Baseball

It's put up or shut up time for Anthony Rizzo.

Oh, sure, it's January, a long, cold, soggy month of all talk and no action in MLB. But Rizzo's the one who decided to open his yapper and guarantee the Chicago Cubs, one season removed from a last-place finish, would win the National League Central in 2015.

Here's the quote in question, per David Schuster of WSCR Chicago:

The San Diego Padres officially announced they will serve as the hosts for the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Petco Park.

They confirmed the hosting duties on social media:

Team president Mike Dee commented on the decision:

The St.

The St. Louis Cardinals have a reputation for making astute moves, and they furthered it Thursday by re-signing starting pitcher Lance Lynn to a three-year contract.    

According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the 27-year-old righty will earn an average of over $7 million per season:

The Pittsburgh Pirates system took a hit last year with Jameson Taillon’s Tommy John surgery, but fellow right-handers Tyler Glasnow and Nick Kingham picked up the slack in his absence, with the former posting video-game numbers in the Florida State League.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have won 92 and 94 games the past two seasons, as well as the National League West both times, and are once again considered by many (if not most) to be the favorites in that division in 2015.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have spent a hefty sum of money to bring aboard a young Cuban talent with lots of upside.

No, this is not a delayed reaction to their signing of right-handed slugger Yasmany Tomas. The Diamondbacks have bagged another one: Yoan Lopez.

If the Washington Nationals made headlines with blockbuster trades involving their star players this offseason, it would be far less stressful for fans than the team's conspicuous inactivity.

The Nats have made small trades here and entered talks there, but Washington has yet to check off anything on the top of its to-do list. And, as of now, that strategy has benefited some players and left others in precarious spots.

The Baltimore Orioles have had a characteristically quiet offseason so far, but it has been extremely quiet even for a club such as Baltimore that tends to not overspend and rather builds from within.

While other teams have been working the telephones organizing blockbuster trades or courting huge free-agent superstars, the Orioles have been content with what got them to the American League Championship Series in 2014.

If it ain't broke, they won't fix it.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are feeling optimistic after an active offseason. Change was certainly expected following a season in which the D-Backs finished 64-98—worst in MLB.

With the addition of young pitching and Cuban slugger Yasmany Tomas, the 2015 team has a new feel to it.