The Major League Baseball hot stove never cools off as teams are wheeling and dealing on the heels of the winter meetings.
Pitching is always a hot commodity, but a bat like Todd Frazier's is going to draw plenty of interest.
Let's take a look at where the power hitter could end up, as well as ace James Shields and more.
AL Central Could Be Landing Spot for Frazier
Cincinnati Reds third baseman Todd Frazier can hit the long ball, and there are plenty of teams willing to listen to offers for the 29-year-old who can also play the outfield, per Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
While Heyman mentioned the Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals have shown interest in trading for Frazier, he wrote that it's a pair of teams in the American League Central that could be the best fit:
The [Chicago] White Sox and [Cleveland] Indians would make a lot of sense for Frazier, but since he could play first base or outfield, several teams have interest. Frazier, 29, hit 35 home runs last year and made his second All-Star team.
Both teams could use a power upgrade in the infield and may have the upper hand considering the Reds are looking at a sort of mini-fire sale.
They already tried to trade closer Aroldis Chapman to the Dodgers before it fell through following legal charges against the pitcher, and they are "fielding interest" in outfielder Jay Bruce and second baseman Brandon Phillips, per Heyman.
Shields Could Be Out of San Diego After Just One Season
After James Shields helped pitched the Royals to the 2014 World Series, he opted to leave for sunnier weather and signed a four-year contract with the San Diego Padres.
He lived up to his workhorse reputation and tossed 202.1 innings for the Padres, winning 13 games with a 3.91 ERA.
However, San Diego has shown interest in trading the guy it calls "Big Game James," per Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe: "There’s still a feeling that Shields could be tacked on to a veteran staff. Among the potential candidates are the [Chicago] Cubs, [San Francisco] Giants, [New York] Yankees, [Toronto] Blue Jays, and Royals (if the Padres took on some money)."
And it's a lot of money.
Shields made just $10 million in 2015, but he is slated to receive $21 million guaranteed for each of the next three seasons.
Cafardo noted Shields, who will be 34 on Dec. 20, gave up the most home runs at San Diego's Petco Park since 2002 last season. One interesting storyline could be Shields heading back to Kansas City, home to the very pitcher-friendly Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals are not big spenders, so the Padres will certainly have to eat some of his contract, but it would be familiar territory for Shields, who would certainly be hungry to get Kansas City back to the World Series.
It's still a mystery as to where he will end up, or if he'll even be traded, but ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted that Shields has plenty of suitors despite passing through waivers during the 2015 season:
Whichever team lands the starting pitcher will get a player who is as durable as they come. He's never pitched less than 202 innings in a season since his rookie campaign, and he has won at least 11 games during those nine seasons.
Braves Could Trade Nick Markakis
The Royals might lose free-agent outfielder Alex Gordon this offseason, and if so, the Atlanta Braves' Nick Markakis could be an option to fill the void, per Cafardo.
However, veteran Atlanta Journal-Constitution MLB reporter David O'Brien said during a recent Twitter Q and A that there has not been much traction on that front.
Even so, Markakis would be a solid fit in Kansas City. He doesn't play the outfield as well as the four-time Gold Glove winner Gordon, but he did win two of his own with the Baltimore Orioles.
He mainly plays right field, but Kansas City could try him in left, or slide him into right after the Royals declined to re-sign Alex Rios.
His home run pop disappeared in 2015, hitting just three long balls in 686 plate appearances, but he is a career .291 hitter with a .359 on-base percentage.
He also is considerably cheaper than Gordon.
Rob Neyer of Fox Sports said Gordon could command a six-year contract worth $100 million, or nearly $17 million per year.
Markakis, who at 32 is one year older than Gordon, has $33 million left on his current three-year contract.
If the Royals are not his destination, Cafardo also said he could land with a familiar team:
[Atlanta's President of Baseball Operations] John Hart and [General Manager] John Coppolella have done a great job turning over the roster and bringing in top young talent. Markakis could be the next to go. The Royals are interested, and a reunion with the [Baltimore] Orioles is possible as [Baltimore Manager] Buck Showalter remains a big fan.
With the youth movement in full force for the rebuilding Braves, it's looking more likely that 2015 was the last season in Atlanta for Markakis.
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