20 Must-See Events of the Upcoming 2012 MLB Season

The 2012 season is right around the corner, and following an offseason of big-name free-agent signings and a number of blockbuster trades, the season will not be short on storylines.

From players facing their old clubs, to significant player-versus-player matchups, to a much-anticipated debut, there are a number of different things that will get the MLB community buzzing this coming year.

So here is a look at 20 must-see events for the 2012 MLB season, a look at the matchups and moments that everyone will be talking about.

Jamie Moyer's Season Debut

Moyer missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and celebrated his 49th birthday on November 18th—but he does not appear ready to call it quits just yet.

Moyer signed a minor-league deal with the Rockies this winter, and will get a shot to win at least a bullpen spot out of spring training.

While the novelty of having a 49-year-old pitcher take the hill is fun, Moyer could wind up being a useful asset for the Rockies, as he was still plenty effective in going 9-9 with a 4.84 ERA in 19 starts in 2010.

Aramis Ramirez's Return to Chicago

After spending the past nine seasons manning the hot corner for the North Siders, Ramirez and the Cubs parted ways this offseason as he signed a three-year, $36 million deal with the division-rival Brewers.

Milwaukee comes to town in the second series of the season from April 9th-April 12th, and after the two sides parted ways on good terms, he should receive a solid ovation from the Wrigley faithful after serving as one of the team's top run-producers for nearly a decade.

Prince Fielder's Home Debut

The Detroit Tigers replaced injured DH Victor Martinez in a big way when they emerged as the surprise winner in the Prince Fielder sweepstakes, signing him to a nine-year, $214 million contract.

His signing pushes Miguel Cabrera to third base, which could be an adventure, but pairing those two in the middle of the Tigers lineup gives them the most dynamic 1-2 punch in all of baseball.

They kick off their season at home against the Boston Red Sox, as Tigers fans will get a chance to see their new slugger in action at home right off the bat. Throw in the fact that 2011 Cy Young and MVP winner Justin Verlander will be on the mound in the opener, and there will be plenty of buzz surrounding their first game of the season.

Mat Latos vs. the San Diego Padres

The Cincinnati Reds gave up a ton this winter to acquire starting pitcher Mat Latos from the Padres, sending 1B Yonder Alonso, C Yasmani Grandal, SP Edinson Volquez and RP Brad Boxberger to San Diego for the 24-year-old right-hander.

The teams only face off for eight games this season, and not for the first time until July 5th, but by that time all four players the Padres acquired could be a part of the big-league roster.

That means the Padres could potentially play the four players they received in a game against Latos this coming season—but regardless as to who all is in the lineup for San Diego, it will be interesting to see how Latos fairs against his old club.

Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics in Japan

The 2012 season will kick off with a two-game series between the Mariners and Athletics in Tokyo on March 28th and March 29th.

On the Mariners side, this will mark a return to Japan for superstar Ichiro Suzuki, and that should be enough to get the already-spirited Japanese baseball fans even more into the games.

On the other side is an Athletics team in transition, as they dealt starters Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez this offseason and will count on the likes of Seth Smith and Josh Reddick to power the middle of their order.

Bobby Valentine vs. Robin Ventura

Among a handful of new managers in the league this year, the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox each have new skippers in Robin Ventura and Bobby Valentine, respectively.

Those two teams will match up for eight games this coming season, with a four-game series in Chicago in April and another four-game series in Boston in July.

However, the story goes deeper than the fact that they are both new managers, as Valentine actually managed Ventura with the New York Mets from 1999-2001.

Valentine has 15 years of managerial experience in the big leagues and another seven years managing in Japan, while Ventura will be entering his first season as a manager at any level.

Jonathan Papelbon vs. Red Sox

Seeing Jonathan Papelbon in anything but a Red Sox uniform will be odd this coming season, as he joined the Philadelphia Phillies on a four-year, $50 million contract.

However, seeing Jonathan Papelbon take the mound against the Red Sox will be even stranger, but he could do just that if the Phillies find themselves in a save situation when the two teams meet up in interleague play for a three-game series, May 18th to May 20th.

Albert Pujols' Home Debut

The Angels open their season this year with a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals at home, and that will be Los Angeles', and the baseball world's, first chance to see Albert Pujols don his new Angels uniform in regular-season play.

The $240-million man won't have a chance to play against the Cardinals this year, unfortunately, but his debut should be surrounded with as much buzz as any game the Angels have played since their 2002 World Series run.

St. Louis Cardinals Ring Ceremony

During their April 14th game against the Chicago Cubs, which will be the Fox Saturday Baseball game of the week, the Cardinals players will receive their championship rings.

Not only is it a matchup of bitter rivals and a ring ceremony, but fans will also receive a replica ring of their own at the gates, as this is a can't-miss game for any Cardinals fan or baseball fan in general.

Jose Reyes' Return to New York

When the Mets decided not to deal Jose Reyes at the deadline last year, there was a consensus that the team would make a strong run at re-signing the shortstop.

However, once the offseason hit it seemed as though the Mets never had a chance to bring back Reyes, and he wound up signing a six-year, $106 million contract to play for the Marlins.

Reyes will be seeing plenty of his old team, as he is still in the NL East. He will make the return trip to New York for the first time during a three-game series from April 24th to April 26th, and it will be interesting to see how the Mets faithful receive him.

Yu Darvish vs. Ichiro Suzuki

Playing in the same division, Darvish and Ichiro will likely meet up more than once this coming season and, when they do, it will be a look at the past, present and future of Japanese superstars in the MLB.

Ichiro came to the states in 2001 and immediately became one of the best hitters in the league and a perennial All-Star. He'll be 38 years old this coming season, and he has slowed a bit, but he is still a weapon at the top of the lineup for Seattle.

Darvish, meanwhile, will be looking to find the same immediate success that Ichiro had, and there will be plenty of pressure on him to perform after signing a six-year, $60 million contract that is accompanied by a $51.7 million posting fee.

C.J. Wilson vs. the Texas Rangers

The ace of the Rangers staff last season, Wilson went 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA during his contract year but fell flat in the postseason with a 5.79 ERA in six appearances (five starts).

Because of that postseason failure, the Rangers made little effort to re-sign Wilson and he ended up joining Albert Pujols in Los Angeles on a five-year, $77.5 million contract.

He will likely make a handful of starts against his former team this coming season, and after more or less being shown the door at the end of the season, he will have a chance to show the Rangers they made a mistake in letting him walk.

Albert Pujols vs. Prince Fielder

The two prize signings of the 2012 free-agent class, Pujols and Fielder will meet up 10 times this coming season, but their first match-up will not be until July 16th in Detroit.

After each player signed a contract in excess of $200 million, expectations will be high for those two, and their face-off will not only be a battle of high-paid sluggers but a matchup of two teams with legitimate World Series aspirations.

All-Star Weekend in Kansas City

All-Star Weekend is always an exciting time in baseball, with the Home Run Derby and Futures Game leading into the weekend-capping MLB All-Star Game.

This year, it will be held at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, as the Royals will host the Midsummer Classic for the first time since 1973.

Tony La Russa Managing the NL All-Star Team

After leading the Cardinals to a World Series title last year, La Russa decided to retire on top after managing 33 seasons, the last 16 of which were in St. Louis.

Despite the fact he will not be managing this coming season, he still earned the right to manage the NL All-Star team, and the MLB recently announced he would be doing just that.

He will become the second manager to coach an All-Star team after his retirement, joining Giants great John McGraw.

Barry Larkin and Ron Santo Hall of Fame Induction

This year's MLB Hall of Fame class will be inducted into Cooperstown on July 22nd, with BBWAA selection Barry Larkin and Veteran's Committee selection Ron Santo earning the honor this year.

Larkin spent his entire 19-year career with the Reds and put together a career line of .295/.371/.444, 198 HR, 960 RBI, 1,329 R, 2,340 H, 379 SB. He was a 12-time All-Star, nine-time Silver Slugger, three-time Gold Glove winner and 1995 NL MVP.

Santo, who died December 2nd, 2010, was long pointed to as the most deserving player not inducted, as he posted a career line of .277/.362/.464, 342 HR, 1,331 RBI, 1,138 R, 2,254 H. He was a nine-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner.

Chicago Cubs vs. Boston Red Sox

After playing a series at Fenway Park last year, the Cubs and Red Sox meet up once again this season with a three-game series at Wrigley Field from June 15th to June 17th.

As much buzz as there was surrounding the series last year, it will be even more talked about this year after Red Sox GM Theo Epstein jumped ship and joined the Cubs this offseason.

It could be a long season for the Cubs as they begin taking steps to rebuild, but there is no doubt Theo would love to come away with three wins against his former club.

Michael Pineda vs. Jesus Montero

Traded for each other on January 23rd, Pineda and Montero each fill a glaring need for the teams that acquired them, but leave a situation where they were highly regarded by their previous teams.

In Pineda, the New York Yankees get a young starter to help add depth to what was a thin starting rotation, and one who is under team control through 2016. He was an All-Star as a 22-year-old rookie last season, and certainly has a high ceiling.

In Montero, the Mariners acquired one of the most highly-regarded hitting prospects in the game, as they hope he will give their stagnant offense a much-needed boost. It remains to be seen if he will catch at the big-league level or strictly DH, but wherever he winds up he should be a perennial .300 hitter with solid pop.

Miami Marlins Unveil New Ballpark, Uniforms, Players

The 2012 season is an exciting one for the Marlins, as they will be opening their new stadium on April 4th with a single-game series against the reigning champion St. Louis Cardinals.

The players will have a different look on the field, as the team completely overhauled their uniforms for the upcoming season, and also because there are so many new faces.

Ozzie Guillen has taken the helm after coming over in a player-for-manager trade with the White Sox, and he is joined by Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell and Carlos Zambrano as the other big-name new faces in Miami.

Bryce Harper's Big-League Debut

Whether or not it is completely warranted, the hype surrounding Nationals prospect Bryce Harper is off the charts, as the entire baseball world will be watching when he makes his big-league debut.

After hitting .297 BA, 17 HR, 58 RBI, 26 SB as an 18-year-old playing between Single-A and Double-A, Harper should be in line to at least see a September call-up this coming season.

However, if manager Davey Johnson has his way, Harper could break camp as the Nationals' everyday right fielder, as that will be one of the most interesting things to watch develop this spring.

Much like the hype that surrounded Stephen Strasburg's ascent to the majors and eventual big-league debut in 2010, expect Harper to be talked about all season and for his debut to be the event of the sports world when it inevitably happens.