MLB

The Boston Red Sox have signed Japanese submarine pitcher Shunsuke Watanabe to a minor-league deal, according to a press release by the team.

With the candidates for the American League MVP Award essentially determined already (Mike Trout, Miguel Cabrera), let’s turn our attention to the National League. The award is wide open this year with no clear favorite standing out.

Who will claim 2014’s National League Most Valuable Player Award? You can be sure it will be one of these players.

Masahiro Tanaka has a terrifying arsenal of pitches, great command of the strike zone and an arm that can handle an exhausting workload. Oh, and he can also beat celebrity chefs at a strike-throwing contest and make the whole thing rather entertaining. 

Major League Baseball made history in 2013 as its revenues reached a new record high.

According to Maury Brown of Forbes, a league source said revenues will be between $8-$8.5 billion for 2013:

It doesn’t look like Nelson Cruz or Shin-Soo Choo will be playing for the Texas Rangers in 2014.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but Jaime Edmondson only really needed a few to convey her tremendous news. She and Tampa Bay Rays star Evan Longoria are getting married. 

The Boston Red Sox entered the offseason by embarking on a World Series parade through the city of Boston. When the floats came to a stop, business picked back up for the 2013 champions. 

Since the start of business this winter, the Red Sox have been active. Yet due to their aversion to handing out long-term contracts, the team hasn't held a huge media gathering at Fenway Park to introduce the newest star to Red Sox faithful.

The Baltimore Orioles have a new closer, and one thing we know is that he'll be cheaper in 2014 than their old closer would have been.

But better? I wouldn't be quick to count on it, no.

The Baltimore Orioles have reportedly reached an agreement with relief pitcher Grant Balfour on a two-year deal.

Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reported the news:

The Tampa Bay Rays have been relatively quiet, as usual, this offseason.

Some teams make big splashes in the offseason, signing expensive high-profile players, while others make ripples. The big splashes garner a lot of attention, are seen and heard from further distances and are projected to make a significant impact immediately.

Small ripples make less noise and attract a smaller national audience. Instead of a single large splash, multiple ripples need to be put together with the intent of building a sustained winner.