MLB

Although spring training is officially under way, there are still players finding homes with new teams for the 2013 season, including pitcher Jose Contreras, who was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

Straight up front, please save your "it's only one game!" remonstrations. Of course it's only one game, and of course it's only the preseason.

Know how you know that preseason results are meaningless? The Philadelphia Eagles went 4-0 in the preseason in 2012. And you know how that turned out.

So, yeah, right, it's ridiculous to take anything away from a preseason game in February (even one against the terrible Houston Astros) where Jimmy Rollins sat and Cole Hamels left after two strong innings. You're right.

The Boston Red Sox dropped their first official matchup of the spring Saturday afternoon to the Tampa Bay Rays—overall, Boston didn’t play half bad.

With spring training underway for the Boston Red Sox, the regular season will be here before fans know it. But despite the promise of a new year, Boston should be concerned about the health of designated hitter David Ortiz.

Heading into the 2011 trading deadline, the San Francisco Giants were 60-44 and clinging to a three game lead over the surprising Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West.

Spring training is here, and while some fans may be content to stick to college hoops and hockey until Opening Day arrives, others are going to want to get a closer look at all 30 teams before the season begins.

Whether you prefer the Cactus League or the Grapefruit League, this spring has plenty in store for serious MLB fans.

Below we'll highlight a trio of upcoming preseason matchups that fans won't want to miss.

The Tampa Bay Rays took advantage of some inconsistent Boston Red Sox pitching as they took the first game of spring training, 4-3.

John Lackey took the mound for the first time since 2011 for the Red Sox, allowing one run in one inning of work. He struggled early in the inning, but got more comfortable with each batter and got out the first without further damage.

When the Atlanta Braves traded Martin Prado the Arizona Diamondbacks, most thought the Braves got a good deal in return.

After all, the Braves received Justin Upton and Chris Johnson in a deal that saw the Braves give up a bunch of prospects in addition to Prado.

However, with the loss of Prado, there is one question on many people's mind—who becomes the new super utility guy for the Braves?

The voice would sometimes be hushed, even barely over a whisper. But there was no discounting its sincerity, or its candor.

The slew of microphones would be jabbed into the face of the speaker, and even inches away from his mouth, the words were difficult to pick up.

They were the E.F. Hutton of athletes in Detroit. You remember the commercials.

Spring training isn’t just about players getting ready for the regular season. It's also about the sunshine in Florida and Arizona while most of the United States is still getting snow.

Several teams have magnificent spring facilities that include batting cages, practice fields and, of course, the actual stadium.

Creating a comfortable environment for fans to watch the rising stars of each organization is important to every club. That’s shown in the time and money the teams put into these complexes.