Opinion

Top prospects like Francisco Lindor and Trevor Bauer tend to grab headlines as we inch closer and closer to spring training. However, this season, the Indians have invited an intriguing group of "sleeper" prospects worth monitoring this spring.

Before we begin, it'd benefit the group to set out the parameters of how this group was compiled.

While there are still several intriguing free agents on the market as spring training approaches, many teams are looking to make last-minute improvements prior to the 2014 MLB season via trades. Luckily, some talented players are potentially on the block.

Baseball, it's often said, is a series of individual battles disguised as a team game.

The showdowns between pitcher and batter are the very essence of the sport, and even those one-on-ones can be broken down further, into pitch-by-pitch challenges. Baseball, then, really is roughly two to three hundred challenges spread out over about six dozen showdowns, all within a single game.

Every now and then, a surprise player takes MLB by storm to lead the league in a major category seemingly out of the blue.

Such was the case in 2013, when slugging Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis exploded for an MLB-best 53 homers and 138 RBI. But as we look ahead to 2014, we can expect a lot of the same from the usual suspects.

The New York Mets signed Bartolo Colon in part to help fill the void left by Matt Harvey’s injury at the top of the rotation, but his most important role could be how he mentors prospect Rafael Montero.

Colon has been around seemingly forever, and at his peak was a power pitcher that racked up big strikeout totals.

The death of baseball Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner Thursday at the age of 91 saddened me and made me think.

Sandy Alderson has given the New York Mets outfield a makeover this winter, but it's debatable whether or not all the acquisitions will be helpful.

Given the inflated prices of the free-agent market, taking a risk on Curtis Granderson was one the team had to take. On the other hand, giving Chris Young $7.25 million has some scratching their heads.

It's been rough going for the Seattle Mariners of late, as they have posted four straight losing seasons and have not reached the postseason since 2001.

After going 71-91 in 2013, they kicked off their offseason with a bang, signing superstar second baseman Robinson Cano to a massive 10-year, $240 million deal prior to the winter meetings. That's been far from their only notable addition, though.

After being a punch line with the New York Mets from 2009 to 2010—and even spending the entire 2011 season at Double-A for the Washington Nationals—Oliver Perez has completely reinvented himself as a serviceable relief pitcher. Over the past two seasons with the Seattle Mariners, the left-hander has combined for a 3.16 ERA (versus a park-adjusted 119 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP and 2.72 strikeouts-to-walks ratio over 82.2 innings. 

The Atlanta Braves had a difficult offseason. Star catcher Brian McCann and veteran pitcher Tim Hudson both left Atlanta and instead of replacing those players, the Braves stood pat.

Fans were restless.