The MLB offseason host stove is heating up already and rumors are flying around the league, as names like Hanley Ramirez, Max Scherzer, Billy Butler, Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, Jon Lester, Starlin Castro, Victor Martinez and Pablo Sandoval have come up in trade and free agency rumors and teams like the NY Mets, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, KC Royals, Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox are expected to be active.
Hanley Ramirez is a player to watch, as the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros all have reportedly checked in on him, while the Dodgers are likely to let him walk. Ramirez is one of the best offensive options out there along with Victor Martinez and both of those names are potential free agents for the Mariners to sign. Martinez is a target for his team in the Detroit Tigers, while the Yankees and others will also be looking at V-Mart.
Billy Butler is an intriguing free agent since he is coming off of a down season and it will be interesting to see what his market is. The Mariners have been rumored basically in connection with every free agent, as they have money they are looking to spend this offseason. All agents will be leaking Mariners interest because that is where the money is and there is a good chance that the team makes a splash after signing Robinson Cano last year.
The Mariners nearly signed Nelson Cruz last year and now that he is coming off of a great season he likely will be asking for a multi-year contract. Many see him looking for three years and $45 million and that could be too pricey for someone at his age and his position. Martinez may cost that much, but he is a better hitter than Cruz despite his age. The Cubs are going after some big names and they are loaded with young talent and many see the team signing one of the big pitchers on the market.
The Cubs have stockpiled some great talent on offense and they may flip some of that for pitching, or they could spend some money. The Cubs have money to burn and Lester would seem like a logical option with his connection to Theo Epstein. Scherzer or Shields also could be options for the Cubs, but there will be some heavy bidding on Scherzer, likely from the Tigers, along with other teams. Shields is the low end of those three names, but he also could command a contract near $100 million.
The Yankees spent a ton of money last year and now their only move to get "better" this year is to do the same, but that could saddle them with more bad contracts, which is how they ended up here. The team may go after a James Shields or Victor Martinez, but it's more likely they sign their own free agents like Chase Headley and Brandon McCarthy while possibly keeping David Robertson. The Yankees are a team to watch this offseason along with the Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox.
