Opinion

There's been an interesting yarn unfolding in MLB over the last half-decade. Call it The Incredible Expanding Strike Zone.

Whether it's a fairy tale or a horror story depends on whom you ask.

Pitchers and fans who enjoy low-scoring games should applaud the growth of the strike zone, which has been exhaustively documented (more on that in a moment).

The Detroit Tigers have become a perennial powerhouse in the American League in the last few years, winning their division four years in a row and repeatedly making deep playoff runs.

They have done this thanks to a deep starting rotation and a powerful lineup.

The suitors are slowly lining up to sign 19-year-old Cuban sensation Yoan Moncada, but there's also a dilemma teams are facing that isn't being talked about. As great as the teenager looks in workouts and could end up being as a big leaguer, there's a limit to what teams can offer him without incurring financial penalties. 

The Cincinnati Reds have a bevy of medium/high-risk and high-upside prospects in their farm system. Some of these young players will have a chance to showcase their talents against advanced competition at spring training in Goodyear, Arizona.

Spring training is just around the corner, with pitchers and catchers set to report to camp sometime between Feb. 19 and 23, depending on the team, and position players arriving the following week.

But even though the start of the season draws closer every day, there are still several unanswered questions that, once answered, are sure to have a major impact on the 2015 season.

Hope. Everyone enters spring training full of it, including—and perhaps especially—rookies looking to make an impression.

You know about the big names, blue chips like the Chicago Cubs' Kris Bryant who trail the weighty "can't miss" label.

Every year, though, at least a few lesser-known youngsters emerge to help the big club. Maybe not right away, but at some point during the 162-game grind.

The Detroit Tigers appeared to have all of their major roster spots sewn up not so long ago. But things can change in a hurry.

The injury bug has bitten this franchise again, which will force some significant shake-ups in the weeks to come.

With Major League Baseball implementing things like testing for performance-enhancing drugs, a second Wild Card and instant replay within the last 10 years, you wonder where the league could go next. What other changes could be made?

Oh, there are ideas. In fact, with new commissioner Rob Manfred officially taking over for Bud Selig last week, the air is thick with them.

I've cautioned in the past about the perils of overvaluing prospects. Because of that, there's a nasty misnomer out there that I'm anti-farm system.

On the contrary, I completely recognize the worth of having a young stable of up-and-comers. It's paramount to develop that talent for the future of any franchise. My quibble is that when you're a team with the payroll ceiling of the Boston Red Sox, you're not always nurturing the skills of those prospects for yourself.

With all the attention being heaped on the Washington Nationals' new super-rotation, it's easy to forget there's a young Nats position player with "future superstar" written all over him.

No, not Bryce Harper, though the brash, big-swinging former No. 1 pick remains an indelible part of the picture in the nation's capital.