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Boston Red Sox fans believe their team should be in the hunt for the playoffs every year. Although their fortunes have recently taken a downward turn, expectations haven’t diminished as the 2013 season nears. According to FoxSports.com’s Jon Paul Morosi, the Red Sox insist they aren’t in the midst of long-term rebuilding, but their activity (or lack thereof) so far this offseason should make people wonder if they are misleading their fans.

Boston GM Ben Cherington maintains that his team will be active in free agency, telling the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham, “We believe we’re going to have a significant payroll and we’re going to be active in adding free-agent talent to the team.” However, it appears likely that his idea of adding talent is different from the expectations of many fans.

The Red Sox finished 12th in the AL in team ERA in 2012 with a mark of 4.72, making pitching a major area of need. Despite having money to spend, Boston has elected not to pursue some of the best free-agent options.

CSBSports.com’s Jon Heyman reported that the Red Sox don’t plan to go after Zack Greinke, who is widely considered to be the best available starting pitcher on the market. The team’s reasoning for passing on the former Cy Young winner is that they don’t see him as a good fit— whatever that means.              

The Sox also couldn’t get a deal done with Huroki Kuroda, who, according to ESPNNewYork’s Andrew Marchand, left money on the table in order to return to the Yankees on a one-year deal.

The top remaining free-agent pitchers include Anibal Sanchez, Kyle Lohse and Edwin Jackson. That trio is a combined five games over .500 for their careers and are no better than mid-rotation starters. The lack of exciting pitching options means the likelihood of the Red Sox adding a major pitching upgrade for next season is looking bleaker by the day. 

So far the Sox have made two free agent signings of note—adding back-up catcher David Ross and outfielder Jonny Gomes on separate two-year deals.

Ross is a fine signing, bringing experience and defensive value to a catching corps that has lacked in both areas since the retirement of Jason Varitek.

The signing of Gomes is much more of a head-scratcher. His career batting average/OBP/slugging splits of .284/.382/.512 against left-handed pitchers drops precipitously to .223/.307/.425 against righties. Such numbers suggest his value is purely as part of a platoon.

The AL East may have great left-handed starters like C.C. Sabathia and David Price, but the Red Sox played only 51 of their 162 games against southpaws in 2012. The ability of Gomes to hit lefties may be canceled out by his struggles against righties.

Described by CBSSports.com’s C. Trent Rosencrans as “a poor defensive outfielder by all defensive metrics,” Gomes carries a career dWAR of minus-10.1 and will also be a liability in the field.

The Red Sox possibly overpaid Gomes by giving him a total of $10 million for two years. Not only should he be a part-time player, but after the signing, Heyman tweeted that Gomes had entered free agency hoping for a deal only worth $3-to-$4 million per year.

The signing of Gomes may indicate the end of the Cody Ross era in Boston, which would be both confusing and a shame. Not only does Ross hit lefties (.284/.353/.575) as well as Gomes, but he is very capable against righties, is coming off an excellent 2012 season and plays better defense.

Other top free-agent hitters can be crossed off the shopping list. Torii Hunter signed with the Detroit Tigers, while center fielders B.J. Upton and Michael Bourn both play the same position as Jacoby Ellsbury.

Rumors connecting the Red Sox to outfielder Josh Hamilton have run the gamut. WEEI’s Rob Bradford reported the team had little interest, but more recently, ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden tweeted that Cherington is still very open to bringing Hamilton to Boston. This kind of waffling makes it impossible to gauge the team’s true interest.

“Fans in Boston are sort of tired of hearing how good we are in the winter,” Cherington told Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com. “We’ve just got to be good,” he concluded.

Unfortunately the way the team has underwhelmed this offseason, that goal is beginning to look like it may be hard to achieve, and fans should question if the Red Sox are being up front about their plans.

Statistics via BaseballReference

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ESPN’s Buster Olney tweeted this evening that the New York Yankees have agreed to a one-year contract with free-agent pitcher Hiroki Kuroda. Olney went on to tweet that the deal was for $15 million, with possible incentives totaling less than $1 million. His signing takes one of the better available arms off the market and solidifies the Yankees’ 2013 starting rotation.

CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman had reported that after initial reports that Kuroda was interested in pitching in Los Angeles, he had finally whittled his choices down to the Yankees or returning to Japan to finish his career. Undoubtedly, Kuroda’s successful 2012 season with the Yankees, where he went 16-11 with a 3.32 ERA, played into his decision.

Although the Yankees have a number of aging players on their roster, and Kuroda is about to turn 38, his one-year contract is a safe bet for the Yankees. The right-hander has never had an ERA over 3.76 in his MLB career and flourished pitching in New York, which is something not all pitchers can claim.

Yankee Stadium is known as a hitter’s park, but Kuroda apparently never got that memo. He was 11-6 with a 2.72 ERA last season, which was significantly better than the 4.23 ERA he posted on the road.

The Yankees announced last month that their ace, C.C. Sabathia, underwent arthroscopic surgery to clean out his pitching elbow. Although the Chicago Tribune expects he will be ready for the start of the 2013 season, there is never any way to tell how a pitcher will respond from such a procedure. Having Kuroda back in the rotation is valuable insurance.

Even with the Yankees’ intent on being more fiscally responsible in 2013, bringing back Kuroda on a one-year deal was a no-brainer. The Yankees can now move forward to see in what other ways they can shore up their team, secure in the knowledge that their pitching staff has one less question mark.

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ESPN.com is reporting free agent Lance Berkman visited the Houston Astros and discussed possibly signing with his former team to finish his illustrious career. Although he is near the end, a reunion between the Puma and the Astros would be a fitting conclusion to his career and could also possibly benefit the team.

Berkman is about to turn 37 and only played a total of 32 games in 2012. However, he was still effective when he played, posting a .826 OPS. A performance anywhere near that level in 2013 would be extremely valuable to the Astros.

Berkman spent the first 1,592 games and 11-plus seasons of his MLB career with the Astros, hitting .296 with 326 home runs and 1,090 RBI, while making five All-Star teams. He is the franchise’s greatest all-time hitter of outside of Jeff Bagwell. 

The Astros offense needs to fundamentally change because of their 2013 shift to the American League. They were already the lowest scoring team in the majors in 2012, making it even more difficult to fill an additional spot in their lineup that was previously held by the pitcher.

If Berkman does come to terms with Houston, he would be used mainly as DH, although he could also fill in at first base on occasion. Adding a hitter of Berkman’s pedigree would simply be a major potential upgrade at any position.

Last season nobody on the Astros hit more than 18 home runs or drove in more than 55 runs, which represented the lowest number of RBI to lead an MLB team in a single season since catcher Tom Haller led the 1968 Los Angeles Dodgers with 53.

There would be no guarantees that Berkman could stay healthy or continue being a productive hitter, but it’s a gamble worth making. It was only 2011 when he hit .301 with 31 home runs and 94 RBI while appearing in 145 games for the St. Louis Cardinals.

The switch-hitting Berkman represents good hitting fundamentals, given his career .409 OBP. His presence in the Houston lineup could only help positively influence the team’s other young and unproven hitters.

Signing Berkman won’t break the bank for the Astros. With his injury problems and advancing age, he is not likely to have a large number of suitors. A team like Houston that can offer him familiarity and a chance to DH may be the optimal environment for him to finish out his career.

Berkman indicated that he will make up his mind whether or not to play in the coming months. A lot will hinge on his heath and the type of interest he garners from teams.

It will be a nice story Berkman and the Astros agree that they are a good match for each other. It’s always nice when a star can finish his career in the same city where he started. If Berkman can prove he still has something left in the tank he will not only provide a happy ending but also help the Astros with their transition to the American League.

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The Boston Red Sox are in the midst of a challenging offseason, as they work to improve on a team that went 69-93 in 2012. Although it may be a tiny blip on baseball’s radar, they made an excellent preliminary move earlier today by signing free agent catcher David Ross.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported that the Red Sox and Ross agreed to a two-year, $6.2 million contract. Rosenthal later indicated on Twitter that Ross is expected to see extended playing time in 2013. This means the team will start to shift away from incumbent catchers Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway, which should be seen as a good thing.

Last season Saltalamacchia and Lavarnway combined to hit a paltry .204 and threw out only 16.3 percent of attempted stolen bases. This type of production is unacceptable, especially given the kind of expectations the Red Sox have as a team every year. While Ross is far from a star he represents a significant upgrade at catcher.

Ross came to the majors as purely a glove man, but has continually improved with his bat during his 11-year MLB career. He had a combined total of 577 at bats while playing with the Atlanta Braves over the past four seasons. He hit .268 during that time, with 24 home runs and 94 RBI, making him an intriguing option for extended playing time in Boston.  

The most welcome aspect of Ross’ game is his defense. He has a career .992 fielding percentage and has been an effective weapon in preventing stolen bases, throwing out 39 percent of runners, which according to BaseballReference places him fifth among all active catchers.

The Red Sox enter 2013 with as many question marks surrounding their pitching staff as any other team in baseball. With a combination of veterans returning from injury and/or struggles (Jon Lester, Andrew Bailey and John Lackey) and young developing arms (Rubby De La Rosa, Felix Dubront and Allen Webster), a confident and experienced catcher is a necessity to coax the best results.

Ross comes to Boston with a wealth of experience in working with young pitchers. He was with Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto in Cincinnati, and helped develop the likes of Tommy Hanson, Craig Kimbrel, Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy, among others, in Atlanta.

Perhaps some of Kris Medlen’s amazing 2012 season, where he went 10-1 with a 1.57 ERA, can be attributed to Ross. In the 13 games where he had Ross as a battery mate last season, Medlen struck out 49 batters in 44.1 innings and allowed a microscopic 0.81 ERA. By comparison, he struck out 71 in 93.2 innings and had a 1.92 ERA when caught by anyone else.

Ross is no stranger to stressful situations or Boston itself. He will be 36 next year and even spent eight games with the Red Sox at the end of the 2008 season after being released by the Reds. The return of his calming influence will be a welcome addition to a team so accustomed to controversy and strife of late.

Nobody will mistake Ross as a star, or even a long-term solution at catcher for the Red Sox. What he will bring is quiet consistency; something that has been recently in short supply in Boston.

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The 2012 Baltimore Orioles had a season for the ages, shocking experts and fans alike by going 93-69 and taking the New York Yankees the full five games in the ALDS.

There is little doubt that the Orioles were uncannily lucky during last season’s run. Their 29-9 record in one-run games during the regular season ranks as the third highest mark of all time. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the only two teams with better records in one-run games both achieved their milestones in the 19^th century.

Perhaps the oddest part of the Orioles success was that it was produced by the cast of misfits and spare parts they called a roster. Relying on a number of rookies and journeymen, the Orioles were able to go wire to wire.

It will be hard but there is no reason the Orioles can’t be successful in 2013. However, there are five players who shouldn’t be counted on as major contributors next season.

Click through to find out who.

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The struggles of the New York Yankees during the 2012 ALCS were in large part because of the their aging players. While the team must look to get younger, they should make bringing back 39-year-old outfielder Ichiro Suzuki a priority for 2013.

Ichiro is no longer the same superstar who patrolled the Seattle Mariners outfield for more than a decade. While his production has declined over the last several seasons, he’s still a useful player who can positively impact the Yankees.

The mid-season trade from Seattle to the Yankees this past season seemed to rejuvenate Ichiro. After hitting just .261 in his first 95 games with Seattle, he batted .322 in 67 games after donning the pinstripes. He has always enjoyed hitting in the new Yankee Stadium, batting .350 in 49 career games. If used properly, there is no reason why Ichiro can’t have another .300 season in 2013.

The Yankees will get the best out of Ichiro by not treating him like a star. Instead of batting lead off he is much better suited hitting at the bottom of the order. His high contact rate plays up perfectly in that role, as evidenced by his .329 average in 2012 when hitting eighth or ninth.

Part of what makes Ichiro an appealing outfield option is his durability. He has led the AL in games played in each of the past three years and has averaged 159 per season throughout his 12-year career. There is no reason to believe that this amazingly conditioned athlete won’t continue his track record of health.

Aging players are often relegated to platoons to take advantage of pitching matchups, but that’s not something the Yankees need to be concerned about with Ichiro. Last season he hit .283 against righties and .284 against lefties, and carries a .319/.330 split for his career.

The Yankees already have Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner slotted for outfield spots next year, and B/R’s Kenny DeJohn reports that the team is looking at free agent Torii Hunter. While Hunter is a fine player, he is also near the end of the line and doesn’t bring the same skill set Ichiro can provide, like stealing bases and being able to play all three outfield positions proficiently.

It’s possible the Yankees will choose to pursue both Hunter and Ichiro, but Yanks Go Yard’s Chris Carelli believes that it will be one or the other. While both outfielders are nearing the end of their respective careers, they both remain too productive to be relegated to playing once or twice a week, so the Yankees may have to choose who they think is the best bet going forward.

A final argument in favor of Ichiro is his financial impact. The Yankees are baseball’s fiscal titan, and maintaining that position is all about marketing their brand. Keeping Japanese-born Ichiro in the fold ensures the team taps into the vast network of Japanese press who follow him and the legions of adoring international fans.

The New York Post’s Joel Sherman says a one-year deal worth $5 to $8 million with an option for a second year would be enough to bring back Ichiro. If that’s the case, the Yankees should jump at the chance. After all, Hank Steinbrenner can probably find that type of money just by digging through the cushions of his furniture.

The Yankees need to get younger, but keeping Ichiro around a while longer is an exception they can’t afford to pass up.

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The Boston Red Sox entered 2012 as legitimate World Series contenders, but exited with their first losing season (69-93) since 1997, and unloaded more than $250 million in future salaries in a blockbuster August trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

With their new financial flexibility the Red Sox might be tempted to spend heavily in free agency, even though it’s considered a weak market.They may not regain their contender status overnight, but would be best served to be patient and wait for the right players to pay the big bucks, even if it takes longer than this offseason.

As the Red Sox begin their rebuilding process, here are five budget-conscious moves they can make to improve the team in 2013 without breaking the bank:

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