The MLB hot stove was tepid in November, but it heated up quickly and is now scorching in the first full week of December with the Winter Meetings providing the warmth.
Although the event has been overhyped in past years, this week featured a flurry of signings and trades—with a handful of teams flexing their negotiating muscles.
Many of the moves that took place in San Diego will impact what will happen during the 2015 season. Here are 10 things we learned from the Winter Meetings.
10. After missing out on Jon Lester, Red Sox are now on to Plan B.
The dream of bringing Jon Lester back was not to be, as he opted to reunite with former Sox general manager Theo Epstein and made Wrigley Field his new home rather than returning to Fenway Park. And the team’s pitching staff still lacks a dominant “ace” to anchor the rotation.
General manager Ben Cherington has been looking at alternatives in free agency and via the trade market to shore up the team’s pitching rotation. He acquired left-hander Wade Miley on Wednesday and traded Yoenis Cespedes for Rick Porcello on Thursday. Both moves will help upgrade the middle of the rotation. He also brought Justin Masterson back to the team that initially drafted him on a one-year deal.
But Cherington still needs to land a dominant pitcher that the team can count on. Cole Hamels, James Shields and Jordan Zimmermann are all viable possibilities that the team can pursue.
9. Only Billy Beane himself knows what he’s thinking regarding his recent questionable moves.
In just five months, the Oakland Athletics went from “all in” on a World Series run to “all out” with a complete overhaul of the roster. Such is the life of a general manager operating with a tight budget.
But being strapped for cash isn’t an excuse for some of Billy Beane’s latest moves.
Seeing rentals Jeff Samardzija and Jon Lester move on wasn’t a surprise. Shipping All-Star Josh Donaldson to Toronto in exchange for oft-injured Brett Lawrie is a head-scratcher and a significant offensive downgrade. With Brandon Moss now in Cleveland (dealt for a minor-leaguer), the A’s have bid farewell to the heart of a batting order that helped the club reach elite status in 2014.
Beane could chalk this revamp up as another element of his “moneyball” strategy, but that philosophy is becoming more and more overrated with each failed postseason outing. It’s time to hold Beane accountable for his questionable decisions.
8. The Golden Era Committee whiffed again.
It seems easier for one to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court than to be granted admission into the Baseball Hall of Fame through this 16-man panel.
Dick Allen and Tony Oliva each fell one vote short of the requisite 12 needed to be elected among the ten Golden Era candidates. Jim Kaat was two votes shy. Minnie Minoso and Gil Hodges were also denied again.
There is lesser-qualified talent already in Cooperstown. And looking at the voting process, many of these ballots are driven by voters (made up of former players, media members and executives) wanting to settle old scores and come through with favors.
The current voting process is simply not fair.
7. Matt Kemp will get his wish and will likely be a regular in his new team’s starting lineup in 2015—but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be happy.
To say the San Diego Padres’ offense struggled in 2014 would be putting it lightly. Their team leader in home runs had a paltry 14, while the leading RBI contributor drove in a measly 51 runs.
It’s safe to say that Matt Kemp will be welcomed to San Diego with open arms. But it’s not a certainty that Kemp will embrace his new atmosphere. Part of the reason for the Padres’ woes at the plate—aside from simply having lousy hitters—is the cavernous ballpark they call home. And Kemp’s offensive production may take a hit as a result.
And who is going to fulfill the duty of supporting Kemp in the lineup? He may have been squeezed out of a crowded outfield in Los Angeles, but Kemp could become the lone power source in San Diego.
6. The Rays will survive life after Joe Maddon.
The Tampa Bay Rays named Kevin Cash as the replacement for Joe Maddon the week before the Winter Meetings began. Cash certainly has big shoes to fill, and it won’t be easy for the youngest active skipper in the majors (37 years old) to manage this young ballclub.
But considering that there is a recent history of former catchers becoming successful managers (Bruce Bochy, Mike Matheny, etc.), the Rays probably made the smoothest transition possible.
And speaking of transitions, it appears that the Rays could be on the way to getting a new stadium. They reached an agreement with the city of St. Petersburg that would allow them to explore new sites nearby. Getting out of the monstrosity that is Tropicana Field would be huge for the franchise.
5. The Max Scherzer sweepstakes will likely linger into January.
The top pitcher still on the free-agent market is well aware of all the potential suitors that are interested in his services. Scherzer followed up his 2013 Cy Young campaign with an 18-5 mark (with 252 K’s and a 3.15 ERA) this past year.
It also helps to have super agent Scott Boras in your corner. Not much has come in the way of rumors that might accurately predict where Scherzer will sign—whether it’s in Detroit (although that seems unlikely right now) or elsewhere. The only real news that has surfaced of late is his (very steep) asking price of $200 million.
With a price that steep, don’t expect him to sign with any team in the near future. This process will likely take time.
4. The Tigers’ vaunted lineup now has even more power in it.
Even if Scherzer does eventually part ways with the Tigers, the team won’t walk away from the offseason empty-handed. Motown now possesses a lineup that is as formidable as any in baseball.
Good luck to the AL pitchers that have to face the likes of Victor Martinez, J.D. Martinez, Miguel Cabrera and Yoenis Cespedes—four players that have the capability to hit at least 30 home runs next season (even if most of those games will be played at cavernous Comerica Park).
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the defensive impact that Cespedes will likely have as well. He has a cannon for an arm, and he will replace Torii Hunter in the outfield.
Detroit upgraded its lineup but will now need to shore up the back end of its bullpen to compete for a World Series title.
3. Andrew Friedman is making an immediate impact in Los Angeles.
The fingerprints of the Dodgers’ new president of baseball operations are already all over this club. And that’s a good thing. Friedman was relatively silent during the first two days of the Winter Meetings, but then went wild on Wednesday.
Taking methods learned from his days in Tampa—which include valuing on-base percentage and ability to stay on the field—Los Angeles sent speedy infielder Dee Gordon to Miami along with pitcher Dan Haren.
In return, the Dodgers acquired one of the Marlins’ top prospects—Andrew Heaney—who was then shipped off to the Angels just hours later for Howie Kendrick.
The Dodgers also traded for shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who had spent the entirety of his 15-year career in Philadelphia up to that point. They also signed Brandon McCarthy to help replace Dan Haren in the pitching rotation.
This is likely just the start of Friedman’s plan coming together. He seems to know exactly what he wants to do—and who he wants to bring in to fit his plan.
2. The White Sox and Marlins are the early winners of the Winter Meetings.
The Cubs may have made the biggest splash this week by signing Lester, but the White Sox and Marlins improved by filling key holes in their rosters.
When the Marlins told Giancarlo Stanton they’d surround him with talent, they weren’t kidding. The team had a reputation for being quite frugal in the past—operating with an extremely low payroll—and was known for trading away pieces, rather than acquiring them. This offseason has been different, as they traded for Dee Gordon, who will join Christian Yelich at the top of the batting order. They also made a move to help upgrade their pitching rotation—currently anchored by Jose Fernandez—trading for Mat Latos.
White Sox general manager Rick Hahn had been active even before the Winter Meetings began. He signed journeyman reliever Zach Duke to provide depth for the bullpen, and also landed first baseman Adam LaRoche to add some power to the lineup.
And Hahn didn’t stop there. He used his time spent in San Diego to bolster the team’s pitching rotation by pulling off a six-player deal for Jeff Samardzija. Hahn also signed David Robertson, who could become the team’s closer.
Both of these teams identified their biggest weaknesses and wasted no time in addressing them.
1. The Cubs’ brass is doing an excellent job with the team’s rebuilding process.
Maybe it’s the optimism Maddon recently brought to the franchise. Maybe it’s an emerging roster that is chock full of young talent. Maybe it’s because Theo Epstein is now calling the shots.
Whatever the reason, the Cubs seem to be on their way to becoming a legitimate contender. Lester is now the “ace” of the team’s rotation, replacing former No. 1 pitcher Jeff Samardzija who was traded to the Athletics (and is now on the White Sox) in July. And a team that was once dubbed as being “on the rise” now looks like a force to be reckoned with.
The team made a great defensive acquisition by picking up catcher Miguel Montero from the Diamondbacks. And they also brought pitcher Jason Hammel back to Chicago. The veteran leadership of this pair, plus the 30-year-old Lester, could prove to be extremely valuable to a young crop of players who lack experience in big-game situations.
While the results that matter take place in the fall—not the winter—the Cubs appear to be effectively rebuilding and are headed back in the right direction.