Preview/Prediction

The action was modest through the first two days of the Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., with a couple of secondary-type signings taking place, as well as the interesting three-way trade between the Angels, Diamondbacks and White Sox.

Now that baseball is in the thick of the winter meetings, rumors and potential signings and trades will be heard out the wazoo. Plenty will be going around throughout the next two days or so, and Bleacher Report's Adam Wells has done a fantastic job of keeping track of them so far.

As St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak heads into his second day of the baseball winter meetings, it must be a nice feeling to hold all of the cards, so to speak.  He doesn't have to make a move but can if he sees a great opportunity.

There are no more holes to fill in the everyday lineup and the pitching cupboard is overflowing with arms.  Mozeliak has built this team to contend not only in 2014, but well beyond that as well.

The 2012 winter meetings took place in Nashville, Tenn., from Dec. 3-6, and even in what was a relatively quiet year, there were plenty of notable trades and free-agent signings.

The most common thought of the week—I know because I've said it, wrote it, texted it and tweeted it myself—is how there won't be much left for teams to do at next week's winter meetings because everything has already happened.

Nobody is offering the New York Yankees a shoulder to cry on following Friday's free-agent departures of Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson.

The biggest story of the MLB offseason to this point broke on Friday afternoon, as Robinson Cano and the Seattle Mariners agreed on a massive 10-year, $240 million deal just days before this year's winter meetings kick off in Orlando.

With one month of the MLB offseason complete and the winter meetings coming up, what has already been a busy first few weeks of transactions promises to only get busier in the weeks ahead.

For a Chicago Cubs team that will be continuing their rebuild in 2014, the starting lineup presents a major question mark at several different positions. While prospects will be coming up sporadically through the minor leagues this season and next, the Opening Day lineup figures to be full of fill-in players or players looking to bounce back from last season.

It is no secret the Washington Nationals expect to rebound after a disappointing 2013 to make a push for a World Series title in 2014.

The question is, what can they do to improve upon their team from last season to make the necessary adjustments in order to get there?

Fortunately for the Nationals, they have a solid core, and there are not a significant number of moves that need to be made. However, there are a few key ones that can spur the team to their ultimate goal.