MLB

Pitching has been the strength of the Cincinnati Reds the past few seasons, and stability in the rotation is the reason that the club is going to continue to contend.

Cincinnati's rotation finished near the top of the majors in most of the major categories. Despite pitching in Great American Ball Park, the staff has found a way to get the job done.

There isn't much to guess about when it comes to what the Reds rotation will look like in 2014. 

There have already been a number of trades this offseason, and there are bound to be at least a few more.

While evaluating deals that have gone down is always on the agenda, it's just as fun to look forward to the next names—big or small—who seem destined to be moved in the near future for one reason or another.

Whether there’s a true ace to be found on the free-agent market is very much up for debate.

What’s not up for debate is whether there’s a true ace to be found on the trade market. Not as long as David Price is out there to be had, anyway.

There’s a chance the Tampa Bay Rays will hold on to Price, but they certainly can’t afford to do so for much longer given how expensive arbitration is making him. If they’re going to deal him, dealing him now while the getting is good is the right idea.

Just when you think there are no more moves for the Houston Astros to make, they find a way to prove you wrong. 

There have been several free-agent signings thus far that, at least potentially, have a solid chance of becoming great values for their new teams.

The Blue Jays picked up catcher Dioner Navarro for two years and $8 million after he posted a .856 OPS with 13 homers in 89 games last season. Corey Hart signed a contract with Seattle that guarantees him only $6 million. If he bounces back from knee surgery and returns to the player who posted a .830 OPS between 2007 and 2012, the additional $13 million he could earn from incentives will still be a great bargain.

While the Phillies system is thin on projectable talent and ranks in the bottom tier among all organizations, things are starting to look up thanks to the emergence of slugger Maikel Franco and shortstop J.P. Crawford.

Baseball, despite how much we analyze and study the game, will always surprise fans. For every star who has a poor season, castoffs, veterans and young players emerge to exceed expectations. In 2013, six players did just that on the way to stardom.

In 2014, don't expect the same results. Over the course of time, more innings, at-bats and exposure, true stars emerge from the pack. One or two big seasons won't make a star. Instead, years of success are needed to be exempt from a list like this.

In 2013, the Boston Red Sox turned from a last-place franchise into a World Series champion.

This sort of transformation, while rare and difficult, was the direct result of a number of key moves from general manager Ben Cherington—moves that combined incumbent stars with the right type of free agents to solidify what would be a championship team.

Looking forward to 2014, Boston will once more rely upon some magic.

Coming off the winter meetings and holiday season, Major League Baseball teams can start getting back into the swing of things. It's been a fairly quiet trade season, at least based on our expectations at the end of the 2013 season, but that doesn't mean there aren't moves to be made. 

In fact, one could argue that we will see more activity on the trade market now that we are edging closer to seeing the top free agents come off the market. Once teams have an idea of where the rest of the market is, it will be easier to open things up for deals. 

The Atlanta Braves will once again hope a relatively young and inexperienced starting rotation can anchor the 2014 season as it did in 2013.

The Braves entered 2013 facing questions about Mike Minor and Julio Teheran's effectiveness for an entire season.

Brandon Beachy's health and Kris Medlen's role were also questions.

The end result was a 3.51 ERA for the starting rotation—good enough for fifth in the National League.