MLB Trade Rumors

Every MLB team is looking to make one or two moves to improve their team before pitcher and catchers are expected to report. Even if deals don't get made before Spring Training, the groundwork can be laid for moves that will be made later in the year.

This list has been complied with consideration given to multiple criteria: coveted prospects, movable young talent, payroll flexibility, ability to contend and an unfixable hole in a team's roster.

Major League Baseball, despite being firmly in the middle of its offseason, continues to have a lot of buzz. Most of it is due to arbitration coming up, as players who are eligible continue to gradually sign with their teams.

There are still 26 players eligible for arbitration. Which of these players seem close to signing deals, and how many who were eligible have now signed? On the free agent market, the Rays have acquired two big names, perhaps leaving Vladimir Guerrero as the biggest non-signee. Where will he end up?

Being a baseball general manager is a thankless job. Every move that you make is second-guessed, critiqued and analyzed to death before a new player even steps out onto the field. Then there's the separate issue of what to do with your hometown players, some of whom have evolved into local legends or fan favorites.

Every player has to become a free agent eventually, but the gut-wrenching question facing every general manager is when is the right time to let those players go? In the case of these 15 players, their GM's let them go too soon.

The Hot Stove is heating up once again, as a flurry of new activity has stoked the dying embers and re-ignited the flame.

We've got major trades to report, some more free agent signing rounding out team rosters, and we'll even throw in a few rumors to marinate on this Friday night.

Bleacher Report sends you into the weekend right, and satisfies your baseball cravings with all the latest news and buzz.  Here are 12 of the biggest recent stories across baseball.  Dig in!

Winning a major baseball award is typically a big step towards fame, riches and potentially a place in the MLB Hall of Fame. But not every MVP, ROY, Cy Young or Rolaids Relief award winner is destined for greatness. Some of them simply become trade bait.

With the baseball off-season wrapping up and Spring Training just around the corner, here's a look at 10 major award winners who could be changing teams this year.

Begin Slideshow

The top-tier free agents are off the board, but while Jayson Werth and Cliff Lee have comfortable new homes, Vladimir Guerrero, Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon are still looking for work. Several key trades have already been made, but there are gathering whispers about the New York Yankees trading for a starting pitcher, and a number of deals will still be made before pitchers and catchers report next month.

In signing relief pitcher Rafael Soriano, the New York Yankees took a big step in shoring up their bullpen before heading south to Florida for spring training.

The team had already made a number of signings including pitcher Pedro Feliciano, pitcher Mark Prior and catcher Russell Martin.

The Yankees also retained two major free agents in agreeing to terms on multi-year deals with closer Mariano Rivera and shortstop Derek Jeter.

We're still in January, but most MLB team's rosters are taking shape for 2011.

Almost all of the major free agents have been signed, and we can start to look forward to Spring Training and the regular season beyond, anticipating the action on the field finally taking center stage again.

But we still have a few weeks of Hot Stove action left to get through and there are still plenty of juicy rumors to address.  Here is a look at some of the latest.

There are a large number of baseball players who have spent years, or even an entire decade, in the major leagues without ever reaching the playoffs or being able to win a championship.

Some get lucky with a trade deadline move or waiver claim that places them directly in the path of a ring. Cody Ross was one of the lucky ones this past season, collecting his World Series ring with the Giants after playing in San Francisco for only a few short months.

As a typical fan, you always wonder what if? What if my favorite team made the postseason? What if my favorite team made a move to sign this hot name off the market? What if the team I hated had it's franchise player suffer an injury like a torn rotator cuff?

Well it goes to show you we live in a world of what ifs and we always seems to wonder, what if.