A spectacular final week of the regular season led to a sensational first two rounds of the playoffs. And after that came one of the greatest World Series of all time.

Now we head for the great misnomer, the offseason, which promises to be full of news.

Here are 10 questions:

1. Is this the offseason that Yu Darvish gets lured away from Japan?

He is 25 years old. He is 6-foot-5. And he has spectacular stuff. If CC Sabathia does not opt out of his contract with the Yankees, Darvish, a right-hander, could be the best starting pitcher on the market.

Darvish

He will come at an extremely high cost, and Japanese players haven't been doing very well lately in the big leagues (Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Daisuke Matsuzaka, to name two), but Darvish appears to be different. He could be a difference-maker for several teams.

The Rangers, among others, likely will be in the bidding for Darvish.

2. Who will be on the trade market?

With such little starting pitching available via free agency, it's possible that teams will do what the Brewers did last winter -- trading for Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum.

Shields

Tampa Bay's James Shields, who had a terrific 2011 season, might not be affordable any longer for the Rays. If so, he will draw a lot of attention in the trade market.

It will be very interesting to see how aggressive the Mets will be in moving third baseman David Wright. He is still a very good player and could bring a lot back. The Mets might not be able to afford him and Jose Reyes.

3. What is the free-agent market like for relievers?

It is stout. There are closers aplenty, led by Jonathan Papelbon, Heath Bell and Ryan Madson.

Papelbon

It seems as if the reeling Red Sox have to re-sign Papelbon given how poorly the rest of their bullpen pitched down the stretch. Valverde didn't blow a save in the regular season, it will be difficult for the Tigers to allow him to walk.

The Padres traded away most of their team -- they have to keep someone -- perhaps it will be Bell on a long-term deal. The Phillies don't have a closer if they don't retain Madson. They likely will.

4. Where will free-agent shortstop Jose Reyes go?

The Mets are going to try whatever they can to re-sign him long term, but it won't be easy if he gets to the free-agent market.

Reyes

He might not get Carl Crawford money (six years, $142 million), but he's going to get close to $100 million from some team. The Tigers and Red Sox would be nice fits.

There are a lot of other quality free-agent hitters out there, including David Ortiz, who says he would like to return to the Red Sox.

5. Is a new collective bargaining agreement close to happening?

All signs point toward no significant issue with labor, and an agreement could be reached in the next two weeks. Issues remain on the table. Expanded replay is one, but there is little indication that a massive change in replay is ahead.

It is almost guaranteed that two more wild-card teams will be added to the postseason format, perhaps as early as 2012, with a one-game playoff between the wild-card teams to start the postseason.

The final hurdle might be the slotting system for the amateur draft. Commissioner Bud Selig reportedly wants a system of fixed bonuses that ties the amount to when a prospect is drafted, which is known as slotting.

6. Who will be the Cubs' manager?

New team president Theo Epstein has begun the managerial search, with current manager Mike Quade having one year left on his contract.

The Cubs likely aren't going to be very good in 2012, so retaining Quade for another year might not be a bad idea as Epstein starts to rebuild the farm system first. Bringing in a big-name, high-priced manager to lose 90 games next year might not be the wisest move, but it is possible so the new manager can be a part of the rebuilding.

Epstein said he is a big fan of Cubs icon Ryne Sandberg, who badly wants to manage in the big leagues and is welcome with the Cubs under the new management system.

7. Who will be the Red Sox's manager?

It was time for Terry Francona to go -- for him and for the team. Only Joe Cronin managed the Red Sox longer than Francona, who is arguably the best manager in club history. He will be extremely difficult to replace because no one is better at handling a tough media, no one is better at deflecting negative attention away from his players, no one is better at suppressing his ego and few are better at handling diverse personalities than Francona. There aren't many managers who can do all that.

A big-name manager with a dominant personality seems to be a necessity, but such a manager might have trouble coexisting with an ownership group that is involved more than most ownership groups.

It is unclear who new GM Ben Cherington might be favoring, nor is it clear how much say he will have in the hiring. Bobby Valentine is one of many names that have come up.

8. Will CC Sabathia opt out of his deal with the Yankees?

He has four years and $92 million left on his contract. He has until five days after the World Series to decide whether he wants to leave that behind and go get more on the open market.

Sabathia

The Yankees want him and need him because they are short on starting pitching anyway, and he's put together a 59-23 record in his three years in New York. But the Yanks will likely balk at giving him another three years at, say, $20 million or so a year given that he is 31 and seemed to gain a lot of weight during the season. Will another team -- Angels or Rangers? -- be willing to give him a six-year deal for well over $100 million?

Did the Yankees anger Sabathia by reportedly not following up on some preliminary talks over the summer? It is not a strong market for free-agent pitchers. If Sabathia comes out, he'll be the best by a long shot. C.J. Wilson and Mark Buehrle are the two other top free-agent starting pitchers.

9. Where will Prince Fielder sign?

It won't be with the Brewers. They'd love to have him back -- they can afford him at $13 million a year, but not at $19 million a year. He's likely to command more than $20 million per year for five seasons, at least.

Fielder

Remember, Scott Boras is his agent. Fielder is only 27, has missed one game in the last three years, has missed 13 games in the last six years and has never been on the disabled list. He is a better runner than people think, an average defender at first base and is, by all accounts, a great teammate.

Logically, he would fit best with the Cubs. They need a dominant hitter and a dominant personality in the clubhouse. Do they have the money to sign him?

10. Where will Albert Pujols sign?

The market likely won't be as brisk as he would like given that the two biggest spenders, the Yankees and Red Sox, have first basemen signed to long-term deals.

Pujols

So maybe the Cubs, Rangers, Marlins, Giants or Dodgers will find $200 million somewhere and make a run at one of the greatest hitters in history who is close to his prime at age 31.

But chances are Pujols will re-sign with the Cardinals. They simply can't afford to lose him, he's too important to the team and the town. Plus, he'll hit his 500th home run sometime in 2013. He's on his way to becoming one of the three greatest hitters of all time, and he's the greatest first baseman who ever lived. How are the Cardinals going to let him walk away?

Tim Kurkjian is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. His book "Is This a Great Game, or What?" was published by St. Martin's Press and is available in paperback. Click here to order a copy.

Follow Tim Kurkjian on Twitter: @Kurkjian_ESPN