The first five weeks since the Chicago Cubs captured their first World Series title in 108 years have generated one of the most action-packed starts to an MLB offseason in recent memory. From blockbuster trades to lucrative free-agent signings, contenders haven't hesitated to make splashes.

The stories this week about Edwin Encarnacion were mostly about how much money he wasn't going to get. And maybe he won't.       

Encarnacion's market "cratered," to use the word Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports worked into a tweet Wednesday. And maybe it did.

After signing a free-agent deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, outfielder Dexter Fowler commented on the decision during his introductory press conference Friday. 

Fowler left the Chicago Cubs for the rival Cards, and according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, he inked a five-year, $82.5 million contract.

The 2016 Winter Meetings are over, but the offseason action is still getting started.

While it is easier to complete deals when everyone is in the same location, not a single team is settled heading into the 2017 season. Everyone is going to be looking for upgrades, either through trades or free agency, to help improve the roster before pitchers and catchers report.

Here are some of the latest rumors surrounding trades that could still go down in the coming days or weeks.

Major League Baseball’s hot stove was white-hot this week with winter meetings sparking a flurry of franchise-changing deals.

The Chicago White Sox were at the center of it all, dealing starting pitcher Chris Sale and outfielder Adam Eaton in trades that altered the dynamic of each of the franchises involved.

It all gave us a new set of questions to answer concerning the 2017 season and beyond. Who are contenders? Who are pretenders? Which teams were able to secure their futures?

It wouldn't be a proper day after the winter meetings without discussion of all the big deals.

The four days of hot-stove action at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, didn't disappoint. Among the things that happened were trades involving an elite starting pitcher, a star outfielder and a star closer, along with signings of some of the best players on the free-agent market.

The 2016 MLB winter meetings yanked multiple big-ticket free agents and trade targets off the board.

Ace lefty Chris Sale jumped from the Chicago White Sox to the Boston Red Sox. Mark Melancon shattered the record for a relief-pitcher contract, then Aroldis Chapman shattered it again—and so on. 

That's the allure of the annual December confab. It invariably alters the offseason landscape.

The final day of the winter meetings Thursday means it's time for all 30 teams to partake in the annual Major League Baseball Rule 5 draft, though clubs are under no obligation to make a selection. 

It's hardly a surprise that the winter meetings have been notable for trades, both finalized and speculative, because this year's free-agent market features more questions than immediate answers. 

Yoenis Cespedes did take some of the drama out of this week by re-signing with the New York Mets early, though it never felt like another significant team was in the sweepstakes for him. 

The winter meetings always provide a good deal of excitement around the MLB community, and this year has been no different.

While this year's meetings won't officially wrap up until Thursday afternoon following the Rule 5 draft, there have been enough trades and free-agent signings that it's worth taking an updated look at where things stand around the league.

This will be the first time we've updated our power rankings since the conclusion of the regular season, so here are a few things to keep in mind: