From Dec. 7 to Dec. 10, the MLB Winter Meetings took place in Orlando, Florida, where there were many executives from every MLB team and some of the top free agents. These people get together to talk about who they want to sign or maybe trade for in the offseason at this meeting. During this time, many big signings and trades might happen as teams have private meetings with top players and they discuss things like why they want that player, how much money they are willing to offer them and other top secret information. There are also a lot of rumors, like which teams are interested in what players and which teams do not want certain players. Usually, richer teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers are the top landing spots for free agents. Some of the top free agents like Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, Cody Bellinger and more are some of the biggest names that are swirling around in the media as dozens of teams want them. One National League Executive had this to say about Pete Alonso: “The Mets have a lot of pressure on them right now; they still need to do a lot this winter, but getting Alonso would check a big box on their to-do list.”
Recently, on Dec. 9, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed right-handed reliever Edwin Diaz, who was on the New York Mets. Diaz is arguably the best reliever in baseball right now, as he is a three-time All-Star and a three-time reliever of the year award winner, even winning one this year. This signing was very shocking as the Mets were predicted to keep Diaz, considering he is the bullpen’s best hope. Also on Dec. 9, the Philadelphia Phillies re-signed designated hitter Kyle Schwarber to a five-year $150 million deal. This did not come as a surprise, as he is the biggest bat in the Phillies lineup, but there were a few rumors about the Pittsburgh Pirates making him a big offer, which he probably turned down.
Another event that takes place at the Winter Meetings is the MLB Draft Lottery. The MLB Draft Lottery is the event that decides which team will get the first overall pick in the MLB Draft, which is when teams draft the best players, usually from college, and sign them to be a part of their organization. Then, the top picks spend years in the Minor Leagues before being called up to the big leagues, but some players actually make it to the big leagues after not even playing a full year in the minor leagues. But some top picks, unfortunately, don’t ever make it to the Major Leagues. The team that won this year’s draft for the first overall pick was the Chicago White Sox. This comes as no surprise, as the White Sox are the second-worst team in baseball, and usually, the worst teams in baseball are awarded the first overall pick with the hope of bettering their roster. The draft will take place in July of 2026, meaning that we will have to wait and see how it turns out. The Chicago White Sox General Manager had this to say about the White Sox winning the draft lottery: “I’m still learning more and more about the draft. I’m getting familiar with some of the top names. It looks like, at the top of the Draft, that it’s a really impressive one. On top of that, when you look at the pool space that you are given and a chance to really walk away from a Draft class and do some damage, bring in some real talent. I look forward to diving in further.”
Another key event took place on Dec. 7. On this day, five-time All-Star, National League MVP winner and four-time silver-slugger-winning second-baseman Jeff Kent was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame. This came as no surprise considering he was one of the best second basemen of all time, hitting 377 career home runs, tallying 2,461 hits and amassing 1,518 career runs batted in throughout his career.
With all this being said, this is a crucial time of the year for MLB fans and teams as the Winter Meetings are usually when the biggest free agent signings and trades take place. It is also important to keep an eye on everything happening, as there are dozens of rumors about who will be the next free agent to sign with a team.
