MLB

The MLB All-Stars put the finishing touches on a stronger finish to their Japanese tour on Tuesday, beating Samurai Japan 3-1 to seal back-to-back victories over their hosts. 

The titans of Major League Baseball nevertheless slump to a 3-2 championship defeat after five games, though, with the official MLB Twitter account confirming the scoreline:

A few pitchers looking for big contracts this offseason might need the money to pay for hefty phone bills.

Despite a deep list of free agents at the position, a number of starters on the market are already gaining tons of interest on the open market. While it might take some time before decisions are made and contracts are finalized, it is good for each player to know they are in high demand.

After a relatively quiet weekend, several notable MLB moves were made in rapid succession on Monday.

First, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that the Miami Marlins and Giancarlo Stanton had reached an agreement on a 13-year, $325 million contract.

What had been a relatively quiet MLB offseason exploded Monday afternoon, leaving baseball fans wondering what else could be in store well in advance of the annual winter meetings.

When the Seattle Mariners signed Robinson Cano last winter, a prevailing train of thought was that they were probably more than one star away from being a contender.

Except not, as it turned out. With Cano in tow, the Mariners improved from 71 wins to 87 wins and barely missed the postseason in 2014. Since one star was good enough to take them that far, you wonder what one more star could do.

It’s not a coincidence that many of the biggest trades in recent years have involved blue-chip prospects. With the market rate for impact players on the rise and teams trying to manage their payrolls more economically, prospects, though unproven in nature, have come to represent a form of currency.

The Boston Red Sox have several holes to fill as they try to rebound from a last-place season in 2014.  While a trade or two is likely, the Red Sox will also look to bring in free agents to shore up their roster.

Far and away, the biggest need Boston has is starting pitching.  A potential ace like Jon Lester, Max Scherzer or James Shields is the primary target, but the Red Sox should bolster their rotation with additional depth as well.

This offseason is shaping up to be a different one for the Los Angeles Dodgers as it pertains to free agency.

With a revamped front office led by Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, the culture of the team has changed. While the Dodgers are still one of the richest teams in the league, it appears that throwing the most money at free agents may soon be replaced by a more analytical approach to improving the roster.

The Los Angeles Dodgers executed a trade Monday to bring in coveted minor league prospect Kyle Jensen from the Miami Marlins organization.

Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reported the news:

The Marlins would later confirm the news:

The MLB offseason finally had its first blockbuster trade on Monday, but many more are likely coming before the season begins.

Jason Heyward was dealt from the Atlanta Braves to the St. Louis Cardinals, via the Braves' Twitter account. Reliever Jason Walden was also included by Atlanta in exchange for Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins.