Opinion

The sure thing is present on the ballot.

So are a couple of guys who will spark debates about who was better over the course of their storied careers. There is also a fan favorite with plenty of clips for his highlight reel among the first-timers appearing on Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame ballot.

Like a savvy chess player, MLB executives and general managers should always be thinking a few moves ahead—which is why this offseason promises to bring a flurry of landscape-altering activity.

While the 2015-16 free-agent class is stocked with top-shelf talent, next winter's crop is less bountiful. Teams with holes to fill and cash to burn understand that now is the time to act, either via the open market or on the trading block.

In other sports, free agency is a sprint. Our Bleacher Report NBA colleagues were writing about the few remaining "hidden gems" by July 4—just three days after the market opened and before anyone could even officially sign.

For the second consecutive offseason, the Chicago Cubs could land the hottest left-hander on the market.

Nothing is official until the ink's dry, obviously, but right now, fans on the North Side can allow themselves to dream of David Price in a Cubbies uniform.

The 2015 MLB offseason is just getting started, but already a number of teams are circling the free agents they want and doing what they can to pursue them.

This year's class is littered with high-profile players, especially with starting pitching, which could lead to a lot of different storylines over the course of the winter. Some pursuits will drag out over a few months, while others could wrap up in the first week of free agency.

The 2015 Cubs season was an appetizer of sorts. It didn’t necessarily represent accomplishment but rather possibilities for a young core that will remain in Chicago for several more years.

No one walks into any restaurant because of its tasty appetizers. But certainly they can excite you about what else the chef has to offer. If anything, they increase your appetite. They leave you wanting more.

Jason Heyward is a different kind of elite baseball player.

His traditional statistics are not the stuff of legend. He doesn’t bang balls off of scoreboards, and he might never be the all-world run producer traditionalists fawn over. His name has never been instantly recognizable by the casual sports fan, and his jersey might never crack the top five in Major League Baseball’s sales rankings.

With the announcement of the National League and American League Comeback Player of the Year awards—Prince Fielder won in the AL and Matt Harvey in the NL—MLB trophy season is officially in full swing.

As Fielder and the Dark Knight polish their hardware, let's look ahead to the big prizes: Manager of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and MVP.

This was Matt Harvey’s second beginning. 

The right-hander busted into the major leagues and immediately became the ace of the New York Mets as a 23-year-old rookie in 2012 after spending just one full season in the minors. That was the first beginning—Harvey’s breakout into the realm of top-flight starters.

The New York Yankees fell short of a World Series title in 2015, but they have some exciting young pieces in place.

What needs must they address this offseason? Will they spend big or keep their wallet holstered? What big-name outfielder should they pursue now that Carlos Beltran's best days are behind him?