Preview/Prediction

For Washington Nationals fans, the MLB offseason is the time to dream. 

Nats fans can dream about the season that could have been or the season that is yet to come. Or perhaps they can dream about the free agents who will help the team next season. 

Of course, some potential free-agent signings are just that: a dream. A mirage. A figment of the imagination. 

You may be ready for the offseason, but there will be several moves that will catch you and every other baseball fan by surprise between now and the next few months.

Free agency is officially underway, as what promises to be a busy offseason around the league starts to get going in the days and weeks ahead.

Many of the rumors at this point are centered around where the top free agents will decide to call home next season, but there is an interesting crop of talent expected to be on the trade market this offseason, as well.

With MLB free agency set to begin, so too are the rumors and speculation of players who will be traded.

Last year, it was guys like R.A. Dickey, Jose Reyes, Justin Upton and James Shields who were traded to new teams. And this year is no different, as many big names have already been rumored to be moved. But will those deals happen? 

Here's a look at some of the biggest names on the trading block this offseason.

Note: All stats obtained from ESPN unless otherwise noted.

MLB free agency is usually frustrating to follow for fans of low-spending teams.

Thankfully, the class of 2014 is unique. This offseason, many of the top available players could wind up committing to under-the-radar organizations.

You'll see the New York Yankees attempt to use a ladder of cash to climb back to the playoffs, and the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers plan to overpay to fill their roster holes (again). The rich keep getting richer.

We can make all the predictions we want about the upcoming offseason. But the reality of the prediction business is that each time a move is made that comes out of left field, a lot of the thinking that went into the remaining predictions can go right out the window.

Following their victory in Game 5 of the World Series, the Boston Red Sox are now just one win away from clinching their third World Series title in the past 10 years.

The remainder of the series will be played at Fenway Park, and the Red Sox would ideally like to close things out during Game 6. However, the St. Louis Cardinals are a strong opponent, and they are more than capable of winning two difficult road games.

There are a number of keys to World Series Game 6 that will have an impact if we see a decisive Game 7.

The big-money free-agent signings grab all the headlines.

As both the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals have demonstrated, however, the teams that contend for World Series titles build from within.

A well-timed splash for a Carlos Beltran or a Mike Napoli is certainly part of the blueprint. It's the ability to consistently pluck top talent from down on the farm, though, that makes a club a perennial contender.

As the 2013 World Series shifts back to Fenway Park for Game 6, the Boston Red Sox are now one win away from winning their third championship in 10 seasons. The game on Wednesday will feature a rematch from Game 2 that saw St.

While the World Series is still going on, it's not too early to begin thinking about the Hot Stove League, which is set to get underway next week.

Despite a relative lack of superstar talent available via free agency, this year's offseason won't lack for big names on the rumor mill, as the futures of players like David Price, Max Scherzer, Giancarlo Stanton and others will be hotly debated.