Everyone expected Felix Hernandez to anchor the Mariners' staff, but Hisashi Iwakuma's great season is more surprising. He's the only other guy keeping the Mariners' rotation in anything resembling working order -- and he's doing it on a bargain of a contract. More»

The Texas Rangers sit comfortably atop the AL West -- again. Most expected this year's script to unfold somewhat differently. But not only has their pitching been good, they've gotten key contributions on offense from some unexpected places. More»

The Chicago Cubs are signing their young first baseman, Anthony Rizzo, to a seven-year year, $41 million deal. It's a nifty little deal that could save the Cubs a bit of money in arbitration ... or it could backfire. It all depends on who Anthony Rizzo really is. More»

The Mets are in an on-again, off-again war with their own part-time outfielder, Jordany Valdespin. After he pimped his home run while the Mets got blown out, his own manager set him up for a beaning. There has to be a better way to make a point. More»

Judging by the comments on our previous free agency pieces, a lot of you had opinions (reasonable or ... less so) about signings we didn't mention. So here's a rundown of a few more free agent disappointments and pleasant surprises. More»

We can't always be so negative. After examining some free agent busts, this writer decides to look at three players who hit free agency in the offseason and are now looking like steals on their brand new teams. Can they sustain their positive production? More»

It's still early, but the baseball season and its narratives are beginning to take shape. Now we can start taking a more informed look at the big free agent signings of the offseason, and see which ones aren't exactly living up to their promise. More»

Ask Pirates or Braves fans about Nate McLouth and you'll get curses. But the man Pittsburgh released in April 2012 is now one of the top-ten outfielders in baseball for the Orioles. How did that happen? Can his health, and luck, change? More»

One month into the season and the American League is not, perhaps, quite so topsy-turvy as its more traditionalist brother. But from Twins staff ace Kevin Correia to the Red Sox's hot start, there are a few eye-opening developments. More»

Ah, April baseball: A.J. Burnett leads the league in strikeouts, and J.P. Arencibia and John Buck are third in the majors in home runs. The first month of the seaon is always crazy. Here's your rundown on who's where, why, how -- and if it will last. More»

Less than a month into the season, things are already tense in Seattle. Manager Eric Wedge held a closed-door meeting following a loss to the Astros and a disastrous road trip, but the team's whole plan needs to be reconsidered. More»

If this offseason was a nightmare for Giancarlo Stanton, it has continued into the regular season, and there's no telling when the Miami Marlins right fielder is going to wake up and start blasting homers again like he did last year. More»

The Red Sox and the Rockies have the best records in their respective leagues. So which team can sustain this high level of play, and which is playing over its head? From that perspective, Boston and Colorado couldn't be much more different. More»

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, once expected to be back by Opening Day, will instead be out until at least the All-Star Break. That leaves New York with a choice: continue with Eduardo Nunez and Jayson Nix, or make a move to upgrade? More»

The Brewers are 4-8, and while it's very early, that's not the start fans were hoping for or expecting. The rotation won't be this bad, but it's not a strength -- and that's because of choices the front office made after last season's surprising second half. More»

It's been a painful last week in Major League Baseball. Multiple teams saw their roads to the postseason get considerably rockier as players like Jered Weaver, Zack Greinke, Yoenis Cespedes and Jose Reyes were injured. So how bad is it? More»

Thursday night's brawl between the Padres and Dodgers is just the beginning of an inexcusable, unbelievable and costly drama. Next up: fines, suspensions and a tense return engagement in L.A. More»

The Blue Jays' season is not going according to plan: They're in the AL East cellar, with the game's worst run differential, and the starting pitching has been brutal. They can't be this bad, can they? Well, no, but there is cause for concern. More»

Carlos Carrasco gets suspended for six games for a purpose pitch. Comes back after missing an entire season. Then gets ejected -- for hitting another batter. Will Carlos Carrasco ever learn? And can a young rotation mate provide a better example? More»

Every year a few guys get off to really hot starts with the long ball. And despite the extremely small sample size, it's not totally meaningless. Of the early home run leaders, who is the most likely to see early success translate across the season? More»

Roy Halladay has become the face of the Phillies. But he also represents the problems the team faces: injury, expense, and the unstoppable necessity of growing old. Halladay's control issues should be fixable, but there's no turning back time. More»

On Monday, Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus agreed to an eight-year, $120 million contract extension. It was not an April Fool's joke. The deal may be excessive, but it's all about a concept that's getting increased traction: cost certainty. More»

Last year the National League East looked like it could turn into the best division in baseball for years to come. Now the question is: After making big offseason moves, can the rebuilt Braves hold off the young, enthusiastic Nationals? More»

The NL Central faces the coming season one team lighter (farewell, Astros) but a bit more dangerous -- the Pirates continue their slow climb toward .500, and the Cubs are no laughing matter. Still, the Reds and Cardinals are the top dogs. More»

The landscape in the NL West hasn't changed all that much -- except for the amped-up clone of the Steinbrenner Yankees that moved into Frank McCourt's old digs in L. A. last season. That's new. What will a full season of that look like? More»

The AL East is no longer the best division in baseball, but it might now be the most interesting. The difference between first and last place could be as few as 10 games. Almost any of these teams could nab first place -- so who actually will? More»

The Detroit Tigers should once again walk away with the AL Central crown. But there are some interesting mid-card matchups, especially between the Royals and Indians, either of whom could overtake the White Sox -- or crash and burn. More»

Baseball's regular season approaches, and the time for predictions is upon us. Looking at the strengths and weakness of the AL West teams, who's got the edge? Can the A's surprise? Can the Astros? (Just kidding about that last one). More»

Once again, baseball is going to war against steroids -- and against its own stars. But given the limited known evidence against players like Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez and Melky Cabrera, what action can MLB actually take? More»

The Yankees were already weak at catcher and in right field, but at least the core of their lineup was OK. Then Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira got hurt, and suddenly April looks rough. It's not quite time to panic in the Bronx... but almost. More»

Should we be worried about Kirk Gibson? As a recent heated exchange with Dusty Baker demonstrated, the Arizona Diamondbacks manager is still as stubborn as he was in his playing days -- and could be steering the club in the wrong direction. More»

Mike Trout's agent, Craig Landis, isn't happy. Trout is fresh off his first full season -- arguably the best by any 20-year-old ever -- and will barely make more than league minimum, while his teammates make millions. But the Angels have their reasons. More»

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny wants to ban collisions at home plate. MLB may not make this change soon, but they will eventually -- and not just for reasons of player safety. It has more to do with money, lawsuits, and liability. More»

It's time to accept that Giancarlo Stanton is not long for the Miami Marlins, and that he will probably be on the move before his first big payday in 2014 -- that's when he goes to arbitration for the first time and can compare his numbers to perennial MVP candidates. More»

When Curtis Granderson broke his right forearm during his first at-bat of spring training, the Yankees were forced to immediately start searching for a starting left fielder -- but finding a replacement for Granderson is going to be challenging. More»

Robinson Cano, the best second baseman in baseball across the last four seasons by a comfortable margin, will hit free agency next offseason. He will be paid a large sum of money for a large number of years -- but by the Yankees, or someone else? More»

Alfredo Aceves is a reasonably valuable relief pitcher that the already light Boston Red Sox bullpen can't afford to lose. The only problem: ince the middle of last season he's been apparently incapable of going more than two days without stumbling into a fight with someone in the team's clubhouse. More»

You don't want to get too worked up over your favorite team's non-roster invitees, but as spring training gears up, there are players worth watching -- notably four Indians hopefuls, a Met, an Astro and a Ray. Here's your guide to the contenders. More»

It's time for Las Vegas to once again take an interest in the goings-on in Major League Baseball, and the Atlantis Casino's over/under win totals for every club in the league have been posted. Here are some of the most interesting numbers. More»

Michael Bourn signed with the Indians for half what he expected to earn on the free-agent market -- a great deal for Cleveland, which has shored up its lineup through trades, as well, and looks to contend in the weak AL Central. More»

There's a lot of silliness that comes with spring training, but it's been 100 days since the last real games, and there's no resisting baseball's allure. So here are a few tips for getting through the next seven weeks calmly and rationally. More»

Delmon Young, whom the Phillies signed to play right field Tuesday, shouldn't be playing right field in the majors, or possibly at any level of professional baseball. So why did GM Ruben Amaro Jr. bring him to Philadelphia? More»

Team USA will have fan support... but whether the top American players from the majors will be on the roster for the 2013 World Baseball Classic remains to be seen. Meanwhile, two-time champion Japan is gearing up for another run. Why can't the U.S. bring home this title? More»

The Baltimore Orioles have been quiet this winter. But maybe that's as it should be: the makeup of the team right now, the new CBA and the current market have intersected at such a unique angle that Baltimore’s current inactivity is the best of many bad options. More»

Pretend you’re challenged to put together a major league team and someone asked you: How many right fielders and/or designated hitters do you think you can jam onto one roster? Congratulations! You’re the 2013 Seattle Mariners. More»

For four top free agents, the holiday was distressingly white -- that is, blank. Rafael Soriano, Adam LaRoche, Michael Bourn and Kyle Lohse would’ve much preferred green, but new CBA rules have caught them in awkward positions. More»

The Texas Rangers need to replace Josh Hamilton's bat after the free agent signed with the Los Angeles Angels. But what combination of aging stars, free agents (from a limited pool) and prospects will fill out their lineup card for 2013? More»

What, you thought they would just go away? That’s not how the Angels work. Owner Arte Moreno decided it was time to make a big splash, and with the addition of Josh Hamilton, the Angels have the AL's most frightening top of the order. More»

Not best of his era... not best at his position... Barry Bonds is baseball's best player of all time. Whether you prefer WAR or more traditional stats, and regardless of performance enhancing drugs, Bonds is head and shoulders above all the rest. More»

Reactions to the Red Sox deal with Shane Victorino ranged from great to monumental surprise. But with its offseason signings so far, Boston has added $36 million in payroll for next season without maneuvering the team back in contention. More»

What if you were able to run a major league team without worrying about revenue sharing, a budget or a spending cap? That's the enviable position in which Ned Colletti is able to operate the Dodgers. Here are two ways in which he can try to buy a championship. More»

The Tampa Bay Rays made a $100 million commitment to keep third baseman Evan Longoria in a Rays uniform for the next decade. That's a lot of money... but it might be only half of what he could have made on the open market. Taking it was the safe bet. More»

There’s always a few sets of brothers kicking around Major League Baseball. Of all the siblings currently playing, by far the most newsworthy, coveted and impressive are Justin and B.J. Upton -- and both will likely be on the move this offseason. More»

If the Marlins-Blue Jays megadeal goes through, Josh Johnson, Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle will be among six players headed to Toronto, and the team that Jeffrey Loria seemed so eager to spend for last winter will have been obliterated. More»

The new and impro-- erm, the new and different AL West is already off to a hot start in the Hot Stove. And the biggest move has already been made: the Houston Astros will be joining the division, effectively ending the West’s one-year reign as the strongest in baseball. More»

It's Hot Stove time again. We turn our attention to the AL East to examine what each team needs most this offseason, giving special weight to returning players, free-agent signings, trades, call-ups and, more importantly, some funny scenarios. More»

The Tiger bullpen has been a slightly off-key stage act this year, like most groups of high-pressure performers whose personalities sometimes get a bit too big for their arms. Jose Valverde is the 'closer' -- but he may not be not closing. More»

We Orioles fans knew it, deep down, all along. Our team was not very good. Lucky, yes, but not good. And watching the Yankees win Game 1 of the ALDS in Baltimore, with the O's closer giving up five runs in the ninth, was too much to bear. More»