MLB

There are still diamonds in the rough to be found on the free-agent market in MLB.

A few big names in their primes are surrounded by a host of inconsistent veterans in the available talent pool, but this is still a crucial part of the offseason even with most of the marquee players off the table. There are only a few days left until the holidays, so expect a small flurry of action in the near future.

The New York Yankees have reportedly reached an agreement with veteran second baseman Brian Roberts on a one-year, $2 million deal as a part of their ongoing effort to fill the void left by Robinson Cano. 

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports passed along word of the free-agent signing:

Let's pretend for a moment that each MLB team's offseason was evaluated in a way similar to that of a college football or basketball program. Free-agent signings and trade additions would be assigned a rating from 1-5 on the "star" scale, and the complete class of new additions would be graded from there.

Rather than assessing how well needs were filled or how much money was spent by each team, the focus would solely be on how much overall talent was added to the roster.

If the Hot Stove is your thing, it's been a fun offseason. Many of the premium free agents are off the board now, but the good news is several still remain. As you'll see in this piece, there's still a few big trade pieces who could further shake things up.

Matt Kemp, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Perhaps due to the new television agreements, MLB teams have been spending an inordinate amount of money this offseason. Many of the larger contracts handed out have even prompted many fans and critics to redefine their notion of “value.”

The San Francisco Giants have been one of the most active teams since the 2013 season ended. GM Brian Sabean has aggressively moved to restock the Giants roster, bringing back several familiar faces and adding two new free agents.

At times, it seems as if the only way to score that major free-agent signing is to pay way more than the player's estimated value.

This is an obvious consequence of the nature of the open market. Teams bid against each other and the price rises as a consequence. It is not surprising that this happens, but it sometimes leads to players who are paid an awful lot more than they’re worth.

If we learned anything from last year’s MLB offseason, it’s that blockbuster trades are more likely to happen when previously untouchable prospects are made available.

By this time last year, the Royals had already dealt Wil Myers and three other prospects to the Rays in exchange for right-handers James Shields and Wade Davis.

Similarly, the Blue Jays' last-minute decision to include top prospects Travis d’Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard in the trade for R.A. Dickey ultimately brought the deal together.

Trades went down left and right last week during Major League Baseball’s annual winter meetings.

Unfortunately, none of those deals involved notable prospects.

Well, that changed on Monday when the Chicago White Sox acquired third baseman Matt Davidson from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for closer Addison Reed.

The Seattle Mariners have already made plenty of noise this winter, and if early signs are any indication, they'll continue to be busy until spring training.

The moves have not only been unexpected, but monumental as well and heavily focused on hitting. A new skipper is at the helm and a new superstar in town. 

The following moves are the biggest ones made by the Mariners so far, with their grades reflecting the quality of player/coach and value of their contracts.