A Wild Baseball Offseason

The 2014 baseball offseason has been quite wild.  There are a number of good, high quality players have been traded this offseason.  Here's a list so far

(Note: I'm updating this list as trades happen.  It keeps on getting more insane.)

• Cardinals trade Shelby Miller to Braves for Jayson Heyward
• Tigers, Diamondbacks, and Yankees have three team trade with Didi Gregorius the centerpiece.
• A's trade Josh Donaldson to Blue Jays for Brett Lawrie and others.
• A's trade Brandon Moss to Indians.
• A's trade Jeff Samardzija to Cubs.
• Arizona trades Miguel Montero to Cubs.
• Arizona trades Wade Miley to Red Sox.
• Dodgers trade Dee Gordon and Dan Haren to Marlins.
• Dodgers trade Matt Kemp to Padres.
• Angels trade Howie Kendrick to Dodgers.
• Phillies trade Jimmy Rollins to Dodgers.
• Reds trade Alfredo Simon to Tigers.
• Reds trade Mat Latos to Marlins.
• Tigers trade Rick Porcello to Red Sox for Yoenis Cespedes.
• Rays trade Wil Myers to Padres 
• Rays trade Matt Joyce to Angels 
• Braves trade Justin Upton to Padres 
• A's trade Derek Norris to Padres
• Yankees trade Martin Prado to Marlins 
• Marlins trade Casey McGehee to Giants
• Phillies trade Marlon Byrd to Reds 
• Rays trade Ben Zobrist and Yunel Escobar to A's 
• Braves trade Evan Gattis to Astros
• A's trade Yunel Escobar to Nationals for Tyler Clippard
• Astros trade Dexter Fowler to Cubs
• Brewers trade Yovani Gallardo to Rangers
• Braves trade Craig Kimbrel to Padres

20 former All Stars have been traded here: Heyward, Moss, Donaldson, Samardzija, Montero, Rollins, Kemp, Gordon, Haren, Kendrick, Simon, Cespedes, Miley, Upton, Norris, Joyce, Prado, Byrd, Zobrist, Clippard, Gallardo, Kimbrel.  That's a ton.

What's interesting is that it isn't only large contracts or players in their free agent walk years being traded.  A number of these players are good players with multiple arbitration years left or multiple good years left on their contracts.

From my count, the players in their free agent walk years: Latos, Porcello, Heyward, Samardzija, Upton, Joyce, Cespedes, Zobrist, Clippard, Fowler (and Rollins, Haren, and Byrd, but they are getting there, may retire soon)

Players with multiple arbitration years left: Donaldson, Miley, Norris, Gregorious, Gordon, Miller, Moss, Lawrie, Gattis

Myers even has non-arbitration years to go.

It's interesting that so many trades went down.  It appears that there was this perfect storm of

A) teams that think they can make a playoff run after missing the playoffs in 2014 (Red Sox, Blue Jays, Cubs, Padres, White Sox)

B) teams that are trying to rebuild for the future (Braves, Diamondbacks, Reds, Phillies, Rays, and I guess the A's?)

C) teams putting together pieces for a better team after a playoff appearance in 2014 (Angels, Dodgers, Cardinals, Tigers, maybe A's?)

that made all of this go down in addition to the mix of normal trades that go on to fill holes (e.g. Yankees)