Sports
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ESPN
Dec 5, 2023, 06:50 PM ET
The MLB winter meetings are underway in Nashville, Tennessee, and it figures be an action-packed week of rumors, signings and trades.
We’ve got it all covered for you right here, from our experts’ predictions heading into the meetings to the latest updates and analysis as the moves go down.
Will No. 1 free agent Shohei Ohtani choose his next team at the meetings? Will we see a blockbuster trade involving Juan Soto or Pete Alonso? And will big spenders such as the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs open their wallets in Nashville? Check out our predictions now and refresh often for the latest as the week unfolds.
Key links: Free agency tracker | Latest Ohtani intel
Top 50 free agents | One move for every team | Passan’s winter meetings preview
Sports Dec. 5 buzz
How Angels are approaching the wait for Ohtani’s decision
While everyone in this baseball universe, and possibly some baseball universes in other dimensions, awaits Shohei Ohtani’s decision about from whom he will accept several hundred millions of dollars, Los Angeles Angels GM Perry Minasian is among the most invested in that resolution. He’s not letting it ruin his offseason.
“Every year you’re in this position, you feel more comfortable because you’ve experienced a lot of different things,” said Minasian, who is participating in his third winter meetings as the Halos’ lead exec. “Over the last three seasons, you create more relationships with other GMs, presidents, agents. There’s just a comfort level that increases year by year. That being said, there’s a lot of work.”
This time around, the work for Miniasian is complicated by the will-he-or-won’t-he factor with Ohtani, as everything around the Angels looks different if Ohtani is, or is not, a part of their future. Still, the front office has to keep churning away amid the uncertainty that goes with the biggest variable remaining a big, fat question mark.
When asked about that challenge, Minasian showed that he has learned something about that answer as well: Keep the rhetoric consistent.
“I think you have to have a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C,” Minasian said, far from the first time. “That’s what you put the work in for. It’s something where you need to know the landscape from the free agency standpoint, from a trade standpoint, understand what you can push over the finish line to improve your club. And that’s something we’ll concentrate on the next two days.”
As for Ohtani, the wait goes on, for Minasian, the Angels and for everybody else with even a passing interest in baseball. — Bradford Doolittle
How Yates can help the Rangers
The Texas Rangers signed reliever Kirby Yates to a one-year, $4.5 million deal following what was a bounce-back season for Yates. The right-hander, 37, had a 3.28 ERA in 61 appearances for the Atlanta Braves last season, striking out 80 batters in 60⅓ innings — albeit with 37 walks allowed. Last year, Yates held left-handed hitters to a .124 batting average — just 12 hits in 97 at-bats (five of those hits were homers, however). Chris Young, head of baseball operations for the Rangers, has made it clear that the team’s priority this winter is in pitching depth, and the addition of Yates gives them another layer. “A great competitor with experience in high-leverage situations,” said one source on Yates. — Buster Olney
Roberts, Counsell on Ohtani
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team met with Shohei Ohtani in Los Angeles a couple days ago for two to three hours. “Clearly,” he said, “Shohei’s our top priority.” — Alden Gonzalez
Meanwhile, Cubs manager Craig Counsell says he hasn’t met with Shohei Ohtani during the free agent process. Counsell was then asked whether not meeting with him was any indication of the team’s interest: “I don’t think this is my spot to talk about individual players. It’s a great question but not the spot to talk about it.” — Jesse Rogers
Yankees impressed by Yamamoto
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone cracked a smile when asked if Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the highly touted Japanese starting pitcher, would look good in pinstripes.
“I think he probably would, yeah,” Boone said, adding that he was briefly introduced to Yamamoto this offseason and plans to meet with him again.
The Yankees are expected to be among the most aggressive suitors for Yamamoto, along with the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and a multitude of others. He’s a free agent at just 25 years old and has won the Sawamura Award — Nippon Professional Baseball’s equivalent of the Cy Young Award — three consecutive years, putting him in position to land a contract that exceeds $200 million. Yamamoto is expected to sign closer to the middle or the end of December.
The Yankees had a relatively heavy scouting presence in Japan to watch his starts throughout this past season.
“It’s hard to find a 25-year-old pitcher that’s as decorated as he is and has had the level of success that he’s had at this point in his career over there, and on the world stage in the [World Baseball Classic],” Boone said. “Our reports are that this guy’s really good, as I think the industry sees it that way. It feels like there’s going to be a lot of suitors for him. I feel quite confident that he’s going to come over here and be a very special, top-of-the-rotation-type pitcher.”
White Sox will wait for right trade for Cease
One of the most coveted pitchers in the hot stove market is White Sox righty Dylan Cease. Chicago assistant GM Josh Barfield acknowledged as much when speaking at the winter meetings Tuesday, but teams after Cease are going to have to clear a considerable value bar.
“We’re in a position of leverage, because I don’t think we have to trade Cease,” Barfield said. “It’s nice, you know. We have two years of control and he’s a really, really good pitcher who definitely helps us next year. At the same time, we’ve got to be smart and we’ve got to listen to everything. If we make a move, if we don’t, we’re just going to be patient and wait for the right one.”
Cease, runner up in the 2022 AL Cy Young balloting, has made 32 or more starts In each of the past three seasons. He’s gone 34-24 with a 3.54 ERA during that time while striking out 11.4 batters per nine innings. He has two years of arbitration eligibility remaining before reaching free agency. — Bradford Doolittle
Red Sox eyeing Maldonado as catcher
As the Red Sox move into the Craig Breslow era with a focus on pitching, they have interest in veteran catcher Martin Maldonado, renowned for his handling of pitchers. Maldonado, 37, played with the Astros the past five seasons, and in his time with Houston, his pitchers and managers strongly advocated for him to be behind the plate — while the Houston front office looked for alternatives because of Maldonado’s subpar offensive production. Last year, Maldonado hit .191 with 15 homers, a .258 on-base percentage and 66 adjusted OPS+. Maldonado has a longstanding friendship with Boston manager Alex Cora, who, like Maldonado, grew up in Puerto Rico. Last year, Connor Wong was the primary catcher for the Red Sox, playing in 126 games and generating an 80 adjusted OPS+. Reese McGuire (also with an 80 adjusted OPS+) was the backup. — Buster Olney
Tigers prioritizing pitching additions
The Detroit Tigers’ priority at this moment is adding more pitching, as they head into the 2024 season with the hope — maybe even expectation — of taking a big step forward. The Tigers have a nice collection of young position players, including the 23-year-old Spencer Torkelson and 22-year-old Riley Greene, with the likes of outfielder Max Clark and infielder Colt Keith on the way. But there is a need for pitching depth, especially after the midseason trade of Michael Lorenzen and the departure of Eduardo Rodriguez as a free agent. The Tigers signed Kenta Maeda to a two-year deal this offseason and are hunting for more arms. Detroit finished second in the AL Central last season at 78-84, a significant improvement on 2022 (66-96). — Buster Olney
Sports Dec. 4 buzz
Padres waiting on the right return for Soto
A.J. Preller, as you might expect, has talked a lot about Juan Soto in recent days.
“We’re definitely getting a lot of calls,” the San Diego Padres’ GM said Monday.
The Padres have been shopping Soto, a year away from free agency, throughout the offseason, and the expectation is that he’ll be traded relatively soon. But his status could be complicated by the free agencies of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. A lot of the teams in on Soto are also in on at least one of those two.
“I think there are some teams that when we’ve had conversations, you can tell they’re waiting on a certain free agent or two,” Preller said, alluding to Ohtani and Yamamoto, neither of whom are expected to sign this week.
The expectation throughout the industry has long been that the Padres — with several holes to plug, especially in their rotation, and a need to drop their payroll from the $250 million-plus it stood at this past season — will trade Soto. But Preller hasn’t come out and said that (no GM would in that situation).
In an ideal world, where money is no object, Preller would keep Soto.
So far, at least, he seems adamant about not settling for a meager return.
“It’s really just about value,” Preller said. “I think that there’s a lot of different ways that you can do it. We talk about our need for some starting pitching, but we’re not gonna take lesser deals just to fill a need. In any of the scenarios.” — Alden Gonzalez
So you’re saying the Angels have a chance on Ohtani?
Few people on the outside give them much of a chance, but some members of the Angels have privately felt confident about their chances to retain Shohei Ohtani throughout the offseason, even though his price tag might reach $600 million.
The Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers are heavily in the mix, and other teams — the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and potentially others — are also involved. But the comfort and familiarity of the Angels could still be a real draw.
Their new manager, Ron Washington, was notably coy when asked about Ohtani on Monday.
“I don’t have much to say about that yet because I don’t want to let anything out of the bag,” Washington said.
He was asked the natural follow-up: Is there anything to let out of the bag?
“I don’t have anything to say about that right now because I don’t want to let anything out of the bag,” he repeated. — Alden Gonzalez
Will familiarity keep Ohtani in Anaheim?
Only Ohtani seems to know where he’s going to sign — but one player agent believes he’ll decide to go back to the Angels. Because of money, sure, but also because he is devoted to routine and no organization would offer him more autonomy than the Angels. “He can do whatever he wants there,” said the agent. “Anywhere else, the expectations (for Ohtani) would be different” — in meeting friends of family of the owners, sponsors, the media. — Buster Olney
Servais reacts to Mariners fans’ skepticism
On the first day of the winter meetings, the Seattle Mariners parted with Jarred Kelenic, their once-prized outfield prospect, in what amounted to a cost-saving move, using his ceiling largely to get the contracts of Marco Gonzales and Evan White off their books.
The Mariners also traded third baseman and clubhouse favorite Eugenio Suarez earlier this offseason and will seemingly let outfielder Teoscar Hernandez walk as a free agent. They’re clearly cutting costs. And though some of that savings is expected to be re-invested in the lineup, the industry perception isn’t that they’re clearing the way for some massive addition. They don’t appear to be in on Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto or any other marquee player at the moment.
Mariners manager Scott Servais was asked about skepticism from fans about the team’s offseason approach thus far.
“There is,” he said. “There is a lot of skepticism. I think, looking at our club, expectations have risen dramatically the last couple years on our team. I said it last year, that’s a good thing. We do have a young team. That is exciting. We do want to take the next step to win and, again, we’re trying to do the best with the cards that we’ve been dealt. I think that’s the best way to say it.” — Alden Gonzalez
Dodgers keeping their distance (literally) at winter meetings
The bulk of the Dodgers’ traveling party is staying at a hotel other than the sprawling Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, sparking some conspiracy theories among some agents (about Shohei Ohtani, mostly). But the Dodgers have had this arrangement in place for weeks, to better accommodate their large group. — Buster Olney
Could the Cardinals make a move?
Context is important: The Cardinals’ efforts to deal Tyler O’Neill now are an extension of their attempt to deal him before last summer’s trade deadline. “They’re going to move him,” said a rival staffer. — Buster Olney
Betts to play second for the Dodgers in 2024
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Monday that the team will make All-Star Mookie Betts “the every-day second baseman” next season. Speaking on MLB Network, Roberts put to the rest the notion of Betts part-timing in both the infield and outfield as the Dodgers look to win the National League West for the third year in a row.
“It’s one of those things where [Betts] is a Gold Glover out in right field, but I think that when you’re talking about putting together a roster and someone who can be so offensive at second base, you can get more games out of him if he is playing second base,” Roberts said. “So now when you get a happy Mookie Betts, a guy who can play in close to 160 games, it makes the Dodgers much better.”
Betts, 31, was the Dodgers’ second baseman against righties last year. But second base is Betts’ preferred position, and he thought it’d be easier to stick to one position. The Dodgers also believe that playing second base is easier on his body.
How markets for Ohtani, Yamamoto and Soto intersect
The Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants are all perceived to be in on Shohei Ohtani. All of them are also interested in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as are the New York Yankees and New York Mets, among others. And some of those teams — reportedly the Blue Jays, Yankees, Cubs and Giants — are also looking to trade for Juan Soto.
Two of those three is unlikely for most, if not all. And so, as the winter meetings kick off in Nashville this week, the question on most people’s minds is which major domino will fall first. Nez Balelo, the CAA agent who represents Ohtani; Joel Wolfe, the Wasserman agent who represents Yamamoto; and A.J. Preller, the San Diego Padres general manager asking teams about Soto, are incentivized to wait for the other. But one of them, of course, has to make the first move.
The expectation heading into the week was that a Soto deal would materialize from the winter meetings and that Ohtani and Yamamoto wouldn’t sign until after they concluded — but things can change quickly. Soto will cost more than $30 million through the arbitration process in 2024, while Yamamoto is expected to sign for at least $200 million and Ohtani could command $600 million. Each team in the mix for those players needs certainty for the rest of its offseason. That could trigger heightened aggression. — Alden Gonzalez
Soler a fallback option for Ohtani suitors?
In a market thin on power hitters, Jorge Soler is among the most marketable players, coming off a season in which he clubbed 36 homers and generated a .512 slugging percentage. But like other free agents, he will likely have to wait for Shohei Ohtani to make his decision — because, according to sources, at least one of the teams talking with Ohtani is positioned to pivot to a run on Soler if Ohtani signs elsewhere. — Buster Olney
Pair of Korean stars posted
Left-handed-hitting outfielder Jung Hoo Lee and right-handed reliever Woo Suk Go of the Korean Baseball Organization were posted by Major League Baseball on Monday and will have 30 days to reach agreement with one of its teams, spanning from 8 a.m. ET on Tuesday to 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 3. — Alden Gonzalez
Miley headed back to the Brewers
Wade Miley is set to potentially make more than the $10 million option he declined with Milwaukee last month. He is returning to the Brewers on a new deal that will include incentives and a buyout could push him past that mark, sources tell ESPN. He could end up being the team’s Opening Day starter if Corbin Burnes is traded. — Jesse Rogers
Will Juan Soto be on the move during the winter meetings?
Because the San Diego Padres face a payroll crunch, they are expected to trade Juan Soto, who is in line to make something in the neighborhood of $33 million for the 2024 season. But Padres GM A.J. Preller doesn’t have to trade him this week — and some rival executives said Saturday that there might be a long wait before a Soto deal is concluded.
Rival executives say that the Padres’ current asking price for Soto is very high, with San Diego looking for major league ready pitching, plus others. With a generational talent like Soto, Preller could just wait to see if some team in the market — maybe a team that loses out in the Shohei Ohtani bidding — steps up. “I think this has all the makings of a late January or early February deal,” said one front office type whose team is not involved.
If so, this would not be the first time a superstar moved very late in the winter. Francisco Lindor, Johan Santana, Roger Clemens and Mookie Betts are among the elite talents who didn’t change teams until well after Christmas. Rival executives say that while there are many teams who would love to take Soto in a pure salary dump, there are likely very few teams willing to embrace the current circumstances: Surrendering young big leaguers or high-end prospects for an expensive rental who is expected to test free agency next fall. The Boston Red Sox dangled Mookie Betts under similar conditions prior to the 2019 season, and there were only two serious suitors; which is why, in the end, the Los Angeles Dodgers were rewarded for their patience and got him for Alex Verdugo and a couple of others, while taking on David Price and the $48 million owed to the left-hander. When Lindor was traded, the Guardians didn’t have a lot of potential bidders. When Santana was dealt, Minnesota was forced to make a trade with the Mets, the one team willing to give him a contract extension.
The New York Yankees have serious interest in Soto, with some young pitching to offer, and some rival executives believe that the Giants are a team to watch because they, too, have depth in starting pitching. The Padres, currently intent on contending in 2024, have to fill three-fifths of their rotation. The Blue Jays, staring at a two-year window before Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reach free agency, have the need for a hitter — which is why they’ve been in on Ohtani — but lack pitching depth. If the Dodgers miss on Ohtani, they might have the pitching depth to make a deal for Soto, but there would be a question about whether San Diego would deal a future Hall of Famer to their most significant NL West rival. — Buster Olney
Giolito’s market begins to take shape
Lucas Giolito emerged as a star in his time with the Chicago White Sox, drawing votes for the Cy Young Award in three different seasons — and that goes a long way to explaining the initial interest expressed by the White Sox in possibly bringing him back as a free agent this winter. Ethan Katz, Giolito’s high school pitching coach, continues to work with the White Sox, and Chicago has upgraded its pitching department with the addition of respected analyst Brian Bannister, who formerly worked with the Red Sox and Giants.
But a reunion of Giolito and the White Sox is probably unlikely, given this winter’s circumstances. Although Giolito struggled after being traded to the Angels and then was picked up on waivers by the Guardians, he should get strong offers in this market — some executives compared him to the likes of Jameson Taillon (who got $68 million over four years from the Cubs), and as the White Sox begin to rebuild, the price of a big contract and the timing might not be a fit.
Depending on how the market plays out, there might be a better fit with another of Katz’s former pupils — former Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty, the right-hander who might need to take a short-term deal to reestablish his value and then hit the market again next fall. For the White Sox, the investment could be worthwhile because if Flaherty rebounds to what he was early in his career in St. Louis, he could be an interesting trade chip during the 2024 season or a candidate for an extension. — Buster Olney
Sports Will Ohtani sign in Nashville — and where will he land?
Gonzalez: Ohtani signing during the winter meetings would definitely be MLB’s preference, and at this point, that would be my guess too. Many have long speculated that Ohtani’s free agency would play out relatively quickly, and I don’t expect him to wait until Yoshinobu Yamamoto comes off the board to pick his new team. By next week, he might have a pretty good grasp of what he wants, as (at times) the winter meetings have a tendency of spurring action. At this point, I’d pick the Toronto Blue Jays to sign him, but it’s tough to rule out the Dodgers or the Los Angeles Angels.
Olney: Some executives tracking the Ohtani negotiations believe he could pick his team sometime over the weekend, or very early in the winter meetings. During the season, a friend of Ohtani said he believed the two-way star knew long ago where he wanted to land, but because this negotiation is expected to generate the biggest contract in baseball history, his representation needs a little dog-and-pony show to goose the bidding just a little more. Executives will tell you frankly they know almost nothing about what he really wants, outside of this: Based on his initial choice of the Angels, he seems to want to play in warmer weather, which is why I still believe he’ll land with the Dodgers.
Rogers: By Thursday, Ohtani will have chosen the Dodgers. They check too many boxes — unless there’s simply an underlying reason that no one knows about that would prevent him from signing there. If the agent (and team) has any say in any of this, it should be in the timing of an announcement. And what better place to make it than where the baseball world has gathered? There are plenty of breadcrumbs telling us Ohtani doesn’t exactly love the spotlight, but for this signing, he’ll have to bask in it.
Doolittle: This is just a guess, but Ohtani will sign with the Dodgers on Tuesday following a spate of rumors that have him signing with various teams, though at first it’s unclear whether it’s in the States or back in Japan. Then it turns out that he never spoke to any of those teams and he has been dreaming of Dodger Blue all along. A dream and $600 million is all it took.
Schoenfield: Well, no doubt a lot of agents, players and front offices would love for Ohtani to sign in Nashville. Once he’s off the board, the teams that went after him and failed will then turn their attention to their next options, which could lead to some escalating offers for the likes of Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and Cody Bellinger. So for the sake of moving this winter along, let’s hope it happens and there’s a big news conference — even if we know Ohtani isn’t one for the spotlight. And who will host that news conference? I’ll stick with the Dodgers.
Sports Ohtani aside, who will be the biggest name to sign (or get traded) in Nashville?
Gonzalez: Juan Soto. The expectation from rival executives heading into the offseason was that the San Diego Padres would eventually trade him, and some have gotten the sense lately that it could happen relatively soon. If it doesn’t happen over the weekend, it could next week. At the very least, Soto trade talk will continue to dominate the conversation.
Olney: Soto. He’s a future Hall of Famer and expensive, and despite what the Padres and agent Scott Boras have presented publicly, there is an industry-wide expectation that financial pressures will compel San Diego to deal him. Interestingly, rival executives report that the Padres are looking for inexpensive major league or major league-ready players in return, to bolster San Diego’s effort to contend in 2024. With the passing of owner Peter Seidler, who was a great advocate for A.J. Preller, the Padres’ GM may be in a prove-it type season next year with his new bosses and the need to win.
Rogers: Knowing that Preller works a bit mysteriously, I’ll take the field over Soto. OK, that’s a bit broad. I’ll go with Dylan Cease and/or Tyler Glasnow. Both are as good as gone. Once the Atlanta Braves add that one more prospect to upgrade their existing offer, Cease — a Georgia native — will go home to pitch.
Doolittle: Most everybody else seems to be going with Soto, and that makes a lot of sense to me. But just to be contrarian, I’ll say Josh Hader and that he’ll sign with the Texas Rangers. Then we can start planning for that Hader/Travis Jankowski mullet contest, assuming the Rangers don’t let the outfielder get away. It’ll be the biggest draw of the year at Globe Life Field.
Schoenfield: I’ll go with Soto as well. The Padres have so many moving parts this offseason — they have to replace Snell, Hader, Nick Martinez (who signed with the Cincinnati Reds this week) and Seth Lugo, four pitchers who combined for 67 starts, 30 wins and 34 saves — that making a decision on Soto is necessary just to help them figure out the rest of their moves.
Sports What is the one rumor that will dominate the week?
Gonzalez: It’s all going to be about high-impact starting pitching, from Yamamoto to reigning AL Cy Young winner Snell to some of the big arms being dangled on the trade front (Cease, Glasnow, Corbin Burnes). Some of the richest teams still need starting pitching, and there is still plenty to choose from.
Olney: It might sound weird, but the Yamamoto negotiations have been underplayed to date. He is in as good a negotiating position as any free agent pitcher since Gerrit Cole, with the richest of the big-market teams all pursuing him aggressively. The Yankees, Dodgers and New York Mets, plus other clubs, are among them, and there seems to be a willingness among these teams to assume extra risk because of his talent and age. One team official involved in the Yamamoto discussions believes the pitcher’s negotiations won’t be resolved until after the winter meetings, but let’s face it — the direction of some of the biggest spenders won’t be fully determined until he picks a team, which is why the specter of Yamamoto will hover over Nashville even if he doesn’t sign.
Rogers: Ohtani, Ohtani, Ohtani. Until he signs, he’s the topic. Fan bases are waiting, marketing and sales departments are waiting, baseball ops departments are waiting. How can he not be the topic, both where will he go and for how much? Unless he signs on Day 1 of the winter meetings, it’s going to build all week. After that, the amount of trade rumors will be larger than normal, considering how many good players are likely to move. Free agency (outside of Ohtani) will have its moment, but not necessarily at the meetings. Trade talk will percolate while we wait on Shohei.
Doolittle: I can imagine all manner of Soto rumors. The thing is, as good as he is, it’s hard to truly construct a fair value trade that works for the Padres, assuming their aim is to convert him into multiple players who can deepen their MLB roster. We’re still talking about getting him for one season, and the teams that might want him to put themselves over the top will prefer to deal prospects instead of major leaguers. If the Padres don’t want prospects, then where do they turn? This scenario changes if San Diego is mainly motivated by a desire to clear payroll. This doesn’t seem like Preller’s way, especially since he kind of needs to win, and soon. Everyone wants to drop Soto onto the Yankees, but it seems way more complicated than that to me. Yes, moving Soto for prospects clears space for free agent adds, but that can get dicey if you’re talking about matching value for value for a team that wants to contend, especially given a light free agent class. I do think Soto will be traded, but it’s a really complicated proposition.
Schoenfield: All the front-line starting pitching available in trades. Then there are the potential ripple effects. If Burnes is traded, do the Milwaukee Brewers then make closer Devin Williams available? If the White Sox trade Cease, does that lead to a complete teardown … maybe even including Luis Robert, who, given his years of team control (four) and reasonable salary, has more trade value than Soto?
