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Several big names changed addresses during the winter meetings earlier this week, but there are still plenty of premier players available to be had via trades.

This MLB offseason is quickly shaping up to be one of the most active in recent memory. There weren’t that many top-notch free agents, but the ones who were available were franchise-changers. Of course, a shortage of free agents means the trade market is a hotbed for new rumors and player movement.

Some of the best at their respective positions have been floated around the rumor mill over the course of the past week. Very few players are safe from trades this time of year, so you should never be surprised when aces and middle-of-the-order bats are made available.

Below are a few of the most recent names to hit the mill.

Cole Hamels

The interest in Philadelphia Phillies starter Cole Hamels is sure to heat up now that Jon Lester has found the place he’ll pitch for the next several seasons.

One team thought to be in on the left-hander is the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the team won’t get involved in talks with the Phils:

The “heavy lifting” Sherman refers to is the bevy of moves L.A. made during the winter meetings. It shipped Dee Gordon to the Miami Marlins, acquired Howie Kendrick from the Los Angeles Angels, signed Brandon McCarthy to a four-year deal, acquired Jimmy Rollins and dealt Matt Kemp to the San Diego Padres.

Talk about a busy couple of days.

Despite the roster overhaul, the Dodgers could still have the pieces necessary to make a deal with Philadelphia. Shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena, now displaced by Rollins, is an attractive piece given his outstanding defense.

Los Angeles also has top prospect Corey Seager though it’s unclear as to if he’ll be available.

The way the current rotation is structured, Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke would open things up at Nos. 1 and 2 before the likes of Hyun-Jin Ryu and McCarthy make their starts. Juan Nicasio is probably the No. 5 at this point.

Hamels is an obvious upgrade over Nicasio, and a deal would make the Dodgers rotation absurdly deep. That’s enough incentive to get a deal done, but it still appears as if they’ll only target bench and depth pieces now that they’ve made so many big moves.

This is certainly a situation to monitor closely. The Dodgers could reenter the bidding at the drop of a hat.

Jay Bruce

The Cincinnati Reds have already traded Mat Latos this offseason, and there’s even more talent on that underachieving roster to be dealt. General manager Walt Jocketty spoke toward the end of November about how he plans on handling the offseason, via John Fay of Cincinnati.com.

“We’re still talking to both agents and clubs about trades. We really aren’t close on anything.”

It still appears as if they aren’t close on anything, as Sherman tweeted about how the Baltimore Orioles attempted to strike a deal with the club:

The Orioles have a desperate need for outfield bats after losing Nick Markakis and Nelson Cruz to free agency. As the roster currently stands, Alejandro De Aza and David Lough would play the corners with All-Star Adam Jones manning center field. That won’t cut it.

It’s unclear as to what the Reds have asked for in return for Bruce, but it’s safe to assume that arms like Brian Matusz and Dylan Bundy came up in talks. It’s no surprise that Baltimore may have scoffed at those requests.

Baltimore isn’t the only team that has a need for a power bat. Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller opined that the San Diego Padres are a perfect fit:

The Padres have already acquired Kemp, and new GM A.J. Preller has shown a willingness to upgrade his lineup. Before Pablo Sandoval and Yasmany Tomas signed with the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks, respectively, Preller and the Padres were involved in talks.

Bruce could very well man right field in Cincy in 2015, but the incentive to move him is high. The 27-year-old has mashed 187 homers through seven seasons, making him one of the best pure power bats in the game.

Justin Upton

If the Padres are unsuccessful in their possible attempts to land Bruce, they could turn to another power bat currently playing right field for the Atlanta Braves.

Justin Upton was the No. 2 right-handed power hitter in the National League in 2014, smashing 29 homers and leading the Braves offense. He has been the subject of rumors for most of the offseason. The trade of Jason Heyward acted as a bit of a catalyst to those talks.

MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets that the Padres are in the mix for his bat:

A pairing of Upton and Kemp in the outfield would instantly make the Friars lineup a productive group. They ranked last in baseball this year by scoring a dreadful 535 runs.

Should they get Upton, the team would then be in a position to deal from their outfield depth and improve other areas of the team.

Carlos Quentin would be displaced by a trade, but his days as an outfielder are pretty much numbered. He’s best suited for a job in the American League as a designated hitter.

A trade would also make one of Cameron Maybin or Will Venable expendable.

The Padres offense has already improved enough with Kemp to make other NL West teams take notice, but adding Upton would aid immensely.

Look out for San Diego in 2015 if it can pull this off.

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Just because Major League Baseball’s busy-as-all-get-out winter meetings are in the rearview mirror doesn’t mean the hot stove has to cool down any time soon.

Having been over the winners and losers of the busiest four days baseball has had in quite some time, it’s time to turn attention toward what still might happen next.

The offseason is only a month-and-a-half old, which means there’s enough time for a heck of a lot more moves to be made before pitchers and catchers report in mid-February.

Like, perhaps, some of these predictions.

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Coming off one of the most chaotic winter meetings in recent memory, you might suspect there wouldn’t be anything left for Major League Baseball teams to do as the new year approaches. You would be very wrong, though that’s not a bad thing. 

Because of the way rumors were flying fast and furious out of the hotel in San Diego, there’s a lot of work that teams are still trying to do in order to help make themselves better for 2015 or beyond. 

While past years have led to a lot of rumors and not much action, this year feels different because teams are able to feel easier about taking on money due to the television contracts kicking in a lot of additional revenue.

Trades are a complicated process, and some of these deals may be moving closer to completion. Here are the biggest rumors that are still floating around coming out of MLB‘s annual offseason extravaganza. 

Justin Upton and Matt Kemp Together?

One of the biggest surprises of the winter meetings was Matt Kemp going from Los Angeles to San Diego. It’s not a surprise that Kemp was traded, but it is surprising that the Padres would be willing and able to absorb $76 million after the Dodgers chipped in $31 million to cover some of the cost. 

There’s no denying the Padres needed to do something to upgrade an offense that finished last in the league with 535 runs scored. The outfield was a huge hole in San Diego, posting a collective .234/.307/.347 slash line with 29 home runs, per Baseball-Reference.com. 

However, the addition of Kemp may not be the final move for the Padres. According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, they are also pursuing Atlanta Braves outfielder Justin Upton:

Upton is more of a gamble than Kemp for the Padres if they are able to strike a deal. Even with Kemp’s injury history, he’s still under contract for five years. He has to stay healthy to provide a boost to this offense for the future. 

Upton is due to become a free agent after 2015. Considering the Braves are reportedly looking for a bigger return on Upton than they got from St. Louis for Jason Heyward, San Diego is in a sticky situation. 

The Padres did manage to win 77 games with little offensive production last year, and there could be a wild-card spot opening up depending on whether or not San Francisco is able to add at least one big hitter to replace Pablo Sandoval. 

However, it’s asking a lot for the Padres to give up what they would have to in prospects for Upton and hope that they could find a way to re-sign him so that he’s not just a one-and-done. 

Give the Padres credit for attempting to make a postseason push, but there has to be a limit when you look at the risk they have already taken with Kemp. If Upton were signed for two years and they could strike a deal, it would make more sense. 

As things stand, San Diego’s front office should try to find other options that won’t cost as much before making a final decision on Upton. 

Cole Hamels to Remain in Philadelphia?

Once Philadelphia general manager Ruben Amaro reportedly traded Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers (per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com), it signaled the end of the Phillies’ previous era. It was two years too late to get substantial value for Rollins, but at least Amaro finally saw the writing on the wall. 

It was naturally assumed that Amaro’s big play would be to deal Cole Hamels, who is still very much in his prime and could net a hefty return because of his status as one of the top pitchers in baseball. However, per David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News, the market seems to be working against the southpaw:

It is looking increasingly unlikely that the Phillies will end up landing the haul they say they want in order to part with star lefty Cole Hamels. … The Red Sox have done the most to lessen their desperation for Hamels, acquiring Diamondbacks lefty Wade Miley and Tigers righty Rick Porcello.

[…]

Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ trade of Matt Kemp does not bode well for a potential Hamels deal, both because it moves some money that could enable them to sign a free agent, and, even moreso, because it opens up a spot in the outfield for center field prospect Joc Pederson, whom the Phillies would seem likely to demand in any Hamels deal (if they are honest with their qualification of the haul that they are looking for).

Murphy also mentioned the Chicago Cubs as a potential destination but acknowledges the signing of Jon Lester makes it less likely they will want to deal from their prized farm system to land another big-money pitcher. 

However, Jon Morosi of Fox Sports noted the Phillies could still have a trade partner in the Red Sox:

If Hamels is going to be traded, Boston seems like the perfect spot. The Red Sox are still searching for a No. 1 guy after Lester opted to sign with Chicago. Hamels’ contract, which has four more guaranteed years at $94 million total (per Baseball-Reference.com), isn’t outrageous for a top-of-the-rotation starter. 

In fact, per Christopher Gasper of The Boston Globe, the Red Sox’ final offer to Lester was for $135 million over six years. That averages out to $22.5 million per season, which is $1 million less per year than Hamels is going to make. 

Like Lester, Hamels is a left-handed starter whose arsenal will likely age well because he doesn’t rely on an overpowering fastball to get hitters out. 

By the way, Hamels’ performance in 2014 wasn’t much different than Lester’s, as you can see in the breakdown below:

Despite the substantial difference in their wins above replacement totals, Hamels and Lester were virtually the same pitcher last season, and both are entering their age-31 season in 2015. 

The Red Sox would have to deal from their system, which is something they’ve been reluctant to do in the past, but the additions of Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval give them a surplus of infielders to go along with a crowded outfield. General manager Ben Cherington has a lot to play with. 

It doesn’t make sense for Hamels to remain in Philadelphia anymore, so Amaro must find a way to make a deal happen while the pitcher’s value remains at its peak. 

Dillon Gee Is “a Goner”

While the New York Mets still have to make vast improvements to their offense if they hope to compete in 2015, they are in a position to do so thanks to a surplus of starting pitching. Matt Harvey will return next season, joining an impressive young group that also includes Zack Wheeler and Jacob deGrom. 

Thanks to having so many arms for five spots, the Mets can test the trade waters to find a bat. According to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com, the odd-man out appears to be Dillon Gee:

Gee is projected to earn roughly $5 million next season, and he is under control through the 2016 season. Alderson has all but said that the Mets’ payroll — currently about $100 million — may go down by Opening Day. Translation: The Mets likely will not commit more than $5 million to new additions the remainder of the winter, since that’s the amount projected to depart once Gee is traded. 

Rubin lists Colorado, Minnesota, Texas, San Diego, San Francisco and Kansas City as potential landing spots. Thomas Harding of MLB.com notes that the Mets have their eye on someone in Colorado if those two teams can come to terms:

While Gee has more value than Rex Brothers by virtue of being a starting pitcher, trading any kind of arm doesn’t help the Rockies get better. 

Gee also seems like a bad fit for Colorado’s park, though not many pitchers find success in Coors Field. To succeed with the Rockies, pitchers need to miss bats and have a power arsenal. Gee has averaged 6.53 strikeouts per nine innings in his career with a fastball that’s averaged less than 90 miles mph in four of his five seasons, per FanGraphs.com. 

The right-hander has been able to succeed in Citi Field because it’s a bigger park that allows him to get away with more mistakes. A move to Colorado would expose the flaws in his arsenal and result in one more failed arm for the Rockies to deal with. 

The best thing Gee has going for him is price, as Rubin mentioned he’s only likely to cost around $5 million through arbitration. That’s a tame investment for a starting pitcher, so perhaps that’s why the Rockies would want to pull a trigger on a deal. 

Regardless of where Gee ends up, his future as part of New York’s star-studded rotation doesn’t seem likely to last much longer. 

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

After one of the most active winter meetings in recent memory, several general managers have planted the seeds for potential dealings in the coming weeks of the offseason.

Many teams were active while in San Diego, making huge trades and signings that have already shaken up the landscape of the upcoming season. The MLB trade rumors won’t stop just because the meetings are over, however.

There’s still plenty of time for GMs to rekindle talks that began over those several days. Most subsequent trades will be a result of what teams did in San Diego. Clubs who didn’t acquire a top starter will be on the prowl for one when he becomes available, for example.

Plenty of intriguing rumors are still buzzing around the rumor mill. Read on to catch up on the latest rumblings.

Ian Desmond

Ian Desmond posted his worst season since his breakout in 2012 last year, posting an OPS of .743. That mark still ranked fourth in baseball amongst shortstops, however. He ranked toward the top in most offensive categories for shortstops, as shown below:

Scheduled to hit free agency following the upcoming season, Desmond is a prime trade chip for the Washington Nationals. Sure, it won’t be easy to replace his production, but the potential haul is certainly worth it.

One team reportedly interested in the 29-year-old is the Seattle Mariners, tweets ESPN’s Jim Bowden:

Seattle’s interest in Desmond is interesting considering the team has young shortstops in Chris Taylor and Brad Miller, who both have the potential to be solid major leaguers in the near future. Of course, neither gives the Mariners the immediate production that Desmond would.

Even in a down year, Desmond was a top-five shortstop in baseball last season. Seattle would benefit from adding that type of bat to the lineup, especially after adding Nelson Cruz.

This team isn’t far from a playoff berth. Another right-handed bat would aid the cause. This would also give the Mariners the flexibility to trade Taylor or Miller to a shortstop-deprived team in hopes of adding talent at first base or in the outfield.

One of Seattle’s young shortstops would have to go back to Washington in the deal. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo would likely ask for Taijuan Walker or James Paxton back as well, but Bowden’s report clearly indicates that Seattle doesn’t want to part with either.

Rizzo would do well to acquire Miller or Taylor and Roenis Elias from the Mariners in exchange for Desmond. Elias, a 26-year-old lefty, posted an ERA under four in over 160 innings in his rookie campaign.

Justin Morneau

Justin Morneau, the top hitter in the National League last year with a .319 batting average, is one of the few power-hitting first basemen who could be available on the market this winter.

The Miami Marlins, who have already shown commitment to improvement by acquiring Dee Gordon and Dan Haren, may not be done making moves yet. Tom Singer of MLB.com tweets that Miami has shown interest in the 33-year-old:

First base was an issue for the Marlins last season. The position produced a 0.1 WAR last season, per FanGraphs, so it’s obvious that the team will seek an upgrade. Morneau produced an .860 OPS and hit 17 big flies last year. He’s definitely an upgrade. 

His age is an issue, however, and CBS Sports’ Chris Towers tweeted his opinions on the matter:

Morneau’s production last season should quell most of the worries regarding his age, but the fact that he’s reached the 150-game mark only once (2013) since 2009 is alarming.

Even still, the Marlins know there aren’t too many options left. President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill told Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald just that.

“The focus is narrowing,” Hill said. “The field of candidates we are considering is narrowing. In situations where there are potential deals, the structure of the deals are becoming more defined.”

Morneau is a clear fit in a lineup slowly becoming more impressive, but it’s unclear as to why the deal could be falling apart. Miami doesn’t have much to deal, but there is still some young talent in the system who should interest the Colorado Rockies.

Given Miami’s aggressiveness this winter, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them strike a deal.

Erisbel Arruebarrena

ESPN reports that Jimmy Rollins has finally been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, meaning that young Erisbel Arruebarrena is now expendable. 

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweets that the team is willing to move him:

Not many people are familiar with Arruebarrena, a Cuban defector who is 24 years of age and has one of the most impressive gloves in the minors. MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo heard from a scout about his skills prior to when he signed in February:

He’s a very good defensive player. His glove is very close to the big leagues. The bat, you kind of think he’s one of those guys who’ll bat down in the order. He can really play shortstop, if that’s the type of player you’re interested in. He’ll be a quality defensive shortstop in the Major Leagues, but you wonder if he’s going to hit. Some of the others who have come recently – Jose Iglesias, Adeiny Hechavarria — I felt more confident about the bat.

Even a player who doesn’t hit incredibly well has value at the shortstop position, especially for the dollar amount that he is owed moving forward.

Several teams have major holes at the position. There should be no shortage of interest in Arruebarrena as a result. The Dodgers aren’t a team with many holes following their many splashes in San Diego, but there’s always a need for young pitching.

One team with an excess of young arms is the New York Mets. Rafael Montero would presumably interest Los Angeles, and a deal centered around him makes sense.

Some are already preparing for Arruebarrena to be dealt to the Mets, even if there has been nothing on the subject as of yet. Michael Mayer of MetsmerizedOnline.com is one of those people:

There’s really no pressing need for the Dodgers to move Arruebarrena, so don’t expect them to settle. They’ll talk business if the Mets come calling, but nothing is close to imminent.

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Are there any MLB players left to trade?

With winter meetings closing shop on Thursday, teams decided to throw a massive going-away party in San Diego. A frenzy of deals hit the fan before concluding the convention, spawning many of the offseason’s hottest rumors.

Constant chatter on the Yoenis Cespedes front halted when the Boston Red Sox finally dealt him for starting pitcher Rick Porcello. As had been speculated, the Cincinnati Reds shipped out Mat Latos, and the Los Angeles sent Matt Kemp packing to San Diego.

However, not every general manager crossed all the items off their to-do list. Teams don’t just unplug the phones until July’s deadline, so moves will still surface before Opening Day.

Here’s a look at some buzz that didn’t materialize during the winter meetings.

Mariners Desire Ian Desmond

For a team with two interesting options at shortstop, the Seattle Mariners are awfully interested in upgrading.

Brad Miller and Chris Taylor each posted a 1.4 WAR last season. Although Taylor benefited from a lofty .398 batting average on balls in play (BABIP), Miller struggled due to his low .268 BABIP.

Yet, Miller hit .221/.288/.355, while Taylor contributed zero home runs and a .346 slugging percentage. Hungry to contend, the Mariners would rather upgrade to Ian Desmond than let their young players develop. Per Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Washington Nationals are listening due to interest in Miller.

ESPN’s Jim Bowden later added that young starting pitchers Taijuan Walker and James Paxton are off the table for Washington’s shortstop.

Although Desmond has his flaws—particularly a 28.2 strikeout percentage last year—he’s also the only shortstop riding a streak of three straight 20/20 seasons. No shortstop possesses a better WAR during those years.

So why would Washington consider moving him on after winning the National League East? His slugging percentage has deteriorated in each of the last two campaigns, and he’s due for a massive raise when his contract expires next year.

The addition of Nelson Cruz alongside Robinson Cano shows Seattle is clearly sick of slumbering in October. Given the sheer scarcity at shortstop, the playoff hopeful might have to shell out one of those young arms in order to land Desmond.

Marlins Seeking Justin Morneau

On the heels of signing Giancarlo Stanton to a historic extension, the Miami Marlins have flicked their switch back to spending mode. Gearing up for another playoff push, they acquired Dee Gordon and Mat Latos.

Gradually morphing into a dangerous club, the Marlins could use some reinforcements at first base, where they received a .715 OPS and 98 Weighted Runs Created (wRC+). General manager Dan Jennings is aware of that hole, and he has a solution in mind.

MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reported Miami’s interest in Morneau on Wednesday night. The next day, however, Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel deflated those hopes with a sobering update.

After registering a combined 0.2 WAR from 2011 to 2013, the former American League MVP rebounded in a massive way last season, hitting .319/.364/.496 for the Colorado Rockies. Buying a Colorado slugger always brings regression fears to the surface, but Morneau hit .309/.364/.475 away from Coors Field in 2014, albeit with only six home runs.

His .665 OPS against left-handed pitching creates more concern, and a prudent organization would consider platooning the veteran, who turns 34 in May.

The Marlins are on an odd cycle of pinching every penny while building from within and throwing caution to the wind when the potential for better days enters their peripheral vision. With one year remaining on his contract, Morneau represents a stopgap who would generate much less power in Marlins Park.

They shouldn’t fret about missing out on Morneau, especially if he would have cost them another top-tier prospect.

Dodgers Will Make Erisbel Arruebarrena Available

Andrew Friedman wasted no time getting down to business, retooling the Los Angeles Dodgers with a slew of offseason transactions.

Los Angeles will enter 2015 with a new double-play pairing up the middle, acquiring Howie Kendrick and Jimmy Rollins to replace the departed Dee Gordon and Hanley Ramirez. That still leaves shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena on the outside looking in next year.

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers will now shop the international free agent less than a year after signing him.

Jumping around four different minor league levels, the 24-year-old hit .259/.304/.417 last season, inflicting the most damage while up in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Nobody ever expected any offense from him, but he remains a defensive wizard at a position where premium bats are almost impossible to find.

Despite never playing an MLB game, he’ll earn $22 million over the next four years, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. While teams may balk at awarding that sum to someone with no experience, other organizations could see a cost-effective asset who will come cheaper than any free-agent alternative.

Since Rollins has one year left on the contract, the Dodgers are one of few teams who could eat Arruebarrena’s salary for another season to keep him around for 2016.

Note: All advanced statistics are courtesy of FanGraphs.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

A lot of talented MLB trade targets are still available after the winter meetings in San Diego came to a close Thursday afternoon.

True, the annual summit filled Twitter feeds across the country with arguably more news than any one person could conceivably digest in four days. For a rundown of the winners and losers of the four-day melee, see this post by Bleacher Report’s Jason Catania.

That said, we are here to look at the top 15 trade targets left after the dust settled.

To be clear, only players who had active rumors tied to them during the winter meetings will be included. That way, names aren’t randomly selected off MLB rosters.

Each player will be ranked based on bWAR (Baseball-Reference’s version of wins above replacement). This gives the list some structure, as several of the players are within decimal points of each other, and we are not about to debate the inherent value of a catcher against that of a left-handed reliever.

Beginning with two players who did not make the list, here are the top 15 targets potentially available via trade following the MLB winter meetings.

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With the 2014 winter meetings having come to an end, the New York Mets did not control the majority of the baseball headlines this week. The Mets, though, did not go into the winter meetings with a big agenda of tasks to complete. There were only a few particular areas the Mets really needed to look into, and they accomplished some, but not all, of their goals this week.

About a month ago, the Mets’ offseason began with the signing of outfielder Michael Cuddyer to a two-year contract. At the winter meetings this week, the only notable Mets headlines included the re-signing of left-handed reliever Scott Rice to a minor league contract and the signing of outfielder John Mayberry Jr. to a one-year deal to be a right-handed bat off the bench.

With Mayberry, the Mets addressed their lack of right-handed bench depth. However, there are still three other particular roster areas to address before spring training.

The first issue is the rest of the bench. Do the Mets want to stick with the bench depth they already have, or will they look at free agency for other options?

Along with Mayberry, the Mets bench right now should consist of Anthony Recker, Ruben Tejada, Eric Campbell and Matt den Dekker. While Kirk Nieuwenhuis could be another bench candidate, the Mets could still look at free agency for more potential depth. Again, the bench may look set now, but don’t be surprised if the Mets sign another hitter for more bench depth.

The second issue has to do with left-handed relievers. The Mets do not have another left-handed reliever in the bullpen aside from Josh Edgin. During the winter meetings, the Mets checked in on left-handed free-agent relievers, including Craig Breslow, Neal Cotts and Phil Coke.

Mets did meet with Neal Cotts’ reps yesterday I’m told. Met with Breslow as you know. Seems neither are likely options though.

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) December 10, 2014

Mets have cast wide net on lefty relievers. Told nobody in that group stands out and nothing’s close. Not engaged with Phil Coke.

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) December 10, 2014

#Mets have had preliminary contact with free-agent LH reliever Phil Coke, but no substantive discussions yet. @FOXSports

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 10, 2014

However, right now, it does not seem too likely that any of these southpaws will end up signing with the Mets.

The third and most significant issue, though, resides at the shortstop position. Will the Mets stick with Wilmer Flores as the everyday starter? Does Ruben Tejada still have a shot to start? Or will the Mets sign or trade for a different shortstop?

Nothing is for sure just yet. No one on the Mets has confirmed anyone being a definitive starter at this point, so time will tell how it ends up working out.

But it seems like no matter what, any shortstop upgrade that may occur will not be the significant upgrade that fans are probably hoping for.

For those asking about Troy Tulowitzki, Starlin Castro, Elvis Andrus, etc., forget it. Sandy Alderson says any SS upgrade would be modest.

— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) December 9, 2014

There is still a lot of time, but unless the they end up pulling off some sort of unforeseen trade, Flores will most likely be the Mets’ starting shortstop on Opening Day.

As far as trading current Mets elsewhere goes, the team is looking to move Dillon Gee with all the excess pitching it has. However, despite quite a few different teams showing interest in Gee, there has not been too much progress on this just yet.

As @Jim_Duquette just said on air, up to 6 teams on Gee

— Andy Martino (@MartinoNYDN) December 10, 2014

#Rockies and #Twins have spoken to #Mets about Dillon Gee, sources say. #Rangers have been involved, too. No deal imminent.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 10, 2014

#SFGiants are among teams that have checked in with #Mets on Dillon Gee, sources say.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 10, 2014

Hopefully, the Mets will end up getting a trade done for Gee so that there aren’t too many roster issues by spring training. The Mets could look to move Bartolo Colon as well, but it will probably be tougher to move him at the age of 41.

All in all, the Mets’ 2015 roster looks pretty set in most areas, but a few more notable moves should still occur by March.

For a grade, I’d give the Mets’ offseason thus far a “B” for addressing some of the team’s needs, while there are still other areas to address before spring training.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

After starting out slow on Monday and then building to a magnificent crescendo by mid-day Thursday, Major League Baseball’s winter meetings are over.

Now that the flurry—nay, absolute avalanche—of signings and trades in San Diego are complete, here’s the question: Are you all caught up on the transaction action?

If not, don’t worry: We’re here to run through a bunch of the winners and losers from one of the most hectic, chaotic and, most of all, exciting stretches of moves the sport has seen since the July 31 trade deadline.

Phew!

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As Day 2 of the 2014 Major League Baseball winter meetings winds down in San Diego, rumors are swirling like so many late-autumn leaves.

The fate of Jon Lester, arguably the biggest prize in a rich free-agent pitching market, remains in the air as of this writing. And there’s plenty of other innuendo and scuttlebutt (gotta love those “well-placed sources” and “people familiar with the team’s thinking”) to go around.

Amid the rampant hot-stove speculation, however, actual deals have been consummated. Let’s examine the most recent moves and run through some notes and rumblings, with the obvious caveat that everything can change in a hurry—which is what makes all of this fun.

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The start of the MLB season is still months away, but rumors surrounding some of the biggest stars are already getting chaotic. No player is safe during the winter meetings, including some of the most notable names for franchises.

Two of the most heralded players on the market are Matt Kemp and Justin Upton. The two sluggers have lit up the West Coast and East Coast, respectively, and might be on the move during the offseason.

Whether it’s during the winter meetings or after, myriad players will be relocating ahead of the 2015 season. Here’s a look at the latest rumors coming out of San Diego.

Matt Kemp

Even a great end to the 2014 season hasn’t saved Kemp from being involved in trade rumors.

The two-time All-Star outfielder was riddled with injuries during 2013, but he bounced back last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Finishing at .287/.346/.506 with 25 home runs and 89 RBI, Kemp has become a hot commodity.

While several teams were initially looking to land the power hitter, just one remains in the hunt. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the latest on the San Diego Padres’ interest in Kemp:

If there’s one thing the Padres lineup lacks, it’s pop. Kemp would immediately bring that to the middle of the order. In fact, he had more homers last season (25) than the entire projected outfield for San Diego of Seth Smith, Will Venable and Carlos Quentin (24).

Making this trade also seems like a win-win for L.A. as well with a loaded outfield already in Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford and Andre Either. It also leaves a spot for Joc Pederson, who finished last season with 33 homers with Triple-A Albuquerque.

If the Dodgers get an impressive package back, they would have even more assets to add to Pederson. For the Padres, the franchise would be able to insert a key bat into the lineup and add a superstar—who is still only 30 years old—to the roster.

Justin Upton

Jason Heyward might not be the only notable name leaving the Atlanta Braves this offseason. Upton’s name has been in rumors for a while now, but it appears talks are heating up at the winter meetings.

However, the haul that the Braves received for Heyward might not be matched by other teams interested in Upton. Heyman, who’s been a busy man during the meetings, has the latest on Upton:

The Braves believe they should get more for Justin Upton than they got from the Cardinals for Jason Heyward.

Rival executives agree with that. Upton, due to better power and overall offense, is worth more than Heyward.

But here’s the problem: Executives also believe the Braves got too much for Heyward, a defensive specialist whose offensive numbers are declining a bit. They see young pitcher Shelby Miller as an overpay, so no one wants to do better than that yet.

Heyman goes on to mention that the Seattle Mariners were reluctant to trade Taijuan Walker, who might be a comparable asset for Upton. Given the slugger’s talent, getting a great prospect in return seems like the only way he’s leaving Atlanta.

After hitting 29 homers and 102 RBI last year, the Braves should get a huge return for him on the market. However, finding a partner willing to pull the trigger might make this deal wait until desperation sets in ahead of the trade deadline.

Marlon Byrd

On a slightly smaller scale, Marlon Byrd has put up similar numbers to both of the previously mentioned players. Being with the Philadelphia Phillies, however, has kept him out of the spotlight recently.

With the Phillies potentially looking to trade quite a few assets, Byrd has been a popular name. Rosenthal passes along the latest on Byrd’s likely destination if he’s moved:

When looking at the numbers, Byrd had a great season last year with a .264 average, 25 homers and 85 RBI. However, being 37 years old might cause some drawback for teams looking to build a franchise for the future.

For a team like the Baltimore Orioles, they have a huge hole to fill after losing both Nick Markakis and Nelson Cruz to free agency. Landing in Baltimore seems like a perfect fit, but there are several other contending teams that might inquire about the slugger.

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