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Last year, nine players received qualifying offers worth $13.3MM.  At least two more would have been likely to receive one had they not been deemed ineligible due to midseason trades.  A qualifying offer, if turned down, enables the team losing the free agent to receive a draft pick as compensation.  We haven't seen a player accept a qualifying offer yet, but the process is still in its infancy.  I've estimated the qualifying offer amount at around $14MM for the 2013-14 offseason.  Below, I've drafted an inclusive list of candidates to receive one after the season.  In today's poll, please check all whom you expect to receive a qualifying offer.  You can click here to view the results.

Want to stay up-to-date on all the rumors and transactions involving your favorite team or player?  At the office, you can simply pull up MLBTradeRumors.com and refresh constantly, with your fingers on alt-tab as you read so you can bounce to a spreadsheet when your boss walks by (unless your boss is a baseball fan).  But what about when you're in a meeting or at lunch?  You need our Baseball Trade Rumors iPhone/iPad app!

For less than the cost of that lunch, just $2.99, the Baseball Trade Rumors iPhone/iPad app can be yours for life, including future upgrades.  The app presents all of the latest MLBTR stories, ad-free and mobile friendly, with the ability to filter by teams or transactions.  You can also enjoy custom push notifications, where you select your favorite teams and/or players and receive alerts when new stories are posted including them. 

Not an Apple person?  Check out our Android app instead.

An explanation of the many ways to enjoy MLB Trade Rumors:

• If the main site doesn't load perfectly on your cell phone, try the more mobile-friendly mlbtraderumors.mobi.  It's a simple page that shows you just the headlines and lets you click through to what you want to read.
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Pick one player from each of eight tiers and you've got a shot at part of the $400 prize pool in DraftStreet's latest MLBTR freeroll!  You've got nothing to lose by signing up and making your picks, as this game has no entry fee.  You'll be competing based on the stats your eight players accumulate in Friday's night games. 

My team leans toward multi-talented offensive players who can steal a few bases, such as Ryan Braun, Chase Headley, Andrew McCutchen, Austin Jackson, and Alex Rios.  I also made sure not to get drawn in by small samples – Josh Willingham has big power, even if he hasn't shown it in May.  Let us know about your strategy in the comments.  Check out the scoring categories in the rules section.  A screenshot of my roster:

Take five minutes to make your picks for Friday's games, and you've got a shot at the $400 prize pool!  Registration closes at 6pm central time on Friday.  Please note that this post is a paid advertisement by DraftStreet.

The Cardinals and Red Sox are among the contenders who may be looking for relief help come July.  Others with bullpen issues at least have designs on contending, even if they're under .500.  Here's a look at some relievers who might be available this summer:

• Fernando Rodney, Kyle Farnsworth, Jamey Wright, Rays.
• Jose Veras and Wesley Wright, Astros.
• Ryan Madson, Scott Downs, Jerome Williams, Angels.
• Steve Cishek, Mike Dunn, Chad Qualls, and Jon Rauch, Marlins.
• Kevin Gregg, James Russell, Carlos Marmol, Cubs.
• Huston Street, Luke Gregerson, Dale Thayer, Padres.
• Frank Francisco, LaTroy Hawkins, Brandon Lyon, Mets.
• Darren Oliver, Blue Jays.
• Jesse Crain, Matt Lindstrom, Matt Thornton, White Sox.
• Oliver Perez, Mariners.
• J.P. Howell, Matt Guerrier, Dodgers.
• Tom Gorzelanny, Mike Gonzalez, Brewers.

A few of these teams might hang on as fringe contenders, others could hang on to their better relievers for credibility's sake, and some may prefer to retain those who are under control beyond 2013 such as Cishek, Gregerson, Dunn, Russell, Lindstrom, and Thornton.  Russell, a lefty with the Cubs, could have particular appeal because he is under team control through 2015 and has been successful so far.

Rentals such as Mike Morse, Kendrys Morales, Matt Garza, Scott Feldman, Ricky Nolasco, Edinson Volquez, and Frank Francisco figure to have their names kicked around the trade market this summer, assuming decent performance from the players and a lack of playoff potential from their employers.  More appealing, however, are players who are under team control beyond this year.  Names to watch:

• David Price, Rays.  Price owns a 6.25 ERA on the season, but his struggles with the longball and hits allowed shouldn't last.  However, his average fastball velocity is at a career-worst 93.3 miles per hour.  The Rays remain a legitimate contender, but if they fall back over the next few months and Price's numbers stabilize, there will be a feeding frenzy.  He's under team control through 2015, though only a few select teams could assemble the necessary package of premium young talent.
• Chase Headley, Padres.  The Padres have talked about making a franchise-record offer to retain Headley, which doesn't mean much since their biggest contract was worth $52MM.  If Headley sticks to his word of not negotiating during the season, the Padres must choose between trading him this summer at peak value, or being forced to deal him during the offseason if talks break down.  The Padres could also look to move controllable players such as Carlos Quentin, Huston Street, Luke Gregerson, and Nick Hundley.
• Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins.  The young slugger is under control through 2016.  He's currently on the DL with a hamstring strain, and the Marlins probably won't want to sell low on the biggest trade chip this summer.  The Marlins may weigh trading Kevin Slowey (under control through next year) or Steve Cishek (through 2017).
• Josh Willingham, Twins.  The Twins are only a game under .500, but if they fall out contention, Willingham could command a premium since he is signed affordably through 2014.  The Twins also have appealing, under-contract relievers in Glen Perkins and Jared Burton.
• Andre Ethier, Dodgers.  The Dodgers could look to unload Ethier's contract, which pays $52MM over 2014-17.
• Jake Peavy, White Sox.  Assuming Peavy's back spasms turn out to be a minor issue, the Sox could market him as something close to an ace.  He's signed through next year but can trigger a player option for 2015 by meeting certain criteria.  Alex Rios and Matt Thornton could be popular as well.
• Tommy Hanson, Angels.  If the Angels aren't contending and feel they might non-tender Hanson after the season, a trade makes sense.  Same goes for the Brewers' John Axford and the Padres' Clayton Richard.
• Bud Norris, Lucas Harrell, Wesley Wright, Justin Maxwell, Chris Carter, Astros.  No one seems off-limits on the Astros, though Jose Altuve would be extremely difficult to pry loose.  Norris is under team control through 2015, Harrell through '17.
• Cliff Lee, Phillies.  Lee is under contract through 2015, with a pricey club/vesting option for '16.  He can block trades to 21 teams each season.  If the Phillies decide to blow up the roster, getting a deal similar to Boston's purge of Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and Josh Beckett could work.  Lee could serve as the Gonzalez piece, with Ryan Howard tacked on to fill the Crawford role.
• Ike Davis and Jon Niese, Mets.  I generally considered these two as building blocks for the Mets before this season, but if they're playing acceptably this summer I wonder if the team might be willing to discuss them.  Daniel Murphy and Bobby Parnell would hold appeal to other teams as well.
• Alfonso Soriano and David DeJesus, Cubs.  Owing Soriano $18MM for 2014 is generally not viewed as a plus, but he is technically controllable.  With a $6.5MM club option for '14, DeJesus is more appealing.  The Cubs could shop Carlos Villanueva, Scott Hairston, and Nate Schierholtz as well.  It's also worth noting that team ace Jeff Samardzija is under control only through 2015, so if the team can't lock him up and things look bleak for '14, they should entertain offers.
• The Blue Jays are 11-21 on the season and appear likely to become deadline sellers.  While controllable players such as Brandon Morrow and Colby Rasmus would draw interest, it seems more likely to me that the Jays will re-tool and make another push for 2014.  If so, dealing controllable players might not make sense.  I feel similarly about the Brewers.
• The most commonly traded controllable players are, of course, prospects.  We may see names like Jurickson Profar and Mike Olt (Rangers), Nick Castellanos (Tigers), Gregory Polanco (Pirates), Matt Davidson (Diamondbacks), and any number of Cardinals arms bandied about in the coming months.

Catcher Brian McCann will join the Braves tonight in Cincinnati to make his season debut against the Reds.  The 29-year-old missed the first month and change of the 2013 season following August shoulder surgery last year.  It's a big year for McCann, who will be eligible for free agency after the season.  Six other impending free agents project to make their season debuts this month: Corey Hart, Matt Garza, Curtis Granderson, Colby Lewis, Francisco Liriano, and Frank Francisco.  After beginning with all that positive news, here's a look at 2014 free agents currently on the shelf:

• Roy Halladay is likely to hit the DL for a shoulder ailment that dates back to April 24th, which he says is different from last year's malady.  The Phillies' righty will fly to Los Angeles this week to be examined by Dr. Lewis Yocum.  Halladay, 36 this month, has an 8.65 ERA in 34 1/3 innings and seems likely to sign a one-year deal in the offseason.
• The Blue Jays' Josh Johnson is on the DL with triceps soreness, and we haven't heard anything about his timetable.  JJ is headed further downward on our 2014 Free Agents Power Rankings, while Halladay is out of the top ten.
• White Sox righty Gavin Floyd has an appointment this morning with orthopedic surgeon David Altcheck, notes Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times.  Tommy John surgery is a strong possibility for Floyd, who would then project to miss at least the first month of the 2014 season under his new contract.
• Speaking of free agents signed coming off Tommy John surgery, the Cubs' Scott Baker resumed his throwing program a week ago.  Baker has had some setbacks after the April 2012 procedure.
• Oakland's Coco Crisp had an amazing start to the season, but hasn't played 140 games in a season since '07.  He's on the DL with a strained hamstring.  That's the same injury affecting Baltimore's Brian Roberts.
• Aside from Granderson, the Yankees have future free agents Derek Jeter, Kevin Youkilis, and Joba Chamberlain on the DL.  Jeter, who fractured his ankle last year, will not reveal his target date for his season debut, but the team expects him out until after the All-Star break.  Jeter will face a $9.5MM player option after the season with a $3MM buyout.  Youkilis has a lumbar spine strain, while Chamberlain strained his right oblique.
• The Mets' Johan Santana is out for the season with shoulder surgery, while the Cardinals can't count on Rafael Furcal (Tommy John) or Chris Carpenter (thoracic outlet syndrome) this year.  The Orioles' Tsuyoshi Wada signed a two-year, $8.14MM deal in December 2011, but had Tommy John surgery in May 2012 and has yet to make his big league debut. 
• Dodgers starters Chris Capuano (strained left calf) and Ted Lilly (strained rib cage muscle) both reside on the DL, at a time when they actually had an opportunity to be in the rotation. 
• The Indians' Brett Myers is weeks away from a return to action after suffering elbow inflammation.  Oakland's Chris Young is battling a strained left quad, while the Tigers' Octavio Dotel has elbow inflammation.

If you're a regular MLBTR reader, you'll be familiar with our chats, Week In Review posts and Baseball Blogs Weigh In feature. Here's some more detail on when you'll see our weekly features and exactly what to expect from them:

• MLBTR Chats - Join Tim Dierkes every Tuesday at 2pm CDT to chat about the latest trades, signings and rumblings around the Major Leagues.
• Baseball Blogs Weigh In - Every Friday, I feature some of the best writing from baseball blogs around the web. Whether it's opinion, stats or something else entirely, you can connect to the best of the blogosphere once a week on MLBTR. If you want to submit a post of yours, you can reach me at: zachbbwi@gmail.com.
• Week In Review - It's remarkable how much happens in seven days. Every Sunday night, MLBTR summarizes the week's biggest stories in our Week In Review posts.
• MLBTR Originals - Edward Creech gathers all our original analysis and reporting in one place every Sunday night.

Yesterday, Tim Dierkes took a look at the hardest-throwing pitchers in the upcoming 2014 free agent class. While we're dealing with small sample sizes through the season's first month of course, monitoring trends like that throughout the year can help paint a picture of what the offseason will be like. Here's a look at another desirable trend in free agent hurlers — ground-ball rate — with April in the books…

Starters

1. Jake Westbrook — 63.1 percent ($9.5MM mutual option)
2. Jon Garland — 55.2 percent
3. Tim Hudson — 54.6 percent
4. Jason Marquis — 54.2 percent
5. Hiroki Kuroda — 52.4 percent
6. Roberto Hernandez — 52.2 percent
7. Paul Maholm — 51.9 percent
8. Ubaldo Jimenez — 50.7 percent
9. Jon Lester — 49.5 percent ($13MM club option)
10. Andy Pettitte — 49.5 percent

Relievers

1. Scott Downs — 78.1 percent
2. J.P. Howell — 68 percent
3. Derek Lowe — 64.3 percent
4. Matt Lindstrom — 60.7 percent ($4MM club option)
5. Eric O'Flaherty — 60.6 percent
6. Casey Janssen — 57.9 percent ($4MM club option)
7. Chad Qualls — 57.1 percent
8. Matt Albers — 56.5 percent
9. Scott Atchison — 52.8 percent
10. LaTroy Hawkins — 50 percent

Last offseason, Kuroda was the top ground-ball starter, and Sean Burnett topped the charts for free agent relievers. Both were paid well this offseason, with Kuroda receiving $15MM from the Yankees for one year and Burnett signing a two-year, $8MM with the Angels.

Among this year's group of starters, only Jimenez appears on both lists, though he will need to rediscover some semblance of control to establish much of a market for his services. As far as relievers go, Lindstrom and Albers appear on both lists, though grounders are less emphasized than strikeouts among late-inning arms.

We're officially through with one month of the 2013 campaign, meaning we're one month closer to the busiest time of the time of the regular season here at MLBTR. The trade deadline still hasn't quite taken shape, but if May 2012 was any indication, there should still be plenty of noteworthy transactions this month. Here's a look at the notable moves from last May, courtesy of MLBTR's Transaction Tracker…

Extensions

• The Orioles and Adam Jones agreed to a six-year, $85.5MM contract extension.
• The D-backs and Miguel Montero agreed to a five-year, $60MM contract extension.

Trades

• The Angels acquired Ernesto Frieri — currently the team's closer — from the Padres in exchange for infielder Alexi Amarista and right-hander Donn Roach.
• The Marlins acquired Justin Ruggiano from the Astros in exchange for minor league catcher Jobduan Morales.
• The Rays acquired Drew Sutton from the Pirates for cash just one day after the Pirates had acquired Sutton from the Braves (also for cash considerations).
• The Red Sox acquired Scott Podsednik from the Phillies for cash considerations.
• The Cubs acquired Koyie Hill from the Reds for cash considerations.
• The Blue Jays acquired catcher Paul Phillips from the Brewers for cash considerations.
• The Cardinals acquired infielder Jamie Romak from the Royals for cash.
• The Phillies and Rays swapped outfielders Rich Thompson and Kyle Hudson.
• The Pirates acquired first baseman Jeff Larish from the Red Sox for cash considerations.
• The Rangers acquired Ryan Spilborghs from the Indians for cash considerations.

Waiver Claims

• The Yankees claimed Ryota Igarashi from the Blue Jays.
• The Padres claimed Neil Wagner from the Athletics.
• The Rangers claimed John Gaub from the Rays.
• The Brewers claimed Cody Ransom from the Diamondbacks.
• The Yankees claimed Matt Antonelli from the Orioles.
• The Padres claimed Eric Stults from the White Sox (Stults is still a member of San Diego's rotation).
• The Athletics claimed Travis Blackley from the Giants.
• The Yankees claimed Justin Thomas from the Red Sox.
• The Twins claimed Erik Komatsu from the Cardinals.

International Signings

• The Yankees signed Cuban outfielder Adonis Garcia to a one-year minor league deal worth $400K.

Major League Signings

• The Rangers signed Roy Oswalt to a one-year, $5MM deal with another $1MM worth of incentives available. Oswalt, of course, did not sign this offseason either.
• The Dodgers signed Bobby Abreu to a Major League contract following his release from the Angels.