MLB

The free-agent market remains a hotbed of activity. Teams around Major League Baseball are searching for the right players to fill roster voids, but it comes down to getting the best value possible, which means some situations drag out.

As always, the biggest question is whether shelling out a monster contract will be a sound investment over the long haul. It's a debate the New York Yankees are going through concerning Robinson Cano, the biggest prize available this offseason.

Most of the top-tier free agents remain unsigned roughly a month after the frenzy began, but several deals have been struck. Some of them look like good signings and some of them...do not. Here are the early winners and losers of the offseason.

Winners

It is no secret the Washington Nationals expect to rebound after a disappointing 2013 to make a push for a World Series title in 2014.

The question is, what can they do to improve upon their team from last season to make the necessary adjustments in order to get there?

Fortunately for the Nationals, they have a solid core, and there are not a significant number of moves that need to be made. However, there are a few key ones that can spur the team to their ultimate goal. 

Early in the offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers have already been involved in several moves. With the departures of Skip Schumaker and Nick Punto and the arrival of Dan Haren, we already know that several members of the 2014 roster will be new faces.

There are still moves to be made as November turns into December, but this is a good time to take stock of where the Dodgers are and how they've made out during these first few transactions.

While most of Major League Baseball's free agent activity generally doesn't occur until after Thanksgiving or even until the winter meetings, which start on December 9, the Philadelphia Phillies have been active nonetheless in the open market thus far. They've inked outfielder Marlon Byrd to a two-year, $16 million contract and also re-signed catcher Carlos Ruiz to a three-year, $26 million deal.

With a few weeks' worth of free-agent signings and trades in the rearview, the markets at each position have taken shape and shifted to varying degrees. And with many more weeks to go on the unofficial Hot Stove calendar—a stretch that includes the upcoming Winter Meetings, the signature event of the offseason—more trades are likely to be struck.

If there are two things baseball fans love, it is free agency and statistics. You have to pay attention to numbers in baseball, because they will tell you a story about any given player. There are also patterns and trends to follow in the numbers that can help accurately predict what a player's future will look like. 

Free agency is a different animal. It is easy to say Player X will sign with Team Y, but until the bidding starts and payroll ceilings are set, no one knows what will happen.

That's the beauty of this time of year, the idea that anything can happen.

It's impossible to read anything about Jacoby Ellsbury's free agency that doesn't mention his injury history. "Point X, Point Y, Point Z, but then there's his injury history," they all (basically) say. 

Despite the acquisition of first baseman Prince Fielder, the Texas Rangers are still a team with flaws. A number of good free agents remain on the market and should Texas sign them, it may fix some of the areas that need improvement.  

Expect the MLB offseason market action to pick up following Thanksgiving weekend and heading into the winter meetings from Dec. 9-12.