MLB Rumors

The Los Angeles Dodgers' new-look front office led by president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi will have some important decisions to make this offseason.

The 2014 MLB postseason was the epitome of the mantra "pitching wins championships."

Teams lacking pitching will look to upgrade their staffs in the coming weeks. Luckily for the high number of teams in pursuit of arms, there appears to be plenty to go around. More than a handful of ace-like hurlers can be had via free agency or trades, meaning the balance of power in both the American League and National League could shift with one acquisition.

The offseason has officially started, and the rumor mill is getting hot. 

There are a few names, Russell Martin and Yasmany Tomas in particular, who have gotten the most buzz thus far, but the big names in Jon Lester and Pablo Sandoval aren't far behind. 

This list of players isn't the top free agents available, but rather the names that have been dominating the rumors to start the season, including a potential position change for the top hitter available this offseason. 

Now that MLB teams are free to negotiate and sign free agents, the period of pure speculation is over. 

Tuesday marks the first official day of free agency, a long process where patience ultimately pays off. Due to qualifying offers, which players must accept or decline this week, a few mid-level players found themselves in purgatory last offseason, waiting as long as past Opening Day to sign for teams reticent to forfeit a compensatory draft pick.

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.

Thanks to the endless stream of MLB whispers, news and speculation, it is a fine time to be a fan of the game.

From watching the waiver wire to see who's cleared and is eligible to be traded to keeping up with the latest rookie call-ups and analyzing the postseason picture, there is always something to grab your attention. 

So what new bits of gossip that made their way around MLB over the last seven days are there for us to dissect?

With the MLB trade deadline approaching in two days, speculation surrounding the biggest names on the market figures to reach a fever pitch shortly. With tight races in five of the six divisions, the plethora of teams in contention should create a seller's market for the organizations that have decided to build for the future.

With the MLB's July 31 non-waiver trade deadline quickly approaching, rumors and speculation have been running rampant regarding potential trades.

The most interesting ones involve pitchers who could potentially help the starting rotations and bullpens of contenders.

The July 31 MLB trade deadline is less than two weeks away.

It’s an annual rite of passage for every single MLB season—July rolls around and the contenders and pretenders start to talk shop.