Winter Meetings primer: How will AL East clubs approach offseason’s biggest event?
Next week will be a whirlwind for every MLB club. What should fans expect from the Red Sox and their rivals?
Baseball fans are waiting for dominoes to fall amidst a historic free agency period. While some moves have already been made, the biggest names (including two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani) are still available.
That all could change in a matter of days, though. Baseball’s Winter Meetings represent an opportunity for major transactions.
At the Winter Meetings, executives hammer out trades at the bar, agents negotiate deals deep into the nighttime, and the media spends several sleepless days chasing stories. If we’re lucky, we may even see super-agent Scott Boras addressing hundreds of reporters in front of an enormous Christmas tree again. (Yes, this happened. It was 2018 and it was surreal.)
The events that transpire during the Winter Meetings are difficult to predict, but we can read between the lines and prepare for chaos. Here’s what we’ll be monitoring from the five AL East clubs when this year’s meetings convene on Dec. 4 in Nashville, TN.
MLB Winter Meetings: Toronto Blue Jays
Just this week, we learned that the Blue Jays have been fielding calls on Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Naturally, that will be the biggest storyline that follows this team into the Winter Meetings. However, it doesn’t mean we should expect either player to be traded. Even though teams are calling Toronto about its superstars, that doesn’t mean the club has any interest in dealing them.
Rather than paying too much attention to a Bichette or Guerrero trade, we should focus on the Blue Jays’ plans to add at least one bat-first outfielder. Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, and Jung-hoo Lee are all options for Toronto. They might also need to make a splash at third base if Matt Chapman departs via free agency.
Rumors of an Alek Manoah trade have also surfaced. If the Blue Jays still picture him as the Cy Young finalist he once was, they might have trouble agreeing to a deal with another team less confident after a disastrous 2023 campaign.
MLB Winter Meetings: Tampa Bay Rays
It’s going to be an offseason full of Tyler Glasnow trade chatter, as it remains highly likely that he’ll be dealt. Finding a trade partner could be a little more difficult, though. Tampa Bay will presumably try to trade its ace outside of the American League so they have to face him less frequently. The right-hander’s injury history could also make it difficult to find a fair return.
After Glasnow, the Rays’ next biggest focus should be the catcher position. Rene Pinto is the only backstop on the club’s 40-man roster after they lost Christian Bethancourt to the Guardians. Free agency is never loaded with catchers, and this offseason is certainly no exception. It’s possible we see zero major league contracts awarded at the position, forcing Tampa Bay to explore the trade market. The Rays have been aggressive in Winter Meetings trades before, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them strike a deal so that they can check this task off their to-do list.
MLB Winter Meetings: Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles took the league by storm with 101 wins in 2023, but they didn’t earn a single victory in the postseason. In order to make sure that doesn’t happen again, they will need to shore up their roster by adding talented, experienced players. Blake Snell, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Michael Wacha represent potential targets for the rotation.
In regard to position players, the Orioles will presumably approach the Winter Meetings day by day. With such a strong lineup and deep roster, Baltimore can afford to be reactive, exploring potential signings or trades as they arise without targeting any specific player.
MLB Winter Meetings: New York Yankees
Well aware that the rival Red Sox could go on a spending spree, the Yankees are certainly prepared to make a few splashes of their own. Ohtani seems unlikely at this point, but Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Bellinger, and Jordan Montgomery are all available and have been frequently linked to New York.
We can also expect Brian Cashman to explore potential trades, including one that involves Gleyber Torres. Although the 26-year-old doesn’t appear to be part of the club’s long-term plans, his youth, reliability, and success could make him an appealing option for other teams. Even the Red Sox, who rarely ever do business with the dreaded Yankees, could look to acquire Torres in exchange for a fellow franchise cornerstone. Do not sleep on a Juan Soto trade, either; if the Padres make their mega-star available, the Yankees will surely be towards the front of the line for his services.
MLB Winter Meetings: Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox enter their first Winter Meetings with Craig Breslow at the helm. Their main focus will be the pitching market. In an ideal world, Breslow departs Nashville having signed two of the bigger free-agent pitchers. Yamamoto and Montgomery are two of the team’s top targets, though they’ll face competition from dozens of other clubs.
Don’t rule out some outfield rearrangements, either. Verdugo’s name continues to be floated in trade rumors, and it’s thought that three different National League clubs could pursue the 27-year-old. If Verdugo gets dealt, we could see Boston move quickly to sign someone like Jorge Soler or Teoscar Hernandez. They might also explore bringing back Adam Duvall or Justin Turner, though it could be a couple of months before they sign.
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