A group that reported to Spring Training motivated by what was left unaccomplished in 2012 was sent into the offseason stung by the reality that their championship aspirations had fallen two wins short in 2013. That should not, however, overshadow a season in which so much else went right. This is a club that was able to emerge from a tough National League Central with 97 wins — a total matched only by the Red Sox, the World Series champs.

On the day that former third-base coach Matt Williams was officially introduced as manager of the Nationals, the D-backs added a coach to their staff and announced the promotions of two others. Longtime baseball man Dave McKay was named first-base coach, while bullpen coach Glenn Sherlock was promoted to third-base coach, and assistant hitting coach Turner Ward was bumped up to hitting coach.

Rangers closer Joe Nathan exercised his right to void the Rangers’ club option and become a free agent.

The Red Sox have exercised their $13 million option on left-hander Jon Lester for next season.

The Nationals introduced Matt Williams to the media on Friday afternoon. Williams, who is the sixth manager in team history, replaces Davey Johnson, who retired after the 2013 season.

Most of the Nationals’ coaching staff will remain intact for the 2014 season, but two new faces will join Matt Williams, who was introduced as the club’s fifth manager at a Nationals Park news conference on Friday afternoon.

The Mariners declined 2014 contract options for outfielder Franklin Gutierrez and starting pitcher Joe Saunders on Friday, making both veteran players free agents.

Nationals bench coach Randy Knorr, outfielder Jayson Werth, shortstop Ian Desmond and right-hander Tanner Roark attended Matt Williams’ news conference at Nationals Park on Friday afternoon, when Williams was introduced as the team’s sixth manager.

When Jason Giambi penned his name on a new contract with the Indians this week, the veteran put himself in a position to have two decades of big league baseball on his resume. Even after all he has accomplished, Giambi finds that hard to fathom.

In a series of expected moves, the A’s on Friday officially picked up options on Coco Crisp and Brett Anderson for the 2014 season, while declining options on Chris Young and Kurt Suzuki.

If any player should be able to write his own ending, it’s Derek Jeter. But one of the mistakes a lot of us made last offseason was assuming Jeter was still superman — that regardless of how gruesome that left ankle injury was, he’d still show up at Spring Training as good as ever.

As expected, left-hander Wandy Rodriguez on Friday informed the Pirates that he is picking up the $13 million option on his contract for the 2014 season. The club option included in the three-year deal Rodriguez signed with the Houston Astros in January 2011 became the player’s option when he was dealt to Pittsburgh on July 24, 2012.

The Yankees announced Friday they have re-signed shortstop Derek Jeter to a one-year, $12 million contract for the 2014 season.

The Mets bought out Johan Santana’s option on Friday for $5.5 million, making the southpaw a free agent.

Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Kubel became free agents on Friday when Jimenez exercised his right to void the final year of his contract and the Indians declined their option on Kubel’s deal.

Pitching is important, and now that the free-agent market is open and teams are sure to be swarming around the available hurlers, there will be millions upon millions of dollars that tell us exactly how important it is, at least for this year and the years written into the contracts.

Robinson Cano and Jacoby Ellsbury have decisions to make this offseason, and it’s bound to be a lucrative call for each, no matter which way they lean. Here’s a look at 10 of the top hitters whose wares are available on the free-agent market.