MLB Free Agency

The Kansas City Royals are coming off of their most successful season in almost 30 years. Now, with an American League Championship in hand, the team faces a new set of challenges. Possibly the largest challenge of all is sustainability.

The postseason isn't over, the World Series hasn't even started yet, but Major League Baseball's hot stove is heating up already.

Rumors have begun cropping up, so now is a good time to address them early on and play a little fact or fiction with the speculation that's out there.

Forecasting can be fun, even if there's plenty still left to play out before all the transaction action really starts picking up.

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The 2014 MLB season won't reach its conclusion until a World Series champion is crowned, but fans of most teams are already looking ahead to what promises to be an exciting free-agency period.

The 2014 MLB regular season has been over for two days, meaning that the Wild Card Round is set to kick off and usher in the postseason for the 10 teams that earned the right to play October baseball.

What about the other 20 clubs that didn’t make the playoffs?

Well, there are certainly plans in place to improve the rosters on each of them with the idea that 2015 will be a better season. Some have longer to-do lists than others, but they all have the same goal—win it all next year.

Not every team will have the luxury of signing superstars like Max Scherzer, Jon Lester and Hanley Ramirez during the 2015 offseason, which is why it is worth looking at some under-the-radar options who will be on the market.

Before we know it, MLB free agency will be upon us. In fact, the rumors and speculation have been in full swing for some time.

What about the latest news, though?

What has been said in the past week regarding some of the bigger names set to cash in on large paydays or switch teams?

Though the 2014-15 international signing period officially began only last Wednesday, a majority of the top prospects in this year's class have already signed or agreed to sign with a major league club.

While most teams played by the rules and stayed within their allotted bonus pools, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox opted to ignore spending limitations (at the cost of a future penalty) in order to sign many of the top-ranked prospects in this year’s class. 

Late last week we learned through a report by Ben Badler of Baseball America (h/t MLB Trade Rumors' Steve Adams) that another high-profile Cuban hitter, outfielder Yasmani Tomas, had defected in order to pursue a career in Major League Baseball.

With less than two weeks until the 2014-15 international signing period is set to begin July 2 (J2), teams are currently doing everything in their power to reach an agreement with one (or in some cases many) of the top amateur prospects in this year’s class.

Last year, both the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers willingly exceeded their respective bonus pools in order to sign some of the best-available talent. This time around, the New York Yankees are preparing to take things to a new level.

Back in October 2012, teenage phenom Shohei Otani had the baseball world buzzing with excitement after he expressed a desire to sign with an MLB team out high school in Japan rather than begin his career in Nippon Professional Baseball.