Plot points to watch heading into Winter Meetings
Things to watch this week at the Winter Meetings
This year’s Winter Meetings are about to start as executives and agents, among others, ascend onto Dallas, Texas, for their annual get-together.
With so many front-office people getting together, big signings and trades are always possible.
While the rumor mill isn’t on fire yet, here’s a look at some headlines as the Winter Meetings unfold.
Is the Juan Soto sweepstakes coming to an end?
It’s not guaranteed that the Winter Meetings will signal the end of the Soto sweepstakes, but it’s certainly heading in a direction that things could get wrapped up soon.
The Mets and Yankees reportedly have crossed the $700 million threshold regarding their offers.
Several scans through Twitter, and it feels like the Red Sox are all in and willing to go the distance to get a deal done.
Toronto could also be in play, but it does feel like the two New York teams are the favorites, with the Red Sox hanging around there.
It was just last offseason that Shohei Ohtani set the mark for the largest contract in the sport’s history; now, in 2024, it seems very much possible Soto will pass it.
Will the Pirates finally make a move?
If it’s been a frustrating offseason following the Pirates, get in line because they aren’t alone in their activity.
The clock is ticking after Paul Skenes was awarded a full year of service after winning the Rookie of the Year. His potential time in the organization could be limited, so maximizing that time is critical.
Pittsburgh hasn’t signed any free agents to major league contracts, although they have claimed a couple off waivers.
They traded for Marco Gonzales during last year’s Winter Meetings, could something else be on the horizon? Very much so.
What will it be? Who knows. The Pirates are in a position to maybe trade a starting pitcher to try and get some help offensively.
Starting pitching has been signed for a premium this offseason, and the Pirates have some cost-efficient players on their roster.
It’s not likely that they’ll be in play for the top-end free agents; we could see them get creative with some middle-tier players available.
It wouldn’t be the worst thing if they did nothing there, but it would also be a good place to start.
Rule 5 Draft
This one might be a bit of a stinker overall. Looking over some of the players available, there are a few intriguing names if you want a pitcher.
The Pirates don’t necessarily need another pitcher, but if one stands out among the group, I wouldn’t think picking him up and giving them a shot is a bad thing.
It’s not like the bullpen is set in stone.
The minor league phase could be more exciting, as the Pirates lost several prospects through it over the last couple of years.
Depending on who they added to the Triple-A reserve list, a few notable names could move to different organizations this week.
Draft Lottery
The Pirates have a 5.31% chance of ‘earning’ the first-overall pick in the most recent draft lottery. They’d be in line to get the sixth pick if nothing changes, as the White Sox and Athletics aren’t currently eligible to pick in the lottery.
Here’s how the odds shakedown for the teams ahead of the Pirates right now:
Colorado Rockies - 22.45%
Miami Marlins - 22.45%
Los Angeles Angels - 17.96%
Washington Nationals - 10.20%
Toronto Blue Jays - 7.48%
Pittsburgh Pirates - 5.31%
MLB Pipeline and Baseball America have dropped initial rankings for the 2025 draft.
Going off their list, Kayson Cunningham is the sixth-ranked player on Pipeline. He’s a prep shortstop out of Johnson, Texas. Baseball America has Clemson outfielder Cam Cannarella sixth.
The MLB draft is much more complicated than that, but it’s a good start. When the draft positions are settled, I’ll have something out on some names in the given range where they will be selecting.
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