MLB 2015: 12 stars on new teams

A busy off-season filled with numerous trades and free-agent signings landed some of baseball's biggest names in new homes for the 2015 MLB season. Here are a dozen familiar players who have changed addresses:

The 2013 American League Cy Young award winner turned down a $144-million US contract from the Tigers, then cashed in with a six-year, $210-million deal to join Washington's deep rotation. Scherzer had 55 wins the last three years in Detroit and averaged 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

The first big-name free agent to sign and move, Lester was traded last season from the Red Sox to Oakland, where he stayed for two months before re-joining his former general manager in Boston, Theo Epstein, who's now the president of the Chicago Cubs. Lester won two World Series with the Red Sox, but the Cubs gave him 155 million reasons to move to Chicago's North Side.

A little over a year ago, Cruz was desperate to find a home. He took a last-minute one-year deal with Baltimore for $8 million US and proceeded to lead the majors with 40 home runs. The hesitancy last winter came from a 50-game suspension for PED use while Cruz was with the Texas Rangers. But the Mariners liked what they saw and signed him to a four-year pact for $57 million to join left-handed bats Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager on the west coast.

Pablo Sandoval called this photo an unflattering angle, which is certainly true. The new Red Sox third baseman has some work to do on his shape during spring training. (Steve Silva/Boston.com)

Everyone's favourite Kung Fu Panda set a major league recorrd with 26 post-season hits, helping San Francisco to its third World Series title in five years. But after seven years with the Giants, the engaging Sandoval has taken his ample body to Boston, hungry for new challenges. Sandoval produced 16 homers, 73 RBIs and a .279 average for the Giants last season. He now joins David Ortiz as a great playoff performer in Boston and takes over as the heaviest player in the Red Sox' camp.

Once Boston's top prospect, Ramirez was traded to the Miami (then Florida) Marlins and became the 2006 NL Rookie of the Year. He peaked at 33 homers in 2008 and 106 RBIs in 2009 with the Marlins before falling out of favour, prompting a trade to the Dodgers. The shortstop-turned-third-baseman showed flashes of his All-Star form in L.A,. and the Red Sox, who will try him in left field, have banked $88 million on a four-year deal that the 31-year-old can flourish at Fenway Park.

Another former Dodger on the move, Kemp was sent south to San Diego in the midst of the Padres' massive rebuilding project. Kemp's hip problems nearly scuttled the deal, but the Padres saw some indications from his strong second half last season that perhaps he'll approach his 2011 stats of 39 home runs, 126 RBIs a .324 average.

Also winding up in San Diego was the 24-year-old Myers, who just two years ago was the key player headed to Tampa Bay from Kansas City in the James Shield trade. All Myers did was win the 2013 Rookie of the Year award with the Rays, but a broken wrist and some attitudinal differences soured the Rays in 2014 as Myers struggled to a .222 average with only six homers and 35 RBIs.

A change in ballparks could send Donaldson's power totals to a new level after a trade from Oakland, where the ball doesn't carry nearly as well and he still belted 29 homers with 98 RBIs last year. The converted catcher, 29, will earn $4.3 million after losing an arbitration case to the Blue Jays, but that's not a bad upgrade from last year's $600,000 salary.

After two good seasons in Toronto, both cut short by injuries, Melky Cabrera joined the Chicago White Sox, who have stepped up as contenders in the AL Central. (M. Spencer Green/The Canadian Press)

The Melkman delivered a .301 average for the Blue Jays before breaking his pinky finger and missing the last month of the season as he completed a two-year stint in Toronto after being suspended by MLB for performance-enhancing drugs while with San Francisco. He'll fit nicely into the upgraded White Sox line-up in his usual left-field spot. At 30, Cabrera's put together four consecutive effective seasons, including over 200 hits for Kansas City in 2011.

The Cuban completed a 100-RBI season in Boston after being traded at the deadline in exchange for Jon Lester. Then the Red Sox sent him to Detroit for pitcher Rick Porcello after adding Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez. Cespedes, who has hit 23, 26 and 22 homers in his three big league seasons, has one year remaining on the four-year $36-million contract he signed after leaving Cuba. He's a nice addition to a Tigers line-up that includes Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez.

No name changes for this Upton (his brother would now like to be called Melvin Jr., rather than B.J), but the 27-year-old slugger posted a 27-homer, 102-RBI season with a .270 average for the Atlanta Braves prior to his December trade to join the Padres' revamped outfield. Upton won his second Silver Slugger award in 2014 in his best season since 2011 with Arizona when he smashed 31 homers and had 105 RBIs.

The last big-name free agent pitcher left on the market was looking for a $100-million-plus deal, but wound up signing with the Padres for four years and $75 million. Shields didn't enjoy a good post-season with the Royals last October but he's rock-solid during the regular season. The last eight seasons with Tampa Bay and K.C., Shields always put up double-digit figures in wins and worked 200-plus innings in each season.

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