Kuzul

MLB trade rumors never go away, even when things on the baseball front quiet down around the holidays, as is usually the case.

We’ve seen some pretty big free agent signings this offseason, chief among them being Carl Crawford and Cliff Lee. There have also been some big trades, such as the Adrian Gonzalez and Zack Greinke deals.

But spring training is still many moons away and there is still plenty of time for GMs around baseball to work out some last-minute deals.

With that in mind, here are 15 players who could be dealt before spring training starts.

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The free agent cycle for baseball seems to be wrapping up. The final major names are beginning to get contracts, and most teams have stopped shopping around and are just trying to get things sorted out for next season.

While some teams made moves to make a playoff push next year, other teams have gotten rid of their stars and are relying on rebuilding this year. Nonetheless, there are a few teams that are continuing to make moves, even as spring training approaches. Which teams are set, and which continue to make moves?

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With spring training quickly approaching, several questions continue to linger in terms of how the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 25-man roster will shape up once the players arrive at Camelback Ranch to prepare themselves for the long journey ahead.

Although general manager Ned Colletti has been very active this winter with numerous new additions to the club, there are still players on the free agent market available who may have the skills or abilities to complete a roster with a few holes.

Right now, the buzz around Dodgertown suggests that the team’s biggest needs are an outfielder with power, a number-two hitter in the lineup, and a left-handed arm in the bullpen. While Colletti may indeed explore free agent possibilities or entertain trade options, the organization is rich with talent and there are plenty of components to assemble a formidable 25-man roster.

Several roster spots may be determined by individual performances during Cactus League play, most specifically the fifth outfielding spot and the sixth arm in the bullpen. While there will be tight competition to finalize these several spots, the new coaching staff will also look to establish chemistry and generate positive momentum heading into Opening Day.

Assuming that the roster stays relatively the same as the season approaches, the following slides project all 25 players who may find themselves on the 25-man roster, show a handful of players who will be in heated battles to earn a place on the big league squad, as well as recommend a starting lineup for Opening Day on April 1.

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Money makes the world go ’round, even (and especially) in Major League Baseball.

If nothing else, money makes baseball’s off-season much more interesting, with teams handing out absurdly large contracts left and right, to the likes of Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth and Cliff Lee.

The teams that contend year after year–the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies, among others—are among the biggest spenders, while those that always struggle or only occasionally have good seasons—the Pittsburgh Pirates, the San Diego Padres and the Oakland A’s, to name a few, spend only a fraction of what the former teams do on their payrolls.

Of course, more money doesn’t necessarily result in more wins; just ask the New York Mets, the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

With that in mind, the following list is a ranking of all 30 MLB teams based on how much money each spent per win earned in 2010. Admittedly, there is much more to evaluating the success or failure of a franchise than just dividing its opening day payroll by the number of victories it earns, both in the regular season and the post-season.

That being said, there is still quite an interesting mix across the spectrum, with a remarkably large percentage of 2010’s biggest winners coming from baseball’s batch of frequently frugal spenders.

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Teams just aren’t spending money like in previous times.

With several franchises hampered with lucrative long-term deals that create little financial flexibility, general managers are looking to get a little more creative these days about how they allocate payroll.

A lot of teams just don’t have the ability nor resources to spend lavishly, so every signing becomes critical in the pursuit of a World Series ring.

As the San Francisco Giants showed us in 2010, it doesn’t take a red-carpet list of athletes to take home the title, so let’s take a look at some under-the-radar squads that could be noticeably better by the end of the 2011 campaign.

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It’s been an eerily quiet offseason for most clubs.

While teams like the Red Sox, Yankees, and Dodgers have all been among the most active thus far, most have remained rather inactive in the early part of the free agent season.

With so many long-term contracts in the past that have proven to be a burden to clubs down the road, general managers aren’t spending lavishly like in previous times.

It’s a bad time to be a remaining free agent, because the amount of money left to spend is shrinking by the day. 

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The Los Angeles Dodgers appeared to be in good shape up until last season.  In each of the previous two seasons, they had reached the NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies. Then in 2010, the wheels came off and the Dodgers fell apart.  This caused them to trade Manny Ramirez away, eating a large sum of his money.

The Dodgers are still a team with a good source of options.  With the NL West being a wide-open field, the Dodgers can still make some noise in the future.  Their turnaround has to come now, though.  Another poor season won’t serve anyone in the Dodger organization well.  

James Loney could be the most trade-worthy Dodger of them all.  He’s the perfect trade chip at this point.  For both Loney and the Dodgers, this would be a positive move.  Loney could get a fresh start and the Dodgers could continue to rebuild—without Loney.  

The Dodgers haven’t gotten the power production that was expected from Loney yet. While Loney has hit for average in convincing numbers, his power hasn’t been on display in Los Angeles.  Also, his average his declined in each of the past four seasons.  

Though Loney is a solid hitter and fielder, the Dodgers could look at other options.  With an increasing annual salary, Loney may not be worth what he’s set to make in the future. That being said, 2011 will truly be a huge year for the young first baseman.

If he can show Dodger brass that he can play up to expectations, they will likely pay to keep him around.  Otherwise, they will venture out to other possibilities and take a different route at first. 

Loney isn’t set to become a free agent until 2013.  Before this, he’s arbitration eligible in 2011 and likely will make somewhere around $3.5 million.  In 2012, that salary will hike to somewhere around $5 million.  By this time he will have made a nice chunk of money that will only continue to increase.  The question then becomes: Do the Dodgers continue to pay him?

With hefty first baseman Prince Fielder wanting a new home, a trade could be possible. Talks of a three-player deal involving Loney, Fielder and fire-thrower Jonathan Broxton have entertained both Milwaukee and LA.  

Though this rumor was immediately shot down, it sort of makes sense.  All three of these players would benefit from a change in scenery.  Fielder has been on the trade block for quite some time now in Milwaukee, for the better part of two seasons.  Loney’s name has suddenly surfaced and Broxton has struggled in LA.  You definitely can’t rely on Broxton against the Philadelphia Phillies.  

Unless they were to acquire another first basemen in return, it would be hard for LA to part with Loney.  There’s no other first baseman in the organization that’s MLB-ready, at least no one that can play every day.

The jury is still out on James Loney for now.  The possibilities are endless as this youngster certainly could make for a good trade chip.  At the time, the Dodgers appear ready to stand pat on Loney.  But that could all change in a flash.  For the time being, we will continue watching this situation unfold.     

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Baseball is one of the most unpredictable sports in the world.   

Before the season starts, predictions are made of who will do this and who will do that.  But, the truth is, that there are so many different things that can and will happen.  Every season, the unexpected happens.

Whether it be in the form of a young player having a monster year.  A mediocre player who suddenly becomes a star.  A veteran having one last kick at the can, or a perennial all-star having an off year.

Either way, these things are hard to predict.  But, I have created a list of players  of whom I believe will fall under one of the four categories mentioned above during the 2011 MLB Regular Season.

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The 2010 MLB offseason has provided lots of excitement, surprises and shock. The money that’s been thrown around is upsetting to G.M.’s across the sport.

Cliff Lee to the Phillies, Jason Werth to the Nationals, Carl Crawford to the Red Sox and plenty of other players have switched teams.

The roller coaster ride isn’t over yet. Pitchers and catchers don’t report for another two months, which means the hot stove is still burning red hot.

Your club (yes, even the Phillies) still have holes that need to be filled on their roster.

Here are the needs for every team.

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New Year’s Day is nearly upon us, and perhaps no MLB team is looking forward to a fresh start in 2011 more than the Los Angeles Dodgers.

From the ugly proceedings of the McCourt divorce to the departure of Manny Ramirez to the retirement of Joe Torre, the Dodgers had their fair share of pitfalls in a year that saw them fail to capture a third consecutive NL West division title.

But it wasn’t all bad for the Boys in Blue. The long-awaited emergence of young stars like Andre Ethier, Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley gave general manager Ned Colletti plenty of reason to hope that his team will see better days sooner rather than later.

That being said, let’s have a look at some of the most notable ups and downs for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010.

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