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“Value” isn’t exactly the word that comes to mind when thinking about the 2015-2016 MLB free-agent class.

While aces like David Price and Zack Greinke have made fortunes in recent days, there are still plenty of free agents who can be bought at bargain prices.

The players who populate the following list fall into two general groups. The first are players who play a position where there are all sorts of options at that given spot. Asa result of that glut of talent, some of the lower-profile targets could end up signing at team-friendly prices.

The second group of players consists of big leaguers who were late entrants to the free-agent frenzy after getting non-tendered by their old clubs. That list of players includes a couple of potent power bats and one starter who has front-line potential.

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Free-agent slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, fresh off a World Series appearance, is testing the market and beginning to garner interest. 

Continue for updates.

Tigers Considering Cespedes

Monday, Dec. 7

CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reported the Detroit Tigers are “looking” at Cespedes.

Angels Could Be Cespedes Suitor

Saturday, Dec. 5

Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reported the Angels may make a run at Cespedes.

Giants in Need of Power Bat

Saturday, Dec. 5

According to USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, the San Francisco Giants are in search of a power bat, which is where Cespedes’ name pops up along with Justin Upton, another free agent who played with the San Diego Padres last season. 

Cespedes, who was traded to the New York Mets at the deadline in July, put together a monster second half on his way to a 35-home run, 105-RBI season. He hit 17 home runs in just 57 games with the Mets, helping them to a World Series appearance—their first in 15 years. 

After his four-year, $36 million deal expired at the end of the season, via Spotrac.com, Cespedes told ESPN Deportes’ Marly Rivera (h/t ESPN.com) that he is looking for a six-year contract, which could put him over the $100 million mark. 

Cespedes’ representatives are working hard to get him a big-time contract, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick:

As a prelude to the Hot Stove shopping season, Cespedes’ representatives at the Creative Artists Agency and Roc Nation distributed a coffee table-type book to a select list of teams. The book, titled “52 Reviews” (in honor of Cespedes’ jersey number), has a black-and-white cloth cover, runs about 100 pages and features laudatory comments and testimonials from managers, coaches, players, front-office executives and members of the media.

In a bow to technology, the book also has a video player embedded inside the front cover. Executives who push the “play” button are treated to an array of Yoenis Cespedes home runs, jaw-dropping throws and other highlights set to music.

The Giants are in need of some pop in the middle of their lineup. Last season, they ranked 27th in the league in home runs with 136, with shortstop Brandon Crawford leading the team with 21. 

While Cespedes might be looking for a lot of money, the Giants have already shown this offseason they are capable of flashing the cash, signing pitcher Jeff Samardzija to a five-year, $90 million deal on Saturday. 

If they acquire a big bat that is capable of turning a game on its head like Cespedes’, the Giants could take a big step toward taking back the National League West.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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With David Price off the board, Zack Greinke can officially claim his place at the center of the baseball universe as Week 4 of the 2015-16 MLB offseason draws to a close.

While everyone patiently awaits Greinke‘s decision on where he’ll be pitching in 2016, Aroldis Chapman is patiently waiting to find out just where he’ll be traded.

There’s no question about it—buzz surrounding prominent pitchers like Greinke and Chapman dominated the baseball week that was. And as if the market for arms wasn’t loaded enough already, another high-upside starter has been added to the free-agent front following the non-tender deadline.

Hurlers headline the list that follows, but there’s still room for talk about one position player who’s proving to be the most popular free agent of all this winter.

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The MLB offseason has already seen some lucrative deals made to free agents, and clubs are continuing to dig deep into their pockets to grab the top players available.

The Boston Red Sox, after finishing in last place in the American League East in each of the last two seasons, found their ace in David Price, signing him to a seven-year, $217 million contract on December 1.

Price was the prize free agent in this year’s class, apart from Zack Greinke, and was awarded with the biggest contract for a pitcher in MLB history. Price, 30, will be 37 in the final year of his new contract but does have an option to opt out in 2018.

Greinke was a target for the Red Sox, although it has been reported that Red Sox owner John Henry only met with one free agent: Price. Not being signed before Price gives Greinke the upper hand in negotiations, however, as Price’s deal now serves as a benchmark for Greinke as he negotiates back and forth with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. 

The 2015 National League Cy Young runner-up, who posted a 1.66 ERA for the Dodgers last season, is 32 years old and likely won’t be getting a deal in the seven-year range. As a result, he will probably receive more on the front end of his contract than Price.

While Greinke weighs his options, another pitcher found his home.

Jordan Zimmermann signed a five-year, $110 million deal with the Detroit Tigers after posting a career-worst 3.66 ERA with the Washington Nationals last season. The deal was announced on November 30, and to most Tigers fans, it was a bargain for a top-end pitcher.

The Nationals may have lost out on Zimmermann, but they seem to be in the conversation for other free agents around the league.

Ben Zobrist, 34, has been garnering a lot of attention this offseason after hitting 13 home runs last season for the Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals. It’s not surprising that Zobrist is getting so much attention, even at such a seasoned age. ESPN’s Buster Olney is reporting that the New York Mets have expressed interest, as well. 

His production at the plate and at second base would do wonders for a team looking to put themselves in title contention, and his experience in the World Series is priceless.

Chase Utley is another player to watch this offseason, as ESPN’s Jayson Stark reports that both the Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels are expressing interest.

After playing his entire career with the Philadelphia Phillies before being traded in August to the Dodgers, it appears that Utley has his heart set on playing baseball in California for the foreseeable future.

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Free agency in Major League Baseball has to be an agonizing event, though it’s also the most excited fans will get before games actually begin.   

It’s painful because rumors constantly swirl, often contradicting each other, so no one knows what is true and what is just white noise. Finding the right balance between agents or teams trying to drive the market in their favor is critical. 

As rumors for this offseason’s top free agents continue to pick up steam, being able to make predictions about where they will land becomes easier. It’s certainly not a foolproof venture because it only takes one “mystery team” to bring complete insanity to the whole thing. 

While the world waits for agents to find a mystery team in the market, here are the latest free-agent rumblings and predictions based on what’s being said. 

Johnny Cueto Price Set

It speaks volumes about how deep this year’s crop of free-agent starting pitchers is that the consensus No. 4 arm available, Jordan Zimmermann, just got $110 million over five years from the Detroit Tigers. 

Zimmermann‘s deal also helped set the market for the next arm above him on the totem pole, Johnny Cueto, with ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reporting the right-hander has set his bar high:

This makes sense considering Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reported Cueto turned down a six-year, $120 million offer from the Arizona Diamondbacks last month. 

While there are no absolutes in free agency, especially with pitchers, Cueto could be considered the biggest wild card in the bunch. He finished the season on the highest of high notes, throwing a complete game two-hitter in Game 2 of the World Series. 

However, taking a more cynical approach, Cueto‘s line from the game wasn’t dominant. He struck out four and walked three, so the Kansas City Royals defense did most of the work. Credit him for making the necessary pitches, but it was a team effort. 

Looking at things from an even larger perspective, Cueto was essentially a replacement-level pitcher after the Royals acquired him. The 29-year-old had a 4.76 ERA with 101 hits allowed and 56 strikeouts in 81.1 innings over 13 starts with Kansas City. 

That also helps inform the options for Cueto, as his greatest individual success came in the National League. Most of his reported suitors thus far have been NL teams, with Jon Heyman of CBS Sports saying the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs have contacted Cueto‘s camp. 

The only AL team Heyman mentioned is the Boston Red Sox, though ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported on Nov. 25 their focus right now is on David Price, who agreed to a deal with the team on Tuesday, per the Boston Globe‘s Pete Abraham. 

The Chicago Cubs don’t seem likely to invest the kind of money Cueto wants in a pitcher who as recently as May needed an MRI to confirm there was no structural damage in his elbow. The Dodgers are likely to focus all their energy on retaining Zack Greinke and/or targeting Price before seriously engaging Cueto. 

The San Francisco Giants are an interesting suitor because they had nearly $57 million come off the payroll when 2015 ended and desperately need an impact pitcher behind Madison Bumgarner. Cueto would also be pitching in a big park with the NL’s best defense last year behind him. 

Prediction: Cueto signs six-year, $142 million deal with Giants

Ben Zobrist Too Rich for Mets?

There are better baseball players than Ben Zobrist for sure, but few can provide value like the uber-utility man who can play any position except catcher or pitcher.

Because of Zobrist‘s versatility, it’s no surprise that he’s a hot commodity this winter, with ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin noting the 34-year-old’s popularity may hurt one of his biggest suitors.

“Make no mistake, the New York Mets are interested in free agent Ben Zobrist,” Rubin wrote. “Still, if Zobrist is capable of landing a four-year deal, it very likely will be elsewhere.”

The Mets make too much sense for Zobrist that it’s scary. They have an opening at second base with postseason hero Daniel Murphy being a free agent and are poised to be in the playoff mix for a long time thanks to all their young starting pitching.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported on Nov. 29 that Zobrist is the Mets’ “No. 1 target” this offseason, but the Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco and others are in the mix. One of those other teams, according to ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers, is the Chicago Cubs. 

In other words, it’s good to be Zobrist right now because having that many suitors means his price will go way up. 

The Braves don’t feel like a legitimate player unless they blow every other suitor out of the water with an offer. Atlanta’s front office has spent the last year trading away MLB talent to build up the farm system, so why would a 34-year-old want to spend his few remaining good years with a rebuilding team?

The Nationals, Giants, Mets and Cubs are fits for Zobrist because they have legitimate playoff aspirations and can spend some money.

The Cubs would likely have to make another move—like dealing Starlin Castro—if they sign Zobrist because they already have too many players for too few positions. 

The Nationals have multiple positions to fill with Dan Uggla, Ian Desmond and Denard Span being free agents. Zobrist would also provide the team insurance for third base if injury-prone star Anthony Rendon misses time in 2016. 

The Giants would likely need Zobrist to play the outfield because they are set on the infield with Joe Panik at second base, Brandon Crawford at shortstop and Matt Duffy at third base. 

Yet all factors being considered, despite Rubin’s report, the Mets still seem like the safest bet to land Zobrist. He got on base at a .359 clip last year, which would have been second among New York’s regulars at the end of 2015, behind Curtis Granderson (.364).

In addition to not having Murphy under contract, the Mets aren’t going to retain Yoenis Cespedes. They need another bat to support Granderson, David Wright and Michael Conforto to avoid another situation like early last year, when Lucas Duda and Wilmer Flores were hitting third and fourth. 

Money will certainly be a factor for the Mets, but this franchise has an opportunity to do something special in 2016 with just a few tweaks. 

Prediction: Zobrist signs four-year, $60 million deal with Mets

Cardinals Not Hot For Chris Davis?

One of the most talked-about connections between player and team this offseason has been between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chris Davis. 

Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports reported on Nov. 20 the Cardinals already had discussions with agent Scott Boras about Davis, with the team being “intrigued” by his ability to play the corner positions in the infield and outfield. 

While St. Louis isn’t known for being a notorious spender in free agency, Morosi added that could change this offseason thanks to a new television deal:

The Cardinals are poised to spend heavily in free agency this winter, thanks to revenues from their new local television contract with FOX Sports Midwest, and Davis appears to be a good fit for their long-term plan. He could become their everyday left fielder in 2017, as Matt Holliday — another Boras client — doesn’t have a guaranteed contract with the club beyond 2016.

However, Crasnick reported on Tuesday that the Cardinals’ interest in Davis is being “overblown,” and the slugger is “not [general manager] John Mozeliak’s top priority.”

Looking at it from a distance, it’s not hard to understand why the Cardinals would be skittish about Davis. He’s been great in two of the last three seasons, posting 12.6 FanGraphs wins above replacement and 100 homers in 2013 and 2015. But his 2014 was a disaster with a .196/.300/.404 slash line. 

For the talk of Davis’ versatility, he does have the ability to play more than one position but was a below-average right fielder in 253.1 innings with minus-three defensive runs saved. 

Davis’ best defensive position is first base, which causes problems in St. Louis because Matt Adams is a solid hitter who was undone in 2015 by injuries that limited him to 60 games. 

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported the Boston Red Sox have had internal discussions about pursuing Davis, though he added it will likely depend on the team being able to find someone to take Hanley Ramirez. 

With a limited market at the moment, as well as knowing how Boras loves to play things, Davis will likely end up signing with some out-of-nowhere team in mid-January. 

Right now, though, Mozeliak’s talk about not having significant interest in Davis comes off as executive speak. The Cardinals are facing a lot of questions with Jason Heyward and John Lackey being free agents and Lance Lynn out for next season after having Tommy John surgery. 

Starting pitching may be the Cardinals’ likely target this offseason, but don’t forget the team finished 24th in runs scored and 25th in home runs last year. It needs to get impact on both sides of the ball this winter. 

Prediction: Davis signs five-year, $80 million deal with Cardinals

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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Four weeks after Royals closer Wade Davis struck out Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores and the Kansas City Royals celebrated their World Series victory at Citi Field, the free-agent market had hardly budged. Not a single one of the top 10 players on the market had signed.

Well, that sure changed quickly.

First, starter Jordan Zimmermann signed with the Detroit Tigers. Then, ace left-hander David Price joined the Boston Red Sox. By the end of the day Tuesday, there was this tweet from Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:

Price was the best pitcher available. Zack Greinke was right there with him, and Zimmermann was near the top of the next group.

So for four weeks, the market landscape barely changed. Now, in three or four days, it has changed drastically.

And the winter meetings don’t start until next week.

There’s plenty left to do, but already a few things about this baseball winter are clear. Here’s a primer on what’s important from the first month plus a day:

— Remember the idea that the large number of available pitchers could turn this into a “buyer’s market?” Price just signed for a free-agent record $217 million over seven years. The Tigers gave Zimmermann $22 million a year. J.A. Happ, the very definition of an average big league starter, got $36 million for three years from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Johnny Cueto turned down $20 million per year from the Arizona Diamondbacks, per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Greinke, as Rosenthal wrote, could get a higher average annual value than even Price.

There’s plenty of money in the game and plenty of owners happy to spend it. Maybe there will be a buyer’s market for outfielders.

Don’t count on it.

— With Price and Zimmermann signed, the pressure increases for any team in need of a starter. What happens if the Los Angeles Dodgers don’t get Greinke? Where do the San Francisco Giants go if they don’t get him? What about the St. Louis Cardinals, who found out in November that right-hander Lance Lynn would need Tommy John surgery, or the Chicago Cubs, who hoped to find someone to fit in with Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester? Cueto, Jeff Samardzija and Wei-Yin Chen are still out there, and then there’s the trade market.

— Because Dave Dombrowski moved quickly to get the closer—Craig Kimbrel—and front-line starter—Price—the Red Sox so badly needed, he and his staff have the rest of the winter to deal with the rest of the roster. There were conflicting reports over the weekend on whether Dombrowski is determined to trade Hanley Ramirez—WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reported Ramirez will be Boston’s first baseman next year, while Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote that Dombrowski is looking to deal him—but it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if that is in his plans.

In any case, the first months of the Dombrowski administration have provided a big contrast to Ben Cherington’s Sox regime, and also to the way the rival New York Yankees are currently doing business. Dombrowski traded significant prospects to get Kimbrel and committed significant money to sign Price. The Yankees continue to suggest they’ll do neither of those things this winter.

— Kimbrel, Francisco Rodriguez—to the Tigers—and Joaquin Benoit—to the Seattle Mariners—were all traded in November, as teams reacted to the lack of a true closer on the free-agent market. The Cincinnati Reds are still expected to trade Aroldis Chapman, and even more closers could be available in trades—Yankees stopper Andrew Miller, Nationals right-handers Jonathan Papelbon and Drew Storen and Phillies youngster Ken Giles.

— With new or relatively new general managers running nearly half the teams, trade talk has been lively, by all reports. Seattle’s Jerry Dipoto made four trades in November, and he began December by dealing Mark Trumbo, per Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. New GMs have less connection to the players they already have and plenty of motivation to make deals that make an impact.

And teams like the Atlanta Braves are in full rebuilding mode, looking everywhere for young talent. The latest report, from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, had the Braves dangling Shelby Miller—acquired last winter for outfielder Jason Heyward—in hopes of getting a big return.

— The Tigers are among the teams with a new GM, but Al Avila has already shown there won’t be a major shift in how the Tigers operate. Forget any idea that their decisions to become trade-deadline sellers and then dump Dombrowski signaled a move to rebuild. Avila has traded for a 33-year-old closer—Rodriguez—and a 28-year-old outfielder—Cameron Maybin—and he just spent $110 million of owner Mike Ilitch’s money to sign Zimmermann.

“I don’t care about the money,” Ilitch told reporters at the Zimmermann press conference (via Katie Strang of ESPN.com). “I want the best players.”

— The Blue Jays technically don’t have a GM yet, but new club president Mark Shapiro is running the show with an obvious plan. The Jays re-signed Marco Estrada and signed Happ, completing a rotation that isn’t overwhelming but may be good enough when combined with their overwhelming offense. There were suggestions from the outside that the Jays would either go all-out to sign Price or trade shortstop Troy Tulowitzki as part of a rebuild, but it appears now that neither of those moves are happening.

— The Yankees have clearly signaled they want to get younger, which left them with no room for 32-year-old outfielder Chris Young, who just signed with the Red Sox. A deal for 26-year-old Aaron Hicks set off a string of Brett Gardner trade rumors, and while Gardner hasn’t been dealt yet, he still could be.

— Despite the usual early-winter stories suggesting teams would find religion and stop paying huge salaries to free agents, those who have signed so far aren’t taking cut-rate deals. Zimmermann, no better than the third-best starter on the market—and maybe no better than fourth- or fifth-best—signed for $22 million a year. Happ got $36 million, and Brett Anderson, who has averaged 77 innings a season the last five years, accepted the Dodgers’ qualifying offer of $15.8 million.

That’s a lot of money, and there’s plenty more where that came from. After all, 90 percent of the winter work remains to be done.

A month from now, the landscape will have changed quite a bit more.

Danny Knobler covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow Danny on Twitter and talk baseball.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Each Major League Baseball offseason, teams get linked to certain free agents who just don’t make sense for their specific needs. Given the large sums of money these free agents demand, general managers have to be 100 percent certain about a player’s value before signing him.

Among the list of more than 100 free agents, there are plenty of names various GMs would be wise to avoid. For example, Jeff Samardzija, with his high fly-ball numbers from last year, may not be a good fit for the New York Yankees and their small ballpark. 

Throughout the years there have been some historically bad free-agent signings, such as Josh Hamilton by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or Jason Bay by the New York Mets. For this list, we’ll look at players who have been mentioned as a possible target of a team and discuss the cons of the potential signing.

Whether that player is too costly or just doesn’t fit in with a team’s depth chart, there are plenty of reasons why a free agent should not be pursued. We will go division by division to analyze each team’s needs, starting with the American League West.

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The market for starting pitching has begun to move, with J.A. Happ signing with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday and Jordan Zimmermann agreeing to a deal with the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

They’re significant deals for significant money, as Zimmermann‘s reported $110 million-for-five-years price tag caused Matt Ehalt of the Record to tweet:

Exactly. The Happ (for three years, $36 million) and Zimmermann signings made news for the teams that signed them and for others shopping in the midlevel pitching market. But it’s David Price, Zack Greinke and Johnny Cueto who will top the market and make a team a big winter winner.

Especially Price.

Winter winners often don’t become summer winners. But that won’t stop us from speculating right up until Price signs a contract that many are suggesting could approach or top the free-agent pitcher record $210 million the Washington Nationals gave Max Scherzer last January.

Scherzer was 30 years old and had one Cy Young and one fifth-place finish on his record. Price is 30 years old and has one Cy Young and two second-place finishes.

But this isn’t about Scherzer vs. Price, because Scherzer isn’t available on this winter’s market. Price is, and rather than guess at exactly how much money he’ll get—let’s just say it will be a whole lot—we’re going to try to guess where he might go.

Some of this is based on reports. Some of it is based on what we’ve heard. Some of it is just plain guesswork. If we’ve learned anything about free agency, it’s that some teams and some agents disguise their strategies so well that many reports and much of what we’ve heard turn out later not to be totally right.

So here goes, with the teams listed in order of which ones we give the best chance of landing the biggest free agent out there this winter:

1. Boston Red Sox: Back in August, shortly after Dave Dombrowski took over at Fenway, Bleacher Report asked me to put together his plan to rebuild the Red Sox. I know Dombrowski well, and I knew he wasn’t going to tell me or any other reporter his exact plans. But I also knew signing a high-profile starter would be high on his list.

“Dombrowski’s move to Boston should be great news for David Price,” I wrote then, and it’s no less true now. Whether Price actually ends up in Boston, the Red Sox are widely reported and expected to be preparing a bid that will top (and perhaps help set) the market for the left-hander Dombrowski once traded for when he was running the Detroit Tigers.

One National League general manager speculated to Peter Gammons that Dombrowski‘s bid will be $30 million-$40 million higher than anyone else’s. I can believe it because, in many ways, Price is the best possible ace Dombrowski could sign. He’s comfortable pitching in the American League East and comfortable leading a rotation.

While there’s been strong speculation the Red Sox will bid the most money, there’s also been lots of talk Price would prefer to sign elsewhere. He might, but I can’t see him being scared of Boston and I can see him going for the biggest money.

So the Red Sox are the top choice, although I wouldn’t put my own money on it.

2. Chicago Cubs: Back before everybody was rushing to predict Price will sign with the Red Sox, plenty were just as convinced he was headed to the Cubs. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports wrote just three weeks ago that two agents for other pitchers were calling Price to the Cubs and that one National League general manager told him Price prefers the Cubs.

All that’s happened since then is Cubs president Theo Epstein suggesting his offseason budget isn’t as big as everyone thinks and others suggesting (perhaps rightly) the Red Sox are willing to spend more money than anyone.

The Cubs could certainly use Price. But with Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester already topping their rotation, their need for him would seem to be a little less dire than the Red Sox’s need.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers: If the Dodgers really want Price, it’s hard to see them getting outbid by $30 million-$40 million—by the Red Sox or by anyone else. If Greinke signs elsewhere, you could argue the Dodgers should really want Price.

Dodgers boss Andrew Friedman is just as good as Dombrowski at hiding his real plans, but keeping Greinke might well be his preference. With little rotation certainty beyond Clayton Kershaw, and with the expectations that come with a $300 million payroll, it would seem Friedman had better get one of the big free agents.

4. St. Louis Cardinals: They fit geographically, since Price is from Nashville. They have a need, with Lance Lynn on the shelf for 2016. But are the Cardinals really ready to play with big money at the top of the market? We’ll see.

5. San Francisco Giants: The Giants would need to stretch their budget a little to sign either Price or Greinke, and the early suggestions had them preferring Greinke if they do stretch. But Greinke could stay with the Dodgers, and perhaps the Giants could be convinced to stretch for Price.

6. Washington Nationals: Zimmermann is already gone. Stephen Strasburg can be a free agent after 2016. The Nationals have some strong young arms, but they also have an owner with lots of money and a desire to win soon. Still, could they really pay out the top two free-agent pitching contracts?

7. Los Angeles Angels: I’m not going to be surprised again if Arte Moreno decides he wants a top free agent. His Angels already have two $20 million starters in their 2016 rotation, but both C.J. Wilson and Jered Weaver can be free agents after that.

8. New York Yankees: Should the Yankees really be this low on the list? Yes, only because Hal Steinbrenner has been so open and so consistent with his desire to stay away from the biggest free agents. Finally, we believe him—but not enough to leave the Yankees off the list entirely.

9. The field: The Blue Jays and Tigers would seem to be out. The Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles don’t seem to have room in their budget. The Seattle Mariners need hitters. The Texas Rangers just traded for Cole Hamels. Free agency often comes with surprises, and maybe the chase for Price will include another one.

Or maybe the Red Sox really will just outbid everyone else.

Danny Knobler covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow Danny on Twitter and talk baseball. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Zack Greinke remains unsigned and Aroldis Chapman remains with the Cincinnati Reds, but the top available MLB stars are starting to vanish off the shelf.

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Jordan Zimmermann has inked a new deal with the Detroit Tigers, which means that the loaded class of free-agent aces just shrank by one.

Last week, we took a look at potential surprise destinations for the top names on the winter market. This week, it’s time to check in on that group and determine whose stock is up and whose stock is down based on all of the most recent buzz.

The list that follows includes the top five players from Bleacher Report’s free-agent big board and the two most prominent targets on the trade block. In the process of fitting those two trade targets into the rankings, 2015 performance was the most important consideration, but their respective contract situation was also factored into the equation.

Now that Jose Fernandez has been deemed “not currently available,” a new trade piece replaces him in the rankings. Unfortunately for that outfielder, his stock is definitely not on the rise.

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After two injury-plagued years, free-agent outfielder Shane Victorino could be a solid buy-low candidate for teams seeking depth in the outfield this offseason. 

Continue for updates. 

Cleveland Reportedly Contacted Victorino

Saturday, Nov. 28

According to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Victorino is “one of the many outfielders the Indians have contacted” so far this offseason. 

Cleveland is desperately seeking depth in the outfield, especially with star left fielder Michael Brantley undergoing shoulder surgery in early November that could keep him out of action up to six months.

The Indians are always limited in what they can spend on the market, so Victorino could be a nice stop-gap player for them to focus on while waiting for Brantley to return. The soon-to-be 35-year-old was on Cleveland’s radar three years ago before he eventually signed a three-year deal with Boston. 

Victorino helped the Red Sox win a World Series in 2013, hitting a memorable grand slam against Detroit in Game 6 of the ALCS, but injuries have limited him to 101 games the past two years and he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in July. 

The Flyin’ Hawaiian posted a .230/.308/.292 line with one home run in 178 at-bats between the Red Sox and Angels last season. 

Even though Victorino is a limited player at this stage of his career, he does boast value as a platoon player with an .859 career OPS against left-handed pitching. 

As long as Victorino can stay healthy, which is a huge question mark at this stage of his career, there’s the potential for him to be a quality outfielder for another season or two. 

Stats per Baseball-Reference.com

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