The Major League Baseball lockout continues, which has put a damper on a usually frantic point in the baseball offseason. Hot-stove fans have been limited to minor-league transactions and the rumor mill since the work stoppage began on December 2.
Arguably the biggest real news we've gotten over the past 12 days is that Justin Verlander's two-year, $50 million deal with the Houston Astros has been formally approved, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.
However, while speculation won't fully sate fans hoping to see their favorite teams pick up additional pieces, it does help whet the appetite for the post-lockout surge that will assuredly follow.