2014 MLB Free Agents: Rumors and Predictions for Upcoming Offseason's Big Names

Now that the 2014 World Series has ended, it's time to look ahead to the offseason. Every team—even the San Francisco Giants—will have holes to fill.

Free agency is often a whirlwind of information, rumors and speculation. Usually, only a fraction of it comes true. Free agency is as unpredictable as this past season was, meaning it won't be easy to predict where the top talents will land.

It's easy to match players to teams with holes at their position, but it usually takes more than that for a union to happen. Contracts, player preferences and other factors certainly come into play.

Below are a few predictions for some of the top free agents on the market based on the current rumors floating around the rumor mill.

Russell Martin

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

As the best catcher on the market by a wide margin who just enjoyed a career season at the plate, Russell Martin is in the driver's seat this winter.

He's in a position to score big in terms of both dollars and years, and several clubs around the league could use an upgrade behind the dish. He hit .290/.402/.430 in 111 games, but it wasn't just his work at the plate that made headlines. Martin is widely considered one of the top game-callers in baseball.

That's why general manager Neal Huntington will probably bring him back to the Pittsburgh Pirates, via Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "General manager Neal Huntington has said the Pirates will 'stretch beyond normal comfort levels' to retain Russell Martin."

The market for Martin will be chock-full of teams looking to upgrade, but it could dwindle quickly. The Canadian-born backstop will be 32 in February. That could certainly deter a handful of teams.

It's also reasonable to believe that Martin could command a contract only a bit less lucrative than the five-year, $85 million deal Brian McCann signed last offseason. That will also knock a few teams out of the running.

Pittsburgh has been successful in the last two years in large part because of how well Martin handles the pitching staff. Francisco Liriano and Edinson Volquez have enjoyed career rebirths with the Buccos mostly because of Martin's leadership.

Given the service he has performed for the organization, look for Martin to end up back in Pittsburgh.

Prediction: Pirates

Jake Peavy

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Jake Peavy didn't pitch all that well in the World Series, but he'll still gladly take home a ring. Will he be a member of the Giants for the ring ceremony next season?

Judging by the report from Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, it doesn't appear so: "Peavy didn’t want to talk too much about his pending free agency with a title hanging in the balance, but the former Cy Young winner has the Cubs at the top of his wish list, according to sources close to him."

The Chicago Cubs are a far different organization than they were just a few days ago. As CBS Sports' Jon Heyman tweeted, the team will welcome Joe Maddon as the new manager:

Maddon is one of the most brilliant minds in baseball. The Cubs are probably still a year or two away from seriously competing, but there are few other people in the sport who Chicago would rather have managing its young talent.

Peavy obviously isn't a young guy, but he's the type of veteran presence who can help ease the transition into the next successful Cubs era.

He pitched far better with the Giants than he did with the Boston Red Sox this season. Teams will try to grab him for less money because of the risk that he could pitch like he did in the first half, but coming off a World Series, Peavy holds most of the cards.

Many veterans often give up dollars to play for the team of their choosing. If Heyman's report is true, then he'll be with the Cubs.

Prediction: Cubs

Pablo Sandoval

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

During any other World Series, Pablo Sandoval probably would have brought home MVP honors. But he happened to play for a team with Madison Bumgarner, who was absurdly unhittable in three Fall Classic appearances.

Sandoval is one of the few stalwart options at the hot corner in baseball. The position is running thin throughout the league. Unsurprisingly, so is the market for third basemen.

This makes Sandoval one of the top free agents at any position. Heyman reports that the Red Sox will be in play for his services: "The Red Sox, in need of third base production, are prioritizing Giants postseason hero Pablo Sandoval as well as Chase Headley, according to people in the know."

While not the most athletic-looking third baseman, Sandoval makes almost all the plays at a physically demanding position. He runs surprisingly well for his size (5'11", 245 pounds) and has a strong arm.

He's also one of the best postseason hitters of the past five years, as he's hit over .330 in his playoff career. The Red Sox, who are looking to get back to October baseball, will certainly take that into account.

While Boston may pursue him heavily, it's hard to picture a Giants team without Sandoval manning third—especially after yet another World Series win.

Prediction: Giants

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn