Editor's note: Yahoo! Sports will examine the offseason of every MLB team before spring training begins in mid-February. Our series continues with the Cincinnati Reds.

MLB Springboards: No. 30 Astros | No. 29 Marlins | No. 28 Mets | No. 27 Rockies | No. 26 Twins | No. 25 Pirates | No. 24 Indians | No. 23 Mariners | No. 22 Padres | No. 21 Cubs | No. 20 Brewers | No. 19 Red Sox | No. 18 White Sox | No. 17 Royals | No. 16 Orioles | No. 15 Phillies | No. 14 Diamondbacks | No. 13 Athletics | No. 12 Rangers | No. 11 Yankees | No. 10 Rays | No. 9 Cardinals | No. 8 Giants | No. 7 Tigers | No. 6 Braves | No. 5 Angels

2012 record: 97-65
Finish: First, NL Central
2012 final payroll: $88.1 million
Estimated 2013 opening day payroll: $107 million
Yahoo! Sports offseason rank: 4th
Hashtags: #97wins #datdudebp #up2oh #allstar15 #cubanmissile #dustygets2 #vottosknee #leadoffchoo #wheresrolen #homersodyssey #swipingbilly

OFFSEASON ACTION

Having spent three years turning Aroldis

Editor's note: Yahoo! Sports will examine the offseason of every MLB team before spring training begins in mid-February. Our series continues with the Los Angeles Angels.

MLB Springboards: No. 30 Astros | No. 29 Marlins | No. 28 Mets | No. 27 Rockies | No. 26 Twins | No. 25 Pirates | No. 24 Indians | No. 23 Mariners | No. 22 Padres | No. 21 Cubs | No. 20 Brewers | No. 19 Red Sox | No. 18 White Sox | No. 17 Royals | No. 16 Orioles | No. 15 Phillies | No. 14 Diamondbacks | No. 13 Athletics | No. 12 Rangers | No. 11 Yankees | No. 10 Rays | No. 9 Cardinals | No. 8 Giants | No. 7 Tigers | No. 6 Braves

2012 record: 89-73
Finish: Third, AL West
2012 final payroll: $160.1 million
Estimated 2013 opening day payroll: $152 million
Yahoo! Sports offseason rank: 5
Hashtags: #hombre2point0 #troutysoph #3darkfalls #rangerswest #joshinright #jerryjerryjerry #toriisatiger #trumbombs #sciosciable

OFFSEASON ACTION

When the 2012 season ended, the Angels, as an organization, had three basic

Alex Rodriguez, the admitted steroid user and previously exposed liar, has to know how this goes. He has lived it before. Years of denials once landed him in a stuffy tent outside a pretty little ballpark in Tampa, Fla. where he reluctantly gave away his name and reputation.

Alex Rodriguez has denied taking PEDs from a Miami-area clinic. (AP)He's watched Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens prevail in courtrooms only to lose in barrooms (and press rooms), then pull a third of the votes in their first years of Hall of Fame eligibility.

What's left of Rodriguez, however, is the number of games his hips can carry him, the paychecks that come along with that and whatever the New York Yankees achieve with him in the lineup. That was true four months ago. It's true days after his name, for what it is worth anymore, showed up in a composition book beside the usual maladies of his sport – HGH, synthetic testosterone and chemical formulas only the cheaters and their bobos understand.

He has denied involvement with performance-enhancing drugs or the alleged

Though the New York Yankees appear to hope otherwise, Alex Rodriguez intends to recover from his latest hip surgery, resume his career and play out the remaining five years of his contract, sources said Thursday.

Alex Rodriguez is optimistic about being able to resume playing by the middle of the summer. (AP)Rodriguez, along with several other major-league players, was accused this week of receiving performance-enhancing drugs from a Miami-area anti-aging clinic. The report led to speculation the Yankees would seek to cut ties with Rodriguez through a contract settlement or that Rodriguez, wounded in body and reputation, would simply retire.

One source close to Rodriguez said, "Alex is working diligently on his rehabilitation and looks forward to getting back on the field as soon as possible."

Barring setbacks, Rodriguez could be ready to play by mid-summer. Dr. Bryan Kelly, who performed surgery to repair a torn labrum and an impingement in Rodriguez's left hip on Jan. 16, told the Yankees he found minimal cartilage damage in the hip, according to the New York Daily News.

Editor's note: Yahoo! Sports will examine the offseason of every MLB team before spring training begins in mid-February. Our series continues with the New York Yankees.

2012 record: 95-67
Finish: First, AL East
2012 final payroll: $223.3 million
Estimated 2013 opening day payroll: $208 million
Yahoo! Sports offseason rank: 11
Hashtags: #reentersandman #jobaheartsyouk #$189m #e-nunez #owcaptainmycaptain #ccselbow #mosknee #arodship #dereksankle #trainersoverload

MLB Springboards: No. 30 Astros | No. 29 Marlins | No. 28 Mets | No. 27 Rockies | No. 26 Twins | No. 25 Pirates | No. 24 Indians | No. 23 Mariners | No. 22 Padres | No. 21 Cubs | No. 20 Brewers | No. 19 Red Sox | No. 18 White Sox | No. 17 Royals | No. 16 Orioles | No. 15 Phillies | No. 14 Diamondbacks | No. 13 Athletics | No. 12 Rangers

OFFSEASON ACTION

One subscribes to the standings, really the final judgment of a baseball season, and the Yankees are 95-game winners and returning much of what made them so. They can

Tied to performance-enhancing drugs for the second time in his career, Alex Rodriguez on Tuesday denied he was a client of the Miami-area anti-aging clinic that reportedly supplied numerous athletes with HGH and synthetic testosterone.

Alex Rodriguez has admitted taking PEDs from 2001-03 while with the Rangers. (AP)According to a Miami New Times report, clinic records suggest Rodriguez received doses of HGH, testosterone and other drugs as recently as last spring. A spokesperson for Rodriguez said Tuesday the New York Yankees player denies using performance-enhancing drugs during the time frame described in the article. Rodriguez has admitted to using steroids from 2001-03 when playing for the Texas Rangers.

On Tuesday, the New Times reported Rodriguez apparently received PEDs through Biogenesis, a clinic run by Anthony Bosch.

[Also: Texas hopes to replace Josh Hamilton with prospects]

Through a Los Angeles-based public relations firm, Rodriguez released the following statement: "The news report

Editor's note: Yahoo! Sports will examine the offseason of every MLB team before spring training begins mid-February. Our series continues with the Texas Rangers.

2012 record: 93-69
Finish: Second, AL West
2012 final payroll: $134.3 million
Estimated 2013 opening day payroll: $128 million
Yahoo! Sports offseason rank: 12
Hashtags: #howbaseballgo #hamgone #yu2 #benjamins4harrison #pumatown #theryanexpression #phatelvis #waitingonprofar #higholtage

MLB Springboards: No. 30 Astros | No. 29 Marlins | No. 28 Mets | No. 27 Rockies | No. 26 Twins | No. 25 Pirates | No. 24 Indians | No. 23 Mariners | No. 22 Padres | No. 21 Cubs | No. 20 Brewers | No. 19 Red Sox | No. 18 White Sox | No. 17 Royals | No. 16 Orioles | No. 15 Phillies | No. 14 Diamondbacks | No. 13 Athletics

OFFSEASON ACTION

There's no pleasure in being the Cinderella-ed. Seriously, when a bunch of guys are Bernie dancing and sneak-attack pie-ing and wide-eyed winning in the most ridiculous, least expected ways,

MLB Springboards: No. 30 Astros | No. 29 Marlins | No. 28 Mets | No. 27 Rockies | No. 26 Twins | No. 25 Pirates | No. 24 Indians | No. 23 Mariners | No. 22 Padres | No. 21 Cubs | No. 20 Brewers | No. 19 Red Sox | No. 18 White Sox | No. 17 Royals | No. 16 Orioles | No. 15 Phillies | No. 14 Diamondbacks

2012 record: 94-68
Finish: First, AL West
2012 final payroll: $59.5 million
Estimated 2013 opening day payroll: $60 million
Yahoo! Sports offseason rank: 13
Hashtags: #berniedance #walkoffs #thebartreturns #hidethespread #moneyball #odotnetworkmcafeeoverstockcomcoliseum #territorialfrights #elephantitis

OFFSEASON ACTION

So, following one of the strangest, most ridiculous, perfectly implausible, pie-in-the-face baseball seasons to ever roll down Hegenberger Road, a 6 1/2-month ride chauffeured by the ghost of a