The biggest rumor to surface is a blockbuster trade between the Cardinals and the Rockies that would send shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to the defending NL champs. It's no secret that the Cardinals have been without a quality shortstop that's not an offensive liability for years. Here's a list of who logged the most games at the position for thesst 5 years: Pete Kozma .217/.275/.273; Rafael Furcal .264/.325/.346; Ryan Theriot .271/.321/.342; Brendan Ryan .223/.279/.294; Ryan in '09 had a respectable .292/.340/.400 and could be cited as the last semblance of production out of a shortstop.
The cardinals do have a plethora of young talent which they are willing to part with for the right piece. They especially have multiple young pitchers as documented during the World Series. Though Michael Wacha is probably off the table, Shelby Miller could be considered, perhaps in a package with Matt Adams. Moving Tulowitzki will be a chore given his 7 remaining years and $134 million remaining, even if he is the best shortstop in baseball. Expect the Cardinals to also kick the tires on the Rangers interest in moving Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar.
Tim Hudson seems to be the most popular starting pitching target on the open market right now. Being that he doesn't require a draft pick forfeited upon signing and that he won't command more than a 2 year deal, his services are more attractive than other options currently. Teams that are reported as showing early interest are the Orioles, Red Sox, Giants, Rockies, Rangers, Athletics, Indians and Royals.
Most experts agree that the Rays are going to move David Price this offseason, as they believe they will get the most value for him now. This follows the precedent of the Tampa Bay organization with their top players as they approach their later arbitration years. Price is expected to receive a couple more generous increases before reaching free agency in 2 years. The Rays will look for a move much like they found for James Shields where they netted Wil Meyers, the AL rookie of the year in return. Nothing has materialized to this point, and so it is anyone's guess as to where Price suits up next season.
There are a lot of questions regarding Masahiro Tanaka who is expected to me made available through the Japanese posting system. Not much is known about the pitcher himself, but early projections have the posting fee reaching $75 million. This you will remember is just for the right to negotiate with the player. He may require another $70 million on top of that in order to sign.
The Twins have announced plans for Joe Mauer next season in which he will be playing 1st base full time. Not coincidentally, the Twins have popped up as a rumored destination for Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The Saltalamacchia negotiations will likely eventually price out the Twins, forcing them to look instead towards the short term stop gap pieces that are available, such as A.J. Pierzynski and Carlos Ruiz.
The Mets are making SS their top priority, and naturally are eyeing the best available candidates. On the free agent market, that would be Stephen Drew and Jhonny Peralta. A contract for Drew could reach 4 years though and that's not something New York wants to do.
The Astros are looking to spend some money this offseason. With a minuscule payroll currently on the books, this doesn't come as too big a surprise. I'm not expecting them to make a huge signing, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them ink a couple of the mid level free agents to reasonable contracts. Reports have them mulling a run at Shin-Soo Choo in order to make a splash. I think they wind up with a consolation prize: Someone like Nelson Cruz who can do some good things and shows the club has a willingness to better the team.
Stay tuned throughout the week as things develop in Orlando.
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