Horsehide Chronicles

January isn't the best month for baseball junkies. It's MLB's no man's land—a slow stretch of time between the main nerve of the hot stove season and spring training. 

This January, however, brought some drama for a change.

The hot stove provided more heat than usual, as high-profile free-agent deals were struck, and a couple trades were made as well. One of those was the Justin Upton blockbuster we'd been waiting for since the mid-18th century.

There is a youth movement going on in Major League Baseball, and it took a huge step forward in 2012.

Super-prospects Mike Trout and Bryce Harper became superstar players seemingly overnight, while fellow youngsters Jason Heyward and Giancarlo Stanton further established themselves as young stars.

On the mound, Stephen Strasburg pitched his first (sorta-)full season in the majors in 2012. While he dazzled with his right arm, Chris Sale quietly dazzled with his left.

With a fresh season on the horizon, there's a simple question begging to be asked: Who's next?

Have the Philadelphia Phillies made enough improvements to their roster to compete with the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves in the NL East? 

The New York Yankees were linked to some big-time players in their search for a powerful righty hitter to add to their outfield depth chart. Justin Upton and Mike Morse come to mind, to name a couple.

Instead, it looks like the Yankees are ready and willing to go into spring training with a motley crew of righty sticks for their outfield and then figure it out from there.

A new scandal involving performance-enhancing drugs has come to light, but don't expect it to rock Major League Baseball down to its very core. As damning as the latest news is, it's unlikely to put MLB's PED protocols on trial.

If Alex Rodriguez ends up missing all of the 2013 season following hip surgery, it might end up being a fortunate development for him. That is, in terms of avoiding the media. 

Chicago Cubs team president Theo Epstein may say that the 2013 season will be considered a failure if the team doesn't qualify for the playoffs.

The Baltimore Orioles are taking a chance on 26-year-old right-hander Jair Jurrjens, and there's a fair chance that it will pay off in a big way for them.

Ahead lies the grand holiday (for baseball fans) known as Pitchers and Catchers. Behind lies one of the strangest offseasons in recent Major League Baseball history.

On the one hand, there was the usual. Trades were made, bargain players were found and more than a few players got overpaid. This is baseball, after all. 

The Miami Marlins and owner Jeffrey Loria ticked off a lot of people by gutting their roster and trading five of their best players to the Toronto Blue Jays in one of the blockbuster deals of the offseason.