Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings continue on Tuesday in Dallas, Texas. Action should ostensibly pick up now that the industry has had a full day to digest the details of Juan Soto's historic contract with the New York Mets. As always, we're keeping up with all the latest news, notes, and rumors.
Change is eternal, in baseball and life alike, but some traditions are hard to shake. To wit, we figured the second day of the Winter Meetings would be a good time to examine five clubs who we perceive to be under more pressure than normal to make a move. By "make a move" we don't necessarily mean sell the farm or get crazy -- just that the clock is ticking and this team (for various reasons) needs to show some life.
Of course, life will move on if these clubs leave Dallas without making a major addition -- the offseason still has another two months on top of what remains of December. But, for the sake of the exercise, let's pretend there's a real sense of urgency at play. Got it? Good. Now, onward we go.
1. New York Yankees
Obviously. The Yankees' failure to retain Soto isn't just bad for branding purposes, it leaves general manager Brian Cashman with a less impressive roster.
We could see the Yankees giving opportunities to some in-house rookies, like outfielder Jasson Domínguez and maybe second baseman Caleb Durbin (presuming they're much higher on him than other front offices). Otherwise? The Yankees could use at least a new first baseman and another outfielder -- and that's ignoring their pitching staff, which has already lost closer Clay Holmes (also to the Mets).
The good news is that the Yankees have been connected to all the remaining top free agents, as well as top trade candidates like White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet and Brewers closer Devin Williams. Now, Cashman just has to get some of those deals over the line.
2. Boston Red Sox
We've already delved into why the Red Sox should be all in. Namely, they have an outstanding farm system; a solid young core in place; and ample payroll flexibility. It's winning time in Boston, which means it's time to go after supplemental pieces.
To the Red Sox's credit, they were connected to Soto throughout the bidding process. They've also been tied to most of the top remaining free agents, including third baseman Alex Bregman and lefty Max Fried.
But it's easy enough to get your team's name linked to any given player -- it just takes a text or a phone call. What matters is action. The Red Sox need to start behaving like the big-market behemoth they are to maximize their success over the coming seasons. Right about now would be a good time to flip the switch.
3. San Francisco Giants
New head baseball operations executive Buster Posey already made one splash this week, agreeing to a seven-year pact with top free-agent shortstop Willy Adames. (That's in addition to Posey reportedly taking charge in-season to get the Matt Chapman extension done.) We think it's imperative that Posey double down on adding impact talent to a roster that has finished between 79 and 81 wins in three consecutive seasons. What that entails is to be seen, but the Giants have been linked to Corbin Burnes, the best starting pitcher on the market, among other players thus far this winter.
4. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners are a bit like the Red Sox: they have a good core at the big-league level; they have a tremendous farm system with several key pieces nearing arrival; and they have all the incentive in the world to make something happen this offseason.
Unfortunately, we're not sure the Mariners are going to have the kind of offseason that this unit deserves. Seattle hasn't ranked in the top half of the league in payroll since 2019, and the rumor mill has them looking to move right-hander Luis Castillo as a way of freeing up cash to spend on prospective additions. That's not exactly what you'd like to hear from a team that seems on the precipice.
The question, then, is whether or not top executive Jerry Dipoto can find some creative -- and, possibly painful -- solutions that play nice with the owner-mandated budget while kindling Seattle's championship ambitions.
5. Houston Astros
Whereas the impetus for the Mariners doing something big is to throw open their championship window, the Astros' is to make the most of what space is left in theirs.
Houston may bid farewell to franchise mainstay Alex Bregman this winter. The Astros could then do the same over the next 12 months to outfielder Kyle Tucker and lefty Framber Valdez (or maybe sooner). Without a great farm system in place, the Astros are going to have to get creative to remain a powerhouse in the American League, be it by throwing around money; making some savvy additions; or a combination thereof.
Let's be clear: night comes for every team. It's almost impossible to remain competitive for a decade, let alone beyond that point. There's still enough talent in place to envision general manager Dana Brown kicking any bigger decisions down the road, at least to the next trade deadline. Still, we think Brown and company would be doing themselves a disservice if they didn't try to maximize what opportunity remains.