Rankings/List

The free-agent and trade markets have been quiet since the conclusion of December’s Winter Meetings. However, with the Jan. 24 deadline for a team to reach a deal with Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka edging closer every day, it’s only a matter of time until things pick back up.

The last Brewers pitching prospect drafted in the first round that developed into an impact major-league starter was Ben Sheets in 1999. Since then, the organization has struck out repeatedly when drafting a pitcher in the first round.

With negotiations between agents, All-Star players and MLB teams, the best and worse pre-arbitration deals occur during the offseason.

Curious as to what exactly arbitration is? 

We're less than a month away from when pitchers and catchers report to spring training, so it's time to assess what the Miami Marlins need and who is still out there to be had.

But before we begin, let's check the Marlins shopping list and see if there's anything the Marlins forgot to buy.

It's been a relatively quiet but expensive offseason for the Los Angels Dodgers compared to years past. Last winter, they signed Hyun-Jin Ryu and Zack Greinke to big contracts. This year, it's been...Jamey Wright?

The Dodgers, who claim to be gearing their organizational philosophy more towards developing the farm system and spending less on flashy free agents, are now rumored to be the front runner for flashy free agent Masahiro Tanaka's services.

Plenty of Internet ink is spilled on rating and ranking individual players and teams in baseball, but what about doing the same thing for divisions?

Obviously, the offseason isn't over, what with some big names still available in free agency (Masahiro Tanaka, Ubaldo Jimenez, Matt Garza and Ervin Santana come to mind) and others on the trade market (David Price, Jeff Samardzija and Andre Ethier, to name a few) who can swing things, depending on where they land.

With roughly a month to go until the start of spring training, the free-agent market has thinned considerably at this point, but there are still a handful of impact players available and a number of secondary roster pieces as well.

The biggest remaining crop of talent can be found in the starting pitching market, where everyone is seemingly waiting to see where Masahiro Tanaka signs. Once he makes his decision, the likes of Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana will likely find homes shortly after as consolation prizes for the teams that lose out on Tanaka.

With little major league-ready depth after their projected five starters, the Cincinnati Reds aren't currently in a position to shop Homer Bailey as he enters his last season before free agency. So it makes sense that the Reds were telling teams last month that he's not available, as was reported by Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

The New York Mets currently have a number of prospects on the cusp of making the major leagues, creating the question as to who will ascend in Mets system and become the next exciting young star.

The Mets have a number of prospects in the lower minors who have the tools to rise and become star talents but who have yet to harness their physical gifts and produce in the minors.