MLB

Lost in the shuffle of the Boston Red Sox's winter-meetings activity is the return of Pablo Sandoval to the lineup after he appeared in just three games last season.

The Chicago Cubs are hoping to sign starting pitcher Jake Arrieta to a long-term deal before he hits free agency. 

Continue for updates.

The final day of the winter meetings Thursday means it's time for all 30 teams to partake in the annual Major League Baseball Rule 5 draft, though clubs are under no obligation to make a selection. 

It's hardly a surprise that the winter meetings have been notable for trades, both finalized and speculative, because this year's free-agent market features more questions than immediate answers. 

Yoenis Cespedes did take some of the drama out of this week by re-signing with the New York Mets early, though it never felt like another significant team was in the sweepstakes for him. 

The winter meetings always provide a good deal of excitement around the MLB community, and this year has been no different.

While this year's meetings won't officially wrap up until Thursday afternoon following the Rule 5 draft, there have been enough trades and free-agent signings that it's worth taking an updated look at where things stand around the league.

This will be the first time we've updated our power rankings since the conclusion of the regular season, so here are a few things to keep in mind:

With the Boston Red Sox making improvements to their starting rotation, the team has reportedly expressed some interest in dealing veteran Clay Buchholz.

Continue for updates.

A pair of high-profile free agents—Aroldis Chapman (New York Yankees) and Ian Desmond (Colorado Rockies)—both came off the market Wednesday, but Chicago was once again the center of the baseball universe, as both the Cubs and White Sox pulled off notable trades on Day 3 of baseball's winter meetings.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The New York Yankees need Aroldis Chapman the way they need red socks, or birdcages containing blue jays and orioles in the grand foyer of Yankee Stadium.       

Not only would the aforementioned be utterly ridiculous, but the absurd notion also includes mention of the three teams that finished ahead of them in the AL East last summer, by the way. And, the teams that could school them again next summer.

The New York Yankees took a big step toward returning to contention once again by adding Aroldis Chapman.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the Bronx Bombers inked him to a five-year deal worth $86 million Wednesday. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports confirmed the news.

The Washington Nationals were quickly turning into the bridesmaids of the 2016 MLB offseason, and not in the charming, Kristen Wiig sense of the word.