Preview/Prediction

Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline might still be three months away, but it's never too early to take a look at the biggest names that could potentially be on the move as it draws near.

While teams are able to make trades in April and May, baseball's "trade season" typically doesn't begin until mid-June, when clubs have a better idea of who they are, where they stand and what they need to get where they want to go.

Baseball is a tough sport to predict on a long-term basis, as much can change in a year. Injuries, unexpected steps forward and backward by established players, and the yearly influx of rookies leave the MLB landscape looking significantly different on a year-in and year-out basis.

With that being said, what follows is my prediction of who will be the 25 best players in MLB when the 2020 season rolls around five years from now.

This past offseason saw plenty of pitchers cash in on the free-agent market, but the upcoming class of free-agent arms could be the best we've seen in a long time.

Last winter, Max Scherzer, Jon Lester and James Shields headlined a solid crop of starters that also included the likes of Francisco Liriano, Ervin Santana, Edinson Volquez, Jake Peavy, Brandon McCarthy and Jason Hammel.

Extreme early-season performances, whether positive or negative, are generally more scrutinized than a midseason hot or cold streak.

Simply put, that .100 or .400 batting average for a hitter, or the 1.00 ERA or 5.00 ERA for a pitcher, really stands out on the scoreboard during the first month of the year.

That often goes double for rookies, who are either looking to prove they belong at the big league level if they're struggling or looking to prove their hot starts are sustainable.

The MLB season is only a couple weeks in, but it's never too early to look at teams' trade assets. Every team has some; the Cubs have several.

Unlike in past seasons, the Cubs may be buyers rather than sellers at this year's deadline. That could mean they're trading minor league or major league assets. It could also mean they're standing pat.

Whether they decide to trade any of these players or not, these are the Cubs' top five trade chips two weeks into the season.

When the Kansas City Royals won the American League last year, many thought it might have been a fluke.

As injuries mount and teams begin to sour on ineffective players currently on their rosters, the rumor mill has begun to pick up speed. It's not churning out rumors at breakneck speed, mind you, like it will as we get into the dog days of summer, but it's moving fast enough to not be cited as a pace-of-play violator.

MLB daily fantasy owners are finally getting into a groove, but there's always room for improvement. Each day brings a new opportunity for DraftKings players to thrive in myriad games, but only if they know how to set up a winning lineup.

Before Tuesday's slate gets underway, here's a look at the full strategy for MLB daily fantasy with the top value players to target.

Two of the early favorites to win the 2015 World Series will meet again at Fenway Park on Tuesday in the second game of a three-game interleague series between the visiting Washington Nationals and the host Boston Red Sox.

Just when you thought it was safe to etch a team's 25-man roster in stone, along come the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres to make us start the process all over.

The two rebuilding clubs—one far more along in the process than the other—hooked up for their second blockbuster trade in four months, with the Braves sending All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel and embattled outfielder Melvin Upton to the Padres for a package of talent, including top pitching prospect Matt Wisler.