MLB

The 2013 St. Louis Cardinals scored 18 more runs than in 2012 despite hitting 34 fewer home runs. A season after being ranked No. 7 in homers in the National League, they plummeted to No. 13.

Five Cardinals blasted 20 or more long balls in 2012 compared to two last season. And one of them—Carlos Beltran—left via free agency.

There will be a familiar face with the San Francisco Giants this spring, as Barry Bonds is set to help out the squad as an instructor.  

Alex Pavlovic of the San Jose Mercury News provides the details:

On Saturday, the San Francisco Giants agreed to a deal with outfielder Tyler Colvin, according to Alex Pavlovic of the San Jose Mercury News.

From the beginning of the MLB offseason, Nelson Cruz seemed like a very good fit for the Baltimore Orioles, with their interest in Cruz reported early on. They weren't alone, however.

In the current era of free agency that sees players jump ship and move on to the highest bidder on a yearly basis, it's becoming more and more rare that a player spends his entire career with one team.

That said, there have been some terrific players who retired or are set to retire in recent years that spent the duration of their career with one club.

Veteran right fielder Nelson Cruz has reportedly signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes:

Here’s the first look at the 2014 Lester’s Legends’ Designated Hitter Rankings.


1. David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox

Big Papi just keeps delivering. He hit .309 with 84 runs, 30 home runs and 103 RBI. He hit .688 with two home runs and six RBI during the World Series.


2. Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians

Every year, baseball fans' excitement about top prospects in major league spring training seems to grow. Unfortunately, it also makes it easy to overlook some of the game's less glamorous, under-the-radar prospects.

Besides providing an opportunity for players to fine-tune their skills in anticipation of the season, participating in major league camp also offers prospects the chance to make a strong impression in front of the entire organization.

Spring training has begun, and there are many players wearing brand-new uniforms. Some teams did a great job with this over the winter, and they used their money wisely. They brought in quality talent for a reasonable price. They did not waste needlessly, but they made the moves that they needed to make to be prepared for 2014.

These are the basic criteria that led me to conclude that the following seven teams were the smartest spenders of this past offseason.

For every team, spring training marks the start of a new beginning, as a fresh slate is presented to them. For the teams that struggled in 2013, they look to put last season behind them.  For a team such as the Boston Red Sox, who won the World Series, they look to build on their foundation of success.