Shin-Soo Choo

It doesn’t look like Nelson Cruz or Shin-Soo Choo will be playing for the Texas Rangers in 2014.

It's time to put your general manager hat on and make a very important decision. Your team is in position to add one impact player prior to the 2014 season. You can either trade for Tampa Bay Rays ace David Price or sign free-agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo. Which would be the better choice?

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

With the shocking Ian Kinsler for Prince Fielder trade on Wednesday night, the Texas Rangers took the baseball world by storm.  

Finally—and let me emphasize that—Texas has a premier power bat at first base.  Since GM Jon Daniels traded Mark Teixeira to the Atlanta Braves in 2007, the club has tried desperately to fill the position on a trial-and-error basis.  

The MLB offseason has only been going on for a few weeks, but it's already been quite a busy one in 2013, as rumors about a number of big players continue to come up.

The Cincinnati Reds knew that they may only get one season of free-agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo when they traded for him last December.

The acquisition also enabled the organization to take a more conservative approach in its development of prospect Billy Hamilton. 

There hasn't been much action early on in the 2013 offseason by any team, and the Cincinnati Reds aren't likely to make much noise the rest of the winter. With most of the roster set, general manager Walt Jocketty will work on adding some finishing touches.

Shin-Soo Choo has quietly developed into one of the most well-rounded outfielders in baseball. He isn't a big name because he's spent his entire career with small-market teams, but he'll be among the likely free agents taking center stage this winter.

How a player performs when the games matter most could have an affect on his overall value, which is of greater importance to those who are eligible for free agency at season's end. 

While a majority of these players will not stand out in a good or bad way, there are a handful of them who will. As a result, the price tag could rise or fall, at least slightly. A pair of 2012 postseason stars, Marco Scutaro and Anibal Sanchez, each cashed in after boosting their value greatly with strong playoff performances. 

Shin-Soo Choo is going to be one of the more underrated free agents on the market this offseason, but that doesn't mean teams won't be lining up for his services.