MLB Free Agency

There is still an exciting month of playoff baseball separating us from what promises to be another busy offseason around the league, but it's never too early to start looking ahead at how free agency might play out.

This year's free-agent class is headlined by a number of notable bats.

Had Stephen Strasburg waited another day, he would have topped the list of MLB's best players entering free agency this offseason.

The Washington Nationals ace had all the ingredients necessary to secure a massive payday. Since last year's All-Star break, the former No. 1 overall pick boasts a 2.26 ERA and 150 strikeouts over 115.1 innings. This is the guy whose MLB arrival was more hyped than any baseball player in recent memory until Bryce Harper joined him in D.C.

The free-agent market was slow to unfold this offseason, leaving a number of high-profile players unsigned heading into the new year.

Most of the significant dominoes have now fallen as spring training is underway, but there are still a handful of potential impact players searching for a new home here at the end of February.

Ian Desmond is the top name still sitting out there, but he's by no means the only position player looking for work, as a former home run champion and a World Series MVP are also available.

Dexter Fowler re-signed with the Chicago Cubs on Thursday in an agreement many speculated was a spurn of the Baltimore Orioles.     

The Major League Baseball offseason has been as entertaining and unpredictable as we could have hoped, yet several big-name players remain in free agency.

As spring training has just gotten underway, it's time for front offices to fine-tune their rosters before the regular season gets started.

While some of the available free agents are experienced veterans and others are young guys looking for a fresh start, the talent level remains high among available players.

From the reloaded Chicago Cubs to the restocked San Francisco Giants, there's no shortage of teams who have gone big during the MLB offseason.

Now that the hype machine is in full swing, it's time to look back at the winter and predict which club's offseason activity will translate to regular (and post) season success.

The first step was to scan the entire league to single out the franchises who have moved the most aggressively since the close of the 2016 campaign.

A former CY Young winner, a former World Series MVP, a solid starting righty and this year’s top international prospect all have something in common: They're all still available as MLB free agents.

From the Toronto Blue Jays' mini-extension for Josh Donaldson to the New York Mets' pact with Yoenis Cespedes, MLB brain trusts across the league have been swinging some seriously shrewd deals during the 2016 offseason.

While the new contracts for J.D. and La Potencia headline the list of "best" moves, there has also been no shortage of suspect signings and trades.

Before we get to the following list, let's first define what we mean by "best" and "worst" moves.

The start of spring training is right around the corner, but a number of intriguing MLB free-agent options are still looking for new homes on the open market.

Dexter Fowler, Yovani Gallardo and Ian Desmond are the three marquee names still waiting to sign, but qualifying offers have held them back this winter.

Cuban slugger Yulieski Gourriel is another interesting name recently added to the free-agent crop after he defected, and he could be headed for a significant payday of his own once he decides on a team.

The rough MLB winter rolls on for Dexter Fowler, Ian Desmond and Yovani Gallardo.

There's just one week to go before spring training camps fire up around Arizona and Florida, and those three guys headline a free-agent market that is unusually deep for the first week of February.

The big question in the latest round of hot questions is trying to pinpoint where Fowler, Desmond and Gallardo, who are all lugging around draft-pick compensation, will end up signing.