Rumor roundup: Parra on Royals' radar
2015 champs could lose Gordon, Zobrist in free agency
As baseball shifts gears into awards season with the annual Baseball Writers' Association of America honors and the Esurance MLB Awards set to be announced this week, front offices around the Majors will remain focused on roster construction.
With that in mind, here's a look at some of the top Hot Stove stories from Sunday floating around the big leagues:
Royals interested in Parra
Kansas City has some holes to fill in the outfield, with Ben Zobrist a free agent and Alex Gordon joining him on the open market after rejecting a $15.8 million qualifying offer on Friday.
The Royals reportedly feel that Gordon is unlikely to return, and the club is thus interested in free-agent outfielder Gerardo Parra, according to the Boston Globe.
Zobrist seems open to the possibility of returning to the Royals, telling MLB.com this month that he "would love to come back."
But there appears to be a strong market for Zobrist, with as many as a dozen clubs checking in on the super utility player during last week's General Managers Meetings, according to MLB Daily Dish.
Mets not actively shopping Wheeler
There was heavy trade interest regarding the Mets' starting pitchers during the GM Meetings. One name that has come up recently in trade rumors is Zack Wheeler.
While Mets assistant general manager John Ricco told Newsday the club is "not actively shopping Zack by any stretch," he didn't rule out a possible trade entirely.
"But as with the other starters, if something came up that we thought made us better, we're going to talk about it," Ricco added. "If there's a deal that we think really makes us better, I can't say we wouldn't do the exact same thing."
The Mets did have a deal in place in July to send Wheeler to the Brewers for outfielder Carlos Gomez, but that trade was ultimately called off. Wheeler, 25, is recovering from Tommy John surgery and likely won't be ready to pitch in the Majors until June or July.
Video: Wheeler happy to not be traded at the deadline
Padres looking to deal Kemp, Ross
The Padres already made a splash this offseason, trading All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel to the Red Sox, and general manager A.J. Preller might not be done dealing.
The Padres are rumored to be shopping outfielder Matt Kemp and starting pitcher Tyson Ross, according to FOX Sports.
While Ross is under club control for two more seasons, Kemp is owed $87 million over the next four years. The Padres acquired Kemp last offseason in a trade with the Dodgers.