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This MLB offseason marks the third that Theo Epstein and company have been at the reins of the Chicago Cubs, and to this point, it has been a relatively quiet winter on the North Side.

That's not a big change from the past two years, as the new front office staff has been methodical in its approach towards rebuilding the franchise from the ground up and putting its stamp on the organization.

Generally speaking, the MLB winter meetings tend to generate the most free-agent signings and surprising trades. But in 2013, the tides might have changed.

Over the past week, Robinson Cano, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, Hiroki Kuroda, Curtis Granderson, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Joe Nathan, Mike Napoli and a slew of other free agents put pen to paper. There were also nine trades, with Doug Fister to the Washington Nationals perhaps being the most significant.

The Seattle Mariners are back. That's the main message that one can take away from their signing of Robinson Cano. The deal was first reported by ESPN Deportes' Enrique Rojas. 

Former Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano recently signed a massive 10-year, $240 million deal with the Seattle Mariners with some help from his agent, rapper Jay Z.

The New York Yankees were unsuccessful in keeping Robinson Cano, but you have to credit them for trying.

Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes first broke the news that the All-Star second baseman agreed to a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Seattle Mariners. However, the Yankees tried an interesting tactic in order to help in the negotiations.

Jonathan Papelbon and Kyle Kendrick are on the trading block for a reason, and that reason's name is Nelson Cruz. The Philadelphia Phillies are looking to find wiggle room financially so they can land another high-priced free agent or two.

The Hot Stove is a bonfire, but we might still see some big moves with the Winter Meetings set to begin on Monday.

The free-agent market is quickly drying up, but the trade market has remained steady, and there are some game-changing names still floating around in rumors.

Here are three blockbuster trades that, based on reports and looking at the fallout of the flurry of recent activity, I think make sense for both sides.

The 2012 winter meetings took place in Nashville, Tenn., from Dec. 3-6, and even in what was a relatively quiet year, there were plenty of notable trades and free-agent signings.

Even though baseball season is technically off right now, there is something particularly exciting about the winter meetings. Everyone converges at one location, and what you thought was going to happen at the beginning of the meetings is not at all what has happened by the end.

Even within the past five years, we have seen some pretty crazy stuff happen at these meetings. Here are the five craziest ones in my opinion, ranked in descending order.

Robinson Cano chose to bolt for the Seattle Mariners over re-signing with the New York Yankees, as one is wont to do when 10 years for $240 million is offered.