The busiest half of baseball’s Hot Stove season is over, with fruitful free agent and trade markets defining November and December. The Mets took part in the action to an extent, signing David Wright to a $138 million contract extension and trading R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays. But they are also the only team in baseball yet to sign a Major League free agent.

There will be days when Brett Myers frustrates the Cleveland Indians. But he’s also one of baseball’s more amazing pitchers, one who learned to get by on smarts, grit and determination.

Dramatically turning over their roster has created opportunity along with plenty of uncertainty for the Miami Marlins in 2013. So much surrounding the club is new. Since Jeffrey Loria assumed ownership in 2002, the Marlins also underwent a major redo in ’06, a year Joe Girardi guided an inexperienced squad beyond expectations.

The Twins have a hole to fill in center field, which has been one of their steadiest positions in recent years.

This is the first of a seven-part Around the Horn series that will take a position-by-position look at the Cardinals’ projected starters and backup options heading into next season. Up first: Catchers.

The Mets have signed outfielder Andrew Brown to a Minor League contract and invited him to Spring Training, the team announced Wednesday.

As the Yankees’ high command reports to the office for the first time in 2013, they’ll do so knowing that they have entered the home stretch for assembling a competitive roster.

The Cubs got the new year off to a good start and gave their rotation a boost on Wednesday, signing free-agent pitcher Edwin Jackson to a four-year, $52 million contract. The Cubs introduced Jackson during a news conference at Wrigley Field.

At 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson will announce the much-anticipated 2013 Hall ballot exclusively on MLB Network and simulcast on MLB.com as part of a two-hour special.

Achieving competitive balance has been a way of life for the 20 years of Commissioner Bud Selig’s tenure. There was a time not all that long ago, when competitive imbalance was a way of life in Major League Baseball.

For all those who accomplished great things in 2012, the dawning of 2013 presents an opportunity to extend those accomplishments into even greater ones.

The Rays have reached an agreement with David Price on a one-year deal worth just north of $10 million, thereby avoiding arbitration with the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner.

New rules that kicked in last July will take a further turn when Major League Baseball’s international signing period begins this year, making clubs’ search for the next big prospect more complex.

With 2013 upon us, I have a hunch the following 13 names (or pairs of names) are going to be prime points of discussion in the coming months.

On Tuesday, the Indians rang in the new year by signing veteran hurler Brett Myers, whom the club will use as a starter, a source confirmed to MLB.com.

All might be quiet on New Year’s Day, but don’t expect that gleeful relaxation to last long. As the calendar rolls ahead, those of us who can’t wait for the next Major League Baseball transaction to be put to club letterhead are eager for 2013’s first deal to be born.

The 40th anniversary of Roberto Clemente’s 3,000th hit and final season took place in 2012, and fans old enough to have seen him play still marvel at the skills he displayed on the baseball field.