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This past offseason was a historic one, at least in terms of the contracts signed. We saw two players change teams thanks to $200MM+ contracts and a total of eight deals worth $100MM+ handed out. A number of young pitchers changed addresses in blockbuster trades, and the new collective bargaining agreement drastically changed free agent compensation and the amateur talent markets.

Now that all 30 clubs have officially opened their season, let’s take a second to look back at the offseason to see which teams helped themselves the most. Our various trackers – Transactions, Free Agents, Extensions, Arbitration — are at your disposable with all sorts of filters to help narrow your search.

In the past decade, 80% of baseball’s 30 teams have made it to the playoffs at least once. That leaves six franchises that haven’t appeared in a postseason game in the last ten years: the Mariners, Orioles, Blue Jays, Pirates, Royals and Nationals/Expos. 

It’d be a surprise if the Mariners, Orioles, Pirates or Royals made a postseason appearance this year, but the Nationals and Blue Jays could contend, especially now that there’s a second Wild Card berth in each league. That said, the NL East and AL East project as tough divisions, so you could make a case for a number of teams (most recent postseason appearance in parentheses).

The 2011-12 offseason was one for the ages, with five $100MM+ commitments and plenty of big trades.  Please vote below on the biggest surprise of the offseason. 

The postseason is expanding by a total of just two games, but ten teams will now qualify for playoff berths each year, so pennant races should continue deep into the summer. Though Spring Training camps are generally optimistic, there’s even more reason for hope this year, and many teams are looking to turn things around.

MLBTR readers suggested over the weekend that the Nationals, Marlins and Reds are strong contenders for 2012 turnarounds in the National League. Let's turn our focus to the ten American League teams that missed the playoffs in 2011 and determine which of those clubs might be poised for a significant turnaround this coming season.

With the MLB playoffs expanding to ten teams, clubs have even more reason to be hopeful about their prospects in 2012.  While some fans are questioning the wisdom change, it seems likely that it will result in an even more exciting chase down the wire.

Yesterday, we asked MLBTR readers which 90-win team is most likely to disappoint in 2012.  The three top vote getters – the Brewers (27.23%), Cardinals (17.39%), and Diamondbacks (15.89%) – all came out of the National League.  Now, it's time to look at last year's non-playoff NL teams.  Which club do you see having the biggest turnaround this season?