MLB Rumors: Breaking Down Trade Buzz from 113th Annual Winter Meetings

You'll probably find yourself channeling your inner Ron Burgundy several times during the final days of the 113th annual winter meetings as big-time MLB rumors continue to hit your Twitter timelines.

Unexpected players hit the trade market during this period of the offseason. The winter meetings act as the prime catalyst for most eventual trades, as parties discuss things initially at this time before revisiting them later on in the offseason.

There are rumors that surfaced in recent hours that could fall into that category. With the winter meetings winding down, there isn't much time left to strike a deal. Expect the following names to pop up in several rumors moving forward.

Dee Gordon

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

A strong first impression in 2011 left high expectations among the Los Angeles Dodgers brass for Dee Gordon, but his next two seasons were extremely disappointing.

He finally broke through in 2014, leading the National League in triples (12) and steals (64), posting a career-high OPS of .704 along the way. His defense at second isn't great, as FanGraphs evaluated his fielding by giving him a UZR/150 of negative-3.5.

Such an offensive breakout has made him somewhat valuable, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Dodgers are considering trading him:

If the Dodgers value on-base percentage, then Gordon definitely isn't their guy. He has a career mark of .314, and even his breakout campaign last season saw him post a .326 mark. To make matters worse—and note that this doesn't factor into OBP—he was caught stealing 19 times last season. Even when he does get on base, he's no guarantee to stay there.

It's smart for the Dodgers to make Gordon available. Even if they aren't pressing to move him, making him available allows the Dodgers to gauge the type of talent they can get back in return. If something blows them away, they have the opportunity to flip Gordon for help in other areas of the team.

Second base is also a position of need for many clubs. The Miami Marlins have already shown interest, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro:

Given how weak the free-agent class is up the middle, Gordon could net the Dodgers quite the haul.

Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi has denied the rumors, however, tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times:

Rumors getting denied is nothing new at this time of year, so don't take this as a sign that the chances of Gordon moving are dead. The Dodgers have Alex Guerrero, 28, waiting in the wings to play. Second base is one of his primary positions.

Marlon Byrd

Kathy Kmonicek/Associated Press

Marlon Byrd may be 37 years old, but many could successfully argue that he is just now at the tail end of the prime of his career. The definition of a late bloomer, Byrd has an OPS of .802 over the last two seasons.

He's an affordable power bat considering the current market. Owed just $8 million in 2015, he can provide better production than nearly all of the available outfielders on the market right now. Naturally, there's some interest in his services.

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal tweets that a team that lost two major bats already this winter has met with the Philadelphia Phillies:

Byrd is a good fit for an American League team capable of offering him at-bats as the designated hitter, but he still isn't a terrible outfielder. He had a 3.5 UZR/150, per FanGraphs, last season, so he still has some value in right field. 

The Baltimore Orioles have a huge hole in right field as things stand today. Losing Nick Markakis, a lifelong Oriole, creates holes both defensively and offensively. Byrd is one of the best options available to replace him.

Orioles GM Dan Duquette should pursue Byrd aggressively if the Phils show a willingness to move him. As a club in need of a major rebuild, Byrd is one of the prime candidates to go.

Baltimore isn't the only team that will express interest. Plenty of other teams need outfield help—the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds are just a few—so Byrd could play for any number of teams in 2015.

Welington Castillo

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Young backstop Welington Castillo has offensive potential at just 27 years old, but the Chicago Cubs have acquired Miguel Montero from the Arizona Diamondbacks to take playing time away from the youngster, reports Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com:

Montero enters a brighter situation in Chicago than the one in Arizona, but he is still somewhat saddened by the move:

While he and Castillo would form quite the platoon behind the dish, Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan tweets that the team is now looking to move Castillo:

Because catching is almost always at a premium, Castillo's potential could net the Cubs a nice return. A bullpen arm or low-level starter would be nice compensation; however, some outfield depth would certainly be something manager Joe Maddon would welcome.

Chicago has two reasonable options here. Trading Castillo because of the aforementioned reasons is obviously beneficial, but keeping him and stockpiling talent at the position works to the team's benefit as well. As the 2015 trade deadline nears, teams would show the willingness to overpay for him as an offensive upgrade—that is, of course, if he continues his progression as a major league hitter.

The team could be leaning toward keeping him if the Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales' sources are telling the truth:

Deals come together quickly at this time of year, so Gonzales' report could be true and still result in something down the line.

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn