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SAN FRANCISCO - Angel Pagan and Marco Scutaro made a pact over the winter as they weighed their baseball futures: They vowed to keep in touch during free agency.

DETROIT - For a second straight year, Jim Leyland and the Detroit Tigers enter the season with sky-high expectations. That's no guarantee of success — but it sure beats the alternative. "I love being a target.

BALTIMORE - For the first time since 1997, the Baltimore Orioles are coming off a year that calls for an encore.

CHICAGO - Despite all the tremors around the division, the Chicago White Sox stood their ground. They shuffled their front office, committed to their top two starting pitchers and split with one of their final links to the 2005 championship team.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Although the Los Angeles Angels gave Josh Hamilton 125 million reasons to switch sides in their lively rivalry with Texas, all that cash didn't buy immediate comfort for the slugger.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Jason Grilli is well aware of the history. After two promising summers turned into painful falls, the new Pittsburgh Pirates closer realizes what's at stake in 2013. "You know, it's like three strikes and you're out," Grilli said.

SAN DIEGO - The 2013 San Diego Padres look almost exactly like the 2012 version that finished fourth in the NL West, 18 games behind the World Series champion San Francisco Giants. Many fans don't think that's a good thing.

CLEVELAND - Terry Francona helped exorcise the Bambino's curse, bringing the Red Sox a World Series title for the first time in 86 years. His new challenge is ending a 64-year championship drought. And this time, it's personal.

SEATTLE - Banking on potential is no longer acceptable in the rebuilding of the Seattle Mariners. General manager Jack Zduriencik knows this.

ARLINGTON, Texas - For the Texas Rangers, the focus is on who stayed in town, rather than who left. At least, that's the approach they're trying to take.