Rankings/List

It's never too early to deem offseason acquisitions busts or steals, and there's already been plenty of moves we can analyze so far this winter. 

Over the next few slides, we'll identify a handful of those transactions that fall under those two categories. 

What constitutes a bust or a steal? In short, teams that overextend themselves either financially or with prospects have overpaid for a player. This winter, Ben Zobrist and Shelby Miller were involved in deals that teams may regret down the road. 

Merry Christmas to all of you loyal B/R readers!

As you're enjoying the opening of gifts this morning, there will likely be gear from your favorite MLB team underneath the wrapping paper. Representing your team is your duty as a fan, but some will sport their team's logo with a little more excitement than others. 

Those fanbases are the ones we'll profile over the next few slides—the supporters that have the most to be excited about this Christmas. 

The MLB offseason always captivates the baseball world, but the moves that are made each winter affect teams that are involved in more ways than one. 

Once the dust settles and pitchers and catchers begin to report to spring training, the magnitude of offseason deals can truly be felt. When new players are added, old names are often left fighting for their jobs in the next season. 

It's already Week 7 of the 2015-16 MLB offseason, and Clayton Kershaw still needs a sidekick.

From figuring out who will be backing up baseball's nastiest starter at Dodger Stadium to trying to explain why so many prominent free-agent bats remain unsigned, there are all sorts of questions to ponder as 2016 inches ever closer.

It's almost Christmas, and 2016 is right around the corner. It's hard to believe that we're just over two months away from hearing those fateful words: "pitchers and catchers."

Before we get there, though, there are still plenty of moves left to be made. Most of the heavy lifting has already been done, but several quality players with immense value remain on the market.

While the attention of the baseball world remains fixated on the never-ending news machine that is the MLB offseason, some well-known prospects are making cases for 2016 roster spots in winter leagues across the Caribbean. 

Over the next few slides, we'll move away from the rumor mill and look at a handful of prospects making waves in various offseason leagues. 

Some prospects choose not to play when the season ends. For many, it's just more games in which they can lower their stock or become injured.

There are always winners and losers in every aspect of life.

The 2015 MLB offseason has been no different. While teams like the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks have made serious statements regarding their contention in 2016, several organizations are reeling in disappointment. 

We are a week removed from the Major League Baseball winter meetings, but the action has cooled only slightly.

The last eight days provided a headline trade that furthered the Cincinnati Reds' rebuilding project, and the Los Angeles Dodgers lost a player they thought they had acquired. But nothing was as noteworthy as the next-best starting pitcher coming off the market when the San Francisco Giants signed Johnny Cueto.

Let's pretend for a moment that each MLB team's offseason was evaluated in a way similar to that of a college football or basketball program. Free-agent signings and trade additions would be assigned a rating from 1-5 on the "star" scale, and the complete class of new additions would be graded from there.

If the 2015 MLB season proved anything, it's that prospects are more valuable than ever before. 

Young talent made immediate impact on virtually every MLB team this past season. Young players like Kyle Schwarber, Kris Bryant and Carlos Correa dominated the headlines in October, proving that there should be no timeline on when prospects can contribute at the major league level.