Where are all the trades and free agent signings this Major League Baseball offseason?
It’s been nearly a month since the Houston Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2022 World Series, yet there hasn’t been much activity in terms of actual player movement. There’s been some smoke, sure. Just no fire.
Well, we’d advise you to grab a bag of marshmallows and some roasting sticks, because the hot stove is about to ignite. Or so it seems. The MLB winter meetings begin Sunday in San Diego, and according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, executives and agents anticipate a flurry of action.
The free agent market is overflowing with top-tier talent, with Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, Dansby Swanson, Justin Verlander, Jacob deGrom and Carlos Rodón among the biggest names available. And several franchises that historically haven’t been afraid to spend money — including the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox — all could factor into the frenzy.
We asked members of our NESN Digital team to each offer one prediction for the MLB winter meetings, which run through next Wednesday. It could’ve been anything, with boldness encouraged, and the responses are below.
Mike Cole: The New York Yankees will sign Dansby Swanson.
Assuming the Yankees aren’t able to retain Aaron Judge, they kind of need to do something, right? There has been chatter about them getting involved in the shortstop market — Xander Bogaerts’ name was mentioned by ESPN’s Buster Olney — but I think they end up “settling” for Swanson, the most relatively cost-effective option available.
Ricky Doyle: The Texas Rangers will sign Carlos Rodón and trade for Corbin Burnes.
You want bold? The Rangers proved last offseason — when they signed Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Jon Gray — they’re serious about winning right now. But they still need an impact arm atop their rotation. Well, how about two? Texas seems to have the financial flexibility and the prospect depth to make waves in both free agency and the trade market. Rodón is a logical target to check the former box, whereas the Milwaukee Brewers could make Burnes available to maximize their return ahead of him reaching free agency in 2024.