MLB Trade Rumors: Latest Reports Heading into World Series

The 2017 World Series will get underway Tuesday, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros preparing to end their championship droughts. 

For the other 28 MLB teams, though, their campaigns are over. The offseason has already begun in earnest, and with it, the trade rumor mill has begun churning.

The hot-stove season begins with arguably the biggest fish in recent memory on the table. The Miami Marlins are expected to spend their winter searching for the best possible offer for slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who is set to make $25 million in 2018 as part of his $325 million blockbuster contract.

Miami paid him $14.5 million in 2017. This will be the first real escalator season in the deal, which has become increasingly onerous for a Marlins team that's already hemorrhaging cash. A new Derek Jeter-led ownership group took over operations this fall and reportedly plans to make major slashes to the payroll. Jeter told reporters earlier this month:

"And, look, the best way I can put it is, I don't like the word 'teardown.' Moving forward, there's going to be at times unpopular decisions that we make on behalf of the organization. Just understand that every decision we make is for the betterment of this organization. We have that in mind. The word teardown and rebuild—yeah, we are rebuilding a franchise. But I think a lot of times people associate those words with losing.  You never go into a situation and the message is that 'We're going to lose."

Stanton, coming off a season in which he hit 59 home runs, is their best and most likely trade chip—even despite him having a full no-trade clause. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported the Philadelphia Phillies are an unlikely fit for that reason, as those close to Stanton feel he would not approve the move.

The San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals have also expressed interest, but the market is just taking shape. Any team that trades for Stanton will have to be comfortable with his monster deal, with Miami unlikely willing to add much financial consideration for trading its best player.

A team that loses out on the Stanton sweepstakes could set their sights on Yasiel Puig, though his postseason run may have cooled that potential. Heyman reported some Dodgers players remain frustrated with Puig's "childish antics."

Among those antics were his benching in September for showing up late to a team workout. Puig has responded with a stellar October, recording 12 hits in 29 at bats in the Dodgers' undefeated run to the World Series.

If he continues this hot streak, it would be pretty hard to trade him—especially if the Dodgers win the championship. But the market could heat up if teams are turned off by Miami's asking price for Stanton.