As the offseason continues, Major League Baseball now turns its attention to the annual Winter Meetings, which is set to feature a few bidding wars from big market teams on some superstar players.
A few big pieces are off the free agency board with Aaron Nola returning to the Philadelphia Phillies and Sonny Gray signing with the St. Louis Cardinals, but much more remains.
The most notable players on the market are Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Juan Soto, Blake Snell, Corbin Burnes, Dylan Cease, Tyler Glasnow, Jordan Montgomery, and more names are likely to be added soon via the trade market.
So far, the offseason has been somewhat slow, but Ohtani is believed to be signing during the Winter Meetings, and once he is off the board, the market is expected to move much quicker.
Although the MLB Winter Meetings haven’t produced as much drama in recent years, that should change this time around, per David Vassegh of AM 570 L.A. Sports Radio:
“It feels like these Winter Meetings, which will start on December 3, there is going to be more activity during these Winter Meetings, as far as actually making deals with free agents and trades, than there has been in some time.”
Last year, the MLB Winter Meetings produced some notable deals, but nothing too shocking. The big deals that came up were Cody Bellinger to the Chicago Cubs, Kenley Jansen to the Boston Red Sox, Xander Bogaerts to the San Diego Padres for $280 million over 11 years, and Aaron Judge re-signing with the New York Yankees on a nine-year, $360 million contract.
Traditionally, the Winter Meetings have also provided opportunities for executives to lay the groundwork on deals, which end up being completed later.
But once Ohtani and Yamamoto are off the board, teams are going to be scrambling to fill out their roster, which could create some extra movement during these meetings.
Best scenarios for Dodgers at MLB Winter Meetings
For the Los Angeles Dodgers, they need Ohtani’s decision to come fairly soon. They just have a few slots on their roster that need to be filled, mainly in the starting pitching department.
Ohtani helps out in that area once he heals up from his most recent elbow surgery, but the Dodgers have also targeted Yamamoto. He would provide an immediate upgrade and an ace in their rotation, something they’re clearly without.
They could also turn to the trade market to add another starting pitcher, looking at both Burnes and Cease, or the mid-tier free agents such as Seth Lugo and Lucas Giolito.
The Dodgers have been rumored as trying to acquire another outfielder to fill the spot occupied by David Peralta, who is now a free agent. Among their targets for the outfield, Teoscar Hernandez, Joc Pederson and Max Kepler have emerged as potential options.
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