Kuzul

With the MLB winter meetings behind us, some teams have taken on a very new look, while others are still left with many pieces left to move around before heading into spring training.

Seeing players like Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton still on the market isn’t always the most common occurrence, as the biggest dominoes are oftentimes the first to fall, but in any case, it’s only a matter of time before they find new homes.

For every move that was made, however, you have to believe that there were a handful of deals that were just a John Hancock away from completion before inevitably falling through.

Here are some teams and players that didn’t ultimately make their moves, but could very well end up wishing they had.

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When Mariano Rivera was lost for the season while shagging balls this spring, the closer vowed to return in 2013 despite the fact that he just turned 43 this past Thursday.

Rafael Soriano’s opting out of New York may have been a signal that Rivera would most certainly be welcomed back.

Now that he’s agreed to return to the Yankees on a one-year deal worth $10 million, the rest of the free-agent market for late-inning relievers will continue to develop.

There are some great options available, though others clearly stick out above the rest.

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We’ve already seen a couple significant moves made in the time since the official start to free agency got underway, but by all indications we haven’t seen anything yet as a number of free agents will be inking new deals during winter meetings.

With the free-agent market looking relatively thin in certain positions, teams will also inevitably seek out trades to improve their rosters.

On the flip side of the teams working hard to push towards the top of their divisions, there are sellers that are working to rebuild their franchises for future seasons.

Since repeating strong seasons is one of the hardest things for a franchise to accomplish, there’s always the potential for regression.

Here are some teams that might find themselves coming up short of last season’s effort in 2013.

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As one of the top names on the free-agent market this offseason, Josh Hamilton is garnering attention from plenty of suitors looking to insert his powerful bat into their lineup.

One organization that looks to have the tools necessary to pull of such a move is the Boston Red Sox, and according to Jon Heyman of CBSsports.com, they do appear to be players in the Hamilton sweepstakes.

While such a move would make sense in many ways, the Red Sox have been quick to point out that the whirlwind of speculation about the connection might be a bit overblown and that nothing is in any way imminent (h/t Rob Bradford, WEEI.com).

Should Hamilton find his way, he’ll be set up for big things as he moves into the next phase of his career, and Fenway would provide the perfect atmosphere for him to further his chances of creating a lasting legacy.

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With the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees always at each other’s throats, winning positional battles in the offseason can make a huge impact during the summer months as they jockey for positioning atop the AL East.

The Yankees have plenty of moves to make this offseason with players like Nick Swisher, Hiroki Kuroda and Rafael Soriano declining their qualifying offers and opting for free agency instead.

Their gaps may not end there with catcher Russell Martin also entering a relatively thin free-agent market at the catcher position.

Enter the Red Sox.

After making move after move last season, Boston has plenty of maneuvering to make this offseason as they reshape their roster to get back into contention this season.

Working with Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Kelly Shoppach as their primary backstops in 2012, the Red Sox got a 25-home-run effort from Saltalamacchia, though he batted under .225 and posted an on-base percentage under .300.

He’ll be with the Sox again in 2013, but it appears that they may be looking at bringing in reinforcements at backstop, as Jon Heyman of CBS Sports has reported that Boston has been talking about the notion of bringing in Russell Martin.

It’s not entirely unheard of for a player to move from one rival to another, but with every move magnified as a season gets into full swing, it’s important to make sure that big moves pay big dividends.

Martin’s numbers this past season weren’t much of an improvement over Saltalamacchia‘s, as he batted a shade over .200 but did manage a .311 on-base percentage.

From a career standpoint, however, Martin’s track record is more polished, with three 18-plus home-run seasons and a career batting average more than 20 points higher.

He’s more stout defensively as well, with a career .991 fielding percentage while throwing out 30 percent of stolen-base attempts.

If the Red Sox are looking to get the most out of any player they sign, it’s possible they’ll run with Saltalamacchia and also sign Mike Napoli (h/t Nick Cafardo, Boston Globe), who is steady offensively and can fill in behind the plate while bridging the gap at first base left by Adrian Gonzalez.

With plenty of payroll to work with, there’s no reason that Boston can’t (and shouldn’t) make a move at both players, giving them an offensive jolt that accounted for 45 home runs and 109 RBI in 2012.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the offseason working it’s way into full swing this week, we’re starting to see signs of which teams are seriously considering reshaping their rosters and which will maintain growth from within.

The Chicago Cubs appeared to be one of the biggest buyers of the young offseason on Friday when a trade sending Carlos Marmol to Los Angeles in exchange for Dan Haren was announced, but with that trade falling through, it’s back to the drawing board.

One option noted by Chicago Cubs beat writer Carrie Muskat is the return of Ryan Dempster to Wrigley Field.

The idea may seem odd, given the fact that he was traded away less than six months ago, but in all reality, the move makes more sense than one might think.

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With two games of the 2012 MLB World Series in the rear view mirror, just a pair of wins separate the San Francisco Giants from a championship title.

Strong pitching was the name of the game for the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS, but they’ve gotten a taste of their own medicine thus far in the Fall Classic, as the Giants rotation has been very impressive.

Here are some matchups to look for this Saturday as the Tigers attempt to get back on their feet at Comerica Park.

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As we head into the final week of the season, the postseason picture is beginning to gain some clarity, but that in no way means there won’t be some fireworks down the stretch as the final slots are hashed-out over the next five games.

Whether it’s a pitching staff that’s got top-line starting pitching, or a pair of sluggers that can intimidate anyone facing them on the mound, every team has something that sets them apart from the rest.

We’ll know more in a week, but when some of these teams do ultimately enter into the postseason, they’ll need to rely on these strengths they’ve displayed throughout the first 150-plus games of the season.

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It didn’t necessarily come as a big surprise, but the Chicago Cubs endured their share of struggles once again in 2012, and while there may be no immediate fix, the team will be doing everything in their power to change the franchise’s fortune.

General manager Jed Hoyer has made it clear that the team will be active this winter, and while they’ll no doubt kick the tires on some offensive options, adding top-line starting pitchers will key the team’s successes in the future.

Here are some potential options for the team as they look to pull themselves toward the top of the NL Central and back to the winning ways the franchise’s fanbase is so dearly hoping for.

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With just a couple weeks left in the 2012 regular season, a number of pending free agents are likely playing their last games with their current teams, as many players will certainly change locations during the offseason.

The Chicago White Sox will be just one of many teams that have plenty of decisions to make this offseason, and while players like Francisco Liriano and Kevin Youkilis are part of that crop, the team has cleared the air on perhaps their top free agent to be, as the team announced that they won’t be picking up Jake Peavy’s $22 million option for next season.

Entering the market won’t make Peavy the top pitcher available, as Zack Greinke will most definitely be any team’s top target, but he does have plenty to offer a team looking to spend this offseason, and will certainly still be in for a big pay day this winter.

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