Predicting which MLB stars will get traded next

Major league executives demonstrated last winter that no player is untradable, and a number of early personnel moves indicate that aggressive line of thinking remains alive and well.

Boston Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski landed coveted closer Craig Kimbrel on Friday, while Los Angeles Angels general manager Billy Eppler traded for Gold Glove shortstop Andrelton Simmons the day before. Both execs are just months on the job, and are making early first impressions.

While Kimbrel was on the block, the trade of Simmons came as a shock, proving the unpredictability of the baseball offseason. With the trade front kicked off, here are five other stars who could be dealt in the upcoming months:

James Shields, Padres

The sale has begun in San Diego, and trading James Shields and the remaining $63 million on his contract should be penciled at the top of Padres general manager A.J. Preller's to-do list. The ultra-aggressive executive has wasted no time tearing down his roster after a failed first season, dealing away two pricey relievers in Kimbrel, and Joaquin Benoit, last week. Expect Preller to dangle Shields in an attempt to save some more dollars after already shopping him at the non-waiver trade deadline. Shields went 13-7 with a 3.91 ERA over 202 1/3 innings in 2015, while posting a career-high 9.6 strikeout-to-walk rate. The Padres will still likely have to either eat some of the contract, or take less of a return from prospective suitors.

Aroldis Chapman, Reds

Aroldis Chapman's days in the Queen City are numbered, as the Cincinnati Reds have made it no secret that the hard-throwing closer is available. One of the club's top assets, Chapman owns a 1.90 ERA over the past four seasons, while racking up 145 saves, and 456 strikeouts, over 255 2/3 innings. A free agent after the coming season, the 27-year-old is expected to generate a solid return for the Reds, and GM Dick Williams believes there's still a robust market despite the Red Sox - one of their prospective trade targets - acquiring Kimbrel earlier this week.

Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers

After finishing 26 games under .500, the Milwaukee Brewers are looking to go younger. While the likes of Ryan Braun, Adam Lind, and Francisco Rodriguez are all expected to be on the block, catcher Jonathan Lucroy would bring the best return to an organization with an underwhelming farm system. Despite coming off an injury-plagued year that saw him limited to 103 games, Lucroy is one of the best two-way catchers in baseball, hitting .284/.349/.443 with 38 home runs, and 98 doubles, over 403 games in the last three seasons. Owed $4 million in 2016 along with a $5.25-million team option for 2017, the 29-year-old should garner no shortage of interest.

Brett Gardner, Yankees

The acquisition of outfielder Aaron Hicks could have signaled the end of the New York Yankees' current longest-tenured homegrown player. Brett Gardner has already been linked to the Seattle Mariners as the Yankees attempt to go younger, and possibly set themselves up to make a play on one of the top-tier free-agent outfielders. Gardner represents an intriguing option for a number of teams: A plus defender in the outfield, the 32-year-old offers speed and power out of the leadoff spot. He's coming off a season in which he hit .259/.343/.399 with 16 home runs, and 20 stolen bases, while appearing in 151 games. Owed $36 million over the next three seasons, Gardner's salary is reasonable, and likely much easier for the Yankees to deal than that of fellow outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies

Colorado Rockies GM Jeff Bridich proved none of his stars are untouchable after shipping away Troy Tulowitzki in July, and coming off a fifth losing season, the team could be poised for another shakeup. Carlos Gonzalez admits that he's not worried about potential trade talks, though there might not be a better time for Bridich to deal the outfielder. Coming off back-to-back injury-riddled campaigns, Gonzalez hit .271/.325/.540 with a career-high 40 home runs in 151 games. Though his numbers were boosted from hitter-friendly Coors Field, the 30-year-old remains an All-Star caliber outfielder, and is under contract for the next two years at $37 million. The Rockies should garner plenty of interest with Gonzalez, and could flip him for some much-needed pitching.