Opinion

If you thought the MLB hot stove would temporarily switch to the off position for the holidays, think again.

After all, some teams still have needs to be met, and the number of days until pitchers and catchers report to spring training is dwindling. It should come as no surprise, then, that there has been speculation around the league regarding potential trade targets. 

Sports fans may have their attention firmly turned toward football and basketball around the holidays, but pitchers and catchers report to spring training in less than two months. That means MLB teams are running out of time to make any corresponding roster moves. 

Naturally, there are rumors circulating around the league regarding the futures of some players who could potentially switch teams before late February.

Here is a look at some of those rumors.

Although the winter meetings allowed numerous MLB teams to cross some names off their holiday shopping lists, plenty of big gifts still await.  Even with superstars like Jon Lester and Pablo Sandoval signing with new teams, the league has yet to see a resulting domino effect, and other top-tier players have yet to find new (or old) teams.

With the calendar ready to flip to 2015, two big-name, big-money free agents remain on the market in Max Scherzer and James Shields, both of whom are proven, highly regarded right-handed starting pitchers looking to score massive contracts.

With a whole new year just days away, Major League Baseball's winter market is about as well-stocked as your friendly neighborhood toy store. Due to the demands of the season, there's not much left.

For teams that have already done their shopping, this isn't a problem. But for would-be winners that still have shopping to do, it is an obstacle. When 2014 turns into 2015, they're not going to have many options for building a winner.

But here comes the good news: "Many" is not the same thing as "any."

There's going to be a lot of pressure on Yasiel Puig when the Los Angeles Dodgers take the field in 2015.

Alright, maybe that sounds like stating the obvious. Between the pressure on him to behave and the pressure on him to perform, there's always pressure on Puig. But it will be a different, more heightened sort of pressure in 2015, and whether he'll be able to respond to it is a good question.

As baseball fans wake up this Christmas and run downstairs to see what Santa left them underneath the tree, there's going to be some mixed reaction.

Some will find everything they asked for and more, giddy with excitement about the possibilities for 2015 and beyond. Others will be left scratching their heads, wondering whether jolly ol' St. Nick even bothered to pay their house a visit at all.

Which teams' fans have the most to be excited about? Let's take a look.

Patience is a virtue for teams looking to bring in talented players without paying through the roof.

The beginning of the MLB free-agent period usually features a rash of quick signings for a lot of money. While this often makes the market more competitive as teams get desperate, treating free agency like Christmas Eve shopping is not the smartest decision.

Ahhh, the holidays. Eggnog, carols, the fresh smell of sap and distracting oneself from thy family with NBA action. But with the 10-16 Boston Celtics having just traded away Rajon Rondo and the New England Patriots already clinching the AFC's No. 1 seed, the conversation for many New Englanders may quickly transition to the Boston Red Sox this Christmas. 

There's fewer than 60 days until pitchers and catchers report, which means there's less than two months until the Alex Rodriguez circus begins again for the New York Yankees.