James Shields

Although the winter meetings allowed numerous MLB teams to cross some names off their holiday shopping lists, plenty of big gifts still await.  Even with superstars like Jon Lester and Pablo Sandoval signing with new teams, the league has yet to see a resulting domino effect, and other top-tier players have yet to find new (or old) teams.

With the calendar ready to flip to 2015, two big-name, big-money free agents remain on the market in Max Scherzer and James Shields, both of whom are proven, highly regarded right-handed starting pitchers looking to score massive contracts.

Much of the chatter in the MLB has died down as the winter chill has set in across the nation, with the majority of big-name free agents inked to lucrative contracts and a variety of blockbuster trades—including of course the high-risk, high-reward moves pulled off by the San Diego Padres—already stamped as done deals.

Change is certainly on the wish list of Arizona Diamondbacks fans as the holiday season approaches. 

And with spring training and the regular season also approaching, change must happen now. The 2014 season was one to forget. The D-Backs finished 64-98—worst in MLB.

Plenty involved, plenty underwhelming.

Just because Major League Baseball's busy-as-all-get-out winter meetings are in the rearview mirror doesn't mean the hot stove has to cool down any time soon.

Having been over the winners and losers of the busiest four days baseball has had in quite some time, it's time to turn attention toward what still might happen next.

If there is a forgotten man in Major League Baseball's vast crop of unsigned free-agent pitchers, it's James Shields. 

Sure, the 32-year-old right-hander has been the subject of numerous rumors. But while twin aces Max Scherzer and Jon Lester have commanded the offseason spotlight, Shields has been mostly shoved into the shadows.

Is this fair? That's an interesting question.

The Boston Red Sox figure to be active players in the free-agent market, and they'll need to be if they hope to compete once more in 2015.

The Red Sox need to add significant pieces to their starting rotation. They need to shore up their bullpen. And they must seriously considering pursuing upgrades at the hot corner and at backup catcher, too.

After a short league-championship round, this year's World Series is a matchup between the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals.

That might as well read Madison Bumgarner vs. James Shields, as no two players are more vital to their  teams' success than the two projected to start Game 1 of the Fall Classic.

While two teams are still competing in the MLB postseason, the vast majority of the league has moved on to the offseason.  Hot stove season is imminent, with several big free-agent names set to shape the complexion of the league next season.