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The offseason is still young, but the available options to fill the Cincinnati Reds‘ outfield, leadoff hitter and relief pitching needs have dwindled quickly. The question remains as to how, and even if, Walt Jocketty will address these needs.

News and Notes

The Reds have previously been rumored as a potential suitor for Denard Span. But, as Keith Law of ESPN reports, it’s the Washington Nationals that put the talent on the board that tickled the fancy of the Minnesota Twins.

Mark Sheldon of MLB.com seems to think that Michael Bourn, Angel Pagan and Shane Victorino will all be out of Cincy‘s price range. You have to agree, though, there is no need for the Reds to lock themselves into an overpriced long-term contract. These players could be worth an over-priced one to two year contract though.

Many Reds fans felt that Drew Stubbs clone, B.J. Upton, could be a fit in Cincy—luckily the Reds didn’t make the same mistake that Atlanta did when they locked Upton up for 5 years, $75 million. It was this deal that Jason A. Churchill of ESPN.com believes has set the market for the remaining free-agent outfielders.

The Reds may have locked down their new closer in Jonathan Broxton when they signed him to a 3-year, $21 million deal. Broxton hasn’t officially been named the closer, but it is already being assumed as this article by Reds beat writer John Fay displays. Agree with the signing or not, we need to move forward because the deal is done.

The Reds may have passed on their best closer option, though, when they let Ryan Madson walk and sign with the L.A. Angels, as Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reported. Madson‘s one-year contract would have been the better choice.

With the Winter Meetings on the horizon, Reds fans need to be hoping that Jocketty and crew can work some magic—things are getting tougher in a hurry.

You can follow Josh Ramsey on Twitter @JRamCincy

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If you have a pulse and have read anything baseball related on the Internet over the last few weeks, you probably already know that the Kansas City Royals are in the market for a top-flight starting pitcher.

While recent rumors have suggested that they may take a run at Tampa Bay Rays’ right hander James Shields—which is very possible—I’m more intrigued by the news that the Royals and Red Sox have discussed a potential deal for Jon Lester, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.

In return, it’s presumed that the Royals would be forced to part with top prospect Wil Myers. The outfielder is fresh off a breakout campaign in which he batted .314/.387/.600 with 37 home runs and 109 RBI in 134 games between Double and Triple-A, and nearly big-league-ready. 

Why the Trade Makes Sense

Headed into the offseason only Jacoby Ellsbury and the recently-acquired Jonny Gomes are locks to see significant playing time in the Red Sox’s outfield in 2013. Beyond that, however, is seemingly endless uncertainty as there’s a host of replacement-level (at best) outfielders who will battle for a spot on the Opening Day roster.

According to MLBDepthCharts.com, the leading candidates are Daniel Nava, Ryan Kalish and Ryan Sweeney, though Jerry Sands could also receive consideration. If the Red Sox plan to be a player in the fiercely-competitive American League East, then none of the aforementioned players can be considered a viable short-term option.

While Nava’s ascent to the major leagues is a great narrative, his career .730 OPS in 148 big-league games speaks for itself. Kalish, 24, has posted a .644 OPS in 89 career games and missed significant time due to various injuries.

The 27-year-old Sweeney has the most experience of them all with 535 career big-league games, but has seemingly been on the disabled for a portion of each season and owns a career .715 OPS. Sands, 24, has played in 70 big-league games over the last two years with the Dodgers and posted a .701 OPS.

Internal Options

To their credit, the Red Sox do have a pair of outfield prospects who are on pace to make their big-league debut in 2013. Bryce Brentz, the Red Sox’s first-round draft pick in 2010, posted an .814 OPS with 17 home runs last season and reached Triple-A Pawtuckett. However, the 23-year-old has holes in his swing (131/46 K/BB) and many question how his game will translate to the major leagues.

The other option, Jackie Bradley, just completed an impressive full season in which he batted .315/.430/.482 with 55 extra-base hits (42 doubles) and 24 stolen bases in 128 games between high-A and double-A. At the same time, the left hander’s lack of power and questionable arm strength make him more projectable and valuable as a centerfielder.

Free Agent Market

As usual, the Red Sox will likely be in the mix for a top free-agent outfielder this winter, and may try to land either Josh Hamilton or Shane Victorino. Both players are on the wrong side of 30 and would almost assuredly have a high price tag. Myers, on the other hand, has just one year of minor-league service time and would be a steal given his relatively high ceiling.

Because the organization began re-stocking its farm system last season, they lack the impact prospects needed to pull off a major trade.

Wil Myers: Background and Potential Impact

Ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the game following the conclusion of the 2012 season, Myers nearly reached the major leagues late last year after raking at two minor-league stops. Coming off an injury-plagued season in 2011 in which he batted .254/.353/.393 with only 32 extra-base hits, the 21-year-old quieted skeptics with a monster offensive campaign in 2012—easily the top among all prospects.

At 6’3”, 205 pounds, the right hander has an explosive swing thanks to plus bat speed and above-average bat-to-ball skills. Exploding from an upright, slightly-open stance, Myers has a leveraged swing that yields plus raw power to all fields. He hits his share of towering home runs, too, a trait that would bode well at Fenway Park.

However, as he demonstrated last season, he’s willing to sacrifice his plate discipline (140/61 K/BB) for loud contact. But that’s something that will likely improve with more experience at advanced levels, including the major leagues.

Drafted as a catcher, the Royals moved him to the outfield prior to the 2011 season with the hope of expediting his arrival in the major leagues. So far it’s proven to be a wise decision. Not only has his bat flourished, but Myers has also developed into an above-average defensive outfielder with good instincts, decent range and an accurate, plus arm. Although he’s seen time at all three outfield positions over the last three years, he profiles best at either corner spot.

If the Red Sox ultimately land Myers, I would assume he’d receive consideration for a spot on the Opening Day roster as the team’s right fielder. If he doesn’t break camp with the team, it shouldn’t take long for him to reach the major leagues. Either way, if the Royals are willing to part with their highly coveted prospect, the Red Sox would be wise to jump at the opportunity.

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The Boston Red Sox and general manager Ben Cherington have an interesting decision to make: whether to trade veteran starting pitcher Jon Lester to the Kansas City Royals.

Kansas City is seeking front-line starting pitching help to aid the recent acquisitions of Ervin Santana and Jeremy Guthrie. Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star reports that the Royals may be willing to give up top prospect Wil Myers in exchange for a Jon Lester or a James Shields.

“We’re now at a point in time,” said Royals general manager Dayton Moore, “where we have good young players—as good as any team in baseball. Now, we’ve got to do what we can to support them. Do we trade one of them? I don’t know.”

Trading Lester for Myers would have major implications on the 2013 Red Sox and well into the future as well. It would most certainly be tough to part ways with Lester, who has pitched so well—outside of 2012—over the course of his seven-year career in Boston.

Would Boston be a better team with Myers, though?

Here’s why Cherington should pull the trigger and land one of the best prospects in baseball.

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Ever since before the final pitch of the 2012 World Series was thrown, the hot stove of the Philadelphia Phillies has been burning brightly. Before the regular season even ended, the team had already been connected to top-notch free agents. The rumor mill began to swirl as it always does in the offseason. This year, however, the presence of the big and available names provide quite a large free-agent pool.

The question then is not if, but when, Amaro will eventually jump in and make a splash.

Before we all wake up one morning to find out that Amaro did in fact make the big splash that, let’s face it, has become his and the Phillies’ calling card as of late, let’s take a look at the names MLB Trade Rumors have connected the Phillies to and why they either would or wouldn’t be a good fit with the team.

Here are the pros and cons of each of the top 16 free agent/trade targets the Phillies have been connected to since the start of the offseason.

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As trade rumors continue to swirl, one of the offseasons biggest trade chips, Diamondbacks‘ outfielder Justin Upton, is looking less and less likely to be moved.

According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports, Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick said that there is a “very high likelihood” that Upton will still with the team come Opening Day. Another member of the organization said Upton has a 90 percent chance of sticking around.

This is not the first time that the Diamondbacks have listened to offers on Upton, only to then pull him off the table.  But this time around, the team should have pulled the trigger on a deal.

Taken first overall in the 2005 draft out of high school, Upton made his big league debut just two years later at the age of 19.

By 21, he was an All-Star putting together a .300 BA, 26 HR, 86 RBI, 20 SB season and looking every bit the part of a budding superstar.

After a down season in 2010, he rebounded with a .289 BA, 31 HR, 88 RBI, 21 SB season in 2011 as he helped the Diamondbacks to a surprise postseason trip. 

Upton finished fourth in MVP voting that year.

He again took a step back this past season though, hitting just .280 BA, 17 HR and 67 RBI. It was not a bad season, as he scored a career-high 107 runs and improved his walk rate from the previous season, but it is safe to say that this is not where people expected Upton to be at the age of 25.

Despite his failure to truly breakout, he remains an intriguing trade target to a number of teams for more reasons than one.

The Diamondbacks managed to lock him into a six-year, $50 million deal prior to the 2010 season and he has three years and $38.5 million remaining on that deal.

This makes him a relative bargain, given his production and upside.

And it’s that upside that keeps trade suitors coming back.  At any point, Upton could put it all together and begin a decade long streak of .300 BA, 30 HR, 100 RBI, 30 SB seasons.

It’s that upside that is the biggest reason why the Diamondbacks should have moved Upton this offseason.

Even coming off of a down season, his value may never be higher than it is right now with three years of control and plenty of time for teams to still dream of what he could become.

That’s not to say that that same upside won’t keep teams coming back to pursue him if he’s made available again. Look no further than Upton’s brother, B.J., for evidence of that.

The 28-year-old has put up an average line of .242 BA, 20 HR, 69 RBI, 38 SB the past four seasons.

Now he stands to cash in on the free agent market as much because of his power/speed combination as because of the hope that he will find the form that made him a .300 BA, 24 HR, 82 RBI, 22 SB player back in 2007 at the age of 22.

Yes, there will always be a market for Justin Upton if the Diamondbacks opt to move him down the road, and the Diamondbacks have as much of a reason to buy into the hope that he’ll break out as any team that may look to acquire him.

That said, an outfield of Gerardo Parra, Adam Eaton and Jason Kubel, with top prospect A.J. Pollock in the mix is still strong.

The young pitching staff is impressive, the bullpen is deep and the offense has plenty of other firepower in guys like Aaron Hill, Miguel Montero and Paul Goldschmidt.

The Diamondbacks are a team on the fringe of contention, and while dealing Upton may seem like a step in the wrong direction, it could just as easily be what pushes them over the top in the NL West.

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The Tampa Bay Rays pitching staff has been the subject of several trade rumors over the years, as the team has been successful due to its top-notch rotation with an abundance of quality arms.

This winter won’t be any different, especially given the intense competition in the AL East.

With the blockbuster deal the Toronto Blue Jays just pulled off to get Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and Jose Reyes, they have emerged as a contender. The New York Yankees will likely make a couple moves this offseason as well.

The Baltimore Orioles were one of the most surprising teams in baseball and look to improve in 2013. And after a dismal season, the Boston Red Sox will likely look to make a free-agent splash in an effort to ascend back into prominence.

In what now appears to be the best division in baseball, the Rays can’t afford to get by with a lackluster offense any longer. 

With names like James Shields, Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson being thrown around as potential trade options, the Rays will likely look to make a move this winter.

One name the Rays should keep an eye on is top prospect Wil Myers of the Kansas City Royals.

Myers did not play in the majors this season, but that was more of a formality than a player issue, as Myers is now under team control for an additional year.

The Futures Game MVP hit .304/.378/.554 in Triple-A this season, while slugging 24 home runs. The best prospect in the Royals’ system, Myers looks like he’s going to be a stud.

He would fit perfectly in Tampa Bay, as the Rays will surely lose B.J. Upton to free agency. By sliding Desmond Jennings to center field, Myers and Matt Joyce could occupy the corner outfield spots, with Sam Fuld and utility player Ben Zobrist playing there occasionally as well.

Zobrist could remain primarily in the infield, as shortstop and second base certainly lacked production last season.

A lineup featuring the improving Jennings, Myers, Zobrist, a healthy Evan Longoria,and Joyce could be enough to get by. While there are still other positions of need on offense, such as catcher and first base, the Rays could get a potential star in Myers.

So why would Kansas City part with their prized 21-year-old?

The Royals are desperate for pitching and want to contend. They have solid bats in Alex Gordon, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Billy Butler, but their pitching remains the issue.

They have already traded for Ervin Santana from the Los Angeles Angels, but Santana had a poor year last season and it is not clear whether he will be able to return to form. The Royals took a calculated risk, but Santana is still not going to fix their pitching woes.

Likewise, they will surely be in the market for some starters in free agency, potentially pitchers such as Anibal Sanchez, Kyle Lohse, Joe Blanton, Shaun Marcum and Brandon McCarthy.

However, the Royals lack the financial assets to land a marquee pitcher such as Zach Greinke and may look to deal in an effort to nab a front-line starter.

As Kansas City searches for an ace, the Rays could be a fit, although the Royals would probably not want James Shields, who is under team control for two seasons, in exchange for Myers, who has plenty of upside and is under contract for much longer.

However, a pitcher like Jeremy Hellickson, who is under team control through 2016, could be a fit.

A former Rookie of the Year, Hellickson is a terrific pitcher who enjoyed an excellent season last year. Posting a 3.10 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP, Hellickson was one of the many strong starters in the Rays’ rotation. A player of Hellickson’s caliber could surely entice the Royals.

For the Rays, it would be tough sacrificing a 25-year-old pitcher who has shown that he can be consistently effective.

However, Hellickson is represented by Scott Boras, so negotiating a contract that buys out his arbitration years or extending him afterward swill prove to be difficult, especially given Hellickson’s consistency.

For a financially limited team like the Rays, it may make more sense to trade him for a player like Myers.

Young lefty Matt Moore also could be a trade target. However, I think it would be foolish of Tampa Bay to part with Moore after the promise he showed this season.

A 3.81 ERA and 1.35 WHIP is pretty solid for a 23-year-old rookie. But it gets even better when you look at his numbers in the second half of the season, as Moore steadily improved as the season progressed. His ERA dropped to 3.01 after the All-Star break. A strikeout machine, Moore is definitely going to make a name for himself in this league.

What makes him more valuable than Hellickson is his contract situation. Before the beginning of last season, the Rays signed Moore to a five-year, $14 million contract, a deal that will soon become one of the biggest bargains in MLB. Parting with that type of contract could be devastating for the cash-strapped Rays.

With a rotation that features reigning Cy Young winner David Price, Shields, Hellickson, Moore and Jeff Niemann, the Rays have a solid rotation. With players such as Wade Davis, Alex Cobb and Chris Archer capable of starting, it may be in their best interest to deal from this surplus to aid their suffering offense. 

I don’t think the Rays should trade Moore, but Tampa Bay should certainly pursue Myers as the Royals are craving solid starting pitching. Hellickon may be the best fit. If it could net the Rays an elite outfielder, it may be worth the significant loss.

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Every offseason free-agent signing has the potential to alter an organization’s prospect landscape. Typically, the acquisition of a free agent will in turn block a prospect’s immediate path to playing time in the major leagues. Furthermore, such a signing may even make a nearly big-league-ready prospect, or prospects, expendable.

Here’s a look at five prospects who will be impacted by this offseason’s free-agent signings, if they haven’t been already.

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Before we begin this, in no way am I saying the Yankees are in-line to make a deal with anyone right now.

This was a topic that was brought up to me, and we are going to discuss it on here.

So with that out of the way, onto the story.

The New York Yankees have at least two holes in the field that they need to fill: catcher and right field.

Nick Swisher is not coming back in 2013, while Russell Martin has drawn the interest of several suitors, one of which is the Yankees themselves.

Now, if the Yankees wanted to make a big splash this winter, they could make a deal for one of those positions.

Of the trade scenarios that were brought up to me, two players were mentioned: Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins and Justin Upton of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Neither player is eligible to be a free agent for a while, so both would require the Yankees to make a major blockbuster to land each player.

Now, of Mauer and Upton, which player would be the better fit for the Yankees if they were ever to show interest in them?

Let’s examine the pros and cons and make a final judgment.

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It seems as though the Toronto Blue Jays will have plenty to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. In what has developed very rapidly the Miami Marlins are reportedly trading Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson and others to the Blue Jays in return for Yunel Escobar and several top level prospects.

The move gives the Blue Jays a speed threat in Reyes at the top of a lineup. Last season, Toronto already had plenty of pop with the always steady Jose Bautista and the arrival of Edwin Encarnacion. The addition of Buehrle and Johnson helps stabilize an underachieving but potentially devastating rotation. 

Theoretically, this move should significantly increase the Blue Jays’ chances in the always competitive AL East. However, Toronto should not begin making plans for a ticker tape parade just yet as each player will be bringing over more than just clothes in their baggage.

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If the New York Mets want to hold on to Cy Young hopeful R.A. Dickey, they should sign him to a lucrative short-term deal rather than wave him around as trade bait.

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that many around the league believe the team is trying to get some sort of leverage by dangling Dickey on the market. As Rosenthal explains, though, that strategy doesn’t make much sense considering the stage the nine-year veteran is at in his career:

A number of executives believe that Dickey needs to be in a pitcher-friendly ballpark, limiting the number of teams that could have interest. The fact that Dickey is 38 also could lessen the Mets’ return.

The $5 million salary that Dickey is due to earn in 2013 makes him such a bargain in a trade, to the point where it would almost be pointless to move him. Potential returns for such a short-term, relatively inexpensive commitment from another team would be very minimal considering how good Dickey is.

In the last year of his current deal, Dickey will have the freedom to walk away after the upcoming season anyway.

Trading him now would likely just give the team one less season with Dickey, and what they would receive would not be just compensation for what he brings to the table.

Dickey’s knuckleball was nearly untouchable this past season, and his career year was a revelation for New York in an otherwise dismal 2012, as he posted a 2.73 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and won 20 games. That tied for second in all of baseball behind the Washington Nationals‘ Gio Gonzalez, who went 21-8.

Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York reports that GM Sandy Alderson hasn’t ruled out a trade, and that perhaps the team could get a solid outfielder in return.

If anything holds true in baseball, though, it’s that starting pitching is what ultimately wins championships, and it’s something the Mets definitely have working in their favor.

For any other pitcher, there might be some concern of him being a one-year wonder who has the potential to soon flame out. But considering that the pitch Dickey most heavily relies on doesn’t strain his arm all that much and can still be effective at lower velocities, he should have a few good years left.

That’s why it would be wise for Alderson to simply extend Dickey on a lucrative short-term deal of two or even three years.

By doing this, the contract wouldn’t eat up an extra couple of unnecessary seasons should Dickey begin to decline, and the Mets won’t have to deliberate the pitcher’s future for the third consecutive offseason next winter.

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