D-backs have work to do at Winter Meetings

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Welcome to the Happiest Place on Earth, or something like that.

Disney World likes to say that it deserves that title, but whether the D-backs will be smiling come Thursday afternoon when they head back to Phoenix remains to be seen.

Having recently been unable to land outfielder Yoenis Cespedes in a trade with the A's, and watching free-agent outfielder Carlos Beltran choose the Yankees' bid over theirs, the D-backs are still looking to add a top-tier starting pitcher and a power-hitting outfielder.

Arizona recently helped its financial flexibility by trading reliever Heath Bell -- and the $6 million he is owed for 2014

That leaves the D-backs with some money to spend, maybe as much as $15 million, but with a free-agent market that is looking less attractive to them, expect general manager Kevin Towers to be active in trade talks throughout the week.

The meetings kick off Monday morning at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort and run through Thursday morning, with that day's Rule 5 Draft wrapping things up.

D-backs manager Kirk Gibson will meet with the media Monday at 2 p.m. MST to share his thoughts on how his team is shaping up.

As usual, MLB.com will have you covered throughout the week with all 30 of our beat writers working the lobbies for the latest news and interesting rumors.

Fans are encouraged to share their thoughts throughout the week in the comments section of dbacks.com. Who should the D-backs be focused on now that Beltran is gone? How would you like to see the starting outfield look on Opening Day?

The Hot Stove season has been off to a roaring start and this week it figures to be even more interesting. Stay tuned.