One storyline to follow for every MLB team heading into the 2023 season

Arizona signed Mark Melancon before the 2022 season, and the returns haven't been good. After struggling last season, Melancon is set to start this year on the injured list. Even before his injury, the closer was anyone's guess with a long list of candidates, including Kevin Ginkel, Miguel Castro, Scott McGough, and Andrew Chafin.

The Braves let Dansby Swanson walk in free agency, effectively handing the shortstop job to Grissom. While Grissom was spectacular offensively in his MLB debut last season, his debut trailed his bat. The move to shortstop is that much more difficult, and the competitive Braves don't have time to wait on Grissom if he struggles.

The O's made steady progress last season, but they were still hesitant to make a splash during the offseason. As a result, they're counting on their young hotshot prospects like Gunnar Henderson, Kyle Stowers, and Grayson Rodriguez to boost the squad in the terrific AL East division.

Boston focused on pitching during the offseason, but their lineup took a big hit. The team replacing Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez with Justin Turner and Masataka Yoshida, moves that weren't popular with fans. It remains to be season if the Red Sox will have enough offense to tread water in the AL East.

A former Rookie of the Year and NL MVP, Bellinger couldn't find his footing with the Dodgers over the last three seasons. The Cubs decided to try their hand, giving Bellinger $17.5 million in the hope that a change of scenery will do him some good. Bellinger's ability to rebound could determine the Cubs season.

Fans have been less than enthusiastic about Chicago's offseason, and their pitching depth looks particularly shaky. The team replaced Johnny Cueto with Mike Clevinger and is left with a giant void in the bullpen after Liam Hendriks was diagnosed with cancer. The team can't afford more slip-ups in their pitching staff, which isn't a great position to be in entering a season.

Cincinnati continues to play for the future in their rebuild, but there will eventually be reason for fans to attend home games again. The farm system is loaded with blue-chip talent, led by Elly De La Cruz, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Noelvi Marte. Their pending arrivals will be worth watching.

Few organizations have done a better job producing talent in recent seasons, and Cleveland enters 2023 with a strong MLB roster. However, their next tier of top prospects could make huge contributions later this season. Among them are catcher Bo Naylor, outfielder George Valera, and pitchers Logan Allen, Tanner Bibee, and Gavin Williams.

The Rockies roster wasn't in great shape entering Spring Training, but it got worse following a major shoulder injury for second baseman Brendan Rodgers. The team signed veteran Mike Moustakas in what appears to be a panic move after the veteran struggled to stay on the field over the last three seasons. Young third basemen Elehuris Montero and Nolan Jones are alternatives if they can prove adequate defensively. Regardless, it could be another long year in Colorado.

The Tigers were anemic in all areas last season. There is some reason for excitement entering 2023, particularly with the starting rotation. The Tigers added intriguing starters Matthew Boyd and Michael Lorenzen, and strong springs from Eduardo Rodriguez and Spencer Turnbull show a capable rotation despite injuries to youngsters Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize.

The reigning champs have the tough task of replacing last year's AL Cy Young winner, but they didn't bring in any new talent from outside the organization. Instead, the team is counting on young starter Hunter Brown after his electric arrival late last season while also hoping for repeat seasons from Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier.

The Royals have struggled to develop their young talent over the last few years, particularly pitching. A new coaching staff led by manager Matt Quatraro could make a difference for young pitchers like Daniel Lynch, Kris Bubic, and Jackson Kowar, who have yet to reach their potential. Those pitchers could be on the outside looking in on prominent MLB roles to start the year, but their development will be key in getting KC back to competitiveness.

The Angels have seen seven consecutive losing seasons despite some of the most talented players in the game, led by Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. The team took a new approach during the offseason, adding valuable depth like Hunter Renfroe, Brandon Drury, Tyler Anderson, and Carlos Estevez. There's reason for more optimism, especially with the pitching.

The Dodgers' front office and ownership was surprisingly reserved in the offseason, allowing Trea Turner to walk and not making a high-dollar signing. There were questions entering Spring Training, and Gavin Lux's season-ending knee injury now exacerbates the situation. The team is set to use a combination of Miguel Vargas, Chris Taylor, and Miguel Rojas to fill the middle infield spots, and the results remain to be seen.

Miami scored the fewest runs in the NL in 2022. To remedy the situation, the Marlins employed a contact hitting strategy during the offseason with newcomers Jean Segura, Luis Arraez, Yuli Gurriel, and Jose Iglesias while employing an all-new coaching staff. There's nowhere to go but up.

The Brewers' farm system looked ready to help late last season, and the door is open for them to contribute. Brice Turang has a chance to replace Kolten Wong at second base, while Garrett Mitchell is the team's center fielder after a late-season arrival. The right field situation is also unclear with Tyrone Taylor nursing an injury, creating possible playing time for Sal Frelick. Their contributions could determine Milwaukee's prospects in the NL Central.

Injuries sidetracked the Twins last season, and the team has its fair share of injury concerns heading into 2023. However, the Twins were able to re-sign Carlos Correa while adding Pablo Lopez and several other role players, creating a roster with extraordinary depth. With the returns of Byron Buxton, Alex Kirilloff, Tyler Mahle, and Kenta Maeda from injuries, the team could be in for a rebound season.

Expectations couldn't be higher for the Mets after signing Justin Verlander and Kodai Senga during the offseason. Unfortunately, the injury bug has already hit in a big way, as the team lost closer Edwin Diaz for the year and could be without Jose Quintana for the bulk of 2023. Those injuries won't be an excuse if the Mets disappoint, given how much owner Steve Cohen has spent over the last two years.

Many of the questions surrounding the Yankees lineup entering Spring Training have been answered by outstanding springs from youngsters Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, and Anthony Volpe. Now the starting rotation is of concern, as the team will be without Frankie Montas and Carlos Rodon. Domingo German and Clarke Schmidt appear to be formidable rotation replacements, but the Yankees aren't entering 2023 with the upper-shelf talent they expected.

Oakland lost 102 games in 2022, and they could be in for an even longer 2023 season. The team traded star catcher Sean Murphy and filled most of its needs with question marks like Jesus Aguilar, Aledmys Diaz, Jace Peterson, Shintaro Fujinami, and Drew Rucinski. With a farm system also in rebuilding mode, the A's aren't in great shape.

Philadelphia's significant spending continued during the offseason, adding star shortstop Trea Turner and pitcher Taijuan Walker. The Phillies roster isn't without challenges, particularly as they wait for Bryce Harper to return from elbow surgery. Still, the reigning NL champs have reason for optimism with World Series hopes in 2023.

Pittsburgh has started to see the fruits of its rebuild farm system over the last year, and the Pirates' starting rotation is an intriguing mix of homegrown players and veterans. The Pirates bring back Mitch Keller, Roansy Contreras, and JT Brubaker atop the rotation, and veterans Rich Hill and Vince Velasquez give the team experience. The stars look particularly bright with Keller and Contreras, if the pair can remain healthy.

Tatis Jr. was one of the faces of MLB before suffering a fractured wrist and getting suspended for PEDs in 2022. While he's signed long-term, the Padres have stated publicly that Tatis Jr. would have to earn his way back into their good graces. The signing of Xander Bogaerts pushed Tatis Jr. to the outfield, and he started Spring Training ice cold at the plate. The Padres have enough elite talent to win without Tatis Jr., but a rebound could push the team ahead of the Dodgers in the NL West.

The Giants lost ace Carlos Rodon in the offseason, but their pitching is arguably improved entering the year. The team added Sean Manaea and Ross Stripling and will get Alex Wood and Anthony DeSclafani back from injuries. The entire pitching staff has been impressive in Spring Training, including velocity upticks from Manaea and ace Logan Webb. Whether the pitching will be enough to overcome a shaky lineup remains to be seen.

Kelenic arrived in the majors with great fanfare in 2021, but he's struggled mightily in over 500 MLB plate appearances. The team appears optimistic some mechanical adjustments will turn his career around, and the results have been excellent this spring. Of course, we won't know for sure until Kelenic produces in the regular season.

Top prospect Jordan Walker has taken Cardinals Spring Training by storm, as the team hoped. The Cardinals have also seen good springs from Brendan Donovan, Juan Yepez, Dylan Carlson, and Nolan Gorman, adding to last year's breakout from Lars Nootbaar. St. Louis might not have enough at-bats for everyone, so manager Oliver Marmol will need to be creative.

Tampa Bay's pitching staff had a big setback this spring when Tyler Glasnow suffered an oblique injury, but they remain in an enviable position. The Rays have a strong starting rotation led by Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, and Jeffrey Springs, while the bullpen is also in terrific shape with Pete Fairbanks, Jason Adam, and company.

The Rangers made headlines in the offseason, added starting pitchers Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, and Andrew Heaney to Martin Perez and Jon Gray. The starting rotation already looked great on paper, but great spring showings from Dane Dunning and Cole Ragans have only added to the team's "good problem." Texas does have multiple questions in their lineup, but they're hoping the terrific starting rotation will make up for them.

Toronto won 92 games last season despite nightmarish seasons from Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi. The hope is that mechanical adjustments will get the starters back on track, but Spring Training performances have been uneven.

Joey Meneses was a pleasant surprise for Washington last season, hitting .324-13-34 after he was called up in August. There remain questions about whether the minor league veteran can continue to produce, but he's plenty during the World Baseball Classic. While the team continues to rebuild, Meneses is a story to cheer for after his arrival as a 30-year-old rookie.