San Diego Padres star Juan Soto is expected to be a huge name traded this offseason, as the MLB Winter Meetings get underway. Photo courtesy of NY Daily News
The 2023 MLB Winter Meetings are underway as of this morning.
The sprawling Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in northeastern Nashville is serving as this year’s home. The site will see MLB executives and players alike take the stage as negotiations get underway. And reminiscent of the Tennessee flag, this year’s class features no shortage of stars.
Free Agents
First up is the free agent class. While not all stars have to or even will be signed this week, the Meetings serve as a place to propel those talks. The biggest name in the room is Shohei Ohtani, who is expected to receive a contract north of $500 million. This is even with his UCL tear at the end of the 2023 season which is expected to sideline him from pitching in 2024.
The other prominent free agent is Cody Bellinger. After having a disastrous three-year stretch with the Dodgers from 2020 to 2022, Bellinger found his stroke in 2023. After revamping his swing last offseason, the star signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs and raked. The 28-year-old hit .307 with 26 home runs and 97 RBI. He is expected to receive a deal north of $200 million, though his injury history might scare some teams.
International Talent
The Winter Meetings will see no shortage of international players as well. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the pitching sensation from Japan, was posted to MLB a few weeks ago and has until January 4 to sign. Meanwhile, Korean sensation Jung-Hoo Lee was posted to MLB this morning. The lefty contact outfielder is expected to receive a big contract himself.
Then, there are the trade pieces. Juan Soto might be the biggest name of this offseason besides Ohtani, and even then, he’s right there. The slugger may not be a free agent until next offseason, but that hasn’t stopped his name from arising.
The Padres are known to be shopping him as he is set to make $33 million in arbitration alone this season. With the Padres’ ever-increasing financial problems, they are looking to unload him but at a hefty price.
Frontrunners for Soto
The Yankees appear to be the frontrunners to land Soto, with the two clubs already negotiating. However, the Yankees seem to be put off by the huge haul the Padres are asking for a Juan Soto with one year of control. The Padres requested seven players, including some of the Yankees’ top pitching arms, as they are seeking MLB-ready pitching. Talks stalled over the weekend but are expected to resume today at the meetings.
While this is only day one of the MLB Winter Meetings, the fun has yet to begin. The Meetings will run until Wednesday, December 6, at which point a lot more questions should be answered.
