10 notable off-season baseball trades

Officially, spring training begins for 29 of the 30 major league teams on Feb. 10, 11 or 12 when pitchers and catchers report. The Philadelphia Phillies begin Feb. 13.

But really, the activity in some front offices never stopped after the San Francisco Giants completed a four-game sweep of Detroit on Oct. 28 for their second World Series title in three years.

Alex Anthopoulos, Toronto’s 35-year-old general manager, got the jump on the competition Nov. 19 when a 12-player megadeal with the Miami Marlins was approved by commissioner Bud Selig. The trade sent starting pitchers Josh Johnson and Mark Buerhle to the Jays along with shortstop Jose Reyes, infielder-outfielder Emilio Bonafacio and catcher John Buck.

Following a quiet winter meetings in Nashville, Anthopoulos followed up the big trade with another significant move. He acquired R.A. Dickey, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, from the New York Mets and subsequently extended the 37-year-old’s contract by two years with an option for a third campaign in 2016.

Above, we profile 10 notable trades in baseball’s off-season.

Comment below on the various deals about what GM may have been fleeced, what player(s) will thrive in a new environment and who might have sacrificed too much of the future for short-term gain.