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Can you feel that? The buzz in the air? Can you hear the whispers and negotiations and deals going down?

That’s just the winter meetings in baseball starting to really heat up, as free-agent signings and trades are going down left and right. And that means for every completed deal, there are five times the number of rumors making the rounds. 

Below, you’ll find a few of the juiciest ones out there.

Miguel Montero

One of the players who has been popping up left and right in trade rumors is Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero. It now appears as though the Chicago Cubs are closing on the two-time All-Star, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today:

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports adds:

Montero, who hit .243 this past season with 13 home runs and 72 RBI, was previously the subject of trade rumors between the Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers, with outfielder Andre Ethier the rumored piece to be heading back to Arizona, per Drew Silva of Hardball Talk. That deal was reportedly nixed by Arizona ownership, though Arizona’s chief baseball officer, Tony La Russa, denied that claim, per Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.com:

Ah, what a tangled web we weave.

Regardless, Montero would be another piece for a Cubs team that has been busy this offseason, hiring Joe Maddon to be their new manager. Plus, the team is reportedly in the running to bring back Jason Hammel, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago, and should have the financial wiggle room to make a push for Jon Lester, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.

With so much young talent in place and veteran additions like Montero and Hammel improving the squad, the Cubs could make some noise in 2015.

Justin Upton and Evan Gattis

One team that might be positioning itself as sellers, however, is the Atlanta Braves. The team already moved on from Jason Heyward this offseason, and now Justin Upton and Evan Gattis could be the next players out the door, though indications suggest Upton is the more likely player to be moved.

Mark Bowman of MLB.com has more:

Buster Olney of ESPN is hearing something a bit different on Gattis, though:

After finishing a disappointing and surprising 79-83 last season, it seems the Braves are considering undergoing a rebuilding period. It isn’t hard to see why teams would be interested in Upton and Gattis, either:

Upton is still just 27 years old and one of the more well-rounded stars in baseball, so if he is indeed on the market, far more than three teams should be knocking on Atlanta’s door. The 28-year-old Gattis has hit 43 home runs in his two seasons, meanwhile, showing excellent pop for a catcher that will make him an attractive target for teams.

If the Braves indeed are looking to rebuild, both Upton and Gattis should get them nice returns. It remains to be seen just how far the Braves will go to reshape their team, however, and whether the Heyward trade was more about retooling or the beginning of a full rebuild.

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The pitching market has mostly been at a standstill this offseason with Jon Lester being the presumed catalyst to increased talks on other arms, but the latest MLB trade rumors suggest that several premier arms could be on the move in the near future.

It naturally takes just one domino to fall to start a chain reaction. Once Lester signs, which should be sometime Tuesday, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney, increased talks between teams regarding viable arms will occur.

After watching the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals dominate through the postseason because of pitching, expect teams to put an emphasis on improving their staffs. That’ll result in bidding or trade wars for the best available talent.

Below is the latest chatter regarding several pitching options from the 2014 winter meetings in San Diego.

C.J. Wilson

A surprise addition to the rumor mill, Los Angeles Angels lefty C.J. Wilson has had his name pop up in talks during the early stages of the winter meetings.

MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez tweets that the team has received interest from a few clubs:

But what good is a rumor without a high-ranking executive saying it isn’t true? Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweeted a quote that Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto told him about Wilson:

Believe who you’d like to, but it’s honestly tough to picture the Angels dealing away one of their top arms. Garrett Richards is a major injury concern entering the 2015 season, nobody knows if Matt Shoemaker will post the same dominant numbers and Jered Weaver’s drop in velocity is bound to catch up to him eventually. Plus Tyler Skaggs will miss all of next season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Of course, the evaluation of any trade cannot occur until we find out which players are being talked about in return.

It appears as if the Angels would be selling low on Wilson if he’s moved. He posted a 4.51 ERA (4.31 FIP) over 175.2 innings, walking 4.35 batters per nine innings and producing a WAR of just 0.6, per FanGraphs.

Wilson is owed $38 million over the next two seasons, meaning a potential deal would probably be a type of salary dump. The Halos really don’t have a pressing need in the lineup or in the bullpen, and you can never have too many arms. You certainly wouldn’t trade Wilson for bench depth, because that area of the team can be addressed during free agency.

There are very few possible scenarios in which the Angels would benefit from trading Wilson this offseason. 

Dillon Gee

A far more likely arm to be dealt is Dillon Gee, the five-year veteran with good back-end stuff from the New York Mets. He’s just 28, under team control for two more years and can eat innings when healthy.

ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin reports that Gee is the most likely to be dealt from the trio of himself, Jon Niese and Bartolo Colon: “The Mets are aggressively shopping Dillon Gee to teams in need of a starting pitcher, a high-ranking source at the winter meetings told ESPNNewYork.com.”

Rubin writes that the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers have both expressed interest in Gee.

Gee has only posted a career WAR of 2.5 over parts of five seasons in the bigs, per FanGraphs, so it’s unlikely that he’d draw a huge coup for the Mets. Of course, the organization in rich in pitching talent, so any haul would be beneficial.

Jared Diamond of The Wall Street Journal tweets that the Amazins definitely won’t be able to address their hole at shortstop by dealing Gee:

They could instead look to acquire bullpen or bench depth, or simply a mid-level prospect who can play the outfield.

Having excess pitching is never a problem. The Mets will improve through trading one (or more) of their veteran starters. It all comes down to what areas they are able to address relative to the available free agents, though.

Matt Harvey’s return gives the organization high hopes for 2015, but the Mets won’t be able to compete if they run out the same lousy offense that they did in 2014.

Cole Hamels

Cole Hamels is one of the many fallback options for the unfortunate teams unable to land Lester, and the Boston Red Sox would definitely be a threat to the rest of the pack in negotiations.

They have a wealth of young talent to offer, including (but not limited to) Xander Bogaerts, Henry Owens, Mookie Betts, Deven Marrero, Matt Barnes, Garin Cecchini and Blake Swihart. All of them are potential impact players at the next level.

Swihart plays a premium position, and the catcher is an attractive bargaining chip should the Red Sox show a willingness to move him. ESPNBoston.com’s Gordon Edes reports that such action probably won’t be necessary, however:

Reading critically helps us to see that the Philadelphia Phillies wouldn’t insist on Swihart. The Red Sox could presumably get a deal done without him, but it might take a higher volume of players. That’s something the organization could be skeptical of doing.

Including Swihart would likely make the Phils more apt to trade, especially with Carlos Ruiz on his last legs and no in-house candidate ready to immediately take over. Cameron Rupp, currently Ruiz’s backup, has shown little skill offensively in the minors or majors.

Hamels is the crown jewel of the trade market when it comes to pitchers. It goes without saying that he’s one of the top southpaws in the game because of his control and ability to get hitters out with his changeup.

He hasn’t started less than 30 games since 2007 and has been considered for the National League Cy Young four times in his career. Those are all the positives.

The negatives really only include the length and value of his current deal. He has $94 million in future salaries through the 2018 season, plus he also has a $20 million team option (or a $24 million vesting option) for the 2019 season, per Baseball-Reference.

This contract could prevent the Phils from getting a blockbuster-type haul, unless, of course, the organization shows a willingness to pick up part of the tab.

Boston appears to be one of the best fits for the player and the organizations involved, so this is a situation to monitor closely in the coming weeks. 

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn

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As the MLB winter meetings kick off in San Diego this week, the Los Angeles Dodgers seem primed to pull the trigger on a trade.

Who that trade will involve remains to be seen, but chances are that one of the team’s high-priced outfielders may be on his way out the door. Various reports out of Southern California indicate that Matt Kemp is drawing the most interest from around the league after his resurgent 2014 campaign.

But the front-office tandem of Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi may be more interested in dealing Andre Ethier or Carl Crawford, both left-handed hitting outfielders whose contracts are worth more than their recent production on the field.

It appeared that Los Angeles had actually worked out a trade that would have sent Ethier to the Arizona Diamondbacks for catcher Miguel Montero, but Arizona ownership stepped in and nixed the exchange, per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

There was also a report from USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale that the Dodgers were aggressively pursuing Chicago White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez in a trade in order to replace Hanley Ramirez.

However, the possibility of handing over prospects for what will probably amount to a one-year placeholder for top prospect Corey Seager makes it more likely that Los Angeles rolls the dice with in-house shortstops such as Miguel Rojas and Erisbel Arruebarrena in 2015.

Dumping salary seems to be near the top of the Dodgers’ priority list this winter, and it’s very conceivable that the team may make a trade in order to bolster the back end of the starting rotation.

Let’s take a look at three realistic trade targets for Los Angeles as hot-stove action at the winter meetings continues to gain more traction.

Taijuan Walker

It’s been confirmed multiple times now: The Seattle Mariners have their eye on Matt Kemp.

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports first publicized the interest last November, and then Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported that the outfielder’s name came up again in the Pacific Northwest before last season’s trade deadline.

With the Dodgers making it known that they are looking to rid themselves of a large outfielder contract as soon as possible, it comes as no surprise that the Mariners recently entered negotiations. 

According to Bob Dutton of The News Tribune, the Dodgers inquired about two of Seattle’s talented, young starting pitchers.

The Mariners were close to a deal to land Kemp before the Dodgers, on reflection, insisted that either Taijuan Walker or James Paxton be included in the swap. 

Since the Mariners backed off when, at that point, they hadn’t yet signed Cruz, they seem less likely now to buckle. That suggests a deal could hinge on what offers the Dodgers get from other clubs.

These talks occurred before the Mariners signed outfielder Nelson Cruz, so they may be less willing to part with Walker or Paxton now that a coveted right-handed power bat is in the fold.

Walker, 22, compiled a 2.61 ERA in 38 major league innings last season, striking out 34 and walking 18. Since the Dodgers already have two quality lefties in their rotation with Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu, targeting Walker in a trade makes more sense as a way to balance the left-handed starters with right-handers.

Los Angeles will probably continue to dangle a seemingly revitalized Kemp in front of the Mariners during the next few days, and it’s entirely possible that these two teams reopen negotiations.

Andrew Cashner

The San Diego Padres have also been linked to Matt Kemp in recent days. According to Nightengale, the team that plays a few blocks away from where the winter meetings are heating up appears to be a front-runner to land the high-priced outfielder.

Nightengale mentions catcher Yasmani Grandal as the key piece that Los Angeles would be receiving in the potential trade, but he also notes that another player may be heading the Dodgers’ way.

The identity of this other player is unknown, but it would make sense for Los Angeles to pursue starting pitcher Andrew Cashner. Similar to Seattle’s Walker, Cashner represents another talented right-hander who turned in an impressive 2014 season and could fit perfectly into the back of the Dodgers rotation.

Cashner struck out 93 batters and walked just 29 in 123.1 innings of work, putting together a 2.55 ERA in the process. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2013, the 28-year-old has posted a 2.96 ERA in 51 starts while holding opponents to a .234 batting average.

He won’t become free agent-eligible for two more years and is due to make $3-4 million in 2015, a price range that would fit perfectly into the Dodgers’ cost-saving approach.

Cole Hamels

The flashiest trade target for the Dodgers is Philadelphia Phillies ace Cole Hamels, but any deal to pry him away from The City of Brotherly Love would require Friedman and Zaidi to part with multiple prospects whom they love.

Los Angeles engaged the Phillies for Hamels at the trade deadline last season to no avail. According to Nightengale (h/t Dave Cameron of FanGraphs), Philadelphia’s general manager, Ruben Amaro Jr., demanded the Dodgers’ prospect trifecta of Seager, Joc Pederson and pitching phenom Julio Urias.

Los Angeles was reluctant to meet the Phillies’ high asking price, but a recent Nightengale report claiming that talks are reopened seems to indicate that Philadelphia has perhaps tempered its wish list.

Hamels is owed $90 million over the next four seasons ($110 million if his 2019 option is picked up). The 30-year-old southpaw compiled a 2.46 ERA in 204.2 innings last season and has been one of the most consistently successful pitchers throughout the last half-decade.

Rosenthal last week offered further details about a possible Hamels-to-Los Angeles trade.

The Dodgers could acquire Hamels without his consent — they are not one of the 20 teams on his no-trade list, according to sources. The team could even expand the deal to include shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who would be an appealing one-year bridge to Seager. Rollins, 36, has full no-trade protection as a player with 10 years of service and five consecutive with the same club, but might approve a deal to a large market such as Los Angeles.

The Dodgers may be particularly interested in a proven winner like Hamels because of the strong likelihood that Zack Greinke will opt out of his current contract following the 2015 season. Fitting Hamels in Dodger Blue would provide some comfort in the event that Greinke does indeed walk next winter.

Hamels in Los Angeles also ensures that the Dodgers’ starting rotation next season would be one of the most fearsome in recent memory.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference unless otherwise linked/noted.

Follow @NickOstiller

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With the MLB winter meetings starting recently, the number of rumors around the game has skyrocketed. It is all quite consuming, actually.

From the trade of Brandon Moss from the Oakland A’s to the Cleveland Indians (first reported by Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan) to the rumors regarding Jeff Samardzija (we’ll get to that in a second), the baseball world is flush with speculation.

Here are three MLB trade scenarios based on actual need and published rumors from the last week. 

The following proposals are nothing more than speculation. The point here is to build a trade based on someone else’s written or spoken word.

They are balanced deals that are fair for each team, taking into consideration each franchise’s strengths and weaknesses. They are also independent of one another. Each trade presented is a singular move and does not take into account any of the other proposals put forward.

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Major League Baseball’s annual winter meetings are nearly upon us, with the events to be held on Dec. 8-11 in San Diego, California.

With front-office personnel and executives present from all 30 teams, the winter meetings typically produce both high-profile free-agent signings and blockbuster trades. And with every team evaluating their rosters for the 2015 season, prospects are often the deciding factor when it comes to an offseason deal.

In recent years, we’ve seen more and more teams be willing to trade their top prospects, like when the Royals dealt Wil Myers and Jake Odorizzi to the Rays prior to the 2013 season, which was also the same offseason that the Blue Jays sent Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud to the Mets.

And even though the deals that transpired last offseason didn’t involve as many big-name prospects, we still saw numerous highly regarded young talents, such as Matt Davidson, Michael Choice, Jesse Hahn and Robbie Ray, get moved in exchange for veteran players.

We’ve already seen notable prospects such as Tyrell Jenkins, Devon Travis and Robbie Ray (again) get included in trades this offseason, but so far, none of the deals have involved an elite prospect.

Similarly, there haven’t been many substantiated trade rumors so far involving prospects. However, that’s not to say the rumors aren’t out there.

Here’s a look at five top prospects who could be dealt during next week’s winter meetings.

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Major League Baseball’s offseason is more than a month old, but there’s no shortage of rumors and speculation—and questions—around a number of free agents and trade candidates, as well as teams’ objectives and plans of attack.

Some of the latest center on the plans of the deep-pocketed Los Angeles Dodgers, the fallout in Oakland from the Josh Donaldson trade and what Chase Headley is worth on the open market.

Having covered a number of topics last time, what better way to continue taking the temperature of the hot stove than by running through a batch of the hottest questions to cover the latest potential transaction action across the sport?

See, that’s a question in and of itself, although the four to follow are a bit more meaningful. Promise.

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With the winter meetings beginning Sunday in San Diego, the trade talk around MLB is going to reach a fever pitch soon enough (not that there aren’t a bevy of rumors currently making their way around Twitter).

To that end, here are three MLB trade scenarios based on actual need and published rumors from the last week. 

As a standard note, the following proposals are nothing more than speculation. The point here is to build a trade based on someone else’s written or spoken word.

They are balanced deals that are fair for each team, taking into consideration each franchise’s strengths and weaknesses. They are also independent of one another. Each trade presented is a singular move and does not take into account any of the other proposals put forward.

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The 2014-15 MLB offseason is just getting started. The winter meetings begin Dec. 7 in San Diego, but even that much-scrutinized annual confab is usually more about laying groundwork than swinging massive deals.

Gabe Lacques of USA Today put it bluntly, calling the meetings “arguably baseball’s most overhyped event.”

Still, the hot stove crackled in November. Speculation swirled, a handful of top-tier free agents fell off the board, and the lid was popped on blockbuster swaps.

As Lacques noted in the same piece, with “several teams itching to spend and blue-chip players on the trade block,” this year’s meetings could be the exception to the all-talk, no-action rule.

As we wait for players, agents and executives to descend on Southern California, here are three early trends that offer grist for the rumor mill and insight into how the rest of the offseason will unfold.

Power Is in High Demand

It’s not just chicks who dig the long ball. So do major league general managers, as evidenced by the hefty contracts handed out thus far to the few power bats on the market.

It began with Victor Martinez, who barely had time to test the waters before the Detroit Tigers re-upped him for four years and $68 million on Nov. 12.

Martinez is coming off the best offensive season of his career, but he also turns 36 this month and is a defensive nonentity. That Detroit was willing to commit so many dollars and years so early in the process said a lot about the value of impact bats—namely, that it’s sky high.

Less than two weeks later, the Boston Red Sox made their twin splashes, inking Hanley Ramirez (four years, $88 million) and Pablo Sandoval (five years, $95 million).

Then, on Monday, the Seattle Mariners snatched up Nelson Cruz, according to Yancen Pujols of El Caribe (via Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes).

Like Martinez, Cruz is coming off an exemplary offensive campaign. But also like Martinez, he’s in his mid-30s and is limited defensively. And because he rejected the Baltimore Orioles’ qualifying offer, signing him meant forfeiting a draft pick.

Then there are the lingering questions about his PED use, which led to a 50-game suspension in 2013.

Still, Seattle handed Cruz $57 million and, more importantly, the four years he was seeking.

Add young Cuban slugger Yasmany Tomas (six years, $68.5 million from the Arizona Diamondbacks), Russell Martin (five years, $82 million from the Toronto Blue Jays), Adam LaRoche (two years, $25 million from the Chicago White Sox), Billy Butler (three years, $30 million from the Oakland A’s) and Michael Cuddyer (two years, $21 million from the New York Mets), and the bulk of the free-agent bats have been snatched up.

As Tyler Kepner of the New York Times notes:

The average major league team scored 4.07 runs per game in 2014, the lowest figure for a full season since 1976. The desperation for offense is reflected in this free-agent market. Teams have all but picked clean the hitters aisles, but the shelves are overflowing with pitchers.

Speaking of which…

There’s a Free-Agent Pitcher Logjam

This was supposed to be the offseason of the pitcher, and it still might be. But the glut of available arms has slowed the process as everyone waits for the marquee names to set the bar for everyone else.

Those names are ace-level studs like Max Scherzer and Jon Lester, who have drawn at least cursory interest from virtually every team with rotation holes to plug and two nickels to rub together.

After that, the market is flush with intriguing options: James Shields, Brandon McCarthy, Francisco Liriano, Ervin Santana…the list goes on.

Yet other than A.J. Burnett, who inked a modest one-year, $8.5 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, every free-agent hurler remains unsigned.

That’ll change, possibly as soon as the winter meetings. And expect Scherzer and Lester to land eye-popping, nine-figure deals; CBSSports.com‘s Jon Heyman hears the Chicago Cubs have already made Lester a six-year, $138 million offer.

Others, though, could see their value depleted by the high supply, especially Liriano and Santana, who rejected the qualifying offer and thus carry the dreaded draft-compensation stigma.

And what about Japan’s arm du jour, 26-year-old Kenta Maeda? Maeda twirled five scoreless frames against the MLB contingent in the recent exhibition Japan All-Star Series and may or may not be posted by the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of the Nippon Professional Baseball league.

Surely squads with visions of Yu Darvish and Masahiro Tanaka dancing in their heads would line up to woo a pitcher who MLB.com‘s Anthony Castrovince thinks “could slot into the top half of a rotation.”

For now, Maeda adds more uncertainty to an already uncertain picture.

Big Names Are on the Block

If there was any doubt this offseason would feature at least a few game-changing trades, the Oakland A’s erased it when they dealt third baseman Josh Donaldson to the Toronto Blue Jays.

The move, first reported by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, sent third baseman Brett Lawrie, right-hander Kendall Graveman, left-hander Sean Nolin and shortstop Franklin Barreto to Oakland.

It also sent a clear signal to every MLB executive: A’s general manager Billy Beane is ready to deal.

“We’ve spent a lot of minor league capital in the last couple years,” Beane told MLB Network (via HardballTalk). “Now, looking forward, I think we’ve got to be cognizant of the next couple years.”

If he was willing to give up Donaldson—a soon-to-be 29-year-old whose 6.4 WAR ranked sixth among MLB position players, per FanGraphs—who else might be on the block?

How about starter Jeff Samardzija, who Oakland acquired from the Cubs at the deadline last year?

John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group shot down a rumor that Samardzija was bound for the Atlanta Braves, but the right-hander has been linked to numerous other clubs and, with only one year left on his current deal, seems like an obvious sell-high candidate for Beane.

Oakland isn’t alone in dangling top-flight arms. As MLB.com‘s Castrovince reports, a gaggle of head-turning names—including Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies, Jordan Zimmermann of the Washington Nationals and Mat Latos of the Cincinnati Reds—are “at least open for discussion.”

As for hitters, the Atlanta Braves already sent Jason Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals and could be looking to move another young outfielder, Justin Upton. Upton smacked 29 home runs to go along with 102 RBI last season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, meanwhile, need to unload someone from their overcrowded outfield and appear to be listening on Matt Kemp, who enjoyed a bounce-back 2014 (25 HR, .287/.346/.506 slash line, 89 RBI) that makes him more than palatable, especially if L.A. is willing to eat some of the eight-year, $160 million contract he signed in November 2011.

Which players switch uniforms, and which keep their laundry, remains to be seen. What’s clear, though, is that this rapidly evolving offseason is about to get interesting—even more than it’s already been.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference unless otherwise noted.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The calendar has turned to December, bringing about unbearably cold climates and a flaming MLB hot stove.

As baseball fans found out last week, anything can happen during the offseason. In a stunning twist of events, the Oakland Athletics dealt third baseman Josh Donaldson to the Toronto Blue Jays for Brett Lawrie, 18-year-old shortstop Franklin Barreto and two pitching prospects. 

Wow, who saw that coming? Donaldson’s name never frequented the rumor mill, and for good reason. Not only was he the Oakland Athletics’ best player over the past two years, but only Mike Trout and Andrew McCutchen have netted a higher WAR since 2013.

After that blockbuster unfolded, let’s not steer away from marquee names who could change scenery by Opening Day. Two of the three following players play on a team that already made a seismic move, and the other plays for an aging squad that really ought to shake things up.

Justin Upton “Marked Man” on Trade Market

Five years from now, anybody who foreboded Justin Upton getting shopped at age 27 would have been declared insane. He hasn’t exactly lived up to the Ken Griffey Jr. comparison, but he remains a tremendous power bat after decking 29 homers in 2014.

The Atlanta Braves already sent Jason Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals for Shelby Miller, but that hasn’t locked down Upton’s spot in Atlanta’s outfield next season. According to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, several teams are clamoring for Upton, whom the Braves remain willing to sell.

With about 12 teams looking for an outfielder, and at least that many seeking that rarest of commodities, right-handed power, Upton is a marked man these days.

Word is, the Braves have been hit hard with Upton trade interest, and he could wind up with one of about a dozen other teams, assuming he is dealt (and that appears to be a likelihood now).

Heyman cited the Seattle Mariners as a top threat, as they could dangle Taijuan Walker or James Paxton. He believes Seattle is more likely to deal Walker but added that the team is reluctant to move either valuable young pitcher.

Whiffs remain a problem for Upton, who brandished a career-high 26.7 strikeout percentage in 2014. That excessive number of punchouts has contributed to a career .274 batting average, yet he’s managed to post a prolific .830 OPS. He has his limitations, and anyone about to give the moon for him should have pursued the younger, more defensively potent Heyward instead.

Yet power comes at a premium these days, and the righty‘s 133 weighted runs created plus (wRC+) rated 11th among all qualified outfielders. Suitors must beware valuing him as the superstar he was once expected to become and instead treat him as the three- to four-win asset he is.

Jeff Samardzija May Be Next Oakland Star on Move

Brad Pitt better get ready for Moneyball 2, where a scorned Billy Beane decides to watch Oakland burn after one disappointing postseason too many. After trading Donaldson, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported that the A’s general manager is not done.

“The Athletics, according to a major-league source, have at least one more significant trade brewing,” Rosenthal wrote. “The source went on to say, ‘This is Billy re-working the club.'”

It certainly looks like Jeff Samardzija is the next big name out. Heyman pinpointed the 29-year-old righty at the center of trade discussions.

A’s star right-hander Jeff Samardzija is in the middle of trade talk, rivals executives confirm. And his “hometown” Chicago White Sox are one of the teams talking to the A’s about Samardzija.

It’s no surprise considering Samardzija‘s available since Oakland nine possesses no less than nine viable starters following the big trade late Friday night, and Samardzija is due to become a free agent after the season, with no hope of the A’s re-signing him.

Without Donaldson and Yoenis Cespedes, the Athletics are in need of some serious offensive reinforcements. Even though they won’t retain Jon Lester, their rotation remains deep with Sonny Gray, Scott Kazmir, Drew Pomeranz, Jesse Chavez, Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin, the last two returning from Tommy John surgery.

“Hey, what about Upton?” you ask. John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group shut that pairing down:

Plenty of teams would love to acquire a rebranded Samardzija, who registered a 2.99 ERA last season behind a career-low 1.76 walks per nine innings. Although the White Sox won 73 games last year, they remain committed to fielding a winner, having already given Adam LaRoche and Zach Duke sizable free-agent deals.

Trading significant pieces for a pitcher under contract for one year, however, makes little sense for a team more than one player away from a title push. The Boston Globe‘s Nick Cafardo linked Samardzija to the Boston Red Sox, a much more logical fit given their surplus of position players and deep farm system.

Now that Beane is retooling, expect him to return the pitcher he rented in July.

Phillies Underwhelmed in Talks for Cole Hamels

Cole Hamels might exist as the anti-Donaldson, the star constantly mentioned in trade rumors who never gets moved anyway. According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, little is cooking on the Hamels front:

One of MLB’s most reliable aces, Hamels weaved a 2.46 ERA through 204.2 innings last season. Since 2010, only five starters have pitched more frames. Among those guys, only Clayton Kershaw and Felix Hernandez hold lower ERAs over that stretch.

The Philadelphia Phillies are understandably setting the bar high on Hamels, who turns 31 later this month. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has apparently expressed unwavering stubbornness to deal any of Philadelphia’s veterans. Stark also said the New York Yankees balked on shortstop Jimmy Rollins when finding out the general manager’s asking price.

If this sounds familiar, the Phillies reportedly wanted top prospect Aaron Judge from the Yankees in exchange for 37-year-old Marlon Byrd this past summer. One would think a last-place team saddled with overpriced players past their peak would eagerly desire a youth movement.

So far, Amaro remains content to wait out these tumultuous years. If he stands pat much longer, Hamels will become the only bargaining chip with any remaining trade value.

Note: All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Major League Baseball winter meetings are set to kick off in a week, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are likely to be active players in Southern California.

New president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi have already made several minor moves since taking over the front office in October, but there are still question marks facing the team in the midst of a culture shift.

Although the Dodgers are still one of the richest organizations in baseball, the tactic of throwing money at elite free agents has seemingly been replaced by a more analytical and cost-effective approach to improving the team.

Here are five predictions for what Los Angeles will ultimately decide to do at the upcoming winter meetings.

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