Winter has finally arrived, but that hasn't done anything to slow down the MLB hot stove. Talk of moves across baseball continue to carry over into the Christmas holiday, with a number of high-profile free agents and trades making waves across the sport.Free agency remains particularly potent, as the market is unfolding slower than expected for some players. David Price, Jason Heyward and Zack Greinke may have gotten paid, but they're the outliers at the moment. The very tiptop of the market and some of the middle have landed their big contracts; it's the ones who are perhaps a tier down that are still waiting for their nine-figure offers.With that in mind, let's take a quick look at rumors from around the sport regarding some of the best players still available.Howie Kendrick, Daniel Murphy on Nationals' RadarWith Ian Desmond almost certainly headed elsewhere and Yunel Escobar traded to the Los Angeles Angels, change is coming to the Nationals' middle infield. The smart money is on Trea Turner getting at least a look at shortstop, and Anthony Rendon is expected to move back to third base.That leaves second as the biggest gaping hole heading into 2016. William Ladson of MLB.com reported the Nationals have already targeted Howie Kendrick and Daniel Murphy as potential fillers at second. With Ben Zobrist off the market, Murphy and Kendrick are the two best second basemen remaining on the market.Kendrick, 32, hit .295/.336/.409 with nine home runs and 54 RBI last season. It was his first and likely only campaign with the Dodgers after spending his first nine MLB years with the Angels. Limited to 117 games due to injuries, Kendrick posted just 2.1 wins above replacement, his lowest total since 2010. It was the first time since that same season that Kendrick graded as a below-average defensive player.Murphy, 30, hit .281/.322/.449 with 14 home runs and 73 RBI in 2015. On paper, his regular-season numbers have been largely steady for the last half-decade. However, Murphy is riding a high onto the market after one of the best postseason performances in history. Murphy hit seven home runs and drove in 11 runs in the Mets' 14 playoff games, etching his name in the record book while leading New York to a National League title.The answer to which one winds up in Washington is anyone's guess. The Nationals aren't hurting for funds after allowing Jordan Zimmermannto walk and missing out on Jason Heyward. Both Kendrick and Murphy are on the same plane as players, so it may come down to which one offers a better deal.Boras Seeking 3-Year Deal for Denard SpanDenard Span couldn't have picked a worse time to hit free agency. A consistent contributor since the moment he arrived in the bigs, Span was limited to just 61 games due to core muscle surgery and a hip injury.It's the second time in his career Span has missed 90-plus games in a season. The first came in 2011, after which he immediately responded with one of his best seasons. He joined the Nationals a year after that and came into his own, posting 7.4 wins above replacement in 2013 and 2014 before his disappointing 2015 campaign.Making matters worse is Span's combination of demands and lingering injuries. Mike Puma of theNew York Postreported Span won't be able to work out for teams until January, yet his agent, Scott Boras, is still pushing for a three-year contract in negotiations with teams.Because he's Scott Boras and not another agent, there should be healthy optimism from Span's side. His three-year numbers still compare well to other mid-tier outfielders on the market, and a three-year contract would only take him through his age 35 season. If Span canconvinceteams the hip problems are a thing of the pastnot an easy thing to dohe'll be worth the contract.That said, he'll probably be waiting on the market for a few more months.Alex Gordon To Leave RoyalsFrom the "rather obvious" department: Alex Gordon's has informed the Kansas City Royals that they have "no chance" of retaining their left fielder, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.Gordon, 31, is seen as one of the best outfield options on the market. He hit .271/.377/.432 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI last year as he was limited to 104 games due to a groin strain. It was his worst overall season since 2010, but he remains beloved within the Royals organization.As Royals manager NedYostexplained toJeff Detersof theTopeka Capital-Journal:If you can make a mold for a baseball player, Alex Gordon would be it, I mean the perfect player.Hes prepared every single day, his routine is impeccable. His will to win is unbelievable. Hes got great talent and ability. Its really been fun not only for me and Dayton. We believed in this kid when he was struggling. We always felt like he could be this kind of player and we gave him that opportunity to be that player and he became that.The divorce between the Royals and Gordon was nonetheless inevitable. Gordon's likely going to get a contract that approaches nine figures. Jim Bowden of ESPN.com reported the Royals are "lowballing" Gordon with a four-year offer in the $13 million per season range. He'll likely get an additional $7-10 million per season by the time free agency is over.Advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
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