Ranking MLB's 5 biggest offseason moves so far

While the league and the players' association continue to discuss details on a new collective bargaining agreement, the offseason has been fairly quiet with only a few free-agent signings - and one big trade - to date.

Here are the five biggest moves from the offseason so far, from best to worst:

1. Mariners acquire Jean Segura from Diamondbacks for Taijuan Walker

The move of the offseason has come through trade involving the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks, two teams that completed a fascinating deal which could spark the trade market.

In the five-player swap, the Diamondbacks get Taijuan Walker, a 24-year-old starter with ace potential that has yet to prove himself at the major-league level (22-22 with a 4.13 ERA to date). General manager Mike Hazen's first move in the desert is a big one, deciding that shortstop Jean Segura, who is coming off a year in which he hit .319/.368/.499 with a 5.7 WAR, was worth giving up.

In Walker, the Diamondbacks are getting an affordable, young starter with potential along with shortstop Ketel Marte who was also included in the deal. The Mariners, meanwhile, are hoping Segura provides their lineup with even more versatility, joining the likes of Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano, and Kyle Seager.

2. Blue Jays sign Kendrys Morales to a three-year, $33-million deal

After Edwin Encarnacion reportedly rejected a four-year deal worth $80 million, the Toronto Blue Jays jumped at the opportunity to potentially replace their former slugger, signing Kendrys Morales to a very reasonable contract.

While the thought of losing Encarnacion - and Jose Bautista for that matter - is difficult for Blue Jays fans, Morales can fill the void well, especially for a team looking to possibly replace two powerful bats in its lineup.

Morales is best suited as the team's designated hitter, and though it's true nobody can fully replace Encarnacion's numbers, Morales hit .277/.344/.476 with 52 home runs and 199 RBIs across two-plus seasons in a pitcher-friendly ballpark in Kansas City. Those numbers could improve in Toronto.

3. Astros sign Josh Reddick to a four-year, $52-million deal

The Houston Astros and general manager Jeff Luhnow have been, by far, the busiest team this offseason, adding Brian McCann through trade and signing Josh Reddick and Charlie Morton.

The financial commitment handed to Reddick is fairly significant considering he struggled (.258/.307/.335) after being traded from the Athletics to the Dodgers at the trade deadline last season.

There is reason for optimism, however, as Reddick is known for being an above-average outfielder (39 defensive runs saved since 2012) and will join a lineup that includes Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and George Springer. A return to the AL is also worth noting, as Reddick hit .255/.317/.436 with 94 home runs and 337 RBIs split between the Red Sox and Athletics.

4. Cardinals sign Brett Cecil to a four-year, $30.5-million deal

The St. Louis Cardinals have built a reputation as one of the best at drafting and developing talent internally, which is why it was a little surprising to see the team spend money and term on a situational left-handed reliever.

Spending to shore up the bullpen typically comes with risk, (see Joakim Soria, Tyler Clippard, Antonio Bastardo, and Tony Sipp as examples from last season) but the Cardinals decided to spend just over $30 million - $7.75 million per year - on Brett Cecil anyways, hoping he can become the team's new setup man.

For the most part, Cecil was effective in his four years as a reliever for the Blue Jays, posting a 2.90 ERA and 1.16 WHIP while limiting left-handed batters to a .226 average, but there's still risk here.

5. Astros acquire Brian McCann from Yankees

The good news for the Astros is that Brian McCann is better offensively than Jason Castro, the longtime catcher that just signed a three-year deal worth $24.5 million with the Twins after six seasons with the team.

The bad news is McCann will be 33 years old by spring training, is going to split catching duties with Evan Gattis, and in the past three years has failed to hit over .250 in a single season (surprisingly still better than Castro). If the Astros were looking for a sure upgrade, McCann is an odd choice especially since both he and Gattis combined to post a 22.3 strikeout percentage last season.

The only good for the Astros in this trade was convincing the Yankees to pay $5.5 million of the remaining $23 million McCann is owed through 2018. Houston also had to give up a good pitching prospect in Albert Abreu, now ranked as the Yankees' 10th-best, according to MLB Pipeline.