Baseball's 10 Most Hyped Spring Training Storylines You Shouldn't Buy into

Major League Baseball's offseason has been exciting, surprising and disappointing depending on where your loyalties lie.

Detroit Tigers fans, and Los Angeles Angels fans, are ecstatic after their squads grabbed the two crown jewels of the offseason.

At the same time, both are probably at least vaguely surprised.

Miami Marlins fans must be disappointed. Their front office showed a lot of bark but no bite, something newly-acquired Mark Buehrle's dogs must take a note of. But, hey you can help Buehrle in that particular area.

Baseball's offseason is always enjoyable and active. This year's was no different, and it should make for an equally eventful regular season.

That all begins in spring training.

Here are 10 spring training story lines you should not buy into:

Mat Latos in Cincinatti

The Cincinnati Reds picked up Mat Latos in the offseason in exchange for Edinson Volquez and prospects Yonder Alonso, Yasmani Grandal and Brad Boxberger.

Latos had a 3.37 ERA during his tenure with the San Diego Padres. He is one of the best young right-handed pitchers in baseball, but I am not sure how he will transition to hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark.

San Diego's Petco Park should allow its' hitters to use corked bats. It is a seemingly bottomless pit of flyouts and doubles because of the wide expanse of space in the outfield.

Latos is used to pitching in the best pitchers' ballpark in the game today. Not that he cannot adjust, but I need to see him pitch in Cincinnati before a judgment can be made.

Right now, I am not buying the hype. The Reds needed an ace in order to make a run deeper into the playoffs.

They may have their guy, but that is still questionable.

Bobby Valentine in Boston

I know former Red Sox manager Terry Francona reportedly lost control of his team last season, but I can't see the Red Sox being much better this season.

Sometimes chemistry hampers talent, and the Red Sox seem to be an extreme case of that dilemma.

The Red Sox have as much, if not more, pop in their lineup than any other team in baseball. There is no denying that.

However, their pitching staff is still questionable and they have made no move to address this grave problem.

The Sox did bolster their bullpen, but they it they are still relying on an oft-injured Josh Beckett, an unproven Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester to lead this team to glory. Lester was underwhelming over the second half of last season.

New manager Bobby Valentine has his work cut out for him. Manage huge personalities riding tense expectations. Win games in Boston, or face a potential rebuilding phase after the season.

Valentine is a great personality, but I do not envy his position.

Jose Reyes in Miami

Jose Reyes is one of the best shortstops in baseball, and a potential All-Star any given season. The Miami Marlins certainly made a splash when they inked Reyes this offseason.

The one question mark with Reyes happens to be a big one. He is far from a healthy guarantee, and that diminishes a large part of his talent.

Reyes relies on his speed and contact at the plate. He is rarely 100 percent though.

The Marlins wanted to inject excitement into their new look team by adding a marquee name this offseason.

Reyes is certainly that, but if he cannot stay healthy he could be an albatross in the contract world.

Bryce Harper's Arrival

Saying anything negative about Bryce Harper is unheard of unless your criticizing his poor attitude and extreme sense of entitlement on the field.

Talent wise, the next chosen one has it all. Mentally, he has a lot to learn at the major league level.

This is the same kid who blew a kiss to an opposing pitcher after hitting a home run in Double-A Hagerstown. Those antics will not fly in the big leagues, and I have a feeling Harper is going to have to learn that the hard way.

He may not go out and blow a kiss to the first pitcher he bops a ball off of, but either way you can expect opposing pitchers to put a little extra on everything they give this kid.

Harper will receive a chance to make the Nationals in spring training. I would be shocked if he did not make the team, and I would also be shocked if he does not have words with the opposing team sometime this spring.

He needs a team of veteran leaders to control his arrogant temperament, but Washington is not loaded in that department.

A New Era in St. Louis

The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to hit some bumps in the road after losing superstar Albert Pujols and manager Tony LaRussa in the offseason.

As Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast, my friends."

The Cardinals are still a very good baseball team, and should be favored to win the NL Central again this season.

They may have lost Pujols in their lineup but players emerged last season during Pujols' injury-plagued absence.

David Freese and Allen Craig will provide consistency around Lance Berkman and new addition Carlos Beltran. The Cardinals are an experienced group in the regular season, and the playoffs. Do not think that will just go away with the loss of their leader.

The Cardinal rotation did not lose anyone. Instead, they will get their best pitcher back with Adam Wainwright's return from Tommy John surgery. Chris Carpenter and Jaime Garcia provide excellent depth behind the former Cy Young winner.

St. Louis is sporting a new look this season, but it is not necessarily a bad one.

The Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins would be facing much more hype if they had followed through on their lofty offseason plans.

However, fans are still interested to see the new look team, in a new stadium, with the polarizing personality of Ozzie Guillen running the show.

The Marlins did sign Mark Buehrle this offseason. He should add solid depth behind a frail Josh Johnson. The rest of the Miami pitching staff is nothing special, especially in the highly-competitive NL East. Anibal Sanchez and Ricky Nolasco are talented, but inconsistent.

Miami's lineup, however, has the potential to be very good. Jose Reyes has arrived and will join forces with Hanley Ramirez, Mike Stanton, Logan Morrison and Gaby Sanchez to form a formidable group of dangerous sluggers.

The Marlins wanted to assemble a championship caliber squad this offseason. That did not happen, and Guillen must manage the personalities of a team likely fighting for third place in their division.

Michael Pineda in Pinstripes

Michael Pineda was lights out in Seattle last season. His 3.74 ERA and 1.10 WHIP make his 9-10 record deceiving.

However, New York is not Seattle. There is pressure involved in playing meaningful games past July.

Pineda has electric stuff. His mid-90s fastball has deceptive sinking action too it, and his 6'7'' presence is scary to face on the mound. But, can he stand up the pressures of playing in New York?

The Yankees needed pitching help for sure. Adding Hiroki Kuroda and Pineda will provide a boost, but neither are accustomed to the expectant gaze of the Yankee fanbase.

The pressure is even larger for Pineda. Yankee fans were excited for the arrival of top prospect Jesus Montero almost as if his first name was a true indicator of his real identity.

Now, Montero is in Seattle and Pineda is his hopeful replacement.

Pineda has the talent to support C.C. Sabathia and the Yankee rotation, but playing in New York is not just about talent. If you cannot stand the pressure from the fans and a major media market, you will crumble quickly under the bright lights.

Detroit's Readiness to Contend

The Detroit Tigers made the surprise pickup of the season, inking Prince Fielder to a mega-deal.

Fielder will form a very dangerous one-two punch with Miguel Cabrera, and Detroit should win the AL Central unless Cleveland makes another surprise run.

However, Detroit is not ready to contend just yet.

The Tiger rotation is questionable despite Justin Verlander's borderline-illegal dominance. Max Scherzer has oodles of potential, but he fails to show it on a consistent basis. Doug Fister is a solid pitcher, but overachieved last season, and Rick Porcello has faded rapidly since his rookie campaign.

Tiger prospect Jacob Turner is a potential wild-card arm, depending on how he looks heading into spring training.

The Tiger lineup will be solid, but will miss Victor Martinez's presence. Fielder and Cabrera will form baseball's best corner duo.

Another smaller issue is Cabrera's back to third base. Is he expected to be as good in the hot corner as he was before, considering he was not very good in the first place?

I understand the hype. Fielder was a sought-after player, and for good reason. But until the Tiger starting rotation shows consistency, the Tigers are just another team failing to stick out from the pack.

Yu Darvish

Yu Darvish has electric stuff. He is more hyped than any pitcher ever has been upon arrival from Japan.

I think Darvish will have a solid season, certainly better than Dice-K's season in Beantown. However, I do not think he is the answer to the Rangers' pitching woes.

The Rangers lost C.J. Wilson to their division rival the Angels in the offseason. He was the team's best starter, one of their leaders and will be a big loss come playoff time.

Now, the Rangers must rely on Derek Holland and Colby Lewis to lead the rotation along with Matt Harrison and possible bullpen implants Neftali Feliz and Alexi Ogando.

The Rangers are also a front-runner for veteran Roy Oswalt. He would certainly help, but again is Oswalt the arm you want leading your team into the playoffs?

Texas will get by this season with their lineup. They have ridiculous a combination of contact and power, and could average 84 runs a game. Okay, not that many but you get the point.

It is just hard to see pitchers like Darvish, Lewis and Holland making a deep run into the playoffs. But, I do enjoy a Ron Washington press conference.

The Angels Are Baseball's Best Team

I'm not saying the Angels will not wind up being baseball's best squad this season, but I do not think they are the runaway favorites right now.

Yes, Albert Pujols has arrived. He is the best hitter of the last 10 years, and one of the best right-handed hitters to ever play the game. His presence will add a major jolt to this lineup.

However, the rest of this lineup is not ready to win a championship.

The Angels need Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells to have bounce-back seasons. Both are aging veterans, and not necessarily something you want to count on. The Angels do have superhuman recruit Mike Trout in the outfield, but he was not impressive in his limited duty last season.

Mark Trumbo, Howie Kendrick and Kendry Morales will be relied upon for big output. Trumbo is still unproven, but Morales is good if he can step on home plate without hurting himself.

The pitching staff is right there with any other group in the league assuming Jered Weaver continues his sidewinding ways.

I did not buy into the Phillies last season for the same reasons. The Angels pitching staff may be great, but where will the runs come from when you need them on a consistent basis?