AL East

Michael Young is reportedly wanting out of Texas and has demanded to be traded according to sources. 

Young is one of the more established hitters in the game, having a .300 career batting average.  If the situation doesn't resolve and Young is indeed leaving the Rangers organization, he will be highly sought after around the league.

The Toronto Blue Jays front office doesn’t limit themselves to the usual resources to find talent; MLB, MiLB, NCAA, or the draft.  This time their experts directed them to the new North American Baseball League. 

Right-hander Steven Raburn has signed a minor-league contract and is expected to report to extended spring training by April 5. 

Wait he still plays?

Like many baseball fans, I am guilty of saying this expression from time to time. It seems like more than any other major sport, baseball players still tend to have the ability to produce in the later stages of their careers.

Every team seems to have that one old hitter that you thought retired five seasons ago. Often times we poke fun at them, but it is not deserved.

Most championship caliber teams are guilty of having these kinds of players. There is a lot of value in having a hitter that has aged like fine wine.

The news for the Yankees this offseason has been generally negative. Missing out on Cliff Lee, the Derek Jeter contract debacle and Andy Pettitte retiring. Add a peppering of has-been players, and the Yankee Universe isn't looking as rock-solid as it has in the past.  

There are a few questions, both big and small, for the Yankees heading into spring training. 

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The Baltimore Orioles have been a poor excuse for an MLB team for a few years now. They have had talented players come in and out of this organization, but have never been able to put the pieces together to created a successful team. Before this offseason the O's had some talented players, like Matt Wieters, Adam Jones and Brain Matusz, but not enough pieces to contend in the star driven AL East.

Spring is almost here. Okay, not really. A good portion of the country is currently covered in snow. But it is just around the corner. And with spring comes the baseball fan's favorite thing to hear after a long, cold, baseball-less winter: Pitchers and Catchers report.

After nearly a decade and a half of losing seasons, will this finally be the year that the Baltimore Orioles rise from the depths of the AL East to finally top .500?

I will go out on a limb here, as I always do with my baseball predictions, and say that it is not all that far-fetched.

Is it likely that they win the AL East? Not in the slightest bit, but hey, never say never.

The Boston Red Sox usually does a good job when it comes to retooling and trying to keep up with the New York Yankees. They should, it is as important of a skill for the front office now than ever before.

The New York Yankees recently signed 37-year-old Bartolo Colon to a minor league contract. The former 2005 Cy Young Award winner, Colon has not pitched since 2009, but is determined to make a comeback in the Bronx.

Obviously, this was not what the Yankees were looking for when they set out to find free agent pitching help (see Lee, Cliff). 

Colon, however, is not the only player in the MLB this year who's better days have passed by him. With that, here are the 20 most washed up players in baseball for the 2011 season.

Alex Anthopoulos of the Toronto Blue Jays has been among the most active general managers in baseball's trade market this offseason. 

First, he acquired leadoff man Rajai Davis from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for two minor league arms. Davis has stolen 91 bases over the past two seasons.