behind the backstop.

Catching coach Mike Borzello told Tony Andracki of CSNChicago that there are high hopes for Castillo in 2014.

“Weli had a nice year,” catching coach Mike Borzello said. “He’s just scratching the surface of what he can be. But he’s a guy that when I showed up, he wowed you right away when you saw him as far as his abilities and what he can do, especially defensively.” 

The Cubs signed veteran backup George Kottaras and added John Baker and Eli Whiteside to minor league deals. The troika will be competing for a backup role on the 2014 club.

What do you feel about the Cubs moves or lack thereof this offseason? Which one of these players are you most excited to see in 2014? 

Follow @JohnAltamuraBR
 

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With the calendar turning over to February and the start of spring training fast approaching, there are still a number of moves to be made between now and Opening Day.

The free-agent market is still flush with impact starting pitching, as Ervin Santana, Ubaldo Jimenez, A.J. Burnett and Bronson Arroyo are all still available. A trio of position players who received qualifying offers are also still looking for new homes in Nelson Cruz, Stephen Drew and Kendrys Morales.

What follows is a breakdown of what to expect from the final few weeks of the MLB offseason, starting with a quick overview of the remaining free agents, followed by a closer look at the top eight guys still available and the teams pursuing them. Finally, there will be a rundown of the trade market.

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Opening Day is just two months away, and the Texas Rangers are just a few players short of filling their roster.

The club is still searching for a pitcher to fill the final rotation spot. The Rangers need a couple more position players and two relievers. And with 54 players going to Surprise, Ariz. for spring training, Texas is sure to find the right guys.

Here, we are going to look at three dark-horse prospects who could sneak onto the Opening Day roster. Their names haven’t been mentioned much, but they have a decent chance of being in Arlington on March 31.

Luis Sardinas

Luis Sardinas is currently ranked as the Rangers’ No. 7 prospect by Baseball America.

The 20-year-old is a decent hitter with good speed. He had a collective .288 batting average and 32 steals between High-A Myrtle beach and Double-A Frisco. He can hit for extra bases and has a knack for scoring.

Sardinas’ issue is finding a place for him to play.

He is a shortstop who has Elvis Andrus and Jurickson Profar in front of him. He hasn’t shown much ability to play around the diamond, either. Plus, the Rangers have super utility man Adam Rosales.

There may not be enough room for him come March 31. It would also serve him better to continue developing at the lower levels.

But if somebody up the middle has a setback, Sardinas could be next in line.

Wilmer Font

Wilmer Font is another guy who could make the Opening Day roster for Texas.

And with Robbie Ross possibly spending time in the minors, another spot could be open in the bullpen.

Font was originally a starter until 2010, when he had surgery and missed the 2011 season. He came back and started a few games before transitioning to reliever. The 23-year-old has been dominant out of the bullpen at three different levels of the organization.

At this point, he could be more of a lock than a dark horse. But with the acquisition of Shawn Tolleson, among others, it could be a longer wait than Font hoped for.

Luke Jackson

Luke Jackson may have the longest road to the 2014 roster, but he shouldn’t be ruled out.

Derek Holland’s injury has opened a spot in the rotation. Nick Tepesch and Colby Lewis should be considered favorites to fill in, but Jackson could be ready for the big league level.

He finished his 2013 campaign with an 11-4 record and 2.04 ERA between Myrtle Beach and Frisco. He had a WHIP of 1.180 and struck out 134 batters in 128 innings. His command is still a work in progress, but he has a live arm and would fit in nicely at the back end of the rotation.

If Texas doesn’t think the other candidates are worthy of the spot, Jackson could find himself making his MLB debut in April.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

You can follow Trey on Twitter @treydwarren

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After winning 92 games and a Wild Card berth in 2013, the last thing the Cleveland Indians would want to do is trade away staff ace Justin Masterson, who is currently the lone projected starter with at least one full big league season under his belt. If anything, they need to add another reliable starter to the mix.

But with the 28-year-old entering his last season before he can become a free agent and contract extension talks on hold, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, a trade is something they should at least consider. 

The wide $3.75 million gap in the salary proposals for the arbitration hearing to determine Masterson’s 2014 salary—Masterson is asking for $11.8 million; the Indians are offering for $8.05 million—is also likely an indication of why talks didn’t go very far.

If it has become clear that the All-Star right-hander doesn’t fit into the team’s long-term plans because his perceived value isn’t anywhere near the organization’s line of thinking, dealing him prior to Opening Day could be the best “big picture” move the team could make.

The Indians could deal him prior to the trade deadline, but only if the team was well out of playoff contention. With Masterson in the mix, this team is probably too good to fall into that scenario.

Of course, it would be unfathomable to think that the Tribe would deal Masterson now unless they could replace his production prior to the start of the season. In fact, manager Terry Francona tried to squash trade rumors earlier in the offseason by calling Masterson and telling him he wouldn’t be traded, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.

But if a scenario presented itself that would allow the Indians to remain competitive in 2014 and beyond, Francona might have to go back on his word. That’s why you never say “never.” Signing Ervin Santana or re-signing Ubaldo Jimenez would qualify as one of these scenarios, as would a trade that involves a major league pitcher returning to Cleveland to go along with the signing of Bronson Arroyo. 

Without either of those two combinations happening, the team would have an extremely difficult time holding up for a 162-game season.

Here are four teams that would likely be interested in Masterson and the potential trade packages that could land him.

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