2014 spring training: Pitchers & catchers report for Rangers, Twins, Marlins, Jays

Another day, another four teams beginning their long trek towards the postseason or, in the case of the Twins, a top 10 draft pick. The Rangers, Marlins and Blue Jays are also reporting on Sunday, with Minnesota, MIami and Toronto arriving in Florida, while the Rangers will set up shop in Arizona.

The Rangers (and the Tigers) shocked the world by swapping Prince Fielder and Ian Kinsler (and their sizable contracts) early in the offseason. The Rangers continued to improve themselves, allowing Nelson Cruz to test the free agent waters, instead opting to sign Shin-Soo Choo despite the additional cost of a first round draft pick. They didn't stop there, trading depth pieces Craig Gentry and Josh Lindblom for outfield prospect Michael Choice and second base prospect Chris Bostick. They did suffer the loss of pitcher Derek Holland as he injured his knee, making their rotation thinner than they'd like it.

Texas' lineup should continue to be its dynamic self, but the rotation could be a weak spot, as the best the Rangers could do to address Holland's injury was sign Tommy Hanson. They will get Colby Lewis back from injury at some point, and reliever Robbie Ross could transition to a starting role, but if there is something that would prevent them from competing with Oakland (and Los Angeles), it's their starting five.

The Twins struck early in free agency, locking up Ricky Nolasco to a four-year contract, bolstering their rotation with Phil Hughes as well. While those signings represent a noticeable improvement (or at least the chance for such a thing) over last year's models, the Twins are still expected to be a bottom feeder in 2014.

That doesn't mean they won't be interesting to watch though. Mauer's transition to first base, Oswaldo Arcia's continued development, whether Aaron Hicks can stick with the team, and the potential promotion of impact prospect Miguel Sano are but a sampling of the storylines that will keep us watching Minnesota all year long.

The Marlins were active in the offseason, nominally, signing three-quarters of their projected starting infield out of the free agent pool. "Nominally" because two of the three free agents (Rafael Furcal, Casey McGehee) did not play in the major leagues last year. The third, Garrett Jones, was let go by the Pirates, a team in dire need of a first baseman. They bid adieu to problem child Logan Morrison, shipping him to Seattle for strong armed reliever Carter Capps.

Despite the organizational dysfunction and thrift shop approach to player acquisition, the Marlins are poised to improve on 2013 as Christian Yelich develops, Giancarlo Stanton returns fully healthy and the young arms in the rotation continue to mature. They'll likely continue to dip into their minor league system, though it's thinned considerably compared to last year. Whether we're seeing the start of a nucleus that will win a World Series before being dismantled almost immediately is yet to be determined, but the core they're building should be fun to watch.

Perhaps as an ode to former general manager Pat Gillick, the Jays have stood pat this offseason, apparently waiting out the starting pitching market. With a rotation that prominently features J.A. Happ and Kyle Drabek, it might behoove them to act sooner than later to address a serious deficiency in an otherwise contention-worthy team.

Whether they don't have the money to spend, don't want to give up a pick, think their options are good enough or are just trying to get the best value possible, it's hard to say. What isn't hard to say is that without adding a pitcher, or getting full seasons out of Brandon Morrow, Happ and Drabek, it's difficult to see Toronto being a legitimate contender.