It appears that the retooling of the Reds’ roster has begun with an eye on upgrading offensively. Cincinnati agreed to terms with former Tigers backup catcher Brayan Pena on a two-year contract, MLB.com confirmed on Friday. The deal, which was first reported by ESPN Deportes, is pending the completion of a physical.

Braves prospect Tommy La Stella gets his uniform dirty. He plays the game hard and gets the most of his abilities. At 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, the left-handed-hitting La Stella has the frame of a middle infielder. What he lacks in size and strength, he makes up in hustle and intensity.

Many of the pieces the Angels need to compete for a playoff spot are already in place, so the free-agent splashes the club made the past two offseasons are not needed — and would likely be counterproductive.

Manager Joe Girardi’s coaching staff will remain in place for the next season, the Yankees announced on Friday.

New Cubs manager Rick Renteria got to work right away on Thursday, calling players to introduce himself. “I had some responses, and they were extremely positive,” Renteria told MLB Network on Friday. “I’m looking forward to working with all of these guys.”

Jonathan Mayo dissects the Yankees’ farm system. Plus, he takes a look at two of the Arizona Fall League’s top prospects, Colorado’s Kyle Parker and Oakland’s Addison Russell.

When it comes to immediate impact, few rookies in MLB history could match Yasiel Puig, who helped lift the Dodgers to the NL West title.

The Cubs have genuine reasons to believe better days are on the horizon. If Rick Renteria is the manager the Cubs hope he will be, perhaps he will be the man to be in the skipper’s office when the team’s transformation comes to full fruition.

Though Chris Archer said he’d be happy to finish third behind fellow American League Rookie of the Year candidates Wil Myers and Jose Iglesias, he could take home the prize based on his accomplishments in 2013.

Retiring Yankees icon Mariano Rivera is in the running for the GIBBY Closer of the Year Award, along with Koji Uehara, Craig Kimbrel, Aroldis Chapman, Greg Holland, Glen Perkins,Joe Nathan and Kenley Jansen.

Jose Iglesias’ amazing defense with the Tigers and his bat and versatility with the Red Sox made him the American League’s top rookie in 2013.

It helps a general manager when he can make a solid, educated guess at what he might be getting from a free-agent reliever, and in this year’s market, there’s a lot more of the stable than the spectacular.

The Mets are going to get better this offseason. Significantly better. They’ll be more interesting, too. That’s the bottom line in all of this. As for how they get from here to there, well, that’s the tricky part.

Mark Sappington and Mike Morin met in a chance encounter at the airport after inking their first professional contracts. They have blossomed into the Angels’ top-two pitching prospects, and a deep-rooted friendship has grown as well.

Mariano Rivera was honored on Thursday night at the 19th annual Lou Gehrig Sports Awards Benefit Dinner at the Marriott Marquis. There is still no known cure for ALS 72 years after it claimed the Iron Horse’s life, but this dinner raised about $1 million toward research, with another $172,000 added during a live auction.

As Hot Stove talks heat up about free agents across baseball, one manager was introduced on Thursday; could another be on his way to a multiyear deal? Take a look at Thursday’s biggest offseason stories, including news of talks between skipper Don Mattingly and the Dodgers.

Dee Gordon and Juan Francisco led the way for Licey on Thursday night. Gordon went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored, while Francisco went 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs.