Thanksgiving is behind us (belch), and the winter meetings kick off Dec. 4, but MLB's hot stove is lukewarm at best.

The Atlanta Braves added one of the most versatile players in baseball Thursday by signing Sean Rodriguez to a two-year deal worth over $11 million, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and Jon Heyman of Today's Knuckleball.

The Seattle Mariners agreed to trade starting pitcher Taijuan Walker to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday as part of a five-player trade.

The Diamondbacks announced they acquired Walker and infielder Ketel Marte from Seattle in exchange for shortstop Jean Segura, outfielder Mitch Haniger and left-handed pitcher Zac Curtis.

Kenley Jansen is one of the best relief pitchers in baseball. By definition, he'll improve any club that signs him.

He doesn't make sense for every team, however, financially or strategically, including the Miami Marlins.

So, naturally, they're in deep on Jansen.

Any good baseball executive enters free agency with more than one plan in mind.

Even the best of baseball operations departments cannot predict what a player may decide. A team can target a free agent and offer him a great deal, but ultimately the decision lies with the player.

So, many teams have to put alternative plans into action.

Yes, fans can hope that their team lands its top targets. But should it not, take a look at who your team may fall back on.

Longtime Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca died Wednesday at the age of 90.

We're less than a month into the Hot Stove League and, already, five of the MLB free agents that appeared on our initial Top 25 Big Board at the end of September have come off the market.

Free agency gets all the headlines this time of year in Major League Baseball, but a dreadful crop of talent for all 30 teams to choose from should boost interest and activity in the trade market over the winter. 

The end of November is often the calm before the storm, as MLB players and executives are making their final preparations for the winter meetings that will begin on December 4. 

The New York Yankees need a starting pitcher. In past winters, that would have led to their going after only the best options, and damn the cost!

But since they need to be smart this winter, let's help point them toward Rich Hill.

The World Baseball Classic is back—or it will be this spring, with the fourth installment of the international baseball tournament scheduled to kick off on Mar. 6 and the championship game slated for Mar. 22 at Dodger Stadium.

The United States team enters the upcoming tournament still searching for its first World Baseball Classic title.

In fact, it has yet to finish higher than fourth, with that result coming back in 2009. It also has an eighth-place finish in 2006 and a sixth-place finish in 2013 to its credit.