While we are in the midst of a backlog between baseball seasons, there has been a considerable amount of action that is worth discussing. With a number of exciting names in the mix, this should come as no surprise.

What a team decides to do between seasons can largely determine its success over the next year. A perfect example of this would be the remarkable rise of the Yankees in 2009. A team that missed the playoffs the year before suddenly became the best in the entire sport.

When teams are competitive against each other, the stakes rise even higher. A team’s loss combined with another’s win can have a huge impact on a team’s chances, and we’ve seen that to some degree this year. The Yankees, Angels and Red Sox have all lost or gained players against each other.

How about this year? Are there teams with makeovers in the works that seem destined to move up the franchise ranks next year? These are some of the biggest signings during the first two months of the winter season.

In the pitching world, the biggest free agent was John Lackey. Not only does he have a slew of playoff tickets on his resume, but he’s also young, as he’s barely over 30.

While he does experience the occasional injury, overall he is one of the best out there. Few pitchers have been as consistent as Lackey over the course of the past five seasons.

While the Angels will no doubt miss the presence of their ace pitcher, they’ve been fortunate to make a valuable addition to their hitting lineup. Having signed Hideki Matsui, they have stolen him from the Yankees and will enjoy his presence on the team.

Matsui’s role as a fielder will be just as valuable to an Angels team that could benefit from a more stellar defense. This helps cushion the blow they’ll feel from the loss of their star pitcher.