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Say what you will, but Billy Beane is not averse to making decisive moves. Adding guys like John Jaso and Jed Lowrie may not be as sexy as Josh Hamilton, but the Oakland Athletics have further addressed offseason deficiencies with their moves. 

With Lowrie in the fold, the A’s now have someone with real Major League pop to fill in voids all over the infield. That means players like Eric Sogard and Adam “Skolnick” Rosales have less at-bats in meaningful situations. I like them both, but neither should be hitting more than 70 times a year in the big leagues. 

The reality is, the A’s were not far away last year and the two biggest holes in the lineup have been addressed with a trio of potentially big time upgrades in Jaso, Lowrie, and Hiro Nakajima. Yes, losing Chris Carter has the potential to take home runs away from the lineup. As a matter of fact, I anticipate that happening. 

However, you sometimes have to pull from a position of strength to address a position of weakness. There is no guarantee what Nakajima will give the A’s.

Lowrie would be a fantastic alternative at shortstop. He also fits at second, third, and first base as well. Scott Sizemore hasn’t played second base in the Major Leagues with any consistency. In other words, having a player with a real pedigree in waiting can only help this infield.

But the separation Oakland has from both Texas and Los Angeles, er Anaheim, is in the starting pitching. One to five, no team in the AL West is better than the A’s in terms of pitching. The Angels tried to address their deficiencies with outsiders Jason Vargas, Tommy Hanson, and Joe Blanton. Good luck. They aren’t on the level of the departed Zack Greinke, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana. 

Meanwhile, Texas has issues with a lack of starting pitching and the potential issues with Nelson Cruz being implicated in the most recent PED scandal in baseball. The reality is, Oakland’s status quo is still the best in the division until proven otherwise. No team has the depth of pitching combined with a solid lineup one through nine in the division. Oakland doesn’t have a Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Felix Hernandez, Yu Darvish, or any other marquee name (though Yoenis Cespedes is darn close) yet.

What they still have is the best overall team in the American League West.

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When Bartolo Colon signed with the Oakland A’s last year there weren’t high expectations for him.  

Although he had won a Cy Young earlier in his career, he was expected to be an average middle-of-the-rotation starter in 2012.

Colon surprised everyone in 2012 as he went 10-9 with a nice ERA of 3.43.  

Colon’s season would come to an abrupt end when he tested positive for illegal substances in the summer and he was hit with a 50 game suspension.  That suspension will carry over into 2013 and he will be held out of the first week of the regular season.  

Coming of the suspension, it is not a sure thing that Colon will be back to his 2012 form in which he relied on his PED-fueled fastball to blow hitters away with 91 strikeouts.

When Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50 games, he never quite regained his prior form and he struggled so poorly that he couldn’t crack the A’s 25 man roster in the spring of 2012 when the A’s were struggling on offense.

When Colon was suspended and Brandon McCarthy was injured late in the season, the A’s showed off just how much pitching depth they have when Dan Straily and A.J. Griffin came up from Triple-A Sacramento to continue carrying the A’s down the stretch.

The A’s potentially could start the season with their five-man rotation being Brett Anderson, A.J. Griffin, Jarrod Parker, Tommy Milone and Dan Straily.  Notice that Colon is the odd man out.

With Colon’s suspension costing him the first week of the season, plus the potential for his production to dip coming off such a long suspension, and factoring in the depth that the A’s have in pitching, Colon may not be on the A’s 25 man roster at all.

Colon could find a back-door way onto the team through the bullpen perhaps, but Colon will have to fight to be in the A’s starting rotation come April.

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The San Francisco Giants’ Cinderella-like postseason run that was capped by their second World Series championship in three seasons will forever be cemented in franchise history.

The Giants proved they could compete and be successful with far inferior talent than their opposition. The Giants were the best team during the 2012 playoffs for one reason; they had a solid nucleus of veteran leadership that never weakened.

The 2013 season could be much different.

A number of teams went all-in during free agency, looking to reload and better themselves for the season to come, while other teams leaned on the conservative side.  

Teams that had an active offseason in terms of upgrading their rosters included, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Washington, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Angels and the Detroit Tigers.

It’s certainly premature to say which teams will make it to the Fall Classic in October. But it’s fair to point out that the aforementioned clubs are in the best position to do so based on how active they were this offseason. 

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Whether or not you like the moves that the Seattle Mariners made this offseason, you must applaud the effort that the front office put into making the M’s a better team.

When signing Josh Hamilton didn’t happen, GM Jack Zduriencik turned to the trade market to acquire the necessary hitters to improve the Mariners lineup in Kendrys Morales and Michael Morse.

He also attempted to bring Justin Upton to Seattle, but that deal fell through when Upton refused to make the move to the Pacific Northwest, exercising his no-trade clause (instead, he ended up with his brother in Atlanta).

Zduriencik was also smart enough to realize that moves like signing Michael Bourn just weren’t worth the cost associated with making that type of move (though the M’s may still end up signing the veteran leadoff man).

But just how good is this Mariners squad?

Are Morse and Morales enough to turn this team into a playoff contender? Will some of the Mariners’ young guns break out and make this team a tough one to play against?

With the division still boasting teams like the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics, as well as what could be the best lineup in all of baseball in the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, making a run at the postseason may be too lofty of a goal for the Mariners in 2013.

Yet this team is better than the 2012 version of the Seattle Mariners, especially at the plate, and we must also keep in mind that the lowly Houston Astros will be joining the AL West division this season.

Those are both reasons to believe that the M’s win total should increase from 75 last season.

Toss in the fact that the Oakland Athletics are going to have a tough time replicating their 94-win season, and there is no reason to believe that the Mariners can’t improve their win total in 2013.

While a playoff run may not be in the M’s immediate future, Mariners fans can look forward to their team improving in 2013.

Playing to a .500 record of 81-81 is not out of the realm of possibility.

It may not be what some Mariners fans want, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

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Since Jon Daniels was hired as general manager after the 2005 season, the Rangers haven’t had many quiet offseasons.

Although he has done a lot of his best work at the trade deadlines, Daniels has also made many key additions during these offseasons. There have been a few misses too.

The offseason isn’t technically over yet, but there’s a good chance the Rangers won’t make any more moves.

So with that in mind, here is how the Rangers offseasons rank during the Jon Daniels era.  

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A repeat as AL West champions for the Oakland Athletics starts with manager Bob Melvin. Without him at the helm, it’s not happening this year and it wouldn’t have occurred last season either.

The team is talented, but Melvin pulled the right strings at the right times throughout the 2012 season. With the first base platoon returning and five outfielders for four spots, he’ll have to hope his magic touch hasn’t waned.

Take comfort, A’s fans.

There’s a reason Melvin is a two-time Manager of the Year winner. After nine years of coaching in Major League Baseball, he holds a .502 winning percentage. Furthermore, he’s managed teams to 90 or more wins three times, including in his first full year as Oakland’s manager.

In 2012, he did it with low expectations. Now he’ll have plenty—from fans and management.

The roster hasn’t seen much turnover in the offseason, so Melvin will face similar challenges. However, this time he’ll be more accustomed to the pieces he’s playing with.

These are the nine reasons Melvin holds the keys to the green and gold machine.

You might find that most are no-brainers. Nearly all of these reasons should be written in a manager’s job description. But with a team this young, the role becomes that much more important for success.

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The Oakland A’s shocked the baseball world last year by winning 94 games and sweeping the Texas Rangers during the final weekend of the season to win the AL West. Have they done enough this winter to give themselves a legitimate shot to repeat as division champs in 2013?

This offseason, general manager Billy Beane traded for outfielder Chris Young, catcher John Jaso and reliever Chris Resop. He also signed shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima and re-signed starting pitcher Bartolo Colon.

Stephen Drew, Brandon McCarthy and Jonny Gomes departed via free agency. Cliff Pennington was dealt for Young and George Kottaras was lost on waivers.

With Brett Anderson, Dan Straily and A.J. Griffin returning, the A’s have plenty of young pitching depth to replace the departed McCarthy.

 After coming back from Tommy John surgery, Anderson had a 2.57 ERA in his six starts last season. Griffin had a 3.06 ERA in his first 15 starts, and Straily had a 3.89 ERA in his seven rookie starts.  Anderson not only has the ability to be the ace of the staff, but he could be a Cy Young candidate if he stays healthy over the full season.

The A’s also return the veteran Colon (3.43 ERA), Travis Blackley (3.86) and second-year starters Tommy Milone (3.74) and Jarrod Parker (3.47). Among those seven starters, they should be able to find a way to duplicate or improve their 3.80 rotation ERA from last season, which was the eighth lowest in the majors.

The A’s have added Resop to a bullpen that was fourth in the league with a 2.94 ERA in 2012. They’ll also be returning Grant Balfour (2.53 ERA), Ryan Cook (2.09), Sean Doolittle (3.04), Jerry Blevins (2.48) and Jordan Norberto (2.77).

The A’s have depth, youth and talent up and down the pitching staff. They also have a deep group of outfield and designated hitter candidates among Young and incumbents Coco Crisp, Yoenis Cespedes, Josh Reddick and Seth Smith.

Cespedes, who will turn 27 next year, hit .292/.356/.505 with 23 home runs in his rookie season last year. Reddick, who will turn 26 next year, blasted 32 home runs to go with a slash line of .242/.305/.463. Given their youth, both outfielders should continue to improve as they enter their primes.

One area where the A’s could see some regression is at first base where Brandon Moss and Chris Carter combined to hit 37 home runs in just 556 plate appearances last season. Manager Bob Melvin’s platoon got the most out of both players, but Moss is a 29-year-old journeyman who may not be able to sustain his torrid .291/.358/.596 batting line from last season.

The rest of the A’s infield could be offensively challenged as well. Nakajima hit .311/.382/.451 in Japan last season, but the ZIPS projection system used at FanGraphs projects a pessimistic .271/.316/.366 batting line for him in his first season stateside. But all projections are just estimates, and Nakajima has a chance to top that batting line, based on his outstanding professional career in Japan. 

Josh Donaldson returns at the hot corner after hitting just .241/.289/.398 last season. Scott Sizemore will return to his original position at second base after missing all of last season due to injury. He’ll battle the incumbent Jemile Weeks, who hit just .221/.305/.304 before losing his job to Pennington late last year. Sizemore also has experience at third base, so he could become an option there if Donaldson falters.

Jaso and Derek Norris will handle catching duties next season, though Jaso could also see time at DH. Jaso, who hit.276/.394/.456 last season, should upgrade the offense behind the dish for the A’s, who finished dead last in the American League with a .587 OPS from the catcher position in 2012.

The A’s appear to have the pitching depth and talent to carry them into contention again in 2013. The Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros have had quiet winters, and while the Los Angeles Angels added Josh Hamilton to an already potent offense, their starting pitching doesn’t match up with the A’s rotation on paper. 

For the A’s to repeat as AL West champs, they’ll likely need to improve on their .238/.310/.404 team batting line from last season. The additions of Young, Jaso, Nakajima and a healthy Sizemore, combined with continued improvements from Cespedes and Reddick should provide the A’s with enough offense to sneak back into the postseason.

The Angels and Rangers have larger payrolls and more well-known players, but Oakland heads into 2013 with the best roster from top to bottom in the division.

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The Seattle Mariners haven’t necessarily had the best offseason so far. Sure, the M’s were able to reel in players like Kendrys Morales and Mike Morse through trade, but both deals came with questions.

The big names the Mariners were chasing this offseason were Josh Hamilton and Justin Upton, both of whom decided the Pacific Northwest was not for them.

So with time ticking down until pitchers and catchers report, is there any realistic move out there that Seattle can do to appease a restless fan base?

As a matter of fact there is.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports recently reported that Mariners ownership has again picked up the pace in trying to ink Felix Hernandez to an extension to keep the King in Seattle. In the article, Rosenthal points out that no deal is imminent, but that the Mariners are at least weighing the idea of offering a four-year, $100 million extension.

If that’s all it’s going to take to keep Felix in Seattle, then General Manager Jack Zduriencik should be at Felix’s front door right now holding a pen. Back in August, Dave Cameron of U.S.S Mariner discussed what a possible Felix Hernandez extension would look like, which he believed would look very similar to what the Mariners are rumored to be offering now. However, there are others out there including Bleacher Report’s own Ian Casselberry, who believe Felix could be the first $200 million man.

Locking up Felix Hernandez now would rescue the Mariners from the disappointment of the 2013 offseason and would put a rest to the Felix trade rumors that never seem to die. If Seattle can find a way to get an extension done, it would at least put the Mariners on a high note going into the 2013 season and would make Mariners fans can stop worrying about the current 2014 deadline.

By extending Felix, the Seattle Mariners ownership shows pending free agents like Curtis Granderson, Jacoby Ellsbury and Robinson Cano that they are serious about winning. In fact, getting a deal done with the King would be a good starting point for when Seattle has to resign either Morales or Morse at the end of the season as both players currently have only one year left on their deals.

With the hoard of pitching talent Seattle has in Danny Hultzen, James Paxton and Taijuan Walker, Seattle will need the King to lead the rotation as the young arms continue to develop. Felix’s presence will do nothing but benefit the young trio, and could potentially help Seattle have one of the best rotations in baseball for years to come.

When it comes down to it, this is a move that the Mariners need to get done. Not just for the benefit of the team moving forward, but to reward a fan base that has been desperate for a winner for years. 

Sure, Felix may not be the big bat all M’s fans were looking for this offseason. But the King is, and will be the face of the franchise, and making him a “Mariner for life” is a deal everyone can agree on.

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What an offseason it’s been for the Seattle Mariners and their fans.

From being in hot pursuit of superstar free agent Josh Hamilton to contemplating a potential signing of leadoff man Michael Bourn, the Mariners have looked to make moves all offseason.

Eventually GM Jack Zduriencik was able to bring in a few bats via trade in Kendrys Morales and Michael Morse.

With the Mariners signing Kendrys Morales and Michael Morse for just the 2013 season, Seattle could lose one or both of its new acquisitions this offseason.

Seattle hopes at least one of them will be willing to re-sign at some point during the season. Of course, Seattle will have to fork over the necessary contract, and one or both players will have to produce.

Either way, here are a few free agents the Seattle Mariners may look to sign next offseason.

Michael Morse, OF

The most likely option for the Seattle Mariners is the newly acquired Michael Morse.

If Morse is able to continue his trend of hitting for an average of more than .285 and can knock out 20 or more home runs, Seattle would be wise to lock him up for the next four or five seasons.

The team will also have the first crack at signing Morse as it can work on a new deal with the 30-year-old throughout the 2013 season.

Curtis Granderson, CF

With the M’s current center fielder Franklin Gutierrez set to hit the open market (assuming the Mariners choose to forgo his option for 2014), Seattle will be searching for someone to man center field.

One such option is Curtis Granderson, who will be looking for a big payday next offseason and could elect to leave the New York Yankees if they decide to bring their payroll below $189 million.

While Granderson’s batting average wasn’t anything spectacular in 2012 (he registered an abysmal .232 mark), his OPS has been over .800 in each of the last two seasons. In 2011 and 2012, the 31-year-old slugger hit at least 40 home runs and 100 RBI.

If Granderson can elevate his average in 2013 and steal a few more bases (as he has shown he can do in the past), Seattle should be willing to dole out the cash to lure him to the Pacific Northwest.

Jason Vargas, SP

The other option for the Mariners next offseason is Jason Vargas.

The man who was just dealt by the Mariners to the Los Angeles Angels for Kendrys Morales could choose to return to Seattle as early as next offseason.

While other teams will be focusing on names like Matt Garza, Dan Haren and Tim Lincecum (if he proves he can rebound and return to being a dominant top-of-the-rotation starter), Seattle could turn its attention to bringing the southpaw back to Safeco Field.

Considering that prospects like Danny Hultzen, Taijuan Walker and James Paxton could be ready for major league action in 2014, Seattle doesn’t need a big name like Garza or Haren. It would also be wise to use the cash it would take to sign them to work on re-inking Seattle ace Felix Hernandez.

Bringing back Vargas would give the M’s a middle-of-the-rotation kind of arm with experience to go with the infusion of young talent that may crack the rotation next season.

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The Los Angeles Angels announced that they have invited 21 non-roster players to spring training this season. The organization’s pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Feb. 11, with position players arriving a few days later on Feb. 14.

In addition to the 10 veteran players that have already been signed to a minor league contract, the Angels have extended an invitation to 11 prospects, including three that rank within their top-10.

First-Timers

The organization’s top prospect, third baseman Kaleb Cowart, will receive his first taste of big-league spring training after a breakout 2012 campaign in his full-season debut. After batting .293/.348/.479 with 28 extra-base hits and 44/22 K/BB in 66 games for Low-A Cedar Rapids, the 20-year-old switch hitter received a mid-season promotion to High-A Inland Empire. Although he showed signs of fatigue down the stretch, Cowart still batted .259/.366/.426 with 26 extra-base hits and 67/45 K/BB in 69 games.

In addition to the improvements he made at the plate last season, Cowart also made strides in both his defense and overall consistency at the hot corner. His plus arm, which generated mid-90s fastballs off the mound in high school, continues to be an asset at the position.

Randal Grichuk, the Angels’ No. 7 prospect, will also attend his first spring training next month. Selected in the first round of the 2009 draft, the 21-year-old has developed slowly and missed significant time due to injury. The outfielder enjoyed an under-the-radar, breakout season in 2012, batting .298/.335/.488 with 57 extra-base hits (18 home runs), 16 stolen bases and 92/23 K/BB in 135 games for High-A Inland Empire. Although his stats were inflated due to the hitter-friendly environment of the California League, Grichuk finally began to narrow the gap between the present and future.

An invitation was also extended to the team’s fourth-round selection from the 2012 draft, second baseman Alex Yarbrough. Recently ranked as the organization’s No. 10 prospect, the 21-year-old switch hitter reached Double-A in his professional debut after batting .287/320/.410 in 58 games for Low-A Cedar Rapids. Although he lacks a single impact tool, Yarbrough is well-rounded player on both sides of the ball.

Outside of the team’s top-10 prospects, right-hander A.J. Schugel and shortstop Eric Stamets both have been invited to their first major-league spring training.

After spending a majority of the 2010 and 2011 seasons as a reliever, the Angels officially shifted Schugel, 23, into the starting rotation last season. Needless to say, the right-hander exceeded expectations by registering 2.89 ERA with 109/55 K/BB in 140.1 innings.

Stamets, the organization’s sixth-round pick in the 2012 draft, is a glove-first shortstop with the plus speed, consistent glove and arm strength to remain at the position. If he can improve his plate discipline and on-base skills, the 21-year-old has the potential to be a pesky, top-of-the-order hitter.

The Angels also invited a trio of defense-oriented catching prospects: Jett Bandy, Carlos Ramirez and Zach Wright.

Bandy, 22, is a solid-average defensive catcher who’s amassed only nine passed balls in 116 minor-league games and played the entire 2012 season at High-A Inland Empire.

Ramirez is an above-average defender with excellent secondary skills. However, he posted a career-worst .588 OPS last season as a 24-year-old at Double-A Arkansas.

A 12^th-round draft pick in 2012 out of East Carolina University, Wright, 23, was assigned directly to Low-A Cedar Rapids after signing. At 6’2”, 210 pounds, he’s physical behind the plate and has the potential to be at least a solid-average defender. The right-handed hitter batted .268/.385/.419 with 14 extra-base hits and 38/28 K/BB in 52 games.

The only other notable prospect to receive an invitation is second baseman Taylor Lindsey, 21, who returns to big-league camp for the second-consecutive season. After batting .289/.328/.408 in 134 games at High-A Inland Empire last season, the left-handed hitter is ready for the jump to Double-A Arkansas.

The Year Ahead 

But are the Angels actually considering breaking camp with any of the aforementioned players?

Yes, potentially. But not any of their top prospects.

Cowart and Grichuk each received an invitation due to their respective breakout performances last season at High-A. Presuming that both players, as well as Taylor Lindsey, open the 2013 season at Double-A Arkansas, spring training should offer invaluable experience alongside many of their future teammates and coaches.

With an eye-opening spring and strong performance at Double-A to begin the 2013 season, Cowart is the Angels’ only position prospect capable of reaching the major leagues this year. Not only is he the most advanced player in the organization, he also has the clearest path to playing time. The team’s current third baseman, Alberto Callaspo, 29, is arbitration-eligible for the third time this offseason, and will become a free agent after the upcoming season.

Grichuk and Lindsey, on the other hand, are likely to reach the major leagues in mid-to-late-2014 after some much-needed seasoning in the minors. It’s also worth noting that Grichuk will become Rule-5 draft-eligible after the 2013 season, and, as a result, be added to the Angels’ 40-man roster. Therefore, there’s no pressure to rush him up the ladder.

By extending invitations to Stamets, Schugel and Yarbrough, the organization is offering a vote of confidence in all three players. Each prospect should finish the 2013 season in the high minors with a chance for a big-league debut in 2014.

Roster Battle Brewing

The Angels’ only position that’s seemingly unsolidified headed into spring training is that of backup, and possible third-string, catcher.

Chris Iannetta will obviously be the team’s Opening Day backstop, with Hank Conger and Jon Hester expected to compete for reserve duty. However, expect the other catching prospects invited to spring training to challenge them both for a roster spot.

Of the three, I wouldn’t sleep on Carlos Ramirez. Yes, he had a pretty terrible 2012 season at Double-A Arkansas. But the 24-year-old’s still only a year removed from posting an .848 OPS across three levels and offers nearly big-league-ready defense.

Considering that Hester’s bat has trailed off over the last two seasons and his defense is fringy (at best), he’s anything but a lock for the Opening Day roster. The same goes for Conger, who’s failed to produce in the major leagues in each of the last three seasons and owns a .201/.280/.330 career slash line in 79 games.

If Ramirez can rebound at the plate this spring, he could quickly emerge as the frontrunner for the backup catching position and receive significant playing time in the upcoming season.

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