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Major League Baseball’s offseason has been bananas, right? Perhaps the wildest and most active in recent memory—or maybe ever. At least, that’s how it feels while we’re right in the middle of it.

But how does this offseason stack up with hot stoves past?

Let’s start with a quick table that ranks the past nine offseasons in terms of total spending on free-agent contracts, according to ESPN.com:

That’s as far back as ESPN’s free-agent tracker tool goes, but there’s practically a decade’s worth of open-market expenditures, which gives us a pretty good idea.

As you can see, this offseason currently ranks as the third-highest spending in this time frame, behind 2006-07 and, yep, last year, when the New York Yankees paid out roughly half a billion all by themselves.

Because so many free agents have found homes by now, there’s no way 2014-15 can top 2013-14. But it is likely this winter will surpass 2006-07, especially once some team signs James Shields, who reportedly is seeking $125 million but may have to settle for a salary with eight figures instead, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

And here’s a look at how many clubs have paid out at least $100 million—a pretty good benchmark amount to qualify as a “big spender”—each of the past nine offseasons:

Again, the current hot-stove season rates rather high, but not quite the highest, with regard to how many clubs are spending nine figures on free agents. At least, not yet.

It’s feasible, though, that another team will join the current $100 million big spenders—the Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees—depending on where Shields winds up.

At least objectively, then, this offseason has been busy and splurgy on the free-agent front, but not necessarily the busiest or splurgiest, even within the past decade.

Of course, none of the above figures takes into account the record-setting $325 million extension Giancarlo Stanton signed with the Miami Marlins in November, or the $100 million one Kyle Seager inked in early December to stay with the Seattle Mariners.

And as an overzealous infomercial pitchman might superficially exclaim: That’s not all!

This offseason also has brought (deep breath): the Red Sox near-$100 million inkings of Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez on the same day; the late-fall acquisitions of Jason Heyward (now a St. Louis Cardinal) and Josh Donaldson (now a Toronto Blue Jay); the on-the-fly makeovers of the White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers; and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ decision to go big after a pair of Cuban free agents, Yasmany Tomas and Yoan Lopez. (Phew!)

Add those in, and well, the case for 2014-15 as the wildest offseason only gets stronger.

What really sticks out about this offseason—and what has made it so chaotic in our collective memory bank—is all of the activity early on, especially during the winter meetings back in December.

Over the course of those four days, Dec. 8 to 11, all hell broke loose at what was still a rather early point in the offseason.

In the span of a little more than 48 hours, Jon Lester signed with the Cubs for a whopping $155 million, Ervin Santana scored $54 million from the Minnesota Twins and David Robertson landed another $46 million from the White Sox.

And on the trade front, all of the following big leaguers were moved—in that same span of time: Matt Kemp, Jeff Samardzija, Yoenis Cespedes, Howie Kendrick, Jimmy Rollins, Rick Porcello, Mat Latos, Brandon Moss, Dee Gordon, Wade Miley, Miguel Montero, Yasmani Grandal, Dan Haren and Alfredo Simon.

As Adam Berry of MLB.com recaps:

Teams handed out more than $500 million in guaranteed contracts and signing bonuses this week in deals that either became official or were agreed upon at the Winter Meetings.

There were 50 players traded and 17 signed via free agency, including 15 who changed teams. Fifteen All-Stars were on the move to a new team, from Yoenis Cespedes, now wearing the Olde English D, to Ervin Santana, heading north to Minnesota.

In all, MLB.com counted a whopping 79 players who changed teams via trade, free agency, waiver claims or the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft this past week in San Diego. Here’s a team-by-team look at the players who came and went during a very busy Winter Meetings.

That—combined with the sense that the rumor-filled meetings haven’t necessarily been quite that busy in recent years with regards to actual signings and trades, as Paul Casella of Sports on Earth writes—has given this offseason a certain frenetic pace that didn’t seem to slow down until just before and just after the new year.

The other factor that has made this such a wacky winter? Just about every team is making a push to contend in 2015, as Dave Cameron wrote for Fox Sports. Well, aside from a few clubs that are rebuilding, like the Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies.

To wit, the moribund, punchless San Diego Padres acquired essentially an entire new lineup, with aggressive new general manager A.J. Preller trading for Kemp, Justin Upton, Wil Myers, Derek Norris and Will Middlebrooks.

Heck, even the Houston Astros—who are tied with the New York Mets for the longest active streak of losing seasons at six—have made a flurry of moves, especially of late, signing Colby Rasmus and trading for Evan Gattis, Luis Valbuena and Dan Straily. All within the past week, and all in the hope of finally becoming more competitive.

So has this been the wildest offseason ever? That depends on how you define wild and how far back you really want to go.

For instance, the 1992-93 offseason also had loads of player movement, especially in the form of big-name free agents, as Michael Clair of MLB.com wrote after the most recent winter meetings:

But while 2014 was nuts, with players like Matt Kemp, Jon Lester, and Yoenis Cespedes all on the move, ’92 may have been even wilder. At that year’s Meetings, Greg Maddux spurned the Yankees’ higher offer to sign with the Braves, Barry Bonds fled the Pirates to join up with San Francisco, and David Cone received the highest annual value for a pitcher when he signed a 3-year, $18 million deal with the Royals.

But that’s not all. The Orioles picked up Harold Reynolds on a one-year deal, the Yankees traded three players including J.T. Snow in exchange for Jim Abbott, and the Blue Jays loaded up for a run at repeating as World Series champs by signing Paul Molitor and current Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart. Oh yeah, and the Red Sox signed Andre Dawson!

This offseason may seem like the wackiest and wildest ever, but that’s a difficult official declaration to make.

Ultimately, even accounting for recency effect and Max Scherzer snagging $210 million from the Washingotn Nationals earlier this week—the largest free-agent pitcher contract ever awarded—the 2014-15 offseason may have to settle for being one of the most memorable hot-stove seasons.

Then again, there may still be more to come beyond Shields’ inevitable signing.

It’s possible, for instance, that Cole Hamels, Jordan Zimmermann and/or Troy Tulowitzki—three superstars who have been mentioned as trade candidates all winter long—could get moved.

Should any or all of that happen, it will only make this offseason—already on we won’t soon forget—all the more memorable.

Statistics are accurate through the 2014 season and courtesy of MLB.com, Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter: @JayCat11.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The MLB free-agent market now consists of Max Scherzer, James Shields and everyone else. But beyond Scherzer and Shields, there are still a handful of valuable players to be had. And as the market gets thinner, those assets will only become increasingly valuable as teams try to fill their remaining roster voids.

What follows is a list of the 10 most valuable free agents still available, based not only on projected 2015 performance but also on the current market at a given position. Colby Rasmus, for example, just became more valuable on Friday after Nori Aoki signed with the Giants, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.  

Here’s a look at the 10 free agents who will be most highly coveted in the weeks leading up to spring training.

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A handful of Major League Baseball teams are scheduled to have pitchers and catchers report Feb. 18, which means only one thing: We’re barely a month out from the official start of spring training.

That makes right about now as good a time as any to update the winners and losers of this active offseason so far.

In the interest of keeping things fresh, the focus will be on any moves, signings, trades or decisions that have been made since the calendar flipped to 2015 and who was impacted by each—for better or worse.

Because not everyone can be a winner.

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Now that it’s mid-January and spring training is just about a month away, the hot stove has started to settle down, at least a little.

Sure, there’s still a pair of big-name free-agent arms available in Max Scherzer and James Shields, and a trade or two tends to come to fruition every few days. But for the most part, the wave of transactions reached its peak in December.

That doesn’t mean there still isn’t all sorts of speculation and rampant rumors about moves that might happen, particularly on the trade front. To that end, there’s never a shortage of highly regarded prospects who are mentioned as potential chips.

Like these five to follow.

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The 2014-2015 MLB offseason is coming down the homestretch, but there are still more than a few things to be sorted out between now and the time pitchers and catchers start to report to spring training roughly a month from now.

The biggest story here in mid-January is when and where front-line starters Max Scherzer and James Shields will wind up signing. Their eventual decisions will undoubtedly shift the balance of power one way or another, and the baseball world continues to hold its collective breath.

That being said, there is not much in the way of fresh news to report regarding either pitcher, so we won’t waste time rehashing all of the old rumors regarding both pitchers.

Instead, what follows is a look at five other interesting storylines worth keeping an eye on in the week ahead, as there are other significant decisions to be made outside of those awaiting Scherzer and Shields.

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1. January Will Bring the Max Scherzer Thaw

Spring training is little more than a month away, which means the biggest marquee free agent this side of Jon Lester is about to sign with…

“The two sleepers all along for me were St. Louis and Washington,” one American League executive said of Max Scherzer’s possible destinations. “They’re just guesses. I can see him with the Yankees, too, or going back to Detroit.”

Happy New Year, in case I missed you the first time around, and please join our executive friend in the biggest guessing game remaining before pitchers and catchers report: Which club will push to the max for Max?

The Cardinals have not previously shown an appetite to spend the $200 million or so that Scott Boras, Scherzer’s agent, hinted at last month, but we can all agree (can’t we?) that Scherzer to St. Louis makes a ton of sense. It’s his hometown, the Cubs are closing the gap fast in the NL Central, and St. Louis’ rotation is working under potential storm clouds: Adam Wainwright (elbow), Michael Wacha (shoulder) and Jaime Garcia (you name it) all are recovering from health issues.

Talk surrounding the Nationals has quieted down from earlier this winter, when Jordan Zimmermann’s name was in the rumor mill. Plus, with outfielder Jayson Werth’s shoulder surgery keeping him sidelined for two or three months, Washington has other, more pressing issues.

But the relationship between Boras and the Lerner family—owner of the Nationals—is very good, and for that reason alone, you can’t completely discount Washington until Scherzer has signed elsewhere. Among the Boras clients with the Nats: Werth, Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Danny Espinosa.

The Yankees expect CC Sabathia to be full-go when they report to Tampa later this month, but they have the two most important things where Scherzer is concerned: Money and need. Even if healthy, Sabathia is no longer what he once was and will turn 35 on July 21. And with luck, Masahiro Tanaka will pitch the entire season after rehabbing his elbow injury last summer.

But Tommy John surgery lurks in the background. Many pitchers with Tanaka’s injury (Chad Billingsley being one recent example) have tried the rehab route before having to undergo surgery. Depending on Tanaka to make 33 or 34 starts at this point is a risky plan for the Yankees.

The Tigers? General manager Dave Dombrowski said last month, per MLB.com’s Jason Beck, that there are no talks ongoing but “I guess that anything can happen.” The Tigers were rebuffed by Scherzer last spring when they made a six-year, $144 million offer. 

Given Boras’ track record, even in a Scherzer market that has been noticeably quiet, history has shown time and again that it is foolish to underestimate the agent. But where Detroit is concerned, it appears that the only way that works is if Scherzer’s market doesn’t develop as expected and he falls back to Detroit on a short-term deal.

As for Scherzer, he’s mostly stayed under the radar this winter, though he did pop up to say hello on Sunday:

Prediction: Yankees.

2. The Cardinals May Have a Big Move Left

As Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi over at Fox Sports reported last week, the Cardinals, in looking to upgrade their rotation, are checking into Scherzer on the free-agent market and Cole Hamels and David Price on the trade market. Hamels and Price make great sense, in that St. Louis lacks a strong left-hander. And Scherzer, as I mentioned above, would be quite the homecoming story.

Question is, how much money are the Cardinals willing to spend? Scherzer still seems like a seriously remote possibility, given that the fiscally responsible club drew a hard line even with a franchise icon like Albert Pujols a few winters ago. And not only did they live to tell about it, but the Cardinals have fared far better than Pujols since then.

That, combined with the fact that the most the Cardinals have ever paid for a pitcher is the five-year, $97.5 million extension they awarded Adam Wainwright two years ago, likely doesn’t foretell the eventual signing of Scherzer. Unless the Cards and Boras get awfully creative, of course.

As for Price, industry speculation still has him linked, to a degree, with Scherzer. The thinking is that the Tigers intended to try to sign Price longterm, and the fact that they haven’t done so yet has convinced some that Price, who can be a free agent next winter, isn’t interested in an extension with Detroit. Might the Tigers deal him? And if so, will they use the money to take another run at Scherzer?

The Cubs’ move to the precipice of contending with a slew of young talent, the signing of Lester and the deadly serious hire of Joe Maddon as their manager has added fuel to the NL Central Hot Stove fire this winter, intensifying speculation that the Cardinals will strike for another pitcher.

Of course, under general manager John Mozeliak, the Cards have continually moved at their own pace, made smart decisions and refused to be bullied into making a move out of concern for their rivals’ actions. It’s part of why they’ve won for so long.

Prediction: The Cards strike for Hamels, who makes a lot of sense. He’s affordable, and the Cardinals have the prospects.

3. Speculating on the Phillies

Finally, the Phillies moved Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers last month. Then they dealt outfielder Marlon Byrd, acquiring a solid prospect in right-handed pitcher Ben Lively. That was another small step toward an overdue and badly needed reconstruction.

Next up: Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels?

To be sure, those are two completely different situations. Hamels is owed $94 million over the next four years and is viewed as one of the game’s best left-handers. Howard, 35, is owed $60 million over the next two seasons and is viewed as a has-been who can’t do much more than hit homers.

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro told 97.5 The Fanatic’s Mike Missanelli (h/t Matt Lombardo of NJ.com) that the club is better off without Howard going forward, and the Phillies know they’re going to have to eat a sizable portion of his contract. Clearly, the best thing for both sides is a deal before camp opens. The Phillies’ sluggishness to deal continues to be crippling at best and irresponsible at worst, given that they missed their window to jump-start a retooling by at least a year.

Predictions: For Hamels, see item No. 2 (though people close to him say he would love to pitch for the Dodgers). For Howard, look for the Orioles, who need bats and tend to work late during the winter under Dan Duquette (see Ubaldo Jimenez last year), to make a move.

4. James Shields‘ Prospects

Remember the days when marquee pitchers were in demand? There is no better illustration of the state of today’s game—how runs and hits have regressed back to early 1970s levels—than the fact that two of the three marquee free-agent pitchers—Shields and Scherzer—remain unsigned, while hitters were snapped up early this winter as eagerly as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler jokes at the Golden Globes.

While Scherzer and Shields continue to look for new homes, Victor Martinez (Tigers), Hanley Ramirez (Red Sox), Pablo Sandoval (Red Sox), Nelson Cruz (Mariners), Russell Martin (Blue Jays), Melky Cabrera (White Sox), Chase Headley (Yankees), Michael Cuddyer (Mets), Alex Rios (Royals), Adam LaRoche (White Sox) and even Yasmany Tomas (Diamondbacks) all have signed.

So what happens with Shields? Rosenthal reported on Jan. 4 that he supposedly has a five-year, $110 million offer on the table (though the team has not yet been identified, so no guarantees that such an offer even exists).

If the Marlins deal Dan Haren, who prefers pitching for a West Coast team at this stage of his career, there could be a fit in Miami (financially, though, that’s another question). Boston and Arizona both expressed interest at various points this winter. The Giants did as well, before they signed Jake Peavy. Now? Crickets. At least, publicly where Shields is concerned.

Prediction: Rockies.

5. The Next Market to Flourish

Though top-flight, late-innings men David Robertson (White Sox), Andrew Miller (Yankees), Pat Neshek (Astros) and Luke Gregerson (Astros) struck gold earlier in the winter, several free-agent closers (or setup men) remain unsigned: Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez, Rafael Soriano, Casey Janssen and Alexi Ogando are all there for the taking.

6. Don’t Tread on Alexi Ogando

Ogando’s agent, the highly respected Larry Reynolds, took to Twitter the other day to defend the reliever from the rumor mill:

7. Don’t Tread on the Hall of Fame Voters

One quick follow-up from last week’s announcement that Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio have been elected to the Hall of Fame:

I find it interesting that, just two years after the Baseball Writers’ Association of America was roasted for not voting anyone into the Hall of Fame for just the eighth time ever, voters put four men into the Hall—the largest group in 60 years, since 1955.

Was the system broken two years ago, as many claimed? No.

Is it broken now, as many claim in the aftermath of steroids guys like Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire being shut out? No.

I don’t know how the steroids class ultimately will fare—Bonds, McGwire, Roger Clemens, etc.—but I also know this: It is an unprecedented chapter in baseball history. There is absolutely no harm in continuing to take time to sort that era out.

Look, the system is not perfect. No system ever is. But since the first Hall of Fame election in 1936, it’s worked pretty doggone well. The baseball Hall of Fame is easily the best Hall of any sport. And part of that is because it is so difficult to get elected.

And if you think voters today are wrong-headed on some issues, how about this for a history lesson: No Hall of Famer has ever been elected unanimously. That is crazy, of course, but it is a fact.

In 1966, 20 voters did not cast a ballot for Ted Williams (out of 302). In 1936, 11 voters did not cast a ballot for Babe Ruth (out of 226). In 1962, 36 voters bypassed Jackie Robinson (out of 160).

There will always be issues with voting, no matter who is charged with doing it. And you know what? Differing viewpoints and dissenting opinions only make the process stronger. As with many other things, the process can get messy. But in the case of the baseball Hall, it has worked and it continues to work.

8. Cue the Theme from The Odd Couple

Bruce Bochy and Tim Flannery played together for years, then worked together as manager and third base coach for many more years. They were teammates for one World Series run in San Diego in 1984, they were manager and coach for another World Series run in San Diego in 1998, and then they teamed up for three World Series rings in San Francisco in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

So where does that leave them? Well, for now, featured in what I’m sure will be one terrific MLB Network Presents feature that will debut Tuesday night on the network. I know my DVR is set. For an advance peek, check this out:

9. In the Spirit of the Game

Dennis Gilbert has been many things throughout a life dedicated to baseball: agent, special assistant to White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, prospective owner (oh, what fun it would be if he ever gets a team). But the role in which he’s touched the most lives, easily, comes this Saturday night in Los Angeles, when the Professional Baseball Scouts’ Foundation hosts its 12th annual charity fundraiser, “In the Spirit of the Game.”

Gilbert started the event more than a decade ago as a way to raise money for indigent scouts who were down on their luck. You won’t find anybody who loves the game more than the scouts, who don’t make much money but are so important to the game’s soul.

The event has become one of the biggest of the offseason, with a silent auction before the program that, in the past, has featured items such as dresses from Marilyn Monroe, guitars signed by the Rolling Stones and autographed memorabilia from Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and more. It’s a who’s who from the baseball world—and, given the Los Angeles location, Hollywood. Two years ago, I bumped into Bo Derek.

This year, Dusty Baker will receive the Tommy Lasorda Managerial Achievement Award, Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, Jim Palmer, George Brett, Goose Gossage, Brooks Robinson and Dave Winfield are scheduled to appear, and retiring Commissioner Bud Selig will be honored.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area and would like to attend, here’s the information. If not, check it out on MLB Network television later this month.

Scott Miller covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report. He has over two decades of experience covering MLB, including 14 years as a national baseball columnist at CBSSports.com.

Follow Scott on Twitter and talk baseball @ScottMillerBbl.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

There’s less than three months remaining until Opening Day, and the Los Angeles Dodgers look decidedly different than they did at the beginning of the offseason.

For starters, the front office was stripped down and replaced with a new regime headed by president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi.

The metrics-minded duo wasted little time revamping the roster, trading away several popular players in an effort to improve the team in less noticeable ways while saving money and replenishing the farm system.

Los Angeles also saw other players walk away, either for a lucrative deal elsewhere in free agency or simply because they were no longer wanted.

It has been one of the busiest winters for the Dodgers in recent years, and there’s still time for more moves to be made before the regular season begins. For now, though, here are the winners and losers from the first three months of the team’s offseason.

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The biggest questions surrounding the Boston Red Sox in 2015 concern the starting rotation.

Is pitching coach Juan Nieves’ staff good enough as presently constructed to contend for a World Series?

Can top prospect and left-handed pitcher Henry Owens be an impact midseason call-up?

Will general manager Ben Cherington acquire an ace to anchor the five-man unit? 

Given the curiosity, let’s project the rotation for the coming season with a rundown of each starter. 

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From the Chicago Cubs bringing in Joe Maddon to the Toronto Blue Jays handing out a monster deal to Russell Martin, MLB teams have made some good decisions and some not-so-good ones this offseason.

What follows is a look around the league at the best and worst moves that each squad has made so far. In certain cases, “best” and “worst” were relative terms.

Simply put, some teams didn’t make any deals that can truly be described as “bad.” On the other side of the spectrum, some clubs didn’t make any decisions that can truly be labeled “good.”

For the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and others, the “worst” move was that the teams just haven’t done enough this winter. For the Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds, the “worst” move referred to the failure to reach new agreements with stars who could soon head out of town. 

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The New York Yankees have had an eventful offseason despite not making any major splashes, yet there is still some work to do.

They have already found Derek Jeter’s successor in Didi Gregorius, traded for young starter Nathan Eovaldi, re-signed third baseman Chase Headley, brought in reliever Andrew Miller and made a handful of other smaller moves, so it has not exactly been quiet on the Yankees’ front.

Still, the Bronx Bombers 2015 roster as it is presently constructed has some question marks. The rotation’s health should be a major concern. Rob Refsnyder, who appears to be the favorite to win the second-base job heading into spring training, may or may not be ready for the job. Even the coaching staff has missing components, and it’s already January.

With spring training and the 2015 season fast approaching, here some pieces Yankees general manager Brian Cashman may look to add before the offseason comes to an end.

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