By the time all the smoke cleared this offseason in the National League West, about $500 million in mostly long-term contracts had been spent on six pitchers, with the Dodgers offering another $100 million in incentives to the tender-elbowed Kenta Maeda over the course of his eight-year deal.

Which Top 10 right-handed starter has the best secondary pitches? Jonathan Mayo answers this and more in the latest Pipeline Inbox.

More like Noah Synder-good tweets.

It was unseasonably warm when a large group of Indians players convened last week for Tribe Fest. Around Northeast Ohio, snow shovels gathered dust, heavy jackets were ditched and fans could daydream a little about the upcoming season.

Red Sox fans will soon see up close that ace David Price is as passionate about community endeavors as he is about pitching. On Thursday, the lefty and his Project One Foundation broke ground on a new “Miracle Field” in his hometown of Murfreesboro, Tenn.

There’s a Boss AND a Bort…nick.

Drew Smyly won in arbitration on Thursday, when a decision came down that the Rays left-hander will make $3.75 million for the 2016 season rather than the $3.2 million salary the team submitted.

Braves right-hander Matt Wisler is looking forward to taking advantage of a couple opportunities to discuss his changeup with Tom Glavine, who supposedly knows a thing or two about the offspeed pitch .

With just a few days remaining until the Feb. 8 launch of the MLB.com 2016 Fantasy Player Preview, smart fantasy owners will identify the bullpens that require monitoring during Spring Training. While we all know that Craig Kimbrel will finish off narrow wins in Boston, and Wade Davis will work the ninth inning in Kansas City, the following 10 clubs have unsettled closer situations.

It was in that kitchen where Don Orsillo’s love for baseball grew, hanging on the every word of popular broadcaster Ken Coleman, waiting, probably impatiently, for his favorite player, Dwight Evans, to take his next turn at bat. This is where Orsillo, hired in September by the Padres to call games on television and radio in 2016, realized what he wanted to do with his life. But it wasn’t trying to be the next Dwight Evans.

Jake Arrieta took a break from his offseason workouts — and took advantage of what he called a rare quiet moment at home — to show off his beard and answer fans’ questions on Twitter.

When Aroldis Chapman puts on his Yankees uniform and steps on a bullpen mound for the first time, Andrew Miller plans to be close by. He wants to see — and hear — how that fastball hits the catcher’s glove.

If you’re looking for baseball’s next phenom, chances are he’s a shortstop. Amazingly, the state of the shortstop position in prospect world is arguably is stronger today than it was a year ago, when Correa, Lindor and Russell ranked as the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 overall prospects on MLBPipeline’s Top 100, respectively.

With Spring Training less than two weeks away, it is time for fantasy owners to begin serious preparations for the upcoming campaign. In recent days, a pair or trades and two signings created cause for careful analysis.

On the 60th anniversary of his selection as the first Cy Young Award winner, Don Newcombe remains in the Dodgers organization in community relations, visible at Dodger Stadium sharing his wisdom with the new generation. Contemporaries remember him with awe in their voices.

Let’s take a look at six clubs that are in the long-shot category but still seem nicely positioned for big turnarounds in 2016.

Matt Murton? Did you say Matt Murton? That Matt Murton? Sure enough, it looks like the Cubs are about to bring back the international sensation who got away, the friendly red-headed outfielder who has piled up line drives on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. The move was reported from sources in Japan on Wednesday night but has not been confirmed by the Cubs.