MLB

You may be ready for the offseason, but there will be several moves that will catch you and every other baseball fan by surprise between now and the next few months.

The Rangers took care of one housekeeping duty on Tuesday with the re-signing of catcher Geovany Soto.

Major League Baseball's free-agent period is open for business, signaling the unofficial start of the hot stove, yearly banter about the ridiculous nature of long-term contracts and, as always, a premium placed upon high-end starting pitching.

With the confetti still lining the city streets following their World Series victory, the Boston Red Sox are plotting moves that will help bring the franchise a second consecutive championship next year. 

The Boston Red Sox organization took out an ad Tuesday in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to thank the Cardinals organization and their fanbase for the "warm Midwestern welcome" they extended to the Red Sox organization through the duration of the 2013 Fall Classic.

The Red Sox defeated the Cardinals, 6-1, on Oct. 30 to clinch the World Series 4-2. They won two of three games in St. Louis' Busch Stadium.

Just a few days into the MLB offseason, the rumor mill is already in full swing, and one of the most interesting names that has been brought up so far is Cubs right-hander Jeff Samardzija.

Former Philadelphia Phillies stars Lenny Dykstra and Mitch Williams were allegedly involved in an altercation at an autograph signing at a Philadelphia mall, according to Kyle Scott of

Free agency is officially underway, as what promises to be a busy offseason around the league starts to get going in the days and weeks ahead.

Many of the rumors at this point are centered around where the top free agents will decide to call home next season, but there is an interesting crop of talent expected to be on the trade market this offseason, as well.

Following one of the worst seasons in Chicago White Sox history, general manager Rick Hahn has his hands full as he prepares for the 2014 season. A return to competitiveness in the AL Central is a tall task, indeed.

Is there a definitive blueprint Hahn can follow to make sure the White Sox enter next year ready for a successful campaign, though? Of course not. If there was, every team would be following it, but Hahn is off to a riotous start.