When you look at what the Red Sox paid for Daisuke Matsuzaka and what that brought back, you can set a lot of expectations for the next Japanese phenom, Yu Darvish. The Rangers paid over $100 million all-told, and if that doesn’t push them over the hump, then regardless of how Darvish’s career pans out, he may always be considered a failure.

Cuba has a history of developing strong baseball players – specifically pitchers – who do whatever they can to get to the major leagues. However, the list of power hitters from the island is notoriously sparse. However, the Athletics recently acquired Yoenis Céspedes. Will he be the next great signing out of Cuba?

“Blue Monday” is a day that lives in infamy in the minds of Montreal Expos fans. That October day in 1981 when the Expos coughed up a 9th inning lead in the deciding game of the NLCS that eliminated Montreal from the postseason. 30 years later, few remembered the significance of the important event.

The 2011 seasons for the Red Sox and Braves unravelled in spectacular, tragic fashion. The offseasons for both have been relatively quiet, but that may not be a bad thing. Both will be counting on bounceback seasons from key players such as Carl Crawford and Jason Heyward. Harlan Ambrose breaks down each team from the outfield in.

Josh Hamilton spoke solemnly about the recent setback on his road to recovery from drug and alcohol addiction on Friday. One theme that has emerged over the course of his success has been a strong, public faith in religion. Does the 30-year-old former MVP not give himself enough credit for his success? We explore God’s role in 21st century sport.

The Oakland Athletics have been in a tumultous state for years now, making it hard for fans to decide whether they’re coming or going. The net result is a state of rebuild for Billy Beane’s team, and if this attempt doesn’t work, the next rebuild may be in San Jose.

Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria has been spending like a drunken sailor this offseason, trying to improve his team. However, it hasn’t always been so. After years of failed money management with the Montreal Expos, will this new era for the Marlins pay off any differently?

The Washington Nationals have a dream of a prospect in Bryce Harper, drafting him first-overall in the 2010 MLB Draft. While Harper’s status as a future All-Star seems little in doubt, the Nationals should still be prepared to begin the 2012 season without his services. Harlan Ambrose explains why.

The Milwaukee Brewers’ bullpen was a driving force behind the team’s success in 2011. Formed primarily from the remnants of the unsuccessful group from 2010, it took minor additions to turn the group of one of the worst reliever corps into one of the best.

Hank Greenberg had a Hall of Fame career spent almost entirely with the Detroit Tigers. However, he finished as a member of the National League’s Pittsburgh Pirates. That season wouldn’t have impacted his Hall of Fame membership, but it was still one to remember.

This year’s World Series was dominated not by the players, but by the managers. While Tony La Russa emerged victorious, Ron Washington’s accomplishments far outweigh his failures. However, it’s that final failure that lingers in the minds of Rangers fans. Jesse Goldberg-Strassler reminds you why that shouldn’t be.

The Detroit Tigers aren’t exactly hard up for newsworthy stories (what with Justin Verlander on the mound, Miguel Cabrera in the batter’s box and Jim Leyland holding the reins in the club’s smoke-stained dugout), but late in the 2011 campaign they may have gained another. TheGP Baseball explores the validity of Delmon Young’s return to prominence.

Though Major Leaguers themselves may welcome the baseball offseason – its luxuries, freedoms and vacations, for example – fans of the game are left out in the cold in more ways than one. Aside from the winter homes and relaxation, though, what does the time of year have in store for the men who play the game? What about the masses avidly working their way up the minor league ranks?

Lonnie Chisenhall is no stranger to pressure. As a first-round pick he really has no other choice. Since debuting with the Cleveland Indians in June, however, he’s shown that living up to hype and expectations isn’t going to be such a big deal. TheGP Baseball caught up with the first-year stud who joined a struggling team in the middle of a heated division race.

For eight long years Steve Bartman’s silence has echoed throughout Major League Baseball. His infamous decision to reach for a contested foul ball in the eighth inning of a critical Game 6 is all that remains. After all this time, what – if anything – can bring the man out from wherever he’s been hiding since Oct. 13, 2003?

Pete Rose and his illustrious career have been topics of conversation since the 1960s; between his accomplishments on the field and his behaviour off of it, it’s hard not to see why. Not content to leave his legacy alone, TheGP Baseball’s Eric Rosenhek brings up a forgotten chapter – his half-year stint with the Montreal Expos.

Aaron Hill’s stock was at an ultimate low when he was dealt from the Toronto Blue Jays to the contending Arizona Diamondbacks last season. Was it the pressure of joining a team in the middle of a playoff run, the NL West ballparks and pitchers, or simply just a change of scenery that helped him rebound? Regardless, the strong performance has revitalized the second basemen’s career.

Call it appreciation or adoration, The Good Point has a soft-spot for Doug Fister. After an August feature following the man’s debut at Comerica Park, Jared Macdonald followed up with the hurler to get a thorough account of how he’s changed his game. Now as he stars for the Tigers in the ALCS, there’s no looking back.

Joe Savery may not win any MVP or Cy Young awards as a fringe Major League player with the Philadelphia Phillies, but he does have a rare ability that could help him – yes, him – change the way managers and executives look at their rosters. Can Savery, his respectable arm and serviceable slashline change baseball’s status quo?

A midseason trade sent him from the Toronto Blue Jays to a veteran Cardinals team on the verge of an historic wild card run and Marc Rzepczynski couldn’t be more appreciative. The left-handed reliever opens up about the trade and what it means to play in St. Louis.