MLB Free Agents 2014: Latest Predictions and Rumors for Premier Talent

We're but a few short days away from the onset of the winter meetings in San Diego, and MLB's premier free-agent talent will look to cash in when the league's 30 general managers come together.

Crazy things can happen when that many baseball minds inhabit one place for a week. Most rumors swirling around the rumor mill find some sort of resolution, but oftentimes buzz that hasn't been given the time of day ends up taking center stage.

You'll hear the terms "favorites," "underdogs" and "mystery team" more times than you'd care to over the course of the next few weeks. That's the excitement of the MLB offseason, when nobody truly knows what's going on until it all goes down.

Below are the latest rumors regarding top talent ahead of the winter meetings. Staying up to date with the freshest buzz is the best way to be prepared for all the action on tap in the near future.

Melky Cabrera

GAIL BURTON/Associated Press

Melky Cabrera has been an undervalued talent, making just $8 million each of the last two seasons for the Toronto Blue Jays. After a season in 2014 in which the 30-year-old posted an .808 OPS and played in his most games since 2011, the outfielder is in line to finally get the contract his play deserves.

There's plenty of interest in Cabrera, as CBS Sports' Jon Heyman writes:

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The American League champion Royals, looking for bats, have been in contact with former Royal Melky Cabrera, although ultimately their small-market budget might make that a tight fit and force them to consider something more cost attractive. 

Cabrera's market should be strong coming off a season in which he hit .301 with 16 home runs and 73 RBI. The Reds, another team that's shown interest, the Mariners, Orioles, White Sox and incumbent Jays also make sense for Cabrera, who resurrected his career in Toronto.

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Heyman notes that Cabrera seeks a five-year deal, and it's easy to assume he'll look for something around $60 million in total salary. Nelson Cruz just signed for four years and $58 million—an AAV (average annual value) of $14.5 million per season. That makes it plausible for Cabrera to earn around $12 million per season.

The team that signed Cruz, the Seattle Mariners, are a fit, tweets Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet:

Cruz will likely DH next season in an effort to keep him fresh and focused on hitting the ball out of Safeco Field. That leaves a hole in either corner spot in the outfield, especially after the team traded outfielder Michael Saunders to the Toronto Blue Jays for J.A. Happ:

The Kansas City Royals are an intriguing option. They picked him up for a bargain at $2 million after he was non-tendered prior to the 2011 season. He had arguably his best season to date in K.C., posting an OPS of .809 with career-high production numbers (18 home runs and 87 RBI).

Kansas City has offensive holes to fill after the departure of Billy Butler and the potential departure of Nori Aoki. Of course, Cabrera will earn far more than either Butler or Aoki next season.

The AL champs might have excess money to spend if James Shields walks, though that could take some time. His market is largely tied to Jon Lester and the other big-ticket pitchers. Cabrera could sign quickly given how many bats have already inked deals.

K.C. may be priced out at this point. The Mariners look like the best fit if they're willing to invest more on hitting.

Prediction: Mariners

Andrew Miller

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Andrew Miller and David Robertson are the crown jewels of the free-agent relief market, though one could argue that Miller is more valuable because he is left-handed.

Many teams are in the market for a closer-type pitcher. But Heyman tweets that the finalists appear to be set:

The Yankees have been adamant about retaining David Robertson at his price (but not Jonathan Papelbon money, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post notes), but it looks like they're going to try and outbid the Astros, reports Heyman.

In fact, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports that the Astros are no longer in the running for the stud reliever.

Miller has almost no closing experience, having saved just one career game. He's only finished 38 career games. But he had a dynamic campaign in a setup role last season, striking out 103 in 62.1 innings and posting a WHIP of 0.802.

Even if Miller doesn't land with a team where he'll close (the Los Angeles Dodgers, for example), he stands to blow the record for a non-closing reliever out of the water.

Jeremy Affeldt holds the current record contract for a setup man. His contract with the San Francisco Giants for three years and $18 million won't even be comparable to the contract Miller is about to sign.

It'd be embarrassing for the Yankees to lose out on Miller if all the above reports are true. If they aren't going to re-sign Robertson, then Miller has to come aboard to keep the unit a strength.

There's no excuse for Yankees general manager Brian Cashman to let Miller sign elsewhere.

Prediction: Yankees

Ervin Santana

David Goldman/Associated Press

After the likes of Lester, Max Scherzer and James Shields, the free-agent pitching market drops off to a second tier headlined by Ervin Santana.

Because the market always dictates a player's asking price, the right-hander is looking for a lengthy contract, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney:

If you recall, Santana wanted to get paid last season as well. He sought a deal north of $100 million, according to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal. Teams balked at that price. He ultimately signed a one-year, $14.1 million deal with the Atlanta Braves.

Will Santana fall victim to the same fate this time around?

The 31-year-old (he'll be 32 on December 12) entered last season on the heels of a strong season with the Royals. He logged 211 innings and posted a 1.142 WHIP.

He enters this offseason with worse marks of 196 and 1.306. You can fully compare his 2013 and 2014 seasons below:

Season	Team	Notable Stats
2013	Kansas City Royals	9-10, 3.24 ERA, 3.93 FIP, 211 IP, 161 SO, 1.142 WHIP, 32 GS
2014	Atlanta Braves	14-10, 3.95 ERA, 3.39 FIP, 196 IP, 179 SO, 1.306 WHIP, 31 GS

The prospect of Santana finding a five-year offer is hard to fathom. Top-tier options north of 30 like Lester (31 in January) and Shields (33 on December 20) might find that type of contract, but a second-tier option like Santana with far less impressive of a track record will be hard-pressed to get that deal.

Heyman reported early in November that the Royals would take a look at bringing back Santana. That could only happen if Shields leaves, but even then it doesn't seem likely. The organization has committed odd amounts of money to pitchers before (remember Gil Meche's five-year, $55 million deal?), but the team is different now.

Santana will likely sign with a dark-horse team yet to make themselves known.

After committing money to Phil Hughes and Ricky Nolasco last offseason, don't be surprised if the Minnesota Twins swoop in. It's pure speculation and it's just a hunch, but the Twins have a need and could be willing to spend.

Prediction: Twins

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn