We're reaching the end of the winter, and getting warmed up for the season. This week at TOC, we're going to count down the top ten players at each position across the league. Here's the schedule for this week.

Monday: Catcher, First Base
Tuesday: Second Base, Shortstop, Third Base
Wednesday: Left Field, Center Field, Right Field
Thursday: Left-Handed Starter, Right-Handed Starter
Friday: Right-Handed Reliever, Left-Handed Reliever

The fun will kick off today with the top ten catchers in the league, and we'll try to have a companion piece for each one of them as a buffer as well. I figure this is a nice little way to kill some time, inspire discussion, and break the ice going into Spring Training a little bit, don't you?

Over the weekend at TOC, we had a bit of a lull with interesting news. Justin Upton declined a trade to the Mariners, and I broke down what that means for his future. World Baseball Classic rosters started to leak out, and many of the names were impressive. Plus, I took a look at the playoff teams of 2012, and where they stand at this point in the winter when it comes to filling out their rosters.

But remember: positional countdowns begin today, and they'll be going on all week. I hope everyone enjoys them.

Enjoy your offseason, everyone.

With a majority of the high ticket free agents off the market, a lot of teams are simply working on putting the finishing touches on their teams for the 2013 season. The Blue Jays put the capper on their outstanding offseason by acquiring RA Dickey from the Mets, and then agreeing to a contract extension with him. The A's picked up Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima, who thinks his new boss Billy Beane is extremely sexy and cool. 

That doesn't mean all finishing touches are necessarily a good thing. The Twins put the finishing touches on their 2013 rotation by signing former Met Mike Pelfrey, adding yet another contact-heavy pitcher to a team that is lacking their three best defenders from 2012. The Giants continued spending recklessly on their bullpen, handing a three-year $15 million deal to Santiago Casilla. The Red Sox signed Stephen Drew for $3 million more for one saeson than Nakajima will make in two with Oakland.

Ah, the middle of December…when some GMs get savvy, and when others get panicked. Good times, great memories.

Enjoy your offseason, everyone.