The MLB offseason started to heat up big time over the past couple weeks after Ian Kinsler and Prince Fielder were traded and with the Yankees and Mariners making big free agent moves, the winter meetings are shaping up to very active and exciting and some of the top names that could be traded includes David Price, Jeff Samardzija, Brandon Phillips and Dan Uggla and the Yankees could be in play and so could Seattle and Arizona.
Samardzija has been mentioned in trade rumors for a number of weeks for the Cubs and while they are working on an extension with him according to Hardball Talk, they could get interest from a number of teams, including the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Samardzija was one of a handful of pitchers to have 200 innings and over 200 strikeouts last season and that could make him valuable, as could his age. David Price is a big name that will be getting heat from a number of teams, including the Mariners and the Yankees and the team could also be looking at Phillips and Uggla after losing Robinson Cano.
The Mariners are expecting to be big players at the winter meetings after signing Cano to a $240 million contract, as they have players to deal in Dustin Ackley and Nick Franklin as well as Taijuan Walker and those players could be involved in a Price deal. The Yankees signed Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury and they are expected to make a move for a pitcher and while it's unlikely, the team also could make a move for Brandon Phillips or Uggla, as could other teams.
Price is the top name on the market and teams like the Pirates, Rangers, Seattle Mariners and Dodgers could be options, as could the Royals and Cubs. Price has solid career numbers and is under team control for two more seasons and that makes him a huge snag if a team can get him, as he is a former Cy Young winner and couldn't be making an excessive amount of money.
The Braves are going to be in play for deals this winter as well, as they have Uggla to trade and after losing McCann they will be expected to make some moves. The Winter Meetings should have some added flavor with the Cano deal going down and expect the Yankees and the Mariners to be players at the event.