Rankings/List

With the MLB winter meetings rapidly approaching, there's sure to be a flurry of activity on the free-agent market.

That means it's time to re-rank the top 10 MLB offseason targets as the calendar turns to December. With big names like Brian McCann and Jhonny Peralta already off the board, there's some reshuffling to be done. 

Even though it is still early in the offseason, there have already been a few MLB teams that have taken big steps forward for the 2014 season.

Some franchises have looked to the trade market to fill a pressing need, while others have been able to pick up impact free agents.

There is still a lot of time left this winter, and there are many big-name players on the market. Thus far, there are some clear early winners of the 2014 MLB offseason.

The 2014 MLB free-agency market is heating up, and no move sparked more controversy this week than Jhonny Peralta's $53 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Now, the big question is just how lucrative of a contract Nelson Cruz will land. According to the rumbling on the trade market, however, Peralta and Cruz won't be the only Biogenesis-linked players on the move this offseason.

Here are all the latest rumors from the trade block and the free-agent front with a look at which ones are fact and which ones are fiction.

The New York Yankees and Texas Rangers have each filled major voids for left-handed power hitters for the middle of their respective lineups, while the St. Louis Cardinals didn't waste time upgrading at the shortstop position.

There have been a few notable free-agent signings so far this offseason, but most of the big names are still available out there on the market.

Beyond offering hope to fans of struggling teams, prospects serve a more important purpose at this time of the year.

With Major League Baseball’s free agency underway and every team evaluating their rosters for the 2014 season, prospects can be the deciding factor when it comes to an offseason blockbuster trade.

Last year, top-ranked prospects Travis d’Arnaud, Jake Marisnick and Will Myers were each featured (as part of larger packages) in trades for All-Star players and went on to reach the major leagues during the 2013 season.

It's not always a player's fault when he ends up on the chopping block.

Sure, lots of big names around the league play their way out of jobs by drastically underperforming the expectations. Other stars merely have the misfortune of playing for teams that don't live up to the billing and subsequently need to sell of any valuable assets in a desperate effort to reload. Finally, there is the group of players who excelled on competitive teams but who have simply outgrown the means of their small-market clubs.

While a pair of trades dominated this week's news in Major League Baseball's offseason, there have been some intriguing, under-the-radar signings to this point too. Clearly, though, the open market has yet to really get rolling. Before that happens, it's worth checking in to see what kind of bang teams are getting for their buck. 

Of the free-agent signings thus far, there are certainly a couple that could turn out to be bargains. If Josh Johnson (San Diego Padres) and Chris Young (New York Mets) return to form, they'll be well worth the one-year deals at the cost of $8 million and $7.25 million, respectively.

Same for David Murphy, who signed a two-year, $12 million deal with the Cleveland Indians, and LaTroy Hawkins, who will cost the Colorado Rockies no more than $2.5 million to at least start the season as their closer.

In the mid-to-late stages of their rebuilding process, the Cubs are in for an interesting offseason. They're in no position to make a major splash as the front office has noted, but some subtle moves could keep the wheels of progress moving in the right direction.