With a third straight disappointing season, the Twins are more than ready to turn the page on 2013 and move on to ’14. The club has lost at least 96 games in each of the last three years. But it heads into the new year with some optimism because of one of the game’s best farm systems and a revamped rotation after signing free agents Ricky Nolasco, Phil Hughes and Mike Pelfrey to multi-year deals.

The challenge of winning a title is topped only by the quest of repeating. Nobody has done it since the Yanks from 1998-2000, and the Red Sox will be on the clock, trying to show that it can be done. However, manager John Farrell is hopeful his team will attack this challenge in incremental steps, rather than trying to do it all at once.

Anthony Castrovince takes a brief gander at each of MLB’s 30 clubs and offers up a holiday gift to assist their efforts in the coming New Year. The National League was first in line, with the focus now on the American League.

Though it once seemed to be eons away, the Reds’ Spring Training report date of Feb. 14 is now just around the corner — about six weeks from now, in fact. The disappointment of 2013 has now turned into a new outlook for 2014 behind new skipper Bryan Price.

Arizona finished with back-to-back 81-81 seasons, and general manager Kevin Towers is determined to find a way over the hump in 2014. He has again made significant changes to the roster, adding a power bat in Mark Trumbo and a top bullpen arm in Addison Reed.

Mike Hegan, who played 12 years for the Brewers, Yankees, Seattle Pilots and A’s, and was part of Cleveland Indians broadcasts for 23 years, passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 71, the Indians said on Wednesday.

Masahiro Tanaka reportedly will be posted with the bidding beginning on Thursday. The Yankees are expected to be front and center, and they seemingly must land the Japanese star — no matter the luxury-tax implications — to contend in 2014.

“The 2013 Los Angeles Dodgers” turned out to be one heck of a flick, replete with a huge budget, an engaging cast of characters, a plot line nobody could predict, and a pulsating soundtrack of stadium cheers.

The North American supply of pitching has just been enriched by the Rakuten Golden Eagles. This could mean a happier New Year than expected for the Major League club who wins the services of Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka.

Major League general managers got perhaps their biggest Christmas present a little early, when Nippon Professional Baseball’s Rakuten Golden Eagles reportedly announced late Tuesday night that they will post star pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.

The paperwork hasn’t been submitted, but it looks like Masahiro Tanaka is going to be posted by the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Nice. Very nice. For baseball fans in North America, the reports are a fine holiday present.

Masahiro Tanaka finally appears to be on his way to the Major Leagues. The Japanese right-hander’s Nippon Professional Baseball club, the Rakuten Golden Eagles, reportedly revealed late Tuesday night that it will make him available to MLB teams through the posting system.

With the doors on Candlestick Park coming to a close, Terence Moore takes a stroll down memory lane as he bids farewell to a stadium that hosted some of the chilliest baseball games ever.

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said he’s “pretty much done” with roster moves after finalizing the contracts of free agents Juan Uribe, Chris Perez, J.P. Howell and Jamey Wright on Tuesday.

The Blue Jays gave their fanbase an early holiday present on Tuesday morning with the announcement that infielder Munenori Kawasaki has re-signed with the club on a Minor League contract.

Quietly and with financial restraint, in their fashion, the Cardinals have made two moves that will have significant impact in the heart of their defense. The imports should improve a pitching staff that figures to be even more dominant with the maturation of the sport’s purest collection of young arms.

One year after turning in one of the most impressive rookie seasons of all-time, all Mike Trout did in his 2013 sophomore season was cement his place as the best all-around player in the game.