For fans of teams no longer in the hunt for a playoff spot, I've got some good news: It's almost over.
Roughly seven weeks from now, the doors to the free-agent market will swing open, officially signalling the start of baseball's offseason. And while you can be sure that each and every one of MLB's 30 teams will be talking to potential free-agent additions, you can bet that those teams will be talking to each other as well.
Because we know that free agency isn't for everyone, and a team's most pressing needs can't always be filled by throwing bags of money at the most talented free agent at that position. There are times when there simply isn't an intriguing free agent available to fill a specific need.
That stands to be the case this winter for teams in need of help up the middle, specifically in the middle of their infields. After Howie Kendrick and (arguably) Ian Desmond, there's not much in the way of quality options at second base or shortstop.
But the same can't be said of the trade market, which could be flush with available upgrades at both second base and shortstop, and it's those positions that dominate this week's look at potential offseason trades.
Keep in mind that these proposed deals are only ideas and pure speculation. Unless otherwise noted, there's no indication that any of them have actually been discussed.
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