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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.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Oakland Athletics first baseman Brandon Moss is literally the big elephant in the room.

In his breakthrough season in 2013, Moss ranked among Major League Baseball’s best in every power category there is, forcing us to query as to whether or not he is a one-year wonder. If he does show us a significant decline in statistical production in 2014, it will be one of the greatest year-to-year wanes we have seen for some time.

There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical of Moss’ production at the plate. The 30-year-old slugger amassed more than 500 plate appearances for the first time in his career last season. In the three seasons before, he accumulated just 329. Additionally, he has just 66 career home runs. That means he hit nearly half of his career total in 2013 alone (30).

On the other hand, Moss is looking more like a late-bloomer and is showing no signs of slowing down. 2013 was the first season where he was able to earn a full slate of at-bats. Moss took advantage of the opportunity and never looked back. To the surprise of many, signs of a power breakthrough began in 2012.

While I’m not suggesting he is the hitting version of Dazzy Vance, whose Hall of Fame career began after age 30, all indicators fail to show any significant regression for the Oakland first baseman.

The story begins in 2012. A year after playing primarily in the minors for the Philadelphia Phillies, Moss landed in Oakland via a minor league contract. Two months into the season, he was called upon from Triple-A Sacramento. In 84 games that season, Moss would rake for 21 HR, 52 runs batted in and a batting average of .291. Not bad for a platoon player at first base.

Moss’ intriguing 2012 production came in just 296 plate appearances. His walk percentage (BB/PA) rested at 8.8 percent but more damning was his strikeout percentage (K/PA). At 30.4 percent, Moss’ strikeout rate, had it been eligible to qualify among all MLB hitters, would have been the fourth-highest K/PA rate in MLB. The qualifying hitters (minimum 502 PA) who struck out at a higher rate were Adam Dunn, Pedro Alvarez and Drew Stubbs.

Swings and misses often come packaged with power production. The 10 players with the highest strikeout rate in 2012 averaged 26.4 HR individually. In 2013, the 10 players with the highest K/PA rate averaged 30.6 HR individually. 

Because of the appetizer-sized sample the year before, many expected regression in 2013. Moss did regress slightly but his overall power production increased significantly, culminating in a two-year turnaround unlike any in baseball.

As the everyday first baseman, Moss finished tied for the 11th-most home runs in MLB, alongside Adrian Beltre, David Ortiz and Jay Bruce. He also decreased his strikeout rate while upping his walk rate to a more satisfactory 9.9 percent. While Moss’ average dipped to a level more in line with a power hitter, his fly-ball percentage (the number of fly balls per batted balls in play) increased 6 percent.

Additionally, his line-drive rate dropped nearly 3 percent, showing he was hitting the ball with more pop and distance than the year before.

What does this all mean? Barring any significant injury or catastrophic collapse, Moss proved he is one of MLB’s better power hitters when provided the opportunity. While his average and batting average on balls in play (BABIP) contracted, Moss improved elsewhere to prove his power is here to stay.

The decline in his AVG and BABIP is not necessarily concerning as they retreated to a more league-average level for a hitter of Moss’ pedigree. Small sample sizes, like his 2012, can do that to a player.

And just think, half of his AB came in the pitcher-friendly confines of the O.co Coliseum. More commonly known as the Oakland Coliseum, the A’s home ballpark typically ranks as one of the worst for power hitters in MLB. According to ESPN’s ballpark factors, O.co Coliseum ranked 25th out of 30 ballparks in HR allowed.

With no signs of slowing down, it’s a wonder that Moss was designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010. Even more remarkable, Moss was able to gain just six AB for the Phillies in 2011 after playing nearly the entire season in the minor leagues.

Then again, baseball players don’t typically emerge as significant power hitters as they encroach on the age of 30. Moss’ last two seasons and forward projections highlight the importance of perseverance. Not only has he done the impossible over the course of the last two seasons, he is doing it well, placing him among the elite power hitters in baseball.

Unless noted otherwise, all statistics provided courtesy of FanGraphs.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Texas Rangers boast one of the better farm systems in all of baseball.

Now it isn’t what it was a year or two ago, but is still ranked No. 13 overall by ESPN’s Keith Law (subscription required). The main reason for the drop is the collective age of talent. Many of the prospects still are a few years away from being ready for the big leagues.

But there still is a great deal of talent throughout the organization. Two of the players on this list also are in Law’s Top 100 Prospects list (subscription required).

Here are the top 10 Rangers prospects heading into spring training. 

Who do you think belongs on the list?

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

Here is the link to Baseball America’s Best Tools page that will be used throughout the slideshow.

You can follow Trey on Twitter @treydwarren

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Two of the three divisions in the American League housed at least three winning teams in 2013. The AL West was the one that didn’t, and also had the dishonor of being home to MLB‘s worst team.

But since spring training is pretty much here, it’s really no longer too early to look at the projections. And to this end, the AL West is looking pretty good for 2014. Quite good, in fact. Shoot, very good.

FanGraphs‘ projections have the AL West matching the AL East with four winning teams. The projections at Baseball Prospectus have the AL West being the only division in the American League with four winning teams. Also, both projections have that one team in Houston vastly improving its fortunes.

Hard to believe? Nah, not really. Even if we focus strictly on what the five AL West clubs did to improve this offseason, it’s clear enough that they were all productive.

If we go in reverse order of last year’s standings, it went like this…

How the Houston Astros Got Better

The Astros provided a textbook example of baseball ineptitude last year, losing 111 games and allowing 238 runs more than they scored.

Credit where it’s due, though: They did something about it.

Whereas Houston’s list of departures consists of “meh”-worthy names like Jordan Lyles, Brandon Barnes, Carlos Pena and Erik Bedard, their list of arrivals includes Dexter Fowler, Scott Feldman, Jesse Crain, Chad Qualls and Matt Albers, each of whom is a player Houston could have used in 2013.

That’s probably no more obvious than it is with Fowler in center field when we make a simple comparison using some data from FanGraphs:

• Astros center fielders in 2013: 1.4 WAR and 86 wRC+
• Fowler in 2013: 2.2 WAR and 106 wRC+

Fowler’s not just what the Astros needed in center field. He’s also something their lineup needed, period, as only two regulars posted a wRC+ over 100 in 2013: Jason Castro and Chris Carter.

Then there’s how Feldman helps Houston’s rotation. He’s an innings-eater, and he’s joining a starting staff that ate fewer innings than all but three other teams in 2013.

If we further illustrate the point, we see this:

Feldman also threw 61 percent of his pitches for strikes and racked up a 49.6 ground-ball percentage, leading into this yeah-that-sums-it-up statement from Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow.

“We wanted an experienced starter to anchor our pitching staff,” Luhnow said, via MLB.com. “Scott is a great fit with our club. He throws strikes and gets ground balls, and will be a great example for the rest of our young rotation.”

Elsewhere, Houston’s bullpen was the worst in the majors according to both fWAR and ERA. Crain, Qualls and Albers definitely could have helped:

Crain is a wild card in light of how much arm trouble he had in 2013. But the news on him is good, as Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reported that the right-hander has begun throwing. Since Crain led all major league relievers in fWAR at the break in 2013, he’ll be a huge addition if he can stay healthy.

Bottom line: The Astros added a much-needed bat, a much-needed starter and a couple much-needed relievers. FanGraphs has them winning 75 games. Baseball Prospectus has them winning 66. Either figure would be an improvement, and any improvement would bolster the AL West’s depth.

How the Seattle Mariners Got Better

The Mariners have had one winning season in the past six, losing over 90 games four times. That includes last year’s 91-loss effort (is that the right word?).

But like the Astros, the Mariners did something about it. Kendrys Morales, Raul Ibanez, Oliver Perez and Joe Saunders went out the door, but in the door came Robinson Cano, Corey Hart, Logan Morrison and Fernando Rodney.

Cano, the $240 million man himself, is a superstar by most measures, including everyone’s favorite: WAR. By fWAR‘s reckoning, the former Yankee has been a six-win player in three of the last four seasons.

Want to know how many six-win position players the Mariners have enjoyed in the last four seasons? Here’s the list:

• None

Yup.

It’s certainly Cano’s bat that’s the main attraction for the Mariners. Where Seattle hasn’t had a regular do better than a 116 wRC+ since 2010, Cano has done no worse than a 134 wRC+ since then.

Cano’s presence alone more than makes up for the losses of Morales and Ibanez. Health permitting, Hart and Morrison could boost Seattle’s offense even further. Hart did no worse than a 124 wRC+ between 2010 and 2012 in Milwaukee, and Morrison had an OPS over .800 as late as Aug. 20 in 2013. If they don’t work out as full-time players, hey, maybe they’ll make a solid platoon.

And while adding Rodney wasn’t entirely necessary given that incumbent closer Danny Farquhar was actually the better pitcher in 2013, Seattle now has three primary relievers who struck out over 28 percent of the hitters they faced in 2013 in Rodney, Farquhar and Charlie Furbush. There were only 29 such players last year.

Yes, the Mariners are still flawed. Their rotation has question marks after Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma. And even with Hart and Morrison in tow, their offense is still hit-or-miss outside of Cano.

But just like it is in Houston, improvement is in the cards. FanGraphs sees 82 wins for the Mariners. Baseball Prospectus sees 83. If they get there, they, too, will do their part in deepening the AL West.

How the Los Angeles Angels Got Better

About the only thing that wasn’t disappointing in the Angels’ 2013 season was the continued world-conquering of Mike Trout, and even that couldn’t keep them above .500.

Now, I can see how some might look at the Angels’ winter and be unimpressed. They added David Freese, Raul Ibanez, Hector Santiago, Tyler Skaggs and Joe Smith, but they lost three good players in Mark Trumbo, Peter Bourjos and Jason Vargas.

Well, let’s start by being fair in one respect: If we’re going strictly by 2013 numbers, switching out Trumbo for Ibanez is a good trade. Observe:

Ibanez wasn’t as valuable as Trumbo in 2013 due to his awful defense, which helped lower his fWAR to a nice, even 0.0. But for the most part, he’ll be DH’ing in 2014, putting him in a position to help the Angels with his bat without hurting them with his glove.

Freese‘s bat should also help. Third base was an offensive black hole for the Angels in 2013, as their third basemen combined for just an 81 wRC+. Freese has done better than a 100 wRC+ every year he’s been in the majors.

The arms that the Angels brought in constitute more of a question mark. Santiago is basically stepping in for Vargas, and it’s hard to call that an upgrade if we consider what the two pitchers did in 2013:

Vargas was notably harder to draw a walk against. Santiago was notably harder to hit. In the end, they were about as valuable. So maybe it’s best if we call this switch a push.

That basically leaves it up to Skaggs to make the Angels rotation better, and that’s fortunately not out of the question. It depends on whether the Angels can fix what ailed him in ’13, and they might be able to.

Consider this from Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com:

[Angels GM Jerry Dipoto] did notice a mechanical flaw, one he believes is very fixable: In an effort to kill velocity and create more dive with his changeup, Skaggs has developed ‘a little bit shorter stride length,’ which may have diminished some of his other stuff.

‘We think that a 22-year-old with a clean bill of health and a good performance history as a minor leaguer and the kind of physical stuff that he has really bodes well for us,’ Dipoto said.

Dipoto traded for Skaggs when he was interim GM of the Diamondbacks in 2010. If Skaggs figures things out under Dipoto‘s watchful eye, he may return to being a promising prospect. Remember, it was only last year that Baseball America had him as the No. 12 prospect in baseball.

Lastly, there’s Smith. He’s essentially stepping into the relief role vacated by Scott Downs last summer, and is a fine option for it. Smith owns a 2.42 ERA since 2011, and has done well against both lefties (.201 average) and righties (.230 average).

The Angels didn’t pull off a complete makeover this winter. They only addressed some needs, with only Skaggs having real upside among the additions. But since they have plenty of upside elsewhere in players like Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Kole Calhoun, FanGraphs‘ projection of 83 wins sounds fair.

Baseball Prospectus’ projection of 88 wins, meanwhile, shouldn’t be ruled out with all the talent on the roster.

How the Texas Rangers Got Better

The Rangers won 91 games in 2013 and then watched Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, Joe Nathan, Matt Garza, A.J. Pierzynski and David Murphy walk out the door. That’s not a good look.

But this is: Prince Fielder, Shin-Soo Choo and Michael Choice are the big players they’ve added.

Making up for the losses of Nathan and Garza won’t be easy, as the Rangers will need Neftali Feliz or Joakim Soria to step in and fill Nathan’s shoes and Matt Harrison or Alexi Ogando to fill Garza’s shoes. The additions they’ve made, on the other hand, easily make up for the bats they’ve lost.

The simplified version:

• Kinsler, Cruz, Pierzynski and Murphy in 2013: 6.0 fWAR
• Choo and Fielder in 2013: 7.4 fWAR

More specifically, we can look at Choo and see that his .423 OBP  out of the leadoff spot represents a very nice upgrade over the .336 OBP Texas got out of the No. 1 slot in 2013.

What Choo and Fielder both have that the Rangers needed is power from the left side of the plate.

Between 2008 and 2012, the isolated power the Rangers got from the left side never dipped below .159. Then Josh Hamilton left for Anaheim, and the Rangers’ lefty ISO dipped to .144 in 2013.

Choo and Fielder can fix this. They both posted a .178 ISO in 2013 and both should like hitting in their new home ballpark. Fielder, in particular, should benefit, as I’ve already written that the move to Arlington could be the difference between another 25-homer season and a 30-homer season.

“I think that bringing in Prince and having Choo in front of the lineup is going to be really great for us, especially giving us more balance,” third baseman Adrian Beltre told MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan. “It’s a big loss in Ian but in time I think the bats we added are going to be really good for us. Hopefully we can stay healthy and help us do what we want to do this year.”

As for Choice, he fits as a right-handed complement to both Leonys Martin in center field and Mitch Moreland at DH. Cruz couldn’t have filled both roles due to his poor defense in the outfield, and there’s also the fact that his career platoon splits are surprisingly even.

We don’t have an exact notion of what kind of platoon player Choice is yet, to be sure. But courtesy of MiLB.com, we do know he had an OBP over .400 against lefties at Triple-A in 2013. That bodes well.

It’s not hard to see the Rangers struggling with their pitching in 2014, but their lineup should once again be one of the American League’s best. Both FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus see them finishing in the mid-80s in wins in 2014, but their ceiling is undeniably higher than that.

How the Oakland A’s Got Better

The A’s won 96 games last year. Like the Rangers, they then waived goodbye to a fair amount of talent, namely Choice, Bartolo Colon, Grant Balfour, Brett Anderson, Chris Young and Seth Smith.

But while the A’s didn’t bring in stars, they did fill holes with Scott Kazmir, Jim Johnson, Luke Gregerson, Craig Gentry, Nick Punto, Drew Pomeranz and Eric O’Flaherty.

Switching out Colon for Kazmir is a better move than many might realize. Kazmir is far younger, and was also the better pitcher after the break in 2013:

Elsewhere, Gentry is better suited for the righty-hitting, good-glove-having fourth outfielder role that Young proved to be a poor fit for. The A’s can use Punto‘s glove all around their infield. Pomeranz is basically a young Anderson.

Johnson and Gregerson, for their part, were actually both better than Balfour in 2013. Like so:

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com says O’Flaherty won’t be ready until July as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery, but he, too, has the goods to be a huge addition. Between 2011 and 2012, only Aroldis Chapman was more deadly against left-handed batters.

The A’s weren’t really a team of superstars before the winter arrived. They’re still not. But when I asked assistant GM David Forst this past Saturday what the A’s have that the other four teams in the AL West don’t, he didn’t have to think very hard.

“We still feel like the makeup of the complete 25-man roster gives us a chance to repeat,” said Forst, adding: “We feel like from one to 25 we’re just as strong as we were, if not stronger, in the last two years.”

So how about it, Bob Melvin? Just as deep as the last two years, or deeper?

“I think we increased the depth,” said Melvin, the A’s manager, adding that “the versatility and the depth get more so each and every year. I think it’s better than it was in 2012, better than it was in 2013.”

Forst noted that the A’s are “certainly” stronger in the bullpen, and his new closer agrees.

When I asked Johnson if Oakland’s 2014 bullpen rivals the amazing bullpen he was a member of in Baltimore in 2012, he spoke of how it wasn’t just talent that the 2012 Orioles bullpen had. It had guys who could “seamlessly” pitch anywhere from the sixth through the ninth, and also had the kind of depth to ensure that no individual pitcher was asked to do too much.

And this A’s bullpen has the goods to do the same thing?

“Oh, absolutely,” said Johnson with a grin. “Yeah, these guys are nasty.”

The projections are about as sold on Oakland’s depth as the A’s themselves are. FanGraphs has them down for 84 wins, while Baseball Prospectus has them right up there with the Angels with 88 wins.

Depth has made the A’s one of the best teams in the American League the last two years. It could help them do that once again in 2014.

Final Thoughts

If it doesn’t feel like it’s that often that an entire division gets better in one offseason, well, think about it. How often is it that there’s not at least one straggler in a division?

Take this past winter, for example. The Cleveland Indians were largely quiet in the AL Central. In the AL East, the Baltimore Orioles have hardly done anything. In the NL East, the Atlanta Braves have been awfully quiet. In the NL Central, both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds have been quiet as well. 

There was no such silence in the AL West. All five clubs were busy, and all five made moves that either provided significant upgrades or increased depth. The division would seem to house at least two elite teams, and might house one or two more depending on how much potential is realized in Seattle and Anaheim. The division’s one pushover, meanwhile, should be less of a pushover.

Only two of the 10 American League clubs outside of the division had a losing record against the AL West in 2013. Odds are that number will be coming up in 2014.

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

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

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Spring training is just a couple of weeks away, and the Texas Rangers have two guys who are creating a lot of buzz.

Ironically, one player just won a Super Bowl, and the other pitched against the club last year.

Per MLB.com, Tommy Hanson and the Rangers agreed to a deal worth $2 million on Monday. He will be at spring training and has a good chance of making the starting rotation. He pitched for the Angels last season, starting 13 games and posting a 5.42 ERA.

As for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, there still isn’t a definitive answer. It isn’t as if he is going to trade rubber spikes for metal ones, but he has gotten support from Texas fans to show up. 

Jeff Wilson explained the QB has the support from his newest agent:

Then fans got the news they had been waiting for:

Although he is showing up, it doesn’t look like he will be taking the field or making any plate appearances:

The High-A affiliate of the Rangers doesn’t want to take no for an answer. The team is willing to donate to a charity of Wilson’s choice in exchange for nine innings:

It was originally reported that Tommy Hanson had signed a minor league deal with the club. CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman cleared it all up on Tuesday:

Some fans were not too pleased with the team’s newest acquisition:

The Rangers now have a legitimate starter to fill the void left by Derek Holland’s knee surgery. Hanson’s ERA has dipped every year since his rookie season in 2009. That could be the epicenter of the disgust shown by the Rangers faithful.

But he isn’t going to be expensive. He could end up being a steal this offseason.

Wilson won’t be donning a Rangers uniform during the 2014 regular season, but the club can still benefit from his presence in Surprise, Ariz. Not because he just won the Super Bowl but because he has leadership qualities. He is also going to provide plenty of traffic at any complex he shows up to in March.

It would be fun to see what Wilson could do after a few years off the diamond.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

T-minus four days until Oakland A’s pitchers report for spring training. Five days after that, the rest of the squad officially opens camp in Phoenix, Arizona. Baseball is upon us.

The 2014 Oakland A’s will look familiar.

Four-fifths of the rotation is the same. There are no new faces in the starting lineup. The bullpen and bench saw the most turnover.

Spring training is always entertaining.

It’s a time when we as fans and writers see how well guys have rebounded from offseason surgeries and lingering injuries. Prospects have a chance to shine. Others hope to earn a spot on the 25-man roster. And there always seems to be that one guy who, even though we know him already, has a monster spring.

So who’s gone? Who’s new? Which prospects are worth watching? Who’s returning from injury?

We’ll take a look at all of these questions, as well as everything else—from the projected lineup to position battles; from the coaching staff to a complete offseason recap.

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The Seattle Mariners finally continued their spending ways after agreeing to a two-year, $14 million deal with reliever Fernando Rodney, as reported by Grantland’s Jonah Keri. Keri also notes that the deal could be worth up to $15 million with incentives:

Just two seasons ago, Rodney made history by surpassing Dennis Eckersley to record the lowest ERA of all time at 0.60. While still productive in 2013, he took a bit of a step back, posting a 3.38 ERA and 37 saves over 66.2 innings pitched.

Rodney averaged 11.07 strikeouts, 4.86 walks and 0.41 home runs per nine innings on the season. The K/9 was actually the best of Rodney’s career, but there was a dramatic increase in walks (up 3.05 points from 2012).

For the Mariners, Rodney should provide some stability to a bullpen that blew 23 saves last season, per ESPN.com. The video below shows Tom Wilhelmsen missing with his fastball location in a blown save against the Houston Astros.

Wilhelmsen, who started last season as the team’s closer after an impressive 2012, struggled mightily and finished the season with a 4.12 ERA and 5.03 BB/9. 

Relievers Charlie Furbush (1.1 WAR) and Danny Farquhar (1.9 WAR) were really the only reliable relievers on the team before the Rodney signing.

FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan wrote about the deal and noted that the Mariners needed another bullpen arm if they are to contend in 2014:

This was a bullpen in considerable need. Maybe not of a closer, but of help. Outside of Farquhar and Charlie Furbush, the Mariners had a bunch of question marks, made worse by Stephen Pryor coming off an unusual surgery. No one has any idea what to expect from Wilhelmsen, and Yoervis Medina is not unlike Rodney on his worse days. The goal for any contender ought to be to improve, and the Mariners intend to contend, and Rodney makes them an incrementally more talented team. 

MLB.com’s Richard Justice agrees that it is a positive signing, and he discusses Rodney and other potential moves:

Signing relievers to multiyear deals is always a gamble, but the Mariners were able to land one of the better ones at a reasonable price. If Wilhelmsen (or Stephen Pryor, Yoervis Medina, etc.) can step up, then the Mariners have a chance to feature an elite bullpen.

Whether they continue to spend (Nelson Cruz?) to fill their remaining holes will be the question going forward.

All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs.com, unless otherwise noted.

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The Texas Rangers are just a few weeks away from opening up spring training in Surprise, Ariz.

Luckily for the club, most of its roster is filled with healthy players getting ready for the day-to-day grind. However, there are a few players who will not be joining the Rangers. There are some who will have a tougher time getting back into the groove because of injuries.

Derek Holland will obviously be one of those guys who won’t be in Surprise. He is recovering from knee surgery and won’t be available until around the All-Star break.

Here are injury updates on a couple of other players looking to make a comeback in 2014.

Matt Harrison

Matt Harrison made just two starts last season before it was cut short due to two back surgeries on a herniated disk.

The 28-year-old has been throwing for quite some time now. He is expected to be ready to go by the time spring training rolls around. The Dallas Morning News’ Gerry Fraley reported that he successfully completed a bullpen session on Jan. 21, throwing 35 pitches.

He will also look like a different guy when Texas fans see him in Surprise. Fraley says Harrison has dropped about 30 pounds during his rehab program.

Spring training should be very beneficial to Harrison’s comeback this season considering where he is now.

Colby Lewis

The club’s most successful playoff pitcher in history hasn’t pitched in a big league game since July 18, 2012.

Colby Lewis was signed to a minor league deal back on Nov. 23, which included an invite to spring training. He will be coming back from multiple surgeries on his elbow and hip.

With Holland out for the first few months, Lewis could be in line for a rotation spot. He has gone 32-29 since 2010 and is 4-1 in the postseason.

In an interview on KRLD-FM, Lewis said that his hip is great and it is the best he has felt in four or five years.

That is what Rangers fans are hoping for.

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It’s been rough going for the Seattle Mariners of late, as they have posted four straight losing seasons and have not reached the postseason since 2001.

After going 71-91 in 2013, they kicked off their offseason with a bang, signing superstar second baseman Robinson Cano to a massive 10-year, $240 million deal prior to the winter meetings. That’s been far from their only notable addition, though.

Reliever Fernando Rodney is their latest major signing, as the right-hander agreed to terms on a two-year, $14 million deal, according to Jonah Keri of Grantland:

The 36-year-old will serve as the team’s closer for the upcoming season, bolstering a bullpen that ranked 29th in the MLB last season with a 4.58 ERA.

Rodney spent the past two seasons at the back end of the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen, going 85-of-95 on save chances with a 1.91 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 10.1 K/9.

He won AL Comeback Player of the Year in 2012, converting 48 of 50 save opportunities with a 0.60 ERA and finishing fifth in AL Cy Young voting. He was not nearly as dominant this past season, but he still represents an upgrade in the ninth inning, and his addition should help the bullpen as a whole.

The Mariners still may not be done making moves this offseason, but they’ve already significantly overhauled their roster. Here is a quick rundown of all of their activity this winter:

Those moves have undoubtedly made the Mariners a better team, especially on the offensive side. They ranked 12th in the AL in runs scored last season, which came after four straight seasons as the lowest-scoring team in the league.

Is it enough to make them contenders in the AL West, though? At this point I’d be inclined to say no, as there is still work to be done if they hope to be playing in October.

The Oakland Athletics have captured back-to-back AL West titles and look to be strong once again, the Texas Rangers have as dangerous a lineup as any in baseball with the additions of Shin-Soo Choo and Prince Fielder, and the Los Angeles Angels still have an incredibly talented roster that just needs to play to its potential.

That potentially leaves the Mariners as the fourth-best team in their own division. The potential is there for them to pull off a surprise, but some things need to happen if they are going to make that happen.

Here is a look at what those things are:

Get solid rookie seasons from Taijuan Walker and James Paxton.

The Mariners had one of the best one-two punches in baseball last season atop their rotation in Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma, and they’ll be back atop the staff once again this season.

Those two combined to go 26-16 with a 2.84 ERA in 64 games last season, but the rest of the team’s starting pitchers were just 29-42 with a 5.24 ERA over 98 starts.

Enter prospects Taijuan Walker and James Paxton, both of whom saw time down the stretch last season and have been among the top pitching prospects in the game for several years now.

Walker, in particular, looks to have an incredibly bright future, and he enters the season as a consensus top-three pitching prospect in the MLB.

Those two will likely be handed rotation spots from day one, and they will need to hold down those jobs and post at least respectable numbers for the Mariners to have any chance of contending.

Sign another veteran starting pitcher or get a healthy season from Scott Baker.

Even if Walker and Paxton pan out and are able to hold down their two rotation spots for the entire season, the No. 5 spot remains up in the air.

Incumbents Erasmo Ramirez, Hector Noesi and Brandon Maurer are expected to battle minor league free-agent signing Scott Baker for the job this spring. 

Baker missed all of 2012 following Tommy John surgery, finally returning last September to make three starts for the Chicago Cubs down the stretch. Prior to the injury, he was a solid starter for the Minnesota Twins, going 55-37 with a 3.98 ERA in 134 starts from 2007-2011.

He’ll make $1 million if he can make the Opening Day roster, with another $3.5 million available in incentives. The Mariners would love nothing more than for him to impress this spring and give the young rotation another veteran arm.

If the team doesn’t think he can win that job, though, signing someone like Paul Maholm, Chris Capuano or even bringing back Joe Saunders could be a wise move to help add some depth to the back of the starting rotation.

Sign Nelson Cruz

The Mariners have already spent a ton this offseason, but they may not be done, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted that the team is “all-in” and optimistic about landing free-agent slugger Nelson Cruz before the offseason is over.

Dustin Ackley and Michael Saunders have a loose grasp at best on starting jobs in the outfield, and adding Cruz to the mix would take some pressure off Corey Hart, considering the need to protect Robinson Cano.

The team’s first-round pick is protected after finishing with the sixth-worst record in the league last year, and they already gave up their second-round pick to sign Cano, so the qualifying offer tied to Cruz doesn’t mean much.

As the offseason goes on, his price has no doubt dropped. If the Mariners can add a proven slugger like Cruz on a reasonable two-year deal, they could really take a big step forward offensively.

Keep Corey Hart and Logan Morrison healthy and productive.

Last offseason, the Mariners traded for Kendrys Morales and Michael Morse in an effort to bolster their offensive attack and received a mixed bag in return. They’ve taken a similar approach this offseason with those two both gone, adding a pair of first baseman/outfielder types to the middle of the lineup.

Corey Hart missed all of the 2013 season with a pair of knee surgeries, and chances are he’ll be used as the primary DH in an effort to keep him in the lineup. He was fairly durable leading up to last year, averaging 139 games per season from 2007-2012.

If Hart can return to his 2012 form—when he had an .841 OPS with 30 home runs and 83 RBI hitting in the middle of the Milwaukee Brewers lineup—he’d provide some much-needed protection for Robinson Cano in the middle of the Mariners’ order.

Logan Morrison burst onto the scene with 23 home runs and 72 RBI as a 23-year-old for the Florida Marlins back in 2011, but he’s had trouble staying on the field since. Various knee injuries have limited him to just 178 games the past two seasons.

Still just 26, the potential is certainly there with Morrison, and if he can give the team 20-plus home runs and a respectable batting average out of the No. 6 spot in the lineup, it would be big for their overall production.

Counting on two guys who battled knee injuries last season is certainly risky, especially considering the team’s lack of depth behind them. If they can stay healthy and produce to their capabilities, Seattle’s offense could climb into the top 10 in the American League for the first time since 2007.

Play better in close games.

This one could be greatly influenced by the Rodney signing, but the Mariners will need to do a much better job in close games if they hope to have a real chance at earning a postseason spot.

Last year, they were 19-29 in one-run games and 6-15 in extra innings, giving them the most extra inning losses of any team in baseball.

Squeaking out wins in close games and grinding out a victory in extra innings not only helps from a record standpoint, but those are the kinds of things that bring a team together and help build momentum over the course of a season.

On the flip side, consistently losing close games can certainly take its toll on a team mentally and bring any potential momentum to a screeching halt.

Conclusion

Regardless of whether or not the Mariners add any more pieces to the puzzle this offseason, they have already shown that they are committed to putting a winning team on the field with their all-in approach.

They will still have their work cut out for them if they want to reach the playoffs in a deep American League, though, and they could have trouble even finishing as the third-best team in their own division in 2014.

Still, they are a team that has improved significantly this winter, and if the aforementioned things happen they could have a real shot this season.

At the very least, a run at their first winning season since 2009 seems reasonable. Expectations will likely be much higher than that entering the year, regardless of whether or not they are realistic.

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Infielder Michael Young fittingly announced his retirement in a Texas Rangers uniform Friday, after playing 14 seasons in the major leagues, 13 of those with the Rangers.

Young spent his first 13 seasons in Texas, before suiting up for the Phillies and Dodgers in 2013. It was a final chapter that most Rangers fans would rather forget, and Friday’s announcement provided a more palatable ending.

Young was never a superstar, but from 2003 to 2011 he didn’t once finish with a batting average below .284, and he topped the .300 mark seven times in those nine years.

Even more impressive than his ability to pile up singles and doubles was Young’s ability to stay on the field. During that aforementioned nine-year stretch, he logged 155 games or more eight times.

Given Young’s durability and his skill at spraying line drives all over the field, it should come as no surprise that he holds the Rangers all-time records in a number of categories. His notable team records include hits (2,230), doubles (415), triples (55), total bases (3,286), runs (1,085), games (1,823) and at-bats (7,399).

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