The MLB postseason is just getting started Ben Zobrist Jersey , but already the rumor mill is churning ahead of another busy offseason.ed in recent memory, with young superstars Bryce Harper and Manny Machado set to pursue record deals and a wealth of talent behind them in a deep market.Rumors and speculation will really start to fly once the World Series concludes, but already there are some interesting tidbits starting to trickle out.Ahead is a look at some of the latest rumors from around the league.Nationals Front Office to Meet with Scott Boras to Talk Bryce HarperBryce HarperPatrick Smith/Getty ImagesMaybe Bryce Harper's time with the Washington Nationals isn't finished just yet.Despite what appeared to be a goodbye message on Instagram following his final home game, the Nationals are still in the mix to re-sign their homegrown superstar.In fact, the front office might already be getting the ball rolling on a potential new deal."Two sources said over the weekend the front office, led by ownership, was making plans to meet with Harper and agent Scott Boras in Las Vegas before he hits the open market, though a third source said no meetings have been scheduled at this point," wrote Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports.Zuckerman went on to list the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees as likely suitors for Harper, while adding the San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves as others to watch.Given what we know about Boras and the type of money that will be in play here http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-anthony-rizzo-jersey , it's unlikely that Harper is going to rush to make a decision.Still, it's noteworthy that the Nationals appear to be serious contenders to bring him back.Prediction:The meeting is just for both sides to touch base, and nothing will be decided until much later in the offseason.Andrew McCutchen More Than Just a Rental for the Yankees?Andrew McCutchenJim McIsaac/Getty ImagesThe Yankees acquired Andrew McCutchen in August due in large part to Aaron Judge being on the shelf with an injury.However, it's not out of the question to think the two sides could turn this into more than just a two-month pitstop."Andrew McCutchen is said to have loved his time around the Yankees, so perhaps they would consider bringing him back," wrote Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports.The Yankees hold a $12.5 million option on Brett Gardner that can be bought out for $2 million, and Heyman wrote that they will "surely turn down" the option.A healthy Clint Frazier would be in the mix for outfield playing time, but bringing back McCutchen to provide a veteran presence and top-of-the-order bat makes sense if the years and price is right.Prediction:McCutchen tests the waters, but eventually lands back with the Yankees on a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2020.Derek Dietrich to be Non-Tendered?Rich Schultz/Getty ImagesAccording to Barry Jackson of theMiami Herald,it appears "highly questionable" that the Miami Marlins will tender a contract to versatile veteran Derek Dietrich.That comes as something of a surprise given his strong production this past season.The 29-year-old posted a 112 OPS+ with 26 doubles, 16 home runs and 45 RBI in 551 plate appearances, and he's seen at least semi-regular time at first base, second base, third base and at both corner outfield spots over the past few seasons.He made just $2.9 million this season and will earn a slight raise in arbitration Kosuke Fukudome Jersey , and with team control through 2020, he looks more like an asset than a player to be cut loose.His defensive flexibility and reasonable price tag should give him plenty of suitors if he does hit the open market, as he'll likely come cheaper than guys like Asdrubal Cabrera and Eduardo Escobar who could be targeted for a similar role.Prediction:Dietrich is in fact tendered a contract, as even the cost-cutting Marlins see the value in his versatility.All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted. The Minnesota Twins have already traded Brian Dozier, Eduardo Escobar, Lance Lynn, Zach Duke, Ryan Pressly and Fernando Rodney, seemingly with little difficulty.It won't be so easy to move their resident All-Star, batting champion and American League MVP.That would be Joe Mauer. According to Mike Berardino ofPioneer Press, the 35-year-old first baseman cleared revocable waivers last week. That means none of Major League Baseball's 29 other teams put in a claim on him.Mind you, this doesn't mean Mauercan't be traded.If anything, it's easier for the Twins to deal him. Had a team claimed him while he was on waivers http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-andre-dawson-jersey , the Twins only could have worked out an agreement with that club. They're now free to trade him anywhere ahead of the August 31 deadline to acquire postseason-eligible players.This will take three to tango, however. And the Twins may be the only ones willing to show up for this particular dance.There's a question of whether Mauer would accept a move or exercise his no-trade clause. He's a native of nearby St. Paul, Minnesota, and he indicated in July he would prefer to stay where he is."These types of decisions, I think most people think of just the baseball and not the big picture," Mauer told Berardino. "I have a lot more than just the baseball part. I think I've made it pretty clear over the years where I want to be and what I want to be doing and that really hasn't changed."The Colorado Rockies, Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees are three contenders who could use an upgrade at first base. But none of the three trulyneeds one, and they may be unwilling to reach for one with a salary as big as Mauer's.He's in the final season of the eight-year, $184 million contract extension he signed in 2010, when he was fresh off winning the AL MVP award as baseball's foremost two-way catcher. He's still owed roughly $7 million of the $23 million he's making, per Berardino.That's a lot of money for a guy who doesn't bring much to the table anymore.Hannah Foslien/Getty ImagesMauer has become a decentfirst baseman in the years since he moved out from behind the plate in 2014. But he's not the same hitter who posted a .323 average and .873 OPS between 2004 and 2013. In fact, the .705 OPS he has this year is on track to be the worst of his career.Mauer isn't fundamentally broken as a hitter. He still draws plenty of walks (10.5 BB%), and he's still bucking baseball's ever-worsening strikeout trend (14.0 K%). He's also racking up hard contact at a rate that he hasn't since 2010.Mauer is thus proving he's still good for batting average (.269) and on-base percentage (.349). The problem, however Ron Santo Jersey , is these things aren't good for much without power.Indeed, the veteran'spoweris virtually nonexistent:Mauer's .086 ISO ranks seventh from the bottom among all batting-title qualifiers and dead last among primary first basemen.He's tallied just 21 extra-base hits all season, and just three of those have been home runs. That puts him on track to repeat his 2014 feat of qualifying for the batting title yet finishing with fewer than five homers. Before him, the last primary first baseman to do that was Jose Offerman in 1996.Of course, Mauer has rarely been a big-time power hitter. He peaked with 28 home runs in 2009, and he's never come close to repeating that. And at this point, he sure looks like an old dog who's uninterested in learning a new trick.While many hitters have found extra power by giving in to the launch angle craze, Mauer has barely changed his own:2015:3.8 degrees2016:3.8 degrees2017:5.6 degrees2018:4.5 degreesBy doing so, he's kept the bulk of his batted balls on the ground. That's not a recommended way to hit for power.Jim Mone/Associated PressAs for the fly balls and line drives Mauerdoes hit, he still prefers to send them to the opposite field. That's the toughest direction in which a hitter can try to clear the fence, and Mauer isn't getting better at doing so with age. The one opposite-field homer he has this year accounts for just 2.5 percent of the fly balls he's hit to left field.To boot, outfield shifts appear to be taking away other extra-base hits. According to Baseball Savant, he's slugging just .667 on fly balls and line drives against "strategic" outfield alignments. That's his lowest mark in the four-year Statcast era."Right now, it's probably tougher to be a hitter than any time at any point in my career Ernie Banks Jersey ," Mauer conceded to Chris Hine of the Star Tribune.If a team is going to take a chance on a hitter like this, it won't be as a $7 million experiment. The Rockies, Mariners, Yankees or whoever would have to convince the Twins to eat some money.But that might not get it done. Even if Mauer is willing to waive his no-trade clause, the Twins may not agree to eat any of his remaining salary unless they get a real prospect or two back. A Mauer experiment isn't necessarily worth that price.Ultimately, Mauer is probably stuck where he is, and maybe that suits him just fine. Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.