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The Rule 5 draft was held Thursday, and several players swapped organizations because of it. Over the next few slides, we’ll take a look at each pick’s chances of sticking on his new team’s big league roster. 

Unlike the regular first-year player draft, the Rule 5 draft involves professionals. Players that first signed at age 18 and that haven’t been added to a 40-man roster through five seasons, or players that signed at 19 years or older and that haven’t been added to a 40-man roster through four seasons are eligible to be drafted by other organizations through the Rule 5 process.

If an organization decides to take a player in the major league phase of the draft, it must pay $50,000. If that player doesn’t stay on the 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to his former team for $25,000. Teams are not obligated to make a selection and many didn’t. 

In all, 16 players were selected in this year’s draft. A few teams—the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres—made more than one selection. After the dust settled and a few picks were traded, San Diego ended up with four of the 16 players taken. 

Now that the picks are in, how likely is it that these players will make the big league roster? What’s the fate of the likes of Tyler Goeddel, Jabari Blash, Jake Cave and the rest of the Rule 5 draftees? 

In all of those cases, it’ll depend on the current roster structure of the team that drafted them. Relief pitchers are more likely to stick, while position players will have a tougher time carving out playing time. 

The Rule 5 draft is a low-risk, high-reward event. We don’t yet know what the players taken in this year’s draft will develop into, but we can at least dive into their chances of reaching the big leagues with their new clubs.

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Fear not, pitching-needy clubs. There are still plenty of hurlers capable of improving a rotation next season available this winter. 

Over the next few slides, we’ll take a look at a handful of pitchers whom teams should pursue now that some of the bigger fish have left the free-agent ocean. Zack Greinke, David Price, Jordan Zimmermann and Jeff Samardzija may have signed elsewhere, but teams still have an opportunity to improve via free agency or the trade market. 

Every organization is different and brings different assets to the table. For some, spending on a free-agent hurler is the best course of action. In that case, Scott Kazmir and Mike Leake are two interesting targets teams should explore. 

If teams want higher-quality arms, trading for the likes of Carlos Carrasco, Shelby Miller or Tyson Ross may be the way to go. Each hurler is young, productive and under team control for the next few seasons. In a world where free-agent pitchers are breaking the bank, that trio of arms arguably has more value than any free agent in this class. 

Let us know what you think in the comments section below. What is a reasonable price for Leake or Kazmir? What type of package would it require to add the likes of Carrasco, Miller or Ross? Which teams really need to add more pitching? 

You can never go wrong having Greinke or Price on the roster, but the players on this list are capable of improving a team in their own right. When the dust settles, they may be better options altogether. 

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While the baseball world is firmly focused on free-agent prizes and where they’ll end up, key MLB stars are busy recovering from injuries that derailed their campaigns a season ago.

In those cases, the returns of those players are more important than any offseason acquisition ever could be. Over the next few slides, we’ll take a look at a handful of players who hope to rebound from lost seasons in 2016. 

Whether it’s at the dish—in the cases of Michael Brantley and Giancarlo Stanton—or on the mound—like Yu Darvish and Sean Doolittle—various teams across MLB will receive a lift from the returns of banged-up stars. 

The following players are each essential to their team’s success in 2016. Each injury returnee does something special for his squad and provides traits that are difficult to replace on the offseason market. 

Let us know what you think in the comments section below. What can we expect from the players on this list? What other returnees are vital to their team’s success?

It’s easy to forget about players who haven’t suited up in a while. Here are a few who are poised to make significant impacts upon their return. 

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If the 2015 MLB season proved anything, it’s that prospects are capable of making an impact at the major league level sooner than they ever have. 

With so much young talent entering the big leagues, the stakes have never been higher. Teams’ farm systems are ever-evolving, and prospects that can’t keep up with the pace are often passed by.

There are several high-profile prospects that are in danger of meeting that fate. Over the next few slides, we’ll take a look at a few youngsters that are entering make-or-break years for their development. 

Byron Buxton, Mark Appel, Jon Gray and Dylan Bundy were all taken early in their respective drafts. Each of those prospects has the ability to develop into a star at the major league level and still has plenty of time to do so. 

But those players aren’t exactly trending in the right direction. There are questions about Buxton’s ability to hit major league pitching, Appel has yet to flourish with the Astros, Gray can’t figure out his home ballpark and Bundy can’t stay healthy. For whatever the reason, the players on this list have seen their stock fall over the last year. 

We’ll analyze why the following prospects have fallen on hard times and what they need to do to bounce back in 2016. Let us know if you agree or disagree with our selections in the comments section below. 

There’s no exact science to scouting prospects. Here are a few youngsters already flirting with the bust label. 

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What a difference a year makes. 

At the end of the 2014 season, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig was coming off a fantastic campaign and was widely considered one of the top young players in MLB.

Fast-forward a year later, and Puig’s name is consistently coming up in the headlines for the wrong reasons. With rumors swirling that the Dodgers are becoming fed up with his antics, let’s take a look at a few teams that can and should pursue the enigmatic Cuban. 

The teams on this list have a few things in common. First and foremost, they each have young, controllable starting pitchers that would entice L.A. into a potential deal. The other similarity is that each of the following organizations has significant holes in the outfield. 

The Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians and New York Mets seem to be the likeliest trade partners if the Dodgers eventually do wind up moving Puig. We’ll dive into what type of package each of those squads can offer L.A., and why Puig would be a slam-dunk acquisition for each. 

What is your opinion on Puig? What’s his true value? Would you want your team to pursue him on the trade market? Let us know in the comments section below.

The 24-year-old has captivated MLB’s imagination since his arrival in 2013. His time in Los Angeles may be coming to an end, but there is no shortage of teams that could use his services. 

Let’s look at a handful of teams that fit the mold. 

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The MLB offseason is nearly a month old, and thus far, there hasn’t been the overwhelming activity we saw at the same point last winter.

Despite it still being early, there are a few teams already headed toward failed offseasons. The New York Yankees, Miami Marlins and Cleveland Indians still have time to right their wrongs, but each organization is already behind the eight ball with the 2016 season on the horizon.

Let’s take a closer look at what each team is plotting this winter, and why they are missing golden opportunities to improve through a loaded free-agent class. 

Cleveland Indians

A refusal to spend in free agency could cost the Indians a chance to truly compete in 2016. 

Cleveland has the makings of an elite rotation. Indians starters finished second in the AL in ERA and topped MLB in strikeouts per nine innings last season. Carlos Carrasco (fifth), Corey Kluber (sixth), Danny Salazar (12th), and Trevor Bauer (24th) all ranked in the top 25 in K/9 last season.

The issue was that the Indians paired a fairly anemic offense with that electric rotation. The Tribe scored 669 runs in 2015, which put them 11th out of 15 AL squads. 

Seems fairly simple, right? Add a few offensive pieces, and the Indians could be really dangerous in 2016. 

Unfortunately, Cleveland may have to rob Peter to pay Paul to accomplish that. Per Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, the Indians are actively shopping their starting pitchers in hopes of acquiring outfield upgrades. 

With outfielder Michael Brantley out until at least May with a shoulder injury, the Indians have become even more desperate for offense. As B/R’s own Zachary Rymer points out, Cleveland has little leverage in potential trade talks due to its lack of options. 

It may be uncharacteristic for Cleveland to make a splash in free agency, but this is the winter to do so. If new general manager Mike Chernoff decides against that course of action, the Indians will have no choice but to subtract from one of the top rotations in MLB. 

Miami Marlins

My, how things have changed. 

Last winter, the Marlins seemed like a team on the cusp of contending for a playoff spot. With a core of young talent developing into everyday players at the same time, Miami was a trendy pick to make noise in the NL. 

But that hype didn’t translate to wins in 2015. The Marlins finished 20 games under .500, firing manager Mike Redmond in the process. Now, Miami seems to be running off some of its young talent that had so many baseball folks drooling prior to last season. 

The most damning rumors involve ace Jose Fernandez. Andy Slater of 940-AM WINZ and iHeartRadio has reported that the Marlins have grown tired of Fernandez’s attitude:

As I reported last week and on Tuesday, the Marlins front office is not happy with Fernandez’s attitude. “Jose talks to management like they are children,” another player source told me. I’ve now learned, it goes beyond that.

On at least two occasions in the Marlins clubhouse this season, Fernandez approached [Miami president of baseball operations Michael] Hill — according to multiple player sources — and openly said “when are you going to trade me?”

To be fair, Slater backtracked on those comments and numerous MLB sources, like Joel Sherman of the New York Post, have since reported that Fernandez is unavailable this winter. Still, the club’s rocky relationship with its ace is a development that Marlins fans can’t be happy to see. 

A Miami youngster who most certainly is available is outfielder Marcell Ozuna. ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick has reported that the Fish are seeking a young starter in return, and that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria “can’t stand” Ozuna. 

Owners and players disagree all the time, but it seems counter-productive to trade away a 25-year-old one year removed from a 23-homer, 85-RBI season from a squad loaded with young talent. 

But that’s what Loria is reportedly looking to accomplish. The Marlins should be adding cost-effective veterans to pair with its young core, not shopping two players with immense upside. 

New York Yankees 

In one of the surprises of the winter thus far, the Yankees have been relatively quiet on the free-agent front. 

That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Under the late George Steinbrenner, the Yankees were notorious for throwing money at high-profile free agents that allowed the club to remain somewhat relevant each season. However, those long-term deals often left the Yankees with aging stars making way more than they should.

With new principal owner Hal Steinbrenner, there’s been a renewed focus on growing young talent and maintaining draft picks instead of losing them as compensation for signing free agents. The Yankees have been active in free agency, but it’s been a far cry from the free-spending days of the early 2000s.

As for 2015, Steinbrenner has announced publicly that the Yankees will maintain their newfound thinking by trying to upgrade the roster without splurging on a free-agent splash.

“Yet an interview session with the Yankees’ managing general partner left little doubt that, for now, this winter’s plan is similar to last winter’s, only with less financial wiggle room — and, to be fair, fewer holes to fill,” said Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.

However, New York isn’t far away from being a serious player in the American League. If there is an offseason to revitalize the old Yankee free-agent philosophy, it’s this one.

The Yankees could use another arm to pair with a promising rotation of Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, Michael Pineda and Nathan Eovaldi. New York’s starting staff is talented, but Tanaka, Pineda and Eovaldi each dealt with injuries last season, and Severino remains relatively inexperienced. 

With so many starters waiting to ink their signatures on the free-agent market, it seems like the Yankees should be interested in bringing one of them to the Bronx. If Steinbrenner deems David Price or Zack Grienke too expensive, Jordan Zimmermann, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija are more cost-effective options. 

Trading for a starter is obviously a possibility, but that would seem to defeat the purpose of grooming homegrown players for major league roles. The Yankees have the farm system that should allow them to be aggressive in free agency to fill their holes, but are holding firm on their new way of thinking.

In the meantime, other AL teams are passing them by. 

All stats courtesy of FanGraphs. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In every MLB offseason, the usual suspects dominate the headlines with splashy acquisitions. 

Yet, there always seems to be that one organization that is more aggressive than usual each winter. Over the next few slides, we’ll take a look at a few sleeper teams poised to make a splash this offseason. 

Teams may feel the need to have an uncharacteristically active offseason for a variety of reasons. 

In the cases of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Minnesota Twins, adding to talented young rosters is the next step toward qualifying for the postseason. It’s not often that teams have a collection of elite talent hitting the big leagues at the same time, so supporting that group of youngsters with veteran free agents just makes sense.

For the Baltimore Orioles, a successful winter will boil down to keeping one of their own. It will be expensive to retain the rights of Chris Davis, but don’t count the O’s out of the sweepstakes for his services. Elsewhere, Jerry Dipoto is actively reshaping a Seattle Mariners roster that underachieved in 2015.

Do you think these teams will be legitimate players this winter? Which team can you see spending the most in free agency? Which organization has the assets to make a blockbuster trade? Let us know in the comment section below. 

Fortune favors the bold, and various MLB teams are ready to step out of their comfort zones in order to move into baseball’s elite. Let’s look at some sleepers ready to make some headlines this winter. 

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Although the easiest way for teams to improve their rosters is through free agency, organizations are getting creative with trades to upgrade for 2016 this winter. By trading, teams are able to stay away from long-term deals that can cripple franchises.

But that doesn’t mean that working with another team is always the best idea. Over the next few slides, we’ll take a look at a handful of offseason trade targets that teams might want to steer clear of. 

In most deals, teams are looking for young prospects in exchange for their established major leaguers. As we learned in 2015, young talent has become the most valuable currency in baseball. Teams must carefully evaluate the risk associated with parting with that young talent before pulling the trigger on a potential deal.

As talented as Aroldis Chapman, Elvis Andrus, Jonathan Papelbon and other trade targets have proven to be during their careers, teams must be wary of surrendering attractive young players to acquire their services.

In Chapman’s case, is giving up a treasure trove of prospects worth one year of a one-inning pitcher? Papelbon has proven to be a nuisance in the clubhouse, while Andrus’ outlandish contract and lack of production give him virtually no value.

Would you want your team to trade for any of these players? Will the short-term improvements your team sees validate the long-term risk? Let us know in the comment section below.

What always glitters isn’t always gold. Here are a few short-term fixes that aren’t worth the price they’ll command on the market.

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It may only be the second week of the MLB offseason, but there are plenty of intriguing storylines already developing among baseball circles. Over the next few slides, we’ll take a look at the hottest questions that have developed over the course of November. 

There’s always plenty to talk about with regards to an MLB offseason. Where will prized free agents land? What trends are developing on the trade market? Which teams are being aggressive, and which ones are in sell mode? 

We’ll touch on storylines involving each of those questions. How deep is the market for Jeff Samardzija after a poor 2015? What’s the market like for teams in need of a closer? How are the Cleveland Indians planning on adding offense? And what in the world is going on with Jose Fernandez and the Miami Marlins?

Some of these questions will have a swift resolution in the coming weeks, while others will take longer to answer. Give us your opinion on how all these situations will shake out in the comments section below.

Every offseason is different, and the current one will change MLB’s landscape in 2016. Let’s dive into some issues that have defined the winter thus far. 

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Sifting through all the rumors and whispers that take place during an MLB offseason can be tiring, but there are often trends we can draw conclusions from with the reports we hear during the winter.

A trend that usually ends up being pretty accurate is discovering which teams plan to be active and which don’t. The teams that are involved in various discussions wind up with impressive offseason hauls more times than not.

Over the next few slides, we’ll look at a few teams that are poised for significant upgrades this winter.

Some of those improvements have already happened. The Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox have already shown their commitment to upgrading this offseason with trades for Andrelton Simmons and Craig Kimbrel, respectively. Despite those trades, don’t expect Billy Eppler and Dave Dombrowski to stop adding to the roster. 

Of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers and that near-$300 million payroll will be factors this winter. L.A.’s division rivals in San Francisco will also spend in hopes of returning to the postseason, while the Chicago Cubs will try to build off a magical 2015 season. 

Whether it’s through large free-agent contracts or trades centered around impressive prospects, the following teams are ready to do whatever is necessary to qualify for the postseason and, ultimately, the World Series. 

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