Carlos Beltran

The MLB offseason has only been going on for a few weeks, but it's already been quite a busy one in 2013, as rumors about a number of big players continue to come up.

Fifteen years in the big leagues and Carlos Beltran's offensive numbers are still good enough to place him as one of the most valued free agents in the majors this winter. 

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.

Eight-time MLB All-Star Carlos Beltran is a free agent after playing the past two seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals, and there is already buzz about the outfielder heading to a different club.

According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, the New York Yankees are strongly considering bringing in the 36-year-old veteran:

Lobby chatter: Source says that the Yankees are definitely serious about chasing Carlos Beltran.

On the path to a World Series title, the Boston Red Sox showed the ability to hit in the biggest moments on the October stage. If their free-agency blueprint stays on course, a deep, clutch lineup will soon be even more dangerous.

Now that the Cardinals have had about a week to recover from their Game 6 World Series loss, they have firmly turned their attention to the 2014 squad.

So far we know that Trevor Rosenthal will be the closer to start next season and Carlos Martinez will get a shot as a starter.

From an outside perspective, Major League Baseball's offseason can be difficult to understand. Unlike the NBA, NFL and NHL, a salary cap isn't present to handcuff the ability of an organization to retain stars with expiring pacts.

Yet, despite the lack of a unified budget for each team, owners and front office executives have limits for each player during the hot-stove season.

Of the free agents who will be able to negotiate and sign with new teams beginning on Tuesday, November 5, several of them had an extended opportunity to increase (or decrease) their value in the postseason. 

While only a handful of innings pitched or a small sample size of at-bats normally wouldn't move the needle very much on a veteran player's perceived value, a player's ability to produce in the playoffs certainly can. 

Here are 10 players whose asking price has likely risen or fallen since the end of the regular season.

The offseason ahead will potentially be one of immense surprise for the Philadelphia Phillies, for a few reasons. First and foremost, the oft-mentioned television contract situation will near its climax, as the Phillies are expected to sign their new, multi-billion dollar TV deal within the next month, according to CBS Philly.

The World Series is going to be tight. Both the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals are talented but flawed teams. They match up well at nearly every position, which means things like execution and fundamentals could be key.

In Game 2, one play appeared more Little League than major league, allowing a couple of runs that could have been the difference in the game.