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After an arduous winter that hammered much of the country with freezing temperatures and heavy snow, there may be no better words in all of sports than “pitchers and catchers report.”

While that has already happened, there are plenty of notable dates remaining on MLB’s spring training schedule for the 2014 season. 

Let’s preview some of them.

Tuesday, Feb. 25: College Day

In what will likely be a thrill for the college players who participate, the Detroit Tigers will host Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Fla., and the New York Yankees will play Florida State in Tampa.

While the mere fact that professional teams will be scrimmaging college squads is notable, the Yankees taking the field means fans may be treated to a glimpse of Derek Jeter, who will be retiring after the season.

Jeter discussed what it feels like to come to spring training for the final time with Bryan Hoch of MLB.com:

I’ve always looked forward to getting back on the field. It felt like every first [day of] Spring Training, with the exception of last season. It’s good to get back on the field after the whole offseason…Everything is good. Like I told you, I’ve been working extremely hard to get my strength back. I feel like it’s back, I feel strong, so it’s not an issue in my mind. I don’t think about it. 

Outside of Jeter, it will also be interesting to see how Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston fairs against the mighty New York Yankees if he sees the field.

Wednesday, Feb. 26: Cactus League Begins

The Cactus League kicks off with three games on Wednesday.

Among those games is a matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks, which is notable because those two teams will kick off the season in Sydney, Australia, on March 22 and 23. It is being called the Opening Series Sydney 2014. 

Strangely enough, both the Dodgers and Diamondbacks will have more exhibition games after they play in Australia.

Feb. 28: Everyone Gets Involved

All 30 Major League Baseball teams will be in action on Feb. 28 for the first time during spring training. 

Fans will get a chance to monitor positional battles across the landscape and see some of the young players who are expected to break through into the league this season. It will also give players who are battling back from injuries an opportunity to test their various ailments in actual game action.

March 5: World Series Rematch

The Fall Classic is months away, but baseball fans will be treated to a rematch of last year’s World Series when the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals square off on March 5.

Obviously, winning a virtually meaningless spring training game wouldn’t help the Cardinals overcome the heartbreak of losing in October, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt. 

Boston and St. Louis will play on March 17 as well.

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The MLB offseason has come to an end, as all 30 MLB teams have reported to spring training and preseason games are set to kick off next week.

It was an eventful offseason, headlined by the Seattle Mariners signing of Robinson Cano, the New York Yankees spending big on a handful of guys (including Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka) and several free agents struggling to find homes after receiving qualifying offers. 

In fact, right-hander Ervin Santana, shortstop Stephen Drew, outfielder Nelson Cruz and first baseman Kendrys Morales are still without homes at the start of spring training.

Where those four wind up could certainly change things, but here is a look at how all 30 MLB teams graded out this offseason. Think of a grade of “C” as being neutral—meaning the team has not gotten any better or any worse this offseason—with the rest of the grades stemming out from there.

*All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference, unless otherwise noted.

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As we head toward the first games of spring training, the Cincinnati Reds‘ roster contains quite a few “ifs.” Fortunately, some of those “ifs” are in a position to break out both in spring training and the 2014 regular season.

The 2014 version of this list contains a few familiar faces. However, two prospects joined the rank of breakout candidates, with one holding the potential to make himself into one of the most dynamic players in all of baseball.

If the Reds hope to compete for a playoff berth in 2014, they will need three of these four players to step up and outproduce their 2013 seasons, but there is some hope that this can be accomplished.

First up, Devin Mesoraco.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.com unless otherwise noted.

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The Texas Rangers did plenty of housekeeping during the offseason.

Prince Fielder was brought in to provide a power bat from the left side. That deal sent Ian Kinsler to Detroit and opened up a spot for Jurickson Profar at second base. Shin-Soo Choo was signed to fill out the outfield and take over the leadoff spot.

As a result, there are only a couple of things that manager Ron Washington has to take care of during spring training.

Here is the club’s to-do list.

Pick a New Closer

Now that Joe Nathan is gone, the team is looking for a new player to slam the door in the ninth.

Luckily for Texas, there are three guys who could potentially take over: Joakim Soria, Neftali Feliz and Tanner Scheppers.

Soria was the former closer in Kansas City before Tommy John surgery forced him to miss the 2012 season. Before that, he completed 160 saves in 180 opportunities from 2006-11. He averaged 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings and had an ERA of 2.50 during that span.

Feliz closed for the Rangers from 2010-11 before moving to the starting rotation the next year. He too had to undergo Tommy John surgery in 2012 and did not return until September of last season. The 25-year-old converted 74 of 84 save opportunities and struck out 8.8 batters per nine innings.

Scheppers was the setup man for Texas in 2013 and did a nice job. He appeared in 76 games, which was the most of any Ranger reliever. He posted a 1.88 ERA and earned 27 holds in 76.2 innings. Scheppers throws the hardest of the three pitchers but needs to upgrade his slider.

It is an issue most teams would love to have. Washington will have the month of March to choose his closer.

And if it doesn’t work out, he still has extra options.

Finalize Rotation

The club still needs one more starter to fill out the rotation.

Yu Darvish is obviously at the top, followed by Martin Perez, Alexi Ogando and Matt Harrison. However, per Drew Davison of the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram (h/t Dayn Perry of CBS Sports), Harrison was shut down from baseball activities on Feb. 20, which may hurt his chances of being ready in April.

Texas signed Tommy Hanson on Feb. 14 as another option for the rotation. He is looking to make a comeback from a disappointing 2013 campaign in which he also missed time due to the death of his brother.

Colby Lewis is a fan favorite and has a shot of filling in the No. 5 spot. He has not pitched since 2012 after elbow and hip surgeries stalled comebacks to the big leagues. The 34-year-old signed a minor league deal back in November and received an invitation to spring training.

Nick Tepesch is another option for the Rangers. He made his debut last season in April and started 17 games for the club, going 4-6 with a 4.84 ERA. He won the No. 5 spot out of spring training last year. 

It is also unlikely the Rangers will go with one of their top prospects to start the season. Alex Gonzalez split time between Low-A Spokane and High-A Myrtle Beach in his first year in the organization. Luke Jackson also spent most of his time in Myrtle Beach, but he had a small stint with Double-A Frisco.

Either way, this is another position Washington has a full litter to choose from. Spring training will be a battleground for two premium spots on the roster.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

You can follow Trey on Twitter @treydwarren.

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The New York Mets have had a productive offseason in many respects, but they still missed out on a number of opportunities that would have improved their team in both the short and long term

The Mets addressed many needs this offseason, especially with their signings of Curtis Granderson and Bartolo Colon to bolster their outfield and starting rotation respectively. While filling these holes was necessary, the Mets missed on a number of opportunities to improve the team, especially since the signings of Granderson and Colon were geared to improve the team in the short term.

In early January, I laid out four areas in which the Mets needed to make further acquisitions, and they successfully completed two. They added cheap, veteran arms for their bullpen by signing Kyle Farnsworth and Jose Valverde, and they added veteran depth to their starting rotation with the acquisitions of Daisuke Matsuzaka and John Lannan.

The team clearly doesn’t have the funds or desire to approach big-money players such as Shin-Soo Choo, Robinson Cano or Masahiro Tanaka, so I do not classify the failure to sign players like them as a missed opportunity.

Looking back at the offseason, here are the Mets’ biggest missed opportunities, although some of them could still be fixed.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.

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Ubaldo Jimenez has finally found a new employer, but there are still a few premier MLB free agents available on the open market, despite the fact that spring training is underway in ballparks all across Florida and Arizona. 

Ervin Santana, Nelson Cruz, Stephen Drew and Kendrys Morales are the top targets up for grabs on the free-agent front. While there’s been a noticeable lack of trade buzz in recent days, there’s been plenty of talk about contract extensions for some of the brightest starts from around the game. 

So, here’s a look around the league at all the latest trade and free-agency updates. 

Note: All Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Every spring training, there are players that break out from the pack and perform above any expectation.

Shelley Duncan fit that role for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013. He signed a minor league deal with the team that included an invitation to spring training in January 2013. He then led the team with five home runs tied for third on the team with 10 RBI during spring training last year. At the conclusion of the spring, he earned a spot on the Opening Day roster made available due to a Luke Scott injury.

He was designated for assignment in April 2013 once Scott was ready to return.

In 2012, Stephen Vogt found himself on the Opening Day roster after an injury to B.J. Upton. During spring training, he compiled a .323/.382/.484 line in 31 at-bats, the best of any catcher. He started the season with no hits and no walks in 17 at-bats over 10 games. He was sent back to Triple-A before being called up in September to finish the season with two walks and no hits in 25 at-bats over 18 games.

Who will be the breakout player this season?

Here are four players that could play their way onto the Rays’ Opening Day roster this spring training.

All statistics obtained from Baseball-Reference unless otherwise noted.

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Spring training is finally here.

While many players reported to camp last week, Monday marks the first official day of workouts for the Cleveland Indians. What this also marks is the beginning to another magical season on Lake Erie. 

Absent the major free-agent signings from a year ago, the Tribe are poised to challenge the Detroit Tigers for the AL Central crown during the 2014 season.

There is a lot to look forward to this spring.

Perhaps the most versatile player on the Indians roster, Carlos Santana will get some looks at third base and allow manager Terry Francona to make the decision as to whether or not his primary catcher in 2013 is ready to make the jump to the hot corner.

Nick Swisher and Asdrubal Cabrera have returned to camp free of the injury bug that led to a modest season despite the Tribe’s triumphant return to the postseason.

Michael Brantley (and his new contract) and Jason Kipnis will look to improve upon their impressive campaigns a year ago to take the Tribe back to the promised land this October.

Justin Masterson begins his argument for a long-term deal, too, as he looks to anchor a promising, young pitching staff.

That only scratches the surface of the excitement.

Can Mickey Callaway rejuvenate the career of Shaun Marcum or Aaron Harang the way he did for Scott Kazmir last season? Can Jeff Francoeur or Nyjer Morgan return to contribute at the big league level the way Ryan Raburn did last season?

There are so many questions to ask, and there are so many questions that will go unanswered.

Without looking too far ahead, let’s see what Twitter is saying about the Tribe’s first official day of camp this spring:

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Perhaps, the best thing about the Oakland A’s spring training from a fan’s perspective is watching to see who unexpectedly impresses.

In my spring training preview, I listed a few guys who could be the next breakout candidates, including Sonny Gray and Dan Otero. Specifically, I highlighted Josh Donaldson’s 2012 campaign in which he catapulted from third- or fourth-string catcher to starting third baseman. Then, in 2013, with much competition for second base, Eric Sogard came out victorious.

Let’s take another look.

Motivation played a large role in Donaldson and Sogard‘s cases. Each were “underdogs” if you will, fighting to be the hands-down starter.

So, for this article, well-known veterans who have been starters in the majors for years are thrown out. In fact, any guy whose spot is guaranteed next season doesn’t qualify, either. Lastly, any guy who it wouldn’t be surprising to see outhit or outpitch the rest is disqualified.

So, here’s who’s out: Coco Crisp, Yoenis Cespedes, Jed Lowrie, Josh Donaldson, Brandon Moss, Jarrod Parker, Scott Kazmir, Jim Johnson, Luke Gregerson, Sean Doolittle and Ryan Cook.

It wouldn’t surprise anyone to see the above men sit atop the stat sheets in spring training. It has to be someone who you don’t expect. For example, Sogard suddenly hit .444 last season in 26 games, the most of any Athletic.

So, the question is: who’s left?

Looking at who needs to make the jump and has the proper motivation to do so, here’s who looks ready to storm into spring training and raise your eyebrow.

Josh Reddick

Yes, he’s a starter. But would it surprise you to see Reddick hit over .400 in spring training?

Fans are down on the right fielder right now. After hitting .242 with 32 home runs and 85 RBI in 2012, Reddick slumped to .226 with 12 home runs and 56 RBI a season ago. To his credit, he dealt with a wrist injury that obviously hampered him.

But Reddick is healthy. He’s had successful wrist surgery and the chance to rest and recover.

And now he’s paid.

The A’s and Reddick avoided arbitration, settling on a one-year, $2.7 million deal for 2014. Health, putting arbitration behind him and wanting to rebound should be plenty of motivation to come into spring and blow things up.

Reddick has a history of doing well in spring. In 2012, he hit .304 in 15 games; he hit .294 in 20 games last year.

Having a huge March would solidify his role in right field as a permanent, 160-game starter and quiet his doubters. And that’s exactly what he’s ready to do, as he told John Hickey of the San Jose Mercury News: “…the wrist is fine, I feel healthy again and I’m ready to go out and try to be the player I was in 2012 and not 2013.”

Derek Norris

Norris is yet another “starter” who could see a breakout performance in 2014 spring training.

Here’s why it would be considered impressive: Norris is supposed to be the catcher of the future. But instead of letting him catch 130 games or so, the A’s continuously bring in other guys, such as John Jaso, Stephen Vogt and Kurt Suzuki for a second time. Now, Chris Gimenez has been added to the mix.

For Norris to make all three of those guys an afterthought and earn full-time duties—legit full-time duties, not 98 games full time—would be a breakout.

Here’s what happened last year: He hit .350 in 19 games, which included five home runs. He began the regular season hitting .283 in April, carrying over a great spring camp. But then he hit .164 and .160 in May and June, respectively.

Then, Norris started his breakout, via Jane Lee of MLB.com:

“One day, I told [hitting coach] Chili [Davis], ‘I’m going to do something that just feels different,'” Norris said. “So, I started a little leg kick thing, and before I knew it, I just felt more balanced and we went with it.”

He finished the season hitting .333 after the All-Star break.

If Norris heads into spring training with the new swing and continued success, there’s no doubt he can thrive in camp. And if that happens and he expands on last year’s .350 mark, he may finally be the hands-down, full-time catcher he’s been expected to be.

Nate Freiman

Donaldson forced the A’s to give him a shot at third base. Sogard earned the starting role at second base after a strong spring. What if 2014 saw Freiman solidify his worth on the diamond?

Consider his progression:

A (short): .294
A (full): .294
A (advanced): .288
Double-A: .298
MLB: .274

He makes a jump to the next level every year and responds.

But he faces steep competition in Brandon Moss. Let’s compare the two.

Both had averages near the mean in 2013, according to FanGraphs.com, but Freiman‘s ended 0.18 higher than Moss’. But Billy Beane is an on-base kind of guy, so that has to factor in. Both Freiman and Moss ended just about the same, with Moss’ 0.10 higher. Both men’s BABIP numbers are about the same, too (Moss .301; Freiman .306) .

Where they differ is in slugging percentage, walks and strikeouts.

Moss walks much more percentage-wise (9.9 percent to Freiman‘s 6.7 percent), while Freiman strikeouts much less (14.9 percent to Moss’ 27.7 percent). Moss has the advantage in slugging percentage straight up, though (.522 to .389).

Moss is 30 years old and only really has two quality years of production. So, if Freiman, three years his junior, can continue in an upward trend—starting with this year’s spring training—he could get the wheels turning on a decision regarding the near future of first base.

After all, one guy is making $4.1 million, and the other netted less than one million. If production is close, Moneyball says to take the cheaper guy.

Conclusion

There are plenty of candidates for breakout stars. Shane Peterson does well annually in spring training, is entering his prime and is out of options. It’s do-or-die time for Peterson. Tommy Milone needs a strong rebound this spring to find his way back into the starting rotation. Sogard may have to do it again now with competition from Nick Punto and Alberto Callaspo.

There’s a slew of guys fighting for the last spot in the rotation, including Drew Pomeranz, Josh Lindblom and Fernando Abad to name a few. Nothing motivates quite like fighting with a half a dozen others for one spot or putting an end to doubts whether you can be a long-term starter.

But the three guys listed above stand out above the rest.

Reddick needs this. He is clearly motivated to hush the doubters, prove he’s healthy and prove he’s worth the $3.2 million he requested in arbitration.

Norris came up so heavily touted that the A’s were quick to ditch Suzuki, who had called pitches for A’s hurlers for five-and-a-half seasons. That hasn’t panned out yet. Unless he wants to be considered a bust, he’ll need to break out soon.

Lastly, Freiman is in an upward trend already.

If he’s taken notes from Daric Barton’s career (or Brandon Allen, Kila Ka’aihue or Chris Carter), you don’t get too many chances to become and remain the starting first baseman for the Oakland Athletics. You can argue it’s now or never to force the team to consider him.

For how much this team appears to be set heading into spring training, a lot could change due to strong performances.

Who’s your breakout candidate? Hit me up in the comments below and let’s chat about it on Twitter.

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The Cleveland Indians have a few major decisions to make this spring, and here, they’ll take the form of a to-do list. The Tribe have question marks surrounding third base, how to use Carlos Santana, the fifth spot in the rotation and the long-relief spot in the bullpen.

The decision-making process regarding where to play Santana and who will round out the bullpen are similar in that they will rely significantly on who wins the position battles at third base and in the rotation, respectively.

Though Santana has the chance to win the starting job at third base, a more likely scenario involves the team scraping together at-bats at multiple positions for the 27-year-old.

Similarly, the battle for the final spot in the bullpen will involve some of the players cast off from the competition taking place in the starting rotation.

All in all, the Indians have four major tasks on their to-do list, and we’ll get into that right now.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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