Teams embark on new strategies come Spring Training, where exhibition games go a long way toward determining who will take the field throughout the 2015 season.

With Max Scherzer apparently on board, the Nationals have added to an already stacked starting rotation. Scherzer joins Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez and Doug Fister in what is arguably baseball’s best collection of starters, and a group that compares favorably to some of the best rotations in recent memory.

On Monday, people around Major League Baseball join with all those who celebrate MLK Day of Service, observing more of a “day on” than a “day off.” Clubs and players are volunteering in their communities to help neighbors, work on civic projects, visit hospitals and family shelters and generally getting involved during the national holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

As Hank Aaron reminisces about his baseball journey, which introduced him to both segregation and immortalization, he regrets that his interactions with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. amounted to just a few brief conversations.

Free-agent right-hander Max Scherzer agreed to a seven-year contract with the Nationals, a source told MLB.com. The club did not confirm the deal, which was first reported by CBSSports.com.

The biggest free agent on the market, arguably the best pitcher in the game over the last two seasons, has reached a deal with the team that already has the best starting rotation in the Major Leagues.

Former Tiger Don Kelly has agreed to a Minor League contract with the Miami Marlins, according to multiple reports.

A nation pauses today to commemorate Martin Luther King Day, and many civil rights historians will tell you that there probably would have been no “I Have A Dream” speech by King or Civil Rights Act of 1964 had it not been for the integration of the national pastime.

The Nationals signed first baseman Kila Ka’aihue to a Minor League deal with an invitation to Major League Spring Training. Ka’aihue played the last two seasons for the Hiroshima Carp of the Japan Central League

You have to tip your hat to Rick Hahn and Theo Epstein. They’ve not only been builders, but they’ve been extremely successful deal-makers, expediting — through a series of very smart trades — the recovery from a 2013 season in which the White Sox and Cubs lost a combined 195 games.

The Dodgers have signed veteran left-hander Erik Bedard to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training. Bedard, 36, went 4-6 with a 4.76 ERA in 15 starts during the 2014 season for Tampa Bay.

Turns out, neither the A’s nor the Rays ever intended to punt on the 2015 season. From the beginning, both tried to tell us there was a larger plan. It’s just that it was hard to see it.

The Rangers are talking to the Brewers about a trade for right-hander Yovani Gallardo, sources said. But as of Sunday afternoon, Gallardo had not been told of a trade and the Rangers were not planning to announce one.

The Giants and outfielder Gregor Blanco have agreed to a two-year, $7.5 million contract to avoid arbitration, according to a report from the San Francisco Chronicle, which cited Venezuelan outlet Lider en Deportes.

Should the Cardinals refrain from adding to their rotation before the start of the season, it would serve as affirmation of their confidence in healthy seasons ahead for Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha. On Sunday, both pitchers were bullish about the forecast of staying on the field.

There’s nothing better on the West Coast in the offseason than the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation Awards Dinner. This year, the 12th annual soiree was staged on Saturday night by founder Dennis Gilbert at the famous Century Plaza Hotel.

Mike Matheny has many options to assemble a winning lineup in 2015, and the Cardinals manager hopes his club can regain some of its power after finishing last in the National League in home runs last season.