MLB

Before we go any further, let me state for the record, on March 8, that I am not declaring that I think the New York Yankees will be world champions in 2014. Not yet, anyway. But it's never too early to start examining the possibilities.

The Miami Marlins and Boston Red Sox have been getting into it recently during spring training. Now, Red Sox owner John Henry has joined in.

The phrase "age before beauty" can be applied to the decision that the Philadelphia Phillies will have to make on veteran outfielder Bobby Abreu. The former All-Star has an opt-out clause in his minor league contract that allows Abreu to be granted his release if he is not placed on the Phillies' MLB roster by March 26.

The Toronto Blue Jays made the biggest trade of the winter last season, acquiring Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle in a mega-deal with the Miami Marlins.

The decision by the St. Louis Cardinals front office to grant an extension to Matt Carpenter was the next step by John Mozeliak to solidify the team’s core for the next few years.

The Philadelphia Phillies are dealing with some problems right now. Their lineup cannot hit, their ace is dealing with shoulder tendonitis and the team is a combined 1-8 this spring. All of those things have put Philadelphia in a state of shock and worry for the upcoming season.

There has been a bright spot, though—actually a few bright spots—for the 2014 Phillies. The Philadelphia bullpen looks like it will be the team's biggest asset after years of inconsistency.

The most valuable player on the 2013 St. Louis Cardinals wasn't Yadier Molina, Adam Wainwright, Matt Holliday or Allen Craig. Instead, second baseman Matt Carpenter, in what was his first full season in the majors, led the eventual NL champions with a 6.6 WAR.

Matt Carpenter essentially came from out of nowhere to be a linchpin player for the St. Louis Cardinals last season, and he will continue to be one for the foreseeable future after signing an extension with the club on Saturday, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports:

Per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the extension includes a club option for the 2020 season:

Roughly two weeks of spring training games are in the book as we push ever closer to Opening Day and the start of the 2014 MLB season.

Spring training results have to be taken with a grain of salt, as it's as much a time for players to shake off the rust and work on specific things as it is a competitive atmosphere. Still, there are stats at our disposal, so we'll dive into them and analyze.

Spring training is important, but you cannot always judge regular-season success based on how people perform in this month of exhibitions. For example, some guys do great all spring but never seem to stick on a major league team.

On the flip side, some of the best players in baseball aren’t very good at spring training for some reason. They struggle but then get it together in time for the games that really count.