Unexpected Moves That Could Shake Up the 2014-2015 MLB Offseason

The MLB offseason is often a chain reaction of sorts.

Where and when one highly regarded free agent decides to sign can often trigger the market for other free agents at the same position, as teams move on to their Plan B and Plan C options.

Players made available on the trade market can also have an impact on the free agents at that respective position, as it's all about teams finding the best possible solutions to plug holes on their roster.

So, with that in mind, here is a look at five unexpected moves that could shake up the 2014-2015 MLB offseason.

The Phillies Find a Taker for Ryan Howard

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It appears the Philadelphia Phillies brass has finally accepted what the rest of the baseball world has known for some time now: The team has to rebuild.

"They’re trying to blow the whole thing up," one executive told Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly. "Everyone is for sale."

That same executive went on to mention first baseman Ryan Howard as one player in particular he expected to be on the move this offseason:

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For the record, the rival executive said he believed that the Phillies would find an American League team to take Ryan Howard, provided the Phils ate a huge amount of the $60 million that he is owed through 2016. The Phillies are willing to do that.

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A return to health did not mean a return to elite-level production for the 34-year-old slugger last season, as he hit .223/.310/.380 with 23 home runs and 95 RBI in 569 at-bats while leading the NL with 190 strikeouts.

At the end of the day, the Phillies paid $25 million for a negative WAR player (-1.1) in 2014, and they appear ready to cut ties with a guy who was once one of the game's most feared sluggers.

Unloading Howard could be the first big step in a full-blown rebuild for the Phillies, and any money they save in making such a move could help to further their push to sign Cuban defector Yasmany Tomas.

The Kansas City Royals have reportedly had internal discussions about making a play for Howard, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Chris Davis Is Non-Tendered by the Baltimore Orioles

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The idea of non-tendering Chris Davis would have seemed downright absurd at this time last year. My, how things have changed.

Davis hit .286/.370/.634 with an MLB-best 53 home runs and 138 RBI in 2013, finishing third in AL MVP voting, and he looked like a candidate for a big-money extension heading into his second year of arbitration. He wound up receiving a $7.05 million raise in his second year of arbitration, netting him a 2014 salary of $10.35 million, and the Baltimore Orioles were banking on another big season from their budding star.

Unfortunately, a repeat performance was not in the cards, as he turned in an ugly .196/.300/.404 line with 26 home runs and 72 RBI in 450 at-bats.

The cherry on top of a disastrous season came when he was handed a 25-game suspension for testing positive for amphetamines Sept. 12, leaving him on the sidelines during the Orioles' run to the American League Championship Series.

MLB Trade Rumors has Davis projected to earn $11.8 million this offseason in his final year of arbitration, and for an Orioles team looking to re-sign Nelson Cruz at a substantially higher price than the $8 million he cost a year ago, non-tendering Davis could help provide some financial flexibility.

Steve Pearce gives them a replacement option at first base, after bouncing around in a utility role of sorts last season, and the returns of Manny Machado and Matt Wieters could be enough to offset any lost production from Davis.

Steve Melewski of MASN Sports reported that the Orioles do not appear to have any interest in trading or non-tendering the slugger, but this is the same team that was set to non-tender All-Star closer Jim Johnson last offseason before a last-minute trade to the Oakland A's.

Davis would be an interesting addition to this year's free-agent class, to say the least.

Chihiro Kaneko Is Posted by the Orix Buffaloes

Hiroshima Carp ace Kenta Maeda is the most talked-about Japanese hurler on the market, as it appears likely the 26-year-old right-hander will be posted. He might not be the only impact starter coming out of the Japan Pacific League this winter, though, as Orix Buffaloes ace Chihiro Kaneko is also a candidate to be posted.

The 31-year-old Kaneko might not be as appealing an option as Maeda given that he's five years older, but he outperformed Maeda this past season on his way to the Sawamura Award, the JPPL version of the Cy Young Award.

Kaneko finished the season 16-5 with a 1.98 ERA, 1.042 WHIP and 199 strikeouts in 191 innings, and all told, he is 90-48 with a 2.69 ERA in nine professional seasons.

According to Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors (via Yahoo Sports Japan), Kaneko visited the United States in October and attended a World Series game to take in the atmosphere of Major League Baseball. He has yet to officially show interest in making the move stateside, and it remains to be seen if Orix would post him either way, but he would certainly be a notable addition to the crop of available pitchers this winter.

The Rockies Are Serious About Trading Troy Tulowitzki

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According to a report from Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Colorado Rockies may finally be ready to seriously entertain trade offers for oft-injured stars Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. However, that does not mean the Rockies are simply looking to unload the two faces of their franchise, and all signs point to the asking price for both players be extremely high.

"One rival official said the Rockies are willing to move Tulowitzki and Gonzalez but only for returns that would reflect their contributions when healthy," Rosenthal wrote. "In other words, no discount for injury."

Tulowitzki is one of the best players in the game when he's on the field, but staying there has been a struggle over the years.

He has averaged just 117 games per season since becoming an everyday player in 2007, topping 140 games just three times along the way. When he suffered a season-ending torn labrum in his hip last July, he was having arguably the best season of any position player.

However, at this point, 110-120 games of Tulowitzki is better production than you will get out of most shortstops over an entire season, so there will no doubt be teams that inquire this season.

Along with a high asking price that will likely start with three top prospects, there is also the matter of the 30-year-old being owed $114 million over the next six season. That's no small investment, even for a player who can be counted on to stay healthy.

Shopping Tulowitzki and seriously working to trade him are two very different things, and until the Rockies come along with a reasonable asking price, this is nothing more than a frequently occurring rumor.

If they do get serious about trying to move him, though, it could completely change the complexion of the offseason.

Johnny Cueto Is Made Available by the Cincinnati Reds

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All signs point to the Cincinnati Reds trading one of their starting pitchers this offseason. The question is which one it will be. With Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos, Mike Leake and Alfredo Simon all set to hit free agency at the same time following next season, the team has some decisions to make about who fits as a long-term piece.

Add to that situation the presence of Tony Cingrani and Robert Stephenson, two promising young arms who should figure into the rotation plans in the very near future, and it would make sense for the Reds to deal one of their starters this offseason.

Latos looks like the most likely candidate to be dealt at this point, and the fact that he was briefly dangled at the trade deadline last year, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com, only adds to that assumption.

However, if the team were to shift gears and shop ace Johnny Cueto instead, it could make for a big shift in the starting pitching market.

Cueto is coming off of a brilliant season in which he went 20-9 with a 2.25 ERA, 0.960 WHIP and 242 strikeouts in 243.2 innings. With just 1,208.1 career innings under his belt, the 28-year-old should have at least a few peak seasons left in the tank and is a ways from potentially declining at this point.

If the Reds decide they don't want to shell out the money to lock him up, they could potentially get a king's ransom for him on the trade market, provided he agrees to a long-term deal with whoever acquires him.

He'd be right alongside Jon Lester, Max Scherzer, James Shields and Cole Hamels as the elite arms who are or could potentially be available this winter.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference, unless otherwise noted.