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Like the Red Sox, whose offseason free agent targets I previewed yesterday, the Braves are one of the best teams in baseball without too many weaknesses on their current roster. The difference is that the Sox have several key players headed for free agency while the Braves have just one—catcher Brian McCann. And they could choose to replace him internally. 

So, barring a quick exit from the playoffs, which could intensify their pursuit of an impact player this winter, it could be a very quiet offseason in Atlanta. That doesn’t mean they won’t have their eye on several free agents who could help strengthen the roster and provide the much-needed depth to compete over a long season. 

Here are some free agents they could pursue in four different areas of potential need.

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There are still games to be played, some very meaningful, but there’s no question that front offices for all 30 teams have already started preparing their offseason game plans.

Which free agents will they target? Which of their own free agents will they try and retain? Which players should they target in a trade, and which of their own players are expendable? How much money will be available to spend? Which of their minor league players are ready to make an impact at the big league level.

These are all questions that will be answered in the near future before each team begins its quest to perfectly execute its offseason game plan. Some teams will succeed, and some will fail at filling their biggest needs with the players they wanted.

With a general idea of how much teams could have to spend this offseason and which positions they’ll be looking to upgrade, I’ve predicted whether teams will be a “loser” or “winner” this offseason based on how I think they’ll utilize their resources. But this isn’t an indication of predicted success or failure on the actual field.

The Boston Red Sox had plenty of holes to fill last offseason, but a ton of payroll space after a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers took several long-term contracts off their hands.

They took full advantage and had a “winning” offseason, followed by a division title. On the other hand, the Toronto Blue Jays had a “winning” offseason followed by an injury-plagued and mostly disappointing season. The New York Yankees had a “losing” offseason that will conclude with a winning season.  

As we all know, the games still have to be played on the field. But that doesn’t take away from how important the offseason roster moves can turn out to be. We just have to wait a long time to find out the results.  

The 30 slides are listed in order of lowest to highest 2013 Opening Day payroll, according to USA Today. Each team’s pending free agents are listed with their 2013 salary, according to Baseball Prospectus, in parentheses. Those who have a club option that is very likely to be picked up are not listed. 

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The free-agent market won’t be officially open for business for about another month-and-a-half (at the conclusion of the World Series), but most free agents-to-be are down to their last 12 to 15 games to either boost, maintain or lose value. 

While a majority of the group will be in the “maintain value” category, a handful of others are either playing good enough to bump that price tag up or bad enough to knock it down.

Here are eight players, four from each side, who have shifted the needle on their free-agent stock during the past week or two. 

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With less than a month to go in the regular season, free agents-to-be are running out of time to leave a lasting impression on potential suitors. Some of the bigger names, including Robinson Cano, have remained near the top of the free-agent market with steady performance while several others have risen and fallen from month-to-month. 

Players who have disappointed up to this point can still boost their stock by having a big month in September. On the flip side, those who have been terrific for most of the season could see their value fall substantially with a poor finish. 

Here are 10 players who have gone in all different directions throughout the season, but find themselves in a similar position with a few weeks to go. Their value could rise or fall significantly based on their end-of-season performance.

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The latest installment of this feature includes two White Sox pitching prospects heading in opposite directions, the best Giants pitching prospect to emerge since Zack Wheeler was traded away and a trio of intriguing yet unpolished prospects that have had issues finding the strike zone this season—they’ve combined for 168 walks in 252 innings pitched this season. 

Triple-A

Hot

Erik Johnson, SP, Chicago White Sox
Season stats: 1.96 ERA, 142 IP, 100 H, 40 BB, 131 K in 24 starts (AAA/AA) 

A 2011 draftee, Johnson started the 2012 season in Low-A and has made the quick ascent to the big leagues. He had his contract purchased from the minors today after proving in just 10 starts that Triple-A hitters were no match for him.

The 23-year-old right-hander, who had a 2.23 ERA in 14 Double-A starts before a promotion in late June, did not allow more than two earned runs in any of his Triple-A starts and put an exclamation point on his season with seven shutout innings on August 29th (7 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 8 K).

It’s likely that he’ll make a few starts with the Sox this month in what could be an early audition for the 2014 rotation. If he never pitches another game in the minors, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise. He doesn’t have a top-of-the-rotation ceiling, but he already looks like a pretty good back-of-the-rotation starter.

Cold

Jake Leathersich, RP, New York Mets
Season stats: 4.63 ERA, 58.1 IP, 51 H, 45 BB, 102 K (AAA/AA) 

The 23-year-old lefty reliever has struck out hitters in bunches since being taken in the fifth round of the 2011 draft. And it hasn’t stopped in 2013, as he’s risen into the upper levels of the minors. Unfortunately, his already questionable walk rate has skyrocketed during his first stint in Triple-A. 

Since a well-earned promotion after posting a 1.53 ERA with Double-A Binghamton, including 16 walks and 55 strikeouts in 29.1 innings, Leathersich has struggled in the Pacific Coast League. He’s walked 29 in 29 innings and has allowed 14 earned runs in his last 7.2 innings.

In a season that could’ve ended with a September call-up, it will end with questions on whether Leathersich can throw enough strikes to succeed in a major league bullpen.

Double-A

Hot

Marcus Stroman, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
Season stats: 3.30 ERA, 111.2 IP, 99 H, 27 BB, 129 K in 20 starts 

The 5’9″ right-hander was pegged as the Jays’ potential “Closer of the Future,” after he was taken as the 22nd overall pick in the 2012 draft. But after a 50-game suspension for violating the league’s drug program ended his year early, the organization decided to develop him as a starter in 2013. 

Results have been mostly good with a handful of dominating starts along the way, including back-to-back double-digit strikeout games in late July and his latest eight-inning, 11-strikeout gem (8 IP, ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 11 K) coming last night. 

While his future could still come as a late-inning reliever, Stroman has shown a lot of ability as a starting pitcher and the Jays will likely keep him in that role until he shows any limitations that would keep him from being successful in a big league rotation. 

Cold

Scott Snodgress, SP, Chicago White Sox
Season stats: 4.70 ERA, 143.2 IP, 146 H, 59 BB, 190 K in 26 starts  

Ranked just one spot behind Johnson in Baseball Prospectus’ preseason organizational prospect rankings, Snodgress has not had nearly the same success and could be stuck in Double-A in 2014 while Johnson pitches in the majors.

The 23-year-old lefty was showing terrific progress after a rough start, allowing just four earned runs in 41.1 innings over a six-start span between July 4th and August 6th. But things have taken a turn for the worse over his last four starts. He’s allowed 22 earned runs on 28 hits and 14 walks in 13.2 innings. Not exactly the kind of impression he wanted to leave on the organization entering the offseason.  

High-A

Hot

Kyle Crick, RP, San Francisco Giants
Season stats: 1.57 ERA, 68.2 IP, 48 H, 39 BB, 95 K in 14 starts

Crick (pictured) was the top-ranked Giants prospect coming into the season, according to Baseball Prospectus, although that doesn’t say much considering how weak the farm system has been viewed over the past few years. But despite missing some time due to an oblique injury early in the season, he’s shown plenty in the hitter-friendly California League and should find himself on most offseason rankings of the top 100 prospects in baseball.

Since returning in late June, the 20-year-old has allowed just 11 earned runs in 59 innings (1.68 ERA) with 30 walks and 83 strikeouts. He’s recorded double-digit strikeouts five times, including in his last start on August 29th (7 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 11 K). He’ll likely begin the 2014 season in Double-A and could push for a big league promotion by midseason. 

Cold

Damien Magnifico, SP, Milwaukee Brewers
Season stats: 4.57 ERA, 80.2 IP, 83 H, 41 BB, 63 K (HiA/LoA) 

He has the perfect name and the triple-digit fastball to end up as a late-inning relief specialist in the future. For now, the Brewers are having him start so he can develop some of his weak secondary offerings, which would make him a more effective relief pitcher in the future. 

Results have been mixed, although mostly poor since a June promotion to High-A Brevard County. For the most part, the 22-year-old right-hander had done well when limited to two innings or less (7 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 5 K) before his last outing on September 1st when he allowed three earned runs on two hits and four walks in just one inning of work. 

Magnifico remains a work in progress, although it’s likely they’ll unleash him in a full-time bullpen role within the next year or two in hopes that his work as a starter will have helped.

Low-A

Hot

Ismael Guillon, SP, Cincinnati Reds
Season stats: 4.75 ERA, 121.1 IP, 95 H, 95 BB, 134 K 

After a mostly disappointing season, Guillon is finally showing why the Reds added him to the 40-man roster prior to the season. He’s a long way from the majors, but he’s talented enough that some team may have taken a shot on him in the Rule 5 draft.

Heading into his start on July 29th, Guillon had a 6.37 ERA with 80 walks in 82 innings. Since then, the lefty out of Venezuela has allowed just six earned runs in 39.1 innings over a span of seven starts. The turnaround has been sparked by an improved command of the strike zone (18 BB), including only six walks in his last 24 innings pitched. 

Guillon has likely done enough to continue climbing the ladder, although he’ll need to continue throwing strikes or he won’t make it much further than High-A ball.

Cold

Austin Brice, SP, Miami Marlins
Season stats: 5.73 ERA, 113 IP, 118 H, 82 BB, 111 K 

Several Marlins pitching prospects have been impressive this season, giving the Marlins continued hope for a future filled with young talent at the big league level. While Brice was the seventh-ranked prospect coming into the season by Baseball Prospectus, he has not been amongst the group of pitchers to take a step forward in 2013. 

In fact, he’s gone backwards. Well, to be more specific, Brice has gone backwards and then forward and now backwards again. The 21-year-old appeared to have righted the ship with a strong string of starts July and August. But he hit a wall and has mostly struggled since the middle of last month.

After allowing nine runs (only one earned) and getting knocked out in the first inning on August 14th, he allowed six earned runs on 10 hits in his next start on August 19th. Following a solid start on August 24th, Brice gave up six earned runs on eight hits in only three innings in his last start. 

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Most of us had already suspected that this was going to be a rough season for the Cubs. In fact, it was widely considered a rebuilding year with an eye on 2014 and beyond. So, considering that they haven’t been in the playoff race for the last few months, what makes September any different than June, July or August for the Cubs?

While the future of the team relies heavily on an impressive farm system with four elite position player prospects on the way, it was thought that two key players had already arrived. First baseman Anthony Rizzo and shortstop Starlin Castro, both impressive young hitters in their early 20’s, were signed to long-term contract extensions only a few years into their big league careers.

But the jury is still out on whether they are a duo that the team can build around after each player’s production has declined in 2013. Their September performance could make a big impact on how the team approaches the offseason.

If they can bounce back and finish strong, then the need to find an impact bat in the offseason decreases. If not, the Cubs could look to spend big money on one of the top free-agent hitters that could replace Castro and Rizzo as the “face of the franchise.”

I’m guessing that Cubs fans are half-hoping that they continue to struggle just so there is a sense of urgency to add another big bat this winter. For what it’s worth, Castro is seven for his last 21 with three multi-hit games, and Rizzo is 11 for his last 37 with three homers. 

Here are four more reasons to keep watching Cubs baseball in September. 

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For just the second time in four years, there’ll be no World Series championship to celebrate in San Francisco.

In fact, the Giants are on pace to finish with 90 losses for the first time since 2008 and in last place for the first time since 2007. Going into today, they were 15.5 games back of a wild-card spot. So why is there any reason to keep watching them play seemingly meaningless games in September? 

For starters, keep watching because it could be the last few chances to see two-time Cy Young Award winner and future San Francisco legend Tim Lincecum in a Giants uniform—at least as an active player and not in a old-timers’ game 20 years from now.

The 29-year-old free agent-to-be has very likely done enough to where the qualifying one-year offer the Giants make to him will be less enticing than the multi-year offers he’ll get on the open market. In his last 15 starts, Lincecum has a 4.15 ERA with 32 walks and 97 strikeouts in 93.1 innings.

That won’t get him the possible record-breaking deal he was on pace for after the 2011 season, but he’s been consistent enough that he’ll still be one of the top starters available in the winter. Had he not turned things around after a year-and-a-half of mediocrity, it’s probable that he’d be satisfied with a one-year deal to return to San Francisco.

Due to make another six or seven starts, his market value can still move up or down depending on how he finishes. More importantly, this could be his farewell tour after a mostly terrific seven-year run with the Giants.

Here are four more reasons to keep watching in September.

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As of August 30, 16 major league teams either hold a playoff spot or are within 6.5 games of one and could be looking to improve their playoff chances by making a waiver-wire deal by tomorrow’s deadline to add players who will be eligible for a playoff roster.

Eleven August trades have happened thus far:

• The Texas Rangers acquired outfielder Alex Rios from the Chicago White Sox for prospect Leury Garcia.
• The Kansas City Royals picked up utility infielder Jamey Carroll from the Minnesota Twins and utility man Emilio Bonifacio from the Toronto Blue Jays, both for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
• The Tampa Bay Rays acquired lefty reliever Wesley Wright from the Houston Astros for cash considerations.
• The Washington Nationals acquired outfielder David DeJesus from the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named later.
• The Oakland A’s acquired catcher Kurt Suzuki and cash from the Nationals for minor league pitcher Dakota Bacus.
• The Rays acquired outfielder David DeJesus from the Nationals for a player to be named later or cash considerations. 
• The Pirates acquired catcher John Buck and outfielder Marlon Byrd from the Mets for minor league second baseman Dilson Herrera and reliever Vic Black.
• The Indians acquired outfielder Jason Kubel from the Diamondbacks for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
• The Cardinals acquired reliever John Axford from the Brewers for a player to be named later.
• The Orioles acquired first baseman/outfielder Michael Morse from the Mariners for outfielder Xavier Avery.

With a few trade possibilities still lingering, here’s all of the latest waiver-trade buzz from around the league.

Nationals Resurgence Taking Dan Haren Off the Market?

As Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported earlier in the week, there hasn’t been strong interest in Nationals right-hander Dan Haren, who has a 2.53 ERA in his past 53 innings pitched. But could it be that the Nats just aren’t that interested in dealing him now that they’ve closed to within striking distance of a wild-card spot. 

With 14 wins in their past 19 games, the Nats have improved their record to 68-65. While they’ve gained just 2.5 games in the wild-card standings over that span—they’ve moved from nine back to six-and-a-half back—it’s close enough to where it’s a realistic possibility. After failing to live up to very lofty expectations all season long, trading one of their best starting pitchers at a time when things are finally clicking on all cylinders just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

Red Sox Could Add Bullpen Help

Tim Britton of the Providence Journal notes that the Red Sox could use another right-handed reliever. While manager John Farrell says he’s not too concerned—Ryan Dempster, who was the Cubs‘ closer from 2005-2007, will likely move to the bullpen once Clay Buchholz returns from the disabled list—it sounds like he’s at least open to a deal if one made sense. 

Junichi Tazawa, who is currently the lone right-handed setup man in the Sox’s bullpen—Matt Thornton and Craig Breslow are the primary left-handed options—has had a terrific season (2.75 ERA, 59 IP, 9 BB, 63 K, 20 holds) but has allowed runs in consecutive appearances.

The 27-year-old has bounced back from bad outings before, which is why he’s starting to be considered one of the top setup men in the league, but it would benefit the Sox to have another right-hander late in games to face tough right-handed hitters.

One option could be Matt Lindstrom (pictured), who would be the third White Sox player to be acquired by Boston this season—Thornton and Jake Peavy are the others. The 33-year-old right-hander, who cleared waivers earlier in the month, is holding right-handed batters to a .588 OPS. Overall, he has a 3.04 ERA with 17 holds and only one homer allowed in 53.1 innings.  

The Justin Morneau Watch

It appeared that Justin Morneau (pictured) was giving the Twins a very nice going-away present in the form of an increased trade value after he started the month with 27 hits in 89 at-bats (.303 BA), including seven homers, seven doubles and 19 runs batted in. That value might have deflated some, however, during his current 1-for-23 slump. 

Small samples usually don’t sway a player’s value one way or another during the season, but when a team is making a trade specifically for a small sample of the season—in this case, it would be about 30 games and possibly the playoffs—it would make sense to acquire a player when he’s on a hot streak. 

On the other hand, Morneau’s price tag could’ve dropped just enough for a team like the Pirates to swoop in and pick him up for the stretch run without giving up any prospect of significance or taking on much of his remaining salary. The Bucs have shown interest in the past, and Rosenthal recently tweeted that they may be one team that is currently interested. 

Two teams that may have been interested—Baltimore and Cleveland—can probably be ruled out of the mix after they recently acquired Michael Morse and Jason Kubel, respectively. 

Other Last-Minute Trade Possibilities

A few interesting names that haven’t popped up in the rumor mill, mostly due to these players being on the disabled list until recently, are Angels starter Jason Vargas and Mariners outfielder Franklin Gutierrez. 

Vargas, who has made four starts since returning from a disabled list stint due to a blood clot in his armpit, has allowed just one earned run over 13.1 innings over his past two starts. The 30-year-old lefty was placed on waivers on August 19, according to Rosenthal, but there was no word on whether he cleared or not. 

The likelihood is that he did pass through unclaimed, given his salary (still due close to $1.5 million) and the fact that he didn’t pitch well in his first two outings (9.2 IP, 7 ER) after returning. If this is the case, contending teams looking to upgrade their rotation will be interested in striking a deal by tomorrow, especially after what he did versus the Rays on Thursday (7 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 7 K).

In the case of Gutierrez, there is no question that he is a huge injury risk, so giving up any prospect or taking on any salary will be viewed as a questionable decision. But in between all the time he’s spent on the disabled list this season, he’s been a very productive hitter and has always been good against left-handed pitching (.833 career OPS vs LHP), in particular. His three-hit performance on Thursday, which included his second homer in two games, could open some eyes. 

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported in early July that teams were calling about the 30-year-old, although he was out at the time and ended up missing more than two months with a hamstring injury before returning on Monday.

If a contending team is willing to take a chance and the M’s will pick up some of the remaining $1.5 million in salary (approximately $1 million in 2013, $500K buyout in 2014), Gutierrez could be a difference-maker for a contending team down the stretch.  

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Nine American League teams are still fighting it out for five playoff spots. Anything can happen. Nothing is close to being set in stone. Over in the National League, however, the Dodgers and Braves have all but wrapped up playoff spots while three National League central teams have a pretty good grasp on the others.

Those three—the Cardinals, Pirates and Reds—are still fighting it out for the division title while still trying to not lose focus of two teams within striking distance of the wild-card spots. The D-backs were six games back coming into today, while the Nationals were eight games out. 

The Bucs already made a big move, acquiring right fielder Marlon Byrd and catcher John Buck from the Mets today, per ESPN’s Adam Rubin. Here are five other teams that should follow suit and upgrade their rosters through a waiver trade.

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As of Aug. 23, 15 major league teams either hold a playoff spot or are within seven games of one and could be looking to improve their playoff chances by making a waiver-wire deal in the near future.

Seven August trades have happened thus far:

• The Texas Rangers acquired outfielder Alex Rios from the Chicago White Sox for prospect Leury Garcia.
• The Kansas City Royals picked up utility infielder Jamey Carroll from the Minnesota Twins and utility man Emilio Bonifacio from the Toronto Blue Jays, both for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
• The Tampa Bay Rays acquired lefty Wesley Wright from the Houston Astros for cash considerations.
• The Washington Nationals acquired outfielder David DeJesus from the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named later.
• The Oakland A’s acquired catcher Kurt Suzuki and cash from the Nationals for minor league pitcher Dakota Bacus.
• The Rays acquired outfielder David DeJesus from the Nationals for a player to be named later or cash considerations. 

With plenty of trade possibilities still lingering, here’s all of the latest waiver-trade buzz from around the league.

Will the St. Louis Cardinals Seek a Starting Pitcher?

With Jake Westbrook landing on the disabled list with a strained lower back, the Cardinals are set to go with rookie left-hander Tyler Lyons in his place on Monday. Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez, two of the better pitching prospects in baseball, are in the bullpen and could also be options down the stretch. 

Ideally, they wouldn’t have to rely on young and inexperienced pitchers, especially during a time of the season when they’re normally done throwing a baseball for awhile—the minor league season ends in early September.

General manager John Mozeliak has said that a waiver-wire acquisition would be difficult, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, but that doesn’t mean he’s not looking. Former Cardinal and current Nationals starter Dan Haren has cleared waivers, along with Houston Astros lefty Erik Bedard.

I recently wrote about which of those two would be a better fit for the Texas Rangers with Alexi Ogando landing on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. Westbrook’s disabled-list stint could put St. Louis in the same dilemma. The Cardinals have enough at the top of the rotation but could find it hard to hold onto a playoff spot or at least the more coveted position of going straight to the division series as opposed to a one-game Wild Card. 

Two other veterans who could hit the waiver wire later this month are Los Angeles Angels lefty Jason Vargas and Seatle Mariners lefty Joe Saunders. Both have a high enough salary that it’s likely each would clear waivers or at least drop to a contending team on the waiver wire in need of a starting pitcher.

Late-Inning Relief Options Dwindle with Betancourt Injury 

Colorado Rockies closer Rafael Betancourt (pictured) was activated from the disabled list last Saturday, recorded his first save in over a month on Tuesday, blew a save on Wednesday, was placed on revocable waivers on Thursday, blew another save later that day and then landed back on the disabled list Friday with an elbow injury that could require Tommy John surgery. 

Just like that, a top late-inning option for contending teams is off the board. White Sox right-hander Matt Lindstrom remains the lone reliever who has been reported to have cleared waivers, while there’s a chance several others could join him later this month. 

Of the soon-to-be free-agent relievers on non-contending teams, Milwaukee Brewers lefty Mike Gonzalez, Cubs closer Kevin Gregg, New York Mets closer LaTroy Hawkins and Mariners lefty Oliver Perez are the most likely to draw interest if made available.

Cleveland Indians Exploring Deals on the Waiver Wire

The surprising Indians, who are still hanging around in the playoff race, are considering all options to upgrade their roster down the stretch. According to Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer, Indians general manager Chris Antonetti is open to pursuing an upgrade on the waiver wire if the right opportunity presented itself. 

The Tribe could look to upgrade an offense that has a .649 OPS in August with just about every hitter struggling aside from Ryan Raburn (7-for-26, 4 HR), Yan Gomes (.844 OPS in 13 games) and Nick Swisher (.720 OPS in 20 games). 

Adam Dunn of the White Sox and Justin Morneau of the Twins are the biggest-name hitters among those who have cleared waivers, although Dunn’s $15 million salary for 2014 could present an obstacle. If the Mets were to place Marlon Byrd on waivers, he’d be a potential upgrade over light-hitting Drew Stubbs in right field.

The rotation could also use a reinforcement with Scott Kazmir struggling over his past two starts and rookie Danny Salazar already at a career high in innings pitched after several injury-plagued seasons.  
 

Morneau’s Value Rising, but Are Trade Chances Decreasing?

Twins first baseman Justin Morneau (pictured) has already cleared waivers, and he has not cooled off one bit during an August hot streak in which he’s posted a .928 OPS with seven homers and eight multi-hit games. Still, general manager Terry Ryan told Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune that he didn’t see anything happening at this point. 

He didn’t rule out the possibility, of course, but Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports is hearing that money is the biggest obstacle. If that’s the case, the Twins might not be willing to eat enough of Morneau’s remaining salary, which is approximately $3 million. 

The Baltimore Orioles, who have gone with Ryan Flaherty, Steve Pearce, Brian Roberts and Danny Valencia at the designated hitter spot over the past week, still appear to be a fit, as do the Indians. 

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