Preview/Prediction

Johnny Cueto and Jose Fernandez are just two of the big league stars whose future has yet to be determined as the winter meetings recede into the background and the 2015-2016 MLB offseason rolls along.

In addition to Cueto, there are at least a couple of prominent players who are still waiting to hit the free-agent jackpot. Meanwhile, Fernandez isn't the only dynamic major leaguer who just can't seem to shake all those pesky trade rumors.

The 2015 MLB winter meetings have not disappointed, as several high-priced players have been made available either through free agency or via trade.

Yet, the market for offensive firepower has been relatively quiet to this point, but with the winter meetings set to close at the end of the day Thursday, we could see some last-minute deals done before the general managers part ways.

It's the most wonderful time of the year—and I'm not talking about Christmas.

The Hot Stove League is operating at scorching temperatures right now, with baseball's annual winter meetings providing the setting for some big free-agent signings and even bigger trades. Starlin Castro, Shelby Miller and last season's No. 1 draft pick, Dansby Swanson, have all switched teams this week.

And that may only be the beginning.

The Major League Baseball winter meetings in Nashville, Tennessee, are in full swing as rumors and speculation swirl around countless players and teams looking to make a change. 

While some wheeling and dealing has already been done in a few notable deals, some of the biggest names in the game have become available on the trading block. Let's take a look at the latest on some of baseball's hottest trade rumors. 

The 2015 Major League Baseball Rule 5 draft, being held Thursday at the winter meetings in Nashville, Tennessee, is not likely to churn out a future superstar or MVP candidate, but there are always diamonds found in the rough from the minor league scrapheap.   

Baseball's winter meetings have gotten off to a rousing start, with trades—some completed, some falling apart—free agent signings and enough rumor and speculation to fill Dodger Stadium.

Free agency has hogged most of the MLB offseason buzz, but with the winter meetings underway, trade talks are heating up at a rapid rate. 

This four-day gathering of league executives is generally the biggest tipping point of the offseason in shuffling personnel, and a few high-profile names have been linked to potential news. 

Baseball's winter meetings officially kicked off Monday in Nashville, Tennessee, bringing with them the usual expectations of free agent signings, trades and the vast majority of rumor and speculation ultimately going nowhere.

But sometimes, the rumors that seem so far-fetched actually do become reality, while other moves, on rare occasions, are announced without a whisper of them ever actually making the rumor mill rounds. Those are the kind of potential moves we'll focus on here: the out-of-nowhere and highly unlikely.

The MLB winter meetings commenced Sunday in Nashville, and there is plenty of buzz that could shift the competitive landscape in the industry’s largest annual congregation of executives and media.

The top free agents—starting pitchers Zack Greinke and David Price—were snatched off the market last week for deals exceeding $200 million. But there are still plenty of high-profile chips that could be in play.

While attention might be shifted toward college football or the NFL as we descend into winter, Major League Baseball's offseason is staying hot as the winter meetings are set to kick off on Monday from Nashville, Tennessee. 

For four days, the landscape around the league will be changed as many players, free agents and trade targets alike, are set to find new homes. 

Let's take a look at some of the biggest trade rumors heading into the winter meetings.