Preview/Prediction

The dominoes generally don't start falling on the MLB offseason until the winter meetings roll around, but the rumor mill is already in full swing.

Offseason markets are so intertwined that one signing can often trigger a trickle-down effect and spark a flurry of activity with teams scrambling to lock down plan B after missing out on plan A.

For now, all we have is a spattering of rumors from around the MLB community to hold us over until the hot stove really heats up a month or so from now.

The MLB Most Valuable Player awards feature two very different races, with one league being much more competitive than the other.

While it seems likely Kris Bryant has run away with voting for the National League award, it was difficult to even narrow the American League options down to three candidates. Of the three remaining, each has a legitimate claim to the prestigious award.

We've already seen a handful of trades since the World Series came to an end, most recently a Monday deal that found the Los Angeles Dodgers trading veteran catcher Carlos Ruiz to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for left-handed reliever Vidal Nuno.

MLB's rightful MVPs don't always receive the hardware.

The writers voting for the recipients are smarter than ever, though. Those tasked with choosing this year's most valuable performers appreciate analytics more than they did 10 years ago, when Justin Morneau and Ryan Howard won over the more deserving Grady Sizemore and Albert Pujols, respectively.

Billy Goats and Bartman be damned. The curse over Wrigley Field has been lifted, and the Chicago Cubs are the kings of baseball for the first time in more than a century.

While fans continue to pinch each other, making sure this isn't all some beautiful dream, the Cubs have little time to rest of their laurels. For the MLB offseason is officially underway, and team president Theo Epstein, general manager Jed Hoyer and their staffs have work to do.

As Milli Vanilli once sang, "Blame It On the Rain."

The World Series is over and, as a result, MLB's offseason has officially begun.

The MLB season may be over, but there's no offseason in an MLB front office, as teams are already hard at work building toward next year.

Early to-do items around the league include deciding whether to exercise player options and whether to extend qualifying offers to eligible free agents.

That often leads to some early activity on the trade market, with teams moving to acquire a player before his option is declined and he's free to sign anywhere.

With the streets of Chicago still in a state of ruin after the Cubs broke a century-long World Series drought, it's time to do it all over again.

The Cubs will host their first-ever World Series celebration Friday, mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement released less than 24 hours after the team's thrilling Game 7 win over the Cleveland Indians. 

For the first time in 108 years, the city of Chicago will be able to bask in the glow of a World Series celebration with the Cubs when the team holds its victory parade on Friday.