BOLD PREDICTIONS FOR MLB WINTER MEETINGS

The MLB Winter Meetings are set to take place Dec. 9-13 in Las Vegas, and this year's session could be as wild as ever with several marquee free agents and trade commodities available. Here are 25 bold predictions entering the Winter Meetings.

MICHAEL BRANTLEY SIGNS WITH BRAVES

Cleveland has a major hole to fill after losing Nick Markakis, and Brantley should be in the Indians' price range. While he's been injury prone for much of his career, Brantley is a consistent offensive force (.800-plus OPS in four of the last five seasons) when he's on the field and profiles well as a potential No. 2 hitter between Ronald Acuna Jr. and either Freddie Freeman or Josh Donaldson.

NICHOLAS CASTELLANOS TRADED TO THE ROCKIES

The Tigers are still in rebuilding mode, and Castellanos is currently their most attractive piece. The biggest problem is that he hasn't taken well to the move to the outfield defensively, but he does have some versatility as a natural third baseman. Colorado is in the outfield market after losing Carlos Gonzalez and Gerardo Parra, and Castellanos could be a potential 35-plus home run hitter with the help of Coors Field. The Rockies should be in a position to go all in next season with Nolan Arenado entering the final year of his contract.

NELSON CRUZ SIGNS WITH ASTROS

While he's quickly approaching age 40, Cruz is still going strong as one of the game's top power hitters. The former Mariner hit 37 home runs last season, equal to his age (up until July when he turned 38). The market is limited for Cruz because he can no longer play the field, but the Astros has a spot for him if they're not ready to turn over the DH role to Tyler White.

MAIKEL FRANCO TRADED TO THE DIAMONDBACKS

The writing is on the wall for Franco to find a new home, considering his terrible third base defense and the strong possibility Philadelphia will sign Manny Machado. A move to first base has been seen as inevitable by some scouts, and Franco is marketable again after posting a .780 OPS last season. Arizona now has a hole at first base after trading Paul Goldschmidt to St. Louis.

YASMANI GRANDAL SIGNS WITH ANGELS

The Dodgers still have a hole at catcher and could bring Grandal back, but if not, he doesn't have to go far to find another needy team. The Angels are in the market and could make catcher a priority with former MLB backstop Brad Ausmus at the helm as their new manager. The Angels need to continue their push with hitters like Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in their primes.

SONNY GRAY TRADED BACK TO OAKLAND

Trading Gray still seems inevitable and could happen sooner than later. The Yankees acquired him from Oakland in 2017 and will now have to sell the right-hander at a discount after he posted a 4.90 ERA last season. No team knows him better than the A's, the organization that drafted him, and they're in need of pitching with Sean Manaea's shoulder injury and the losses of Mike Fiers, Trevor Cahill, Edwin Jackson and Brett Anderson.

ZACK GREINKE TRADED TO THE METS

After trading Paul Goldschmidt, the Diamondbacks would surely like to unload Greinke's contract, too. That will be much tougher, considering he has three years and almost $105 million remaining on his contract. But the Mets are among the teams in search of another starter. If the Mets ownership is finally willing to spend the money in line with the large market, Greinke is a possibility.

MITCH HANIGER TRADED TO THE PHILLIES

Seattle continues its fire sale, and Haniger is likely the team's most attractive piece remaining. An outstanding defensive outfielder, Haniger has also produced an OPS near .850 over the last two seasons. He would immediately improve what was a poor defensive team last year and also add another middle-of-the-order bat for the Phils.

J.A. HAPP RE-SIGNS WITH YANKEES

Patrick Corbin signed in Washington instead of with his hometown Yankees, so bringing back Happ seems almost inevitable for New York. The lefty was outstanding, after being acquired last year from Toronto, posting a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts while going 7-0. This isn't exactly a bold prediction, of course.

BRYCE HARPER SIGNS WITH YANKEES

Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and Harper in one outfield. It's a possibility. While the Yankees re-signed Brett Gardner, they haven't promised him playing time, and they're one of the few organizations with the money to meet agent Scott Boras' demands. New York has already acquired James Paxton, and adding Harper would almost certainly make the Yankees the favorites to win the World Series in 2019.

DALLAS KEUCHEL SIGNS WITH RANGERS

There's a reason teams in small home ballparks are reported to be interested in Keuchel. The former Cy Young winner remains one of the top ground-ball pitchers in the game, allowing just 18 home runs in 204.2 innings last season. This move makes sense for the pitching-needy Rangers, plus "Dallas" playing for the Rangers in Texas is just convenient.

CRAIG KIMBREL SIGNS A RECORD-BREAKING DEAL WITH RED SOX

This year is one of the deepest free-agent reliever markets in recent memory, and Kimbrel is the main prize. Boston already re-signed Nathan Eovaldi but should have plenty of money left over for its bullpen. Aroldis Chapman set the bar for closers with a five-year, $86 million contract signed before 2017, but Kimbrel should be set to beat that amount.

COREY KLUBER TRADED TO THE PADRES

Cleveland signed Carlos Carrasco to an extension, but Kluber and Trevor Bauer remain in trade rumors. Kluber could fetch a boatload for the Indians, and the Padres have arguably the best farm system in baseball. Also, San Diego drafted Kluber in 2007, so the organization is familiar with him. The Padres obviously believe they'll be ready to compete soon after signing Eric Hosmer last year, and they can meet Cleveland's demands with major league-ready players.

MANNY MACHADO SIGNS WITH PHILLIES

Philly already acquired Jean Segura to play shortstop, but they potentially still have a spot for Machado at third base. They remain one of the favorites for Machado's services and could strike during the Winter Meetings with a lucrative deal worth more than $300 million.

NICK MARKAKIS SIGNS WITH ROYALS

Royals general manager Dayton Moore is an alum of the Braves front office and seems to love bringing in former Braves (see Francoeur, Jeff). The Royals are in rebuild mode with plenty of outfielders, but Markakis brings more potential veteran leadership and is coming off one of his best seasons. The Royals certainly have the money, with few big contracts beyond Alex Gordon.

ANDREW MILLER SIGNS WITH CUBS

It was recently announced that Brandon Morrow had elbow surgery and is iffy for the start of the season, so the Cubs are likely in the market for a high-leverage reliever. Miller had a sub-par 2018 season due to a knee injury but was previously an elite reliever. He's a great fit for Chicago, with a proven ability to pitch in any relief role.

CHARLIE MORTON SIGNS WITH REDS

Cincinnati has been connected to Dallas Keuchel, but Morton also could be a fit as an extreme ground-ball pitcher. The hard-throwing right-hander's ground-ball rate isn't quite what it was during his days in Pittsburgh because he's throwing more curveballs, but he still looks like a solid fit for a smaller ballpark like Cincy's.

ADAM OTTAVINO SIGNS WITH YANKEES

After potentially losing David Robertson and Zach Britton, the Yankees are surely in the market for a reliever or two. Ottavino is a native of Brooklyn and is coming off one of the best relief seasons in baseball, with a 2.43 ERA and 13.0 strikeouts per nine innings with Colorado. He's going to become very rich this offseason but should be a great fit behind Aroldis Chapman.

A.J. POLLOCK SIGNS WITH REDS

The Reds have already been connected to Pollock, as the team looks to replace free-agent Billy Hamilton in center field. Despite his inability to stay healthy over the last three seasons, Pollock's upside is likely to fetch a lucrative long-term deal, and it sounds like Cincinnati is ready to accelerate its rebuild after a few years as a bottom feeder.

YASIEL PUIG TRADED TO THE WHITE SOX

Puig has often been mentioned in trade rumors over the last few years, and this might finally be the time for L.A. to move him with top prospect Alex Verdugo knocking on the door. There is speculation that supports such a move. The White Sox are in need of outfield help and have found recent success with Cuban players like Jose Abreu and Yoan Moncada. Chicago also has plenty of prospect firepower to offer the Dodgers.

WILSON RAMOS SIGNS WITH ASTROS

Robinson Chirinos recently signed with Houston, but that shouldn't prevent the team from making another move at catcher. Ramos is a potentially solid fit, showing a complete rebound last year after his torn ACL in 2016. The two-time All-Star would add more offense to the Astros, whose lineup slipped a bit last season following their World Series season.

J.T. REALMUTO TRADED TO THE DODGERS

The Dodgers are in need of a catcher for at least 2019, and have both the prospects and money to get the best one on the market. Realmuto has emerged as the best all-around catcher in the game and will almost surely be traded at some point over the next year by the rebuilding Marlins. While the Dodgers have multiple excellent catching prospects in the upper minors, Realmuto is a surefire solution for a team with World Series aspirations.

DAVID ROBERTSON SIGNS WITH METS

New York already acquired Edwin Diaz to close, but the Mets desperately need additional relief arms. Robertson is highly capable of closing but might value remaining in New York after playing most of his career with the Yankees. He's done a fine job as both a closer and setup man for the Yankees and would provide that same versatility in Queens.

CARLOS SANTANA TRADED TO THE RAYS

Santana was included by Philadelphia as a salary dump in the Jean Segura deal last week, but the rebuilding Mariners don't have a great use for him. Enter Tampa Bay. The Rays let C.J. Cron go elsewhere and will likely be heavily in the DH market as they try to add veteran power. While the Rays probably can't afford the remainder of Santana's contract, getting Seattle to cover part of the remaining two years, $41.2 million, would be so smooth.

KYLE SEAGER TRADED FROM SEATTLE TO ST. LOUIS FOR DEXTER FOWLER AND BRETT CECIL

Seattle would probably like to dump Seager's remaining three years on his contract, but it's hard to find a team willing to take it after two down years. The alternative would be to swap salaries, with St. Louis as a potential match. Fowler and Cecil have been disasters in their contracts, but acquiring two pieces for one gives Ms General manager Jerry Dipoto potentially more trade firepower if either is able to rebound. It's not an optimal defensive arrangement, but the Cardinals could slide Matt Carpenter over to second base to accommodate Seager, should he rebound.