Gather 'round, it's almost time for baseball's hot-stove season

As the World Series plods toward its November conclusion, the next drama on the baseball itinerary looms in the near future — the hot-stove season.

For many fans, it's the most wonderful time of the year, plotting and monitoring potential trades and signings. Rumor-mongering now qualifies as a national pastime, if not an Olympic sport.

The day after the World Series ends, there begins a 15-day period in which players may file for free agency (those also being the final 15 days for teams to have exclusive negotiating rights with their own free agents).

And on the 16th day after the end of the World Series, it's open season: Free agents are truly free to sign with any team.

Meanwhile, the general managers meetings will take place in Chicago Nov. 9-11 at an airport hotel; perhaps MLB realized (wisely) that holding its gathering at a ritzy resort (such as last year's over-the-top-opulent St. Regis in Dana Point, Calif.) was not the best image to be presenting during a recession.

The GM meetings traditionally serve the purpose of laying the groundwork for trades that often are consummated at the winter meetings, the centerpiece of the offseason. They will take place this year Dec. 7-10 in Indianapolis.

Just to kick-start the hot stone, er, stove season, here is a list of 10 prominent (non-Mariners) players that could be on the block this winter. This is certainly not an inclusive list — just a little sneak preview to whet your appetite:

1First baseman Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego. The Mariners were linked to Gonzalez at the July 31 trade deadline in a wild three-way deal that reportedly would have sent Felix Hernandez to Boston. It fell through, but San Diego will no doubt continue to explore trade possibilities involving its most expensive and marketable player, especially if they are unable to reach agreement on an extension.

Yet Gonzalez's contract is extremely reasonable for a star of his caliber ($4.75 million in 2010, with a club option of $5.5 million in 2011), and trading him would be immensely unpopular considering he's a San Diego kid and hugely popular with the team's large contingent of Mexican fans.

Adding a new wrinkle is the fact that the Padres' brand-new GM is Jed Hoyer, formerly Theo Epstein's assistant in Boston. The Red Sox have also coveted Gonzalez, and who better to know which prospects to seek than Hoyer?

2Pitcher Bobby Jenks, White Sox. Jenks, who wasn't quite as dominant in 2009 as in past years, will be in his second year of arbitration and stands to get a hefty raise from last year's $5.6 million salary. The White Sox must decide if former Mariner Matt Thornton, who has quietly become a dominant left-handed force in a setup role the past two years, is ready to close.

3Pitcher Roy Halladay, Blue Jays. The Jays tried to deal Halladay at the deadline and were unable to work out an acceptable deal. Now J.P. Ricciardi is out as GM (in large part, likely, for his handling of the Halladay situation), and one of his assistants, Alex Anthopoulos, is the new man in charge.

Halladay, who becomes a free agent after the 2010 season, almost certainly will be traded; what Anthopoulos and the Jays must decide — and there's no consensus on this question among MLB executives — is whether the optimal time is during the offseason or at the trade deadline.

4Pitcher Kerry Wood, Indians. He'll never be the next Roger Clemens, which seemed Wood's destiny when he struck out 20 Houston Astros in a one-hitter at the age of 20 in 1998. But Wood still remains an intriguing enough talent to entice many teams into kicking his tires. With a $10.5 million salary for 2010 (plus an $11 million option for 2011 that automatically vests if he finishes 55 games), he no longer fits the plans of a rebuilding Cleveland team that lost 97 games in 2009. The Indians would no doubt love to move Travis Hafner, but coming off two down years, with $11.5 million, $13 million and $13 million due him the next three years, he's virtually untradeable.

5Outfielder David DeJesus, et al, Royals. K.C. is definitely a team to watch this winter, because after another in a long line of brutal years (65-97 in '09), just about everyone is fair game.

Does that include Zack Greinke? There might be a fan mutiny if they trade the likely Cy Young winner, who is signed through 2012 ($7.25 million in '10, $13.5 million in '11 and '12). But that's a lot of money for this franchise, and it figures to at least listen to see if any blockbuster offers are forthcoming.

That goes as well for elite closer Joakim Soria (who has such a club-friendly contract that it's hard to imagine the Royals dealing him, despite rumors) and Billy Butler. But they figure to actively shop DeJesus, as well as outfielder/third baseman Mark Teahen.

6Outfielder Nelson Cruz, Rangers. Pure speculation here, but if the Rangers can re-sign free agent Marlon Byrd, they might consider dealing Cruz and moving Josh Hamilton to right (there has also been speculation that Hamilton himself might be on the trade block; the Red Sox might be a fit). Cruz had 33 homers, but some in the organization were alarmed by his streakiness and tendency for poor at-bats.

7Outfielder Milton Bradley, Cubs. It's no mystery that the Cubs are trying desperately to move Bradley, who quickly wore out his welcome in Chicago. But with $21 million still owed Bradley, the intrigue will come in finding which stinky contract from another team they'll have to take on to get rid of him.

8Third baseman Garrett Atkins, Rockies. The Rockies have tried to move Atkins for a while, and will continue to do so. Atkins averaged 25 homers and 110 runs batted in from 2006 to '08, but declined considerably in 2009.

9Pitcher Derek Lowe, Braves. Signing Lowe to a four-year, $60 million deal was Atlanta's showcase move of last offseason. But with the Braves on the verge of signing Tim Hudson to a three-year extension, and the emergence of rookie Tommy Hanson, Lowe is suddenly expendable. The money still owed ($45 million) makes that difficult, but the Braves are likely to trade one of their starters — if not Lowe, then perhaps Javier Vazquez or Kenshin Kawakami.

10Outfielder Delmon Young, Twins. This guy is hard to fathom. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 draft and touted as a surefire superstar. But Young wore out his welcome in Tampa and was traded to the Twins in 2008, and he still hasn't developed into a quality major-league hitter. Yet teams are still certain to be lured by his potential, and by the fact that in the Twins' final 17 games, as they ran down the Tigers, Young hit .386 with four homers and 17 RBI, with a 1.051 OPS.

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com