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This week saw the annual GM meetings take place in Orlando, and while there is not as much activity as the winter meetings as far as actual transactions go, this is often when the groundwork for later deals is laid.

As a result, the rumor mill has kicked into full swing the past few days—both on the trade market and free-agent fronts—and sorting through all of the news is no easy task.

With that in mind, here is a look at the latest free-agent or trade buzz surrounding each of the 30 MLB teams here in the middle of November.

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Welcome to Major League Baseball’s crazy season. With the league’s general managers and other front-office personnel descending upon the unsuspecting folks in Orlando, MLB‘s hot-stove movement is just getting ready to heat up as the weather cools down.

And while the free-agent class leaves something to be desired—it’s deep, but not top-heavy—the trade season will keep the coals burning, if recent rumors are any indication. Actually, now that we’ve witnessed the Pittsburgh Pirates make the playoffs during a campaign the New York Yankees did not, I’m about 95 percent certain we won’t make it to Christmas.

But until the apocalypse rains down, let us pretend the MLB trade season will go off without a hitch. In years where free agency leaves a bit to be desired, contending teams start working the phones harder and earlier than ever. 

It seems the story of 2013 will be that of starting pitching. Beyond Masahiro Tanaka, the Japanese righty who may break all kinds of posting records, the starter market is decidedly dry. When guys like Ubaldo Jimenez, Ervin Santana and Matt Garza—good pitchers but ones with noticeable warts—start throwing around $15 million a season as a starting price, it might be time to look elsewhere.

Luckily, there seems to be no shortage of available stars. Teams looking to move away from contracts or just avoid arbitration have begun quietly shopping their arms, and the talent ranges from Cy Young worthy to mid-rotation stopgap.  

With that in mind, let’s take a look around the rumor mill and highlight the latest rumblings from Orlando.

Scherzer or Porcello on the Outs in Detroit?

Just a little less than two months after winning their third straight AL Central title, the Tigers are in a state of transition. Jim Leyland, the longtime chain-smoking, curse-word-spouting, fun-as-hell manager of the Tigers for whom an entire sports blog can be made, retired after the team’s ALCS ouster. Succeeding Leyland is Brad Ausmus, who has as much MLB managerial experience as I do.

While much of the cast will likely be the same in 2014, management is quietly making it clear the manager won’t be the only thing changing in the Detroit dugout. Specifically, the Tigers are open to uncluttering their pitching rotation—and a Cy Young contender might be on the move.

CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reported Monday that both Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello could be had for the right price:

Scherzer, of course, is coming off a season in which he won 21 games and was the Tigers’ ace over Justin Verlander during the regular season. The flame-throwing righty, always with talent but never quite with good enough results, struck out 240 batters in 214.1 innings and had a 0.97 WHIP. It would befuddle the masses if Scherzer didn’t walk away with the Cy Young; he’s someone the statheads and traditionalists can agree on.

So, why the trade? In a word: money.

Scherzer is arbitration-eligible this winter, and he’s hitting that stretch at the exact perfect moment. He’s coming off the best season of his career, at a time when pitching comes at a premium and would almost certainly walk away with a nine-figure contract if he were on the open market. Although the Tigers retain Scherzer‘s rights for 2014, he can hit free agency next winter. With the two sides yet to discuss a long-term extension, it only makes sense that Detroit explore Scherzer‘s value and see if a desperate team would cough up a couple of elite prospects.

As for Porcello, he’s probably the Tigers’ next option if the Scherzer waters prove tepid. Still just 24, Porcello doesn’t wow scouts with his velocity, ground-ball/fly-ball rates or even his ability to keep guys off base. But he’s been a three-win pitcher each of the past two seasons by staying merely pretty good, his underlying numbers suggest bad luck and, again, he’s only 24.

Assuming one of the two guys moves, I’d bet on Scherzer landing in a major market that misses out on a top-tier free agent. He’s due for a big deal that the Tigers don’t seem to want to pay, and there are enough teams that need a starter that something should work out.

Brett Anderson’s Fate Tied to Bartolo Colon?

It will never stop amazing me just how much injuries dictate a starting pitcher’s career. Take the case of Brett Anderson. In 2010, he was a wise-beyond-his years lefty who compiled a 2.80 ERA and 1.19 WHIP and was well on his way to being a three- or four-win player. Built in the mold of an evolutionary Mark Mulder, it looked like Anderson would be the latest young stud to develop in Oakland—right until he was a trade chip for the next crop of studs.

You know the rest of the story. An elbow injury ended his 2010 season, Tommy John surgery came the next year, followed by a lengthy recovery and an ankle injury that cost him much of 2013. Anderson has made 24 starts over the past three years.

It’s not exactly the way Billy Beane envisioned tossing his prized pony out on the market. But, as reported by Heyman, Beane is preparing to do that—on one condition. Bartolo Colon, the convicted PED user who anchored the Athletics’ rotation last season, must return on a reasonable deal to fortify the gold and green’s playoff push. Oakland has a brilliant stable of young, highly touted arms, but relying on Tommy Milone to start a playoff game isn’t exactly ideal.

Should Beane look to deal Anderson, it’ll be interesting to see what he gets in return. The lefty is under team control for the next two years, and his $12 million salary for 2015 is a team option. Some enterprising team with an $8 million hole in their pocket and some hope of hitting with a buy-low candidate could give Beane a mid-level prospect and flotsam and probably get him to bite.

But one has to wonder whether Anderson can even be effective anymore. He finished 2013 with a 6.04 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and was literally worth nothing on the WAR scale. His FIP (3.85) and BABIP (.359) are indicative of someone who got patently unlucky last season, but the A’s jettisoned him out of their rotation and it’s questionable where he’d fit in 2014.

It’s possible that Anderson just needed a year to get himself readjusted, but at what point does the cost-benefit cause teams to decline? I’d put the figure right about $8 million per season.

Jeff Samardzija to Draw Interest from Nationals?

The Nationals, a yearly fixture on the hot stove, were supposed to have parlayed their excellent winter last year into a World Series berth. Instead, they finished 86-76 and watched the playoffs like you and I did—shirtless with a bag of crumpled up Fritos and a mini fridge full of beer on their side.

Much like Detroit, Washington is undergoing some managerial changes. Matt Williams will take over for the retired Davey Johnson, and, like Ausmus, has only managed at the major league level while playing MLB: The Show.

But in true Nationals form, the club is looking to make Williams’ transition as smooth as possible by getting him some shiny new stars to build around. Names like David Price and Scherzer have been thrown around, ace-level talents who could give the Nationals the most feared rotation on the planet if everyone stays healthy. (Not likely.) Both would fit in swimmingly, and Washington hasn’t been shy about tossing around nine-figure contracts.

Still, every good front office has a contingency plan. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post has indicated Nationals brass has already landed on its target: Chicago Cubs righty Jeff Samardzija. 

The former Notre Dame wideout underwent a slow, somewhat arduous transition to the bigs—one that has finally paid off over the past two seasons. Samardzija has been one of the few bright spots in what feels like end-times for the Cubs, hanging around three-win value as a power arm who could be a perfect No. 3 starter.

Chicago will consider the move for the exact reason one would expect. Samardzija is first-year arbitration eligible this winter, and he probably won’t be as amenable to a short-term stopgap as he was prior to this past season. He’ll either want to get paid via a long-term deal or start the process of getting paid before the years start creeping up.

Washington has a war chest of assets, so this is a match if both sides get to talking. The Nats will probably kick the tires a bit on the bigger fish at first, but don’t be shocked if this rumor heats up again come December or so.

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Max Scherzer is on the verge of winning the American League Cy Young Award. Is he also on the verge of being traded?

“On the verge” might be a bit strong, given that a top-of-the-rotation arm like Scherzer—the favorite to be named the Junior Circuit’s top pitcher for the 2013 season on Wednesday—isn’t exactly the type of asset that a team with World Series aspirations like the Detroit Tigers just up and deals.

Then again, the team has made it known that it’s listening to offers for the 29-year-old, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. That’s attributable to the right-hander’s looming free agency after 2014. So if the Tigers don’t think they can ink Scherzer long-term, a trade could make sense.

The other reason general manager Dave Dombrowski might be up for moving Scherzer is to deal from a strength (i.e., the rotation) to bring back a return that would help the Tigers in their multiple areas of need, namely second base, outfield, catcher and bullpen.

Realize, though, that the Tigers are in win-now mode, coming off three straight AL Central crowns and having been on the doorstep of a championship the past couple years. In other words, if—and it’s still a big if—they’re going to move Scherzer, it’s probably not going to happen for two or three prospects who are a year or two away. They’re more likely to want players who can bolster their 25-man roster right away in 2014 and make the club younger and cheaper.

The cost to acquire will be rather high given Scherzer‘s incredible performance. After all, we’re talking about a guy who posted a 2.90 ERA and AL-leading 0.97 WHIP with 10.1 K/9 while also winning 21 games.

Money, though, could be a potential hurdle here, as Scherzer‘s salary is estimated to double from the $6.725 he earned in 2013 to somewhere in the range of $13-14 million in his final go-round at arbitration. And of course, the fact that his agent is Scott Boras, whose clients generally don’t sign extensions before hitting the open market, will only further complicate matters, as any interested parties will be hesitant to give up too much for only one year.

As such, two criteria seem like requirements when it comes to determining which clubs might fit the bill as a trade partner: First, the teams must be contenders ready to make a World Series push next year; and second, there should also be a need for a front-of-the-rotation arm to lead or enhance a staff.

Of course, it wouldn’t hurt for inquiring teams to have the funds to at least be able to offer Scherzer a nine-figure extension, if a deal is contingent upon such a pact.

Although it may seem unlikely that Scherzer will be traded, primarily because he’s been a key part of the Tigers’ success the past few seasons and should be again next year, a freshly minted Cy Young winner was, in fact, swapped just last offseason.

Not quite a year ago, the New York Mets sent R.A. Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays last December for a package of prospects, including catcher Travis d’Arnaud and right-hander Noah Syndergaard.

There’s a key difference with Scherzer, though: The Tigers are on the opposite end of the competition cycle from the rebuilding Mets.

Whether Scherzer will prove to be the latest ace on the move remains to be seen, but given all of the above circumstances and factors, here’s a batch of teams who are most likely to pursue him—and have the means to get a deal done.

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In an offseason that already features a number of quality free agents, MLB teams could also improve their rosters by trading for elite young stars.

Due to salary restrictions, lack of a fit on the current club or simply high demand from around the league, a few talented players are on the trading block this offseason. Although it will take a big offer for any of them to move, the future production could make any deal worth it.

These players all have the potential to be moved this winter based on the latest buzz from around the league.

Jurickson Profar, 2B, Texas Rangers

While Jurickson Profar did not light up the stat sheets in his first 94 games in the big leagues, it is important to note that he is still only 20 years old. 

The young player came up through the minors as a shortstop, but he was used all over the field for the Rangers last season. He made 29 starts at second base, but he also played shortstop, third base and left field over the course of the year.

Despite this inconsistency, he still showed plenty of potential with six home runs and a .234 batting average in 286 at bats. With his pure skill, he could be an elite middle infielder for years to come.

The problem in Texas is that Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus are already on the roster, which leaves no room for Profar. As a result, the youngster could be traded this offseason. According to Jim Bowden of ESPN, the St. Louis Cardinals remain a strong possibility for a deal:

Of the three options, Shelby Miller has proven the most in the majors with a 15-6 record and 3.06 ERA this season. However, Oscar Taveras might have more upside and would fill a hole in the outfield.

Additionally, Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas speculates that Profar can be used in a trade for pitcher David Price.

Texas does not want to give up Profar for nothing, but it seems clear that he could be had for the right price.

Jason Castro, C, Houston Astros

Although the Astros had a season to forget in 2013, Jason Castro was a lone bright spot. The young player posted a respectable .276 batting average while finishing sixth among MLB catchers with 18 home runs.

It is not surprising that this has brought plenty of attention from teams around the league.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that a trade is possible:

The Astros are receiving significant interest in star catcher Jason Castro, and once big free agents like Brian McCann and Jarrod Saltalamacchia go off the board, things could possibly intensify.

Castro’s name hasn’t previously come up as a trade possibility, but the Astros have been known to trade players, even young ones. It isn’t certain how serious they are about dealing Castro, who became an All-Star in 2013 for the first time, but Houston is said to like catching prospect Max Stassi very much.

If Houston feels that Max Stassi is capable of taking over at the position, a trade could make sense. While Castro showcased great power and approach at the plate, his value also might never be higher.

On a team that is still a few years away from competing at a high level, the ability to gain more pieces for the future is a good thing.

One possibility for a trade partner is the Colorado Rockies, who are in the market for a catcher. Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post reports that the club made an offer for Carlos Ruiz but was likely priced out by an unknown team.

Castro could be a cheaper option who would be a nice addition to an already strong offense.

Brett Anderson, LHP, Oakland Athletics

After coming into the regular season as the ace of the Athletics’ rotation, Brett Anderson dealt with injuries and struggled to a 6.04 ERA in 44.2 innings. 

A plethora of other pitchers both young and old stepped up in his absence, which has made the 25-year-old player expendable heading into next year. According to Heyman, a deal will depend on another transaction:

Whether Anderson is ultimately traded may depend on whether the A’s are able to re-sign Bartolo Colon. Oakland is aiming to make a one-year deal with Colon, who turned out to be the ace of the 2013 team. Team higher-ups plan to meet with Colon’s agent Adam Katz here at the GM meetings. Meantime, Anderson’s name is being bandied about it.

It would certainly make sense for a team to try to acquire Anderson if he is available for relatively cheap. When healthy, the pitcher has been quite impressive with a career ERA of 3.81. 

Unfortunately, he has made only 43 starts in the past four years combined and is coming off the worst year of his career.

Still, a team willing to take a risk on a young, talented player could receive a great addition if all goes well next season.

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The Kansas City Royals enter the offseason with a few needs, and upgrading right field or second base ranks high on their list.

A reunion with Carlos Beltran, whom the team drafted in 1995, would certainly answer one of those needs.  A trade with the Cincinnati Reds for Brandon Phillips would address the other.  It appears that both of those options have been discussed.

Beltran, who is presumed to be in the twilight of his career, is reportedly seeking a three-year contract for his services.  An outfielder who has spent his most recent years playing right field, Beltran has been one of the game’s most prolific switch-hitters in history.  He would bring stability to a position that the Royals have not been able to count on offensively in some time.

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com noted via Twitter that the Royals are interested in Beltran but concerned they may be outbid:

#Royals would love to make a Beltran reunion happen but fear being outbid by high-revenue teams such as #Yankees.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 12, 2013

Beltran is a name that some expected to be thrown around in the Kansas City offices this year, but Brandon Phillips may come as a bit of a surprise.  Royals manager Ned Yost was interviewed by Jim Bowden on his SiriusXM radio show this afternoon and confirmed that the team had discussed both Beltran and Phillips. Bowden shared these thoughts via Twitter:

Ned Yost said he & Dayton Moore have talked for hours and hours including the names of Carlos Beltran, Brandon Phillips & Ervin Santana XM89

— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) November 12, 2013

Phillips has continued to be a productive, veteran presence for the Cincinnati Reds but has seen his stock drop this season due to his outspoken nature.

Earlier this year, he complained openly about his current contract and how he felt insulted by the way it was approached.  In addition, his outburst at a Cincinnati reporter before a game in St. Louis did not sit well with people in the Reds organization.  The situation has lead some to believe that Phillips may be traded before the curtain rises on the 2014 season.

Either Beltran or Phillips would add a legitimate power bat to a lineup that desperately needs some offensive production.  Beltran could also see time at DH, allowing him to rest his knees and prolong his career a bit.  Phillips brings stellar defense as well, another sore point at second base in Kansas City.

Ultimately, the offseason is just getting started, and rumors will begin to fly.  Yost acknowledging that he and Dayton Moore, the team’s general manager, had conversations about both players does not suggest that a deal is close at all.  

But it is enough to get Royals fans excited about the possibilities. 

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The starting rotation of the Detroit Tigers is one of the best in baseball. It had the most wins (76), the lowest ERA (3.44) and the least homers allowed in the American League last season while leading the majors in innings pitched and strikeouts.

And Cy Young Award candidate Max Scherzer, who the Tigers are reportedly willing to trade in the right deal this offseason, was probably the biggest reason why. 

Take him out of the equation, and the Tigers are left with a gaping hole in their rotation. Replacing his 23 wins (including two in the playoffs), 2.90 ERA and 16 starts (including two in the playoffs) of at least seven innings with no more than two earned runs allowed is no easy task.

In fact, it’s probably impossible unless they were able to sign free agent Ervin Santana, who also had 14 regular-season starts of at least seven innings with no more than two earned runs allowed. And even that wouldn’t be the same because Santana doesn’t strike out nearly as many hitters as Scherzer.

Maybe Masahiro Tanaka, who’s expected to be posted from the Japanese League later this offseason, is capable of picking up the slack. Maybe not is more likely. Pitchers like that are few and far between, and the price would be outrageous for a guy who might be able to fill Scherzer‘s shoes. 

But that’s exactly why the Tigers are willing to shop the 29-year-old Scherzer a year before he’s eligible for free agency. Unless the Tampa Bay Rays trade David Price, it’s likely that he’d be the best starting pitcher acquisition of the offseason, and the return could be huge.

If they don’t feel that a contract extension can be worked out, it wouldn’t hurt to at least find out what one season of his services would bring them back in a trade. 

When rumors first surfaced last month after Danny Knobler of CBS Sports first reported a Scherzer trade as having a “real chance,” I named five potential suitors and the trade package it would take for each team to acquire him.  

Each package contained a very good prospect or two and, in most cases, a pitcher who could help the big league club in 2014. For an organization with a weak farm system and needs in the bullpen, these types of deals would need to be explored.

Pulling the trigger on one of those types of deals, however, could be disastrous for a team that has averaged 92 regular-season wins and has reached the ALCS in three consecutive seasons.

Even if it’s a move that can be viewed as necessary for the future success of the organization, taking a major step back during any season in which stars Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Justin Verlander are still in the prime of their careers could be viewed as a lost opportunity. 

Lefty Drew Smyly (pictured), who is next in line for a rotation spot in Detroit, is deserving of a shot. And it wouldn’t be a surprise if he were much better than the average No. 5 starter. The problem is how it affects the rotation as a whole.

Verlander, as he proved late in the season and throughout the playoffs, is still one of the best pitchers around and one of a few true “aces” in the game. Anibal Sanchez, whose spectacular season (14-8, 2.57 ERA, 2.7 walk rate, 10.0 strikeout rate) was overshadowed by Scherzer‘s win total, would follow him in the rotation. He’s a very capable No. 2, especially if 2013 wasn’t a fluke. But he may have been the best No. 3 in baseball. 

Doug Fister is in the same boat. One of the best No. 4 starters in baseball but only pretty good as a No. 3. It’s also hard to complain about having Rick Porcello as your fifth starter. But a guy with a career 4.51 ERA as the No. 4 starter doesn’t speak well for the overall state of the rotation. 

Of course, it’s possible for general manager Dave Dombrowski to sign one of the second-tier free-agent starters, such as Dan Haren or Bartolo Colon, to preserve the little rotation depth the Tigers have and keep Smyly in the pen for now. The drop-off wouldn’t be as severe, and he could look to upgrade in another area of the roster to try to make up for the rotation downgrade. 

The risk in heading into the season without the strength of the team intact, however, is much greater than in years past.

In 2012, the Tigers allowed much less talented teams in the division to hang around longer than necessary before pulling away late in the season. This year, the competition from the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals was heated, and Detroit barely held on to edge out Cleveland for the division title. 

Things won’t get any easier in 2014, as the young core of talent on those same two teams should continue to get better and the other two division opponents, the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins, have lots of payroll space and are each capable of making a splash this winter. 

It’s difficult to stay on top as the Tigers have done for the past three seasons. The offseason planning of their rivals likely revolves around what they need to do to knock the champions off the top. It can also be difficult to get back on top after you’ve fallen—the Tigers went 24 years (1987-2010) without winning the division. 

With or without Scherzer, there’s a possibility that they aren’t the last team standing in their division at season’s end.

But with the team’s window to win a World Series championship with their current high-paid stars likely closing sometime in the next few seasons—lack of minor league talent to replace aging veterans has a tendency to do that—they must take the win-now approach even if it means losing Scherzer for nothing more than a draft pick next offseason.

Dombrowski could be tempted by the offers, but he’ll pass on each and every one. Why? Because he knows that missing out on the playoffs in 2014 because the starting rotation wasn’t quite strong enough could haunt the organization for years. And he doesn’t want to be the cause of that.

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The St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers faced off in a classic World Series in 2011, but now they can come together for their mutual benefit. The Cards’ pursuit of a shortstop and the Rangers’ apparent willingness to deal from a middle-infield surplus have emerged as prominent story lines early in this offseason.

Here’s a deal I think works for both sides:

Cardinals get: SS Elvis Andrus

Rangers get:  first baseman and designated hitter Allen Craig, along with right-handed pitcher Shelby Miller

Although some reports suggest the Cardinals are looking first at acquiring Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, such a deal would be pretty difficult to swing, explains Dave Cameron of Fangraphs. The Rangers, though, could make for a better trade partner.

Pete Kozma, the incumbent St. Louis shortstop, is great defensively, but he’s basically a non-entity with the bat. Andrus is also a glove-first shortstop, but he possesses a nuanced offensive skill set that brings extra value where a Kozma-type doesn’t. Specifically, he gets on base at a respectable clip, and he’s also been one of the best baserunners in MLB since he broke in five years ago. It doesn’t sound like much, but that makes a big difference, at least for metrics like WAR.

For the Rangers, they get to satisfy two needs in this deal.

First baseman Mitch Moreland proved he’s not an everyday player last season, and Texas general manager Jon Daniels has said he wants to add more punch to the lineup. Craig, a flawed player but an offensive asset, can do just that.

A right-handed hitter, Craig makes tons of hard contact, and has been worth 3.25 fWAR per 600 PAs in his career, almost all of which is derived from his performance at the plate. He’s a defensive liability even at first base, and his power took a downturn last year owing to his surging line-drive rate, but Craig can hit. Moving to Texas, where the ball flies, should help him regain some of that lost power, as his batted-ball distance should rebound a bit, as Fangraphs’ Matt Podhorzer explains.

The tricky part is getting Craig those 600 PAs—which he’s yet to do in the Major Leagues—but the idea here is that allowing him to be a DH on occasion will help to keep him on the field (or at the plate, as it were).

Miller was a blue-chip prospect and lived up to the hype in his rookie season at age 22, posting a 3.06 ERA/3.67 FIP. He throws hard, struck out nearly a batter per inning and walked fewer than three per nine. Miller is already a top-of-the-rotation starter and probably has some room to grow considering his age and upside.

Miller would slide into the Rangers’ rotation nicely, joining Yu Darvish, Derek Holland, Martin Perez and Alexi Ogando for a formidable 1-5.

In terms of contracts and money moving in either direction, this one might be more equitable than you think.

Andrus’ eight-year, $120 million deal (which kicks in in 2015) would be the biggest one in the trade by far, but it may not end up being as burdensome as it appears. Andrus has opt-out clauses after both 2018 and 2019, so the Cardinals aren’t necessarily on the hook for the entire $120 million. He’s set to earn $15 million per year beginning in 2015—which is about fair-market price for a shortstop of his caliber—so he will have earned $60 million or $75 million at the time of a potential opt-out. That’s not cheap, but it’s not onerous, either, especially if he’s healthy and doesn’t decline unexpectedly in his late twenties.

Craig is owed $31 million through 2017 as part of an extension he signed in March, which essentially bought out his years of arbitration eligibility. There’s also a $13 million team option for 2018, with a $1 million buyout. Miller is under team control for five more years and will be dirt cheap the next two years before he’s even eligible for arbitration for the first time after the 2015 season.

In drawing from their respective roster surpluses to make this deal, the Cardinals and Rangers free up positions for other players to step in. The Cards have Matt Adams ready to take over at first base. He brings more power to the table than Craig, and his presence in the lineup means the Cardinals no longer have to shoehorn Craig’s shoddy defense into right field to keep his bat in the lineup. It also means the Cardinals need a right fielder—whether that be prized prospect Oscar Taveras or perhaps a free agent, such as Carlos Beltran.

Miller’s departure from the Cardinals’ rotation isn’t insignificant for now or the long-term future, but they still have Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, Jaime Garcia, Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly, and they can also move Carlos Martinez from the bullpen back into the rotation, as he’s been groomed as a starter throughout his minor league career prior to joining the Redbirds’ relief corps late in 2013.

In moving Andrus, the Rangers can pivot to another prized prospect, infielder Jurickson Profar. He can take over at shortstop, while Ian Kinsler remains at second base.

The Cardinals probably get the best player in this deal in Andrus, at least today, but he’s also the most expensive, and Miller projects to be the most valuable relative to what he costs when you consider his talent and how little he’ll earn for five more years.

It seems intuitive, but a trade like this one is an illustration of the importance of consistently drafting and developing good young players.

What does everyone else think?

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During the MLB offseason, there will be a flurry of rumors that fly around connecting players to new teams and potential trade partners. Most of these rumors turn out to be false, but there are certainly a few that turn out to be right every single year.

A lot of these rumored connections make a lot of sense for both sides. General managers will be looking to turn their teams into championship contenders with the moves they make this winter.

Keep an eye on the following players and teams because these potential deals should happen at some point this winter.

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David Price thinks he has thrown his last pitch for the Tampa Bay Rays, according to a report by Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune, and the early rumors, as discussed by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, have the Arizona Diamondbacks listed as one of the potential suitors for the talented Price.

The thought of acquiring Price is tempting. As good as Price has been in his career and as desperately as the D’Backs need an ace to front the rotation, Arizona should avoid any trade for Price this winter.

If the D’Backs have shown anything over the past two seasons, it is that they are more than just one player away from serious contention. Last season Arizona finished with an 81-81 record again, leaving the franchise at exactly .500 over the past two seasons. It doesn’t get more average than that.

While the 28-year-old Price is exactly the type of elite starter whom Arizona needs to have at the front of the rotation in order to compete in the NL West, the cost is too steep between prospects and a contract extension. Any trade with the Rays would likely have to start with either top pitching prospect Archie Bradley or promising lefty Patrick Corbin fronting a package of prospects.

Prospects are only just part of the deal, the other piece would be working out an extension with Price before he hits free agency. Price will likely command a deal somewhere between last winter’s deal signed by Zack Greinke and the anticipated monster deal coming to Clayton Kershaw. The D’Backs would have two years of control with Price before he becomes a free agent in 2016 if no new deal is reached.

Are the D’Backs really willing to trade four prospects including Bradley or Corbin and spend roughly $150 million on one player? I would have a hard time justifying that type of move given the need for additional talent that needs to be added throughout the entire roster.

In order to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers moving forward, the D’Backs will have to use brains instead of brawn to even the playing field.

The Rays are a model of a team competing against teams with far more money to spend. The St. Louis Cardinals are a model of having your franchise produce young, effective pitching. The D’Backs need to be emulating these two teams in order to change the dynamics of the division.

Arizona would need more than Price and Corbin at the front of the rotation. The only other dependable starter was lefty Wade Miley, meaning the rotation would still be a weakness without adding further arms. This is a team that needs to add two strong starters to the rotation and also address the bullpen, outfield and catcher position without subtracting Bradley.

Acquiring Price would be a flashy move that would get the fanbase excited in November. But, if it only leads to the team winning 82 or 83 games next season due to an overall lack of depth and talent, then the move will be viewed as a failure, no matter how well Price might pitch for the D’Backs.

The pressure is on D’Backs general manager Kevin Towers. It will be interesting to see how Towers operates this winter.

Stats and relevant player information obtained from Baseball-Reference.com, unless noted otherwise.

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MLB trade rumors often stir up questions about team aspirations for the next season. Notable offseason questions include—are the Los Angeles Dodgers a piece away from winning the World Series? Could constant trade rumor subject David Price be that piece? Would the Rays deal him?

According to a report from Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Price himself believes “quite possibly” and “yes” would be the answers to those questions.

L.A. already addressed its biggest offseason need in signing a second baseman with power.

Peter Gammons is hearing that the Dodgers’ next target could be former Cy Young winner David Price. After all, L.A. could use the depth. Projected fourth and fifth starters Josh Beckett and Chad Billingsley were limited to a combined 10 starts due to injuries last season. Having two starters coming off of major injuries doesn’t exactly scream dependability, especially for a team with World Series aspirations.

Adding Price would not only give the Dodgers a dependable option, it would give them another Cy Young winner to count on every fifth day. While it seems ridiculous to pencil Price in as a No. 3 starter, that is what he would be in L.A. The potential of a rotation starting with Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Price and Hyun-Jin Ryu is limitless. The Dodgers could probably use anyone they want as a fifth starting pitcher (i.e. the stadium janitor, Cedric the Entertainer, Muggsy Bogues, etc.). The first four are that good.

Having Price in a Dodgers uniform will work extremely well for the team, but getting him may be the tricky part.

The asking price (please excuse the pun) will be substantial. Ken Rosenthal thinks the Rays will get a better trade return from Price than when they traded James Shields. It’s true; they got a good deal out of trading Shields. They could, and rightfully should, do even better in a trade for David Price.

Peter Gammons was told by an anonymous GM that a package of minor leaguers could get the trade done. In a nutshell, this involves L.A. sending nearly every notable, high-upside prospect in its system to the Sunshine State.

Los Angeles can certainly sustain its current winning ways with big spending, but the team can’t give out big contracts forever.

At some point it is going to have to rely on the minors for prospects to fill out and contribute to the team. As good as Price is, if you’re the Dodgers, you have to think twice about shipping all of your high-ceiling prospects out for one player.

That being said, Price would make the Dodgers a near-lock for the World Series, a hefty statement considering the equally superb pitching in St. Louis.

What if I told you the Dodgers could acquire Price and keep their farm system intact?

Here’s where it gets controversial. This is the part where you “casually” glance over your shoulder to see if anyone is watching.

The Dodgers should trade Yasiel Puig to Tampa.

There, I said it.

The Dodgers are going to be aggressive this offseason. Trading Puig is certainly that.

Faced with the dilemma of having four above-average outfielders, the Dodgers may find it advantageous to move one for an impact player. Price is that impact player. Let’s face it, despite Carl Crawford’s career resurgence in L.A., nobody wants his contract.

Andre Ethier could be moved to a team like Seattle or Texas looking for a bat. The return wouldn’t be in the same hemisphere as Price in terms of impact. Matt Kemp could be had, but I don’t think the Dodgers would be giddy about Ethier in center field long-term.

That leaves Yasiel Puig.

While it would be bittersweet for L.A., it would be fantastic for Tampa. An outfield of Puig, Desmond Jennings and Wil Myers would be the most dynamic MLB outfield. Forget dynamic, it could be the best outfield in the league, period. Now and in seven years.

There may be qualms about Puig’s salary for a cash-strapped Tampa ball club (after all, that’s why they’re trading Price; he’s too expensive), but it’s really quite manageable. According to Baseball Reference, the outfielder will make under $4 million dollars next year, $6 million and change in 2015 and isn’t arbitration eligible until 2016. Should he prove too expensive long term, the Rays can flip him for another astronomical return when the time comes.

Should Tampa Bay want to save more money in the trade, they could include the newly re-signed David DeJesus and his nearly $5 million salary in the equation. Trading DeJesus further clears an outfield spot for Puig. That, and the Rays sliding Matt Joyce to designated hitter, would give “Puigmania” a home with the American League club.

Overall, the trade should play out like this: the Dodgers acquire David Price and David DeJesus, and Tampa Bay acquires Yasiel Puig and relief pitcher Paco Rodriguez (the Rays will need him if they lose Fernando Rodney via free agency).

Call it a win-win. Los Angeles would have the extra piece they need to dethrone the Cardinals in the National League. Tampa Bay would then have the offense and pitching to do some dethroning in their division.

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