Opinion

At some point, the New York Yankees were going to have to sign or trade for a shortstop to replace Derek Jeter.

There isn't a baseball fan alive—myself included—that at one point or another hasn't been convinced that they could do a better job of running their favorite team than the general manager at the time.

Yet how many of us could honestly handle the pressure that comes along with the job?

Prizes are only as valuable as the people who covet them.

That is why the first month-plus of Major League Baseball’s offseason has been a slugfest for those who slug. Like wild and crazy Black Friday shoppers looking for the season’s hottest toy in a snug department-store aisle, baseball executives are doing all they can to lure the winter’s best bats.

If there is a forgotten man in Major League Baseball's vast crop of unsigned free-agent pitchers, it's James Shields. 

Sure, the 32-year-old right-hander has been the subject of numerous rumors. But while twin aces Max Scherzer and Jon Lester have commanded the offseason spotlight, Shields has been mostly shoved into the shadows.

Is this fair? That's an interesting question.

After looking up at the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants in the NL West in 2014, the San Diego Padres are giving off strong signals that they mean to level the playing field this winter.

Question is: Is Matt Kemp the right man for the job?

The Toronto Blue Jays made big news late last week, executing a blockbuster trade with the Oakland A’s, receiving Josh Donaldson in exchange for Brett Lawrie and three prospects.

The Pittsburgh Pirates currently are in a situation that a lot of teams would like to be in: They have a surplus of reliable and productive outfielders.  

The most well-known outfielder on Pittsburgh's depth chart is obviously 2013 National League Most Valuable Player Andrew McCutchen, who has become the face of the franchise in his six-year career.  

With the overwhelming failure rate of prospects, teams can only be so patient or forgiving with their young players. However, they tend to be more lenient when that player is a former top draft pick or international signee given the amount of money originally invested as well as the pride at stake.

Max Scherzer spent the 2014 season doing more than just playing baseball. During the course of the year, from spring training through the playoffs, the free-agent right-hander also was conducting a rather interesting—and really risky—experiment of sorts.

Who knew it would start raining bats in Seattle?

Robinson Cano last winter. Nelson Cruz this winter. Maybe the drought is finally over. The Seattle Mariners: Early AL West favorites entering 2015? You bet. Mark it down. Lattes all around.

And keep pouring: With a zesty mix of youth and experience, the Mariners now are built to win not just in 2015, but also for a handful of years beyond.