Opinion

Though the Chicago Cubs failed to sign free-agent catcher Russell Martin last week, it doesn’t mean the team won’t have other intriguing options moving forward.

Key players have already signed new contracts this winter, setting the standard for how the rest of the offseason is going to unfold.

In the wake of Giancarlo Stanton becoming Major League Baseball's first $300 million man, a question comes to mind.

Who's next?

There's no doubt baseball will get a second $300 million man and little doubt that he will come sooner rather than later. Probably within the next five years. Maybe even within the next three.

The second the Los Angeles Dodgers hired Andrew Friedman as their president of baseball operations and jettisoned former general manager Ned Colletti into a role untied to player personnel, the team was without a shortstop for 2015. 

A chill in the air, "Deck the Halls" blaring in every department store and the New York Yankees throwing gobs of cash at a top-tier free agent—those are the signs that tell us winter is on its way.

This year, though, the Yankees are threatening to break with tradition. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers front office has begun wheeling and dealing this offseason, acquiring low-cost pitching help over the past two weeks.

New President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman went the familiar route with his first move, trading for former Tampa Bay Rays reliever Joel Peralta and Rays minor league left-hander Adam Liberatore.

The Boston Red Sox had a busy day on Monday, working out deals with both Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, arguably the top two hitters in free agency. The rest of the offseason could be just as busy, especially given that this club is hoping to go from worst to World Series winners all over again.

Suddenly, the San Francisco Giants have a panda-sized hole to fill.

When the Pittsburgh Pirates were bounced from the playoffs in the 2014 National League Wild Card Game by the eventual World Series Champion San Francisco Giants, general manager Neal Huntington knew there would be a lot of work to do in the offseason.

With their most important bit of offseason business (re-signing Victor Martinez) wrapped up, the Detroit Tigers can now turn their attention to other needs.