LAS VEGAS – All the big free agent moves and trades are still ahead as Major League Baseball executives, players and agents meet in person this week at the general manager meetings at the Aria Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas.
Here are five tips from Day 1 of dating.
Ask almost any executive about the impending shutdown, and the answers are remarkably uniform.
“We’re here getting ready for a business-as-usual offseason, a business-as-usual season,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “It feels like a normal offseason. That’s the feeling, for me, when I talk to agents, when I talk to other executives, that’s the reaction I get from them as well. The pace of it all feels very representative of what we’ve experienced in the past.”
Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement is set to expire on December 1st. Until then, agents and managers expect a flurry of activity on the free agent market and trade front. As of Tuesday, when the GM meetings officially began, no major moves had been made.
“In terms of our player evaluation process, player evaluation, conversations with agents and individual players, we’ve done what we do every offseason, putting ourselves in a position to make decisions,” Padres GM AJ Preller said. “You factor everything in. The possibility of having a different economic system, you take it into consideration. But it’s really hard to predict what’s going to happen, what the exact system is going to be. At the end of the day, if we see something that we think makes sense for us in the short term and the long term, we’ll be prepared to act on it, but we’ll factor everything in and it will be part of our process – everything will be part of our process.”
All this talk is doing the heavy lifting on a potentially busy calendar. The lockout will freeze all transactions after the CBA expires, and the Winter Meetings will also be canceled, so these GM meetings will likely be the only time the top executives are in the same building.
At least one executive is looking forward to the unknown nature of this offseason.
“I think that’s what makes it fun,” new Astros GM Randy Flores said. “There’s a lot of unknowns. We’ll see how the pace of this — I think I remember the last time we had a near lockout, there were some pretty big, big deals that happened. What I don’t remember is the pace on the trade front, so I’m asking our guys to take a look just to use the historical calculations as a proxy for how some active teams adjust their trades.”
Added Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen: “It seems like there’s been a lot of activity leading up to the GM Meetings. Like I said, it seems like some of the conversations we’ve had have been stronger conversations. But that might not mean anything. We might not get anything done. It’s hard to know what’s going to happen.”
Business as usual seems to be the collective message, even if the reality is more like a month-long sprint. – Deesha Thosar
2. 
Skubal lottery warm-up
At least within the industry, the New York Mets appear to be the favorites to land this year’s belle of the left-handed pitcher. Pull Skubal. Winning left-hander and two-time Cy Young Award winner leads this year’s free agent class by a long shot as the best player available on the market.
The Mets have the financial power to meet Skubal’s demands, and they have the desperation to get a deal done. This year, they were the most disappointing team in baseball, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the second straight season despite having one of the richest payrolls in the majors. Part of the reason for their demise was their lack of reliable pitching. Stearns thought he had an ace in the staff when he traded him for the right-hander Freddy Peraltabut that didn’t work when Peralta recorded his worst season in New York. Once again, the Mets need an ace to lead a rotation that currently consists of green arms, including Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, Zac Thornton AND Jonah Tong.
Tarik Skubal is the main free agent on the board this winter. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
“Having a complete rotation is really important, and that includes pitchers who can successfully get through a playoff series,” Stearns said Tuesday. “We’ve seen over and over again in the playoffs that this can be built in different ways. And so we’re open to doing it in any way possible.
Stearns declined to talk about any specific free agents, but a New York Post report indicated the Mets have a meeting with Skubal set for next week. The Mets, of course, aren’t the only interested party.
The Dodgers have been in contact with Skubal’s camp, which is run by agent Scott Boras, and their expectation is that they will meet with the southpaw at some point. Skubal finished the year with the Dodgers after the Tigers traded him to Los Angeles at the summer deadline. In the regular season, he posted a 2.61 ERA in 10 starts and 62 innings for the Dodgers. In the postseason, he posted a 2.45 ERA in two starts and 11 innings before the Dodgers were eliminated by the Brewers.
“I think a lot of them are still seeing what this all looks like,” Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes said of how aggressive the team will be in pursuing Skubal. “He was great to meet. He was a great fit with the club. Obviously, we know what kind of barrel he is. So for us, it’s figuring out what that all looks like, in terms of what our team needs? What does the contract look like? Where does it end? I don’t know. We know we love the player, we love the man, and we let you know something like that, if you need to understand it. We’ll execute eventually.” – Thosar
3.
Is Nolan Arenado open to moving to first base?
Nolan Arenado has never played a fielding position other than third base during his 14-year career, but that could change in 2027.
The Diamondbacks know they need to make pitching additions this winter, but general manager Mike Hazen also hopes to improve a lineup that ranked 26th in OPS against right-handed pitching. Depending on where those changes take place, it’s possible Arenado will be moved to first base — either full-time or part-time — to accommodate those improvements.
“He told us he’ll do whatever we ask,” Hazen said. “But we’ve talked about the scenario of what full-time first base will look like.”
Could Nolan Arenado be in line for a position switch? (Photo by Casey Paul / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Hazen expressed regret for not doing enough at the deadline to help a Diamondbacks team that missed the playoffs for the third straight season after their 2023 World Series run. He will have an opportunity to right that wrong this winter.
The positions at which these offensive improvements are made have yet to be determined, but they are more likely to occur on the field than out. Last year, Arizona’s first basemen ranked last in MLB in OPS.
“DH, first base, third base, depending on where Nolan ends up, those are open spots for us right now,” Hazen told me. “These are the most natural ways we can adapt it.”
If Arizona trades the second baseman Ketel Marte – a rumored possibility last season – also remains to be seen. But the D-backs seem open to change as they try to get back into playoff contention.
“I just think I have to be open to adjustments to what the roster looks like,” Hazen said. – Rowan Kavner
4.
Astros pitching manager search
The Astros filled their general manager opening two weeks ago by hiring former Cardinals assistant GM Randy Flores. Soon, Flores hopes to fill the team manager opening as well.
That decision could happen by the end of this week.
“I have hope,” Flores told me. “Now, hope and fact are two different things. But I am hopeful.”
Albert Pujols is among the names in the Astros’ managerial search. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Flores took over the rule previously held by Dana Brown, who was released in August. The Astros eventually won a weak AL West despite winning just 81 games before losing both games of the wild-card series. They did not renew the contract of manager Joe Espada last month.
Among the candidates for the coaching vacancy are a trio of former three-time MVP players Albert Pujols and former Astros Brad Ausmus AND Morgan Ensbergthough Flores said playing experience isn’t necessarily a prerequisite to getting the job. Owner Jim Crane and senior advisor Jeff Bagwell are also involved in the interview process.
“I want to be open-minded to whatever personality and profile that person is,” said Flores. “That’s what I want to do. Just look at our history in the draft, with the Cardinals. There wasn’t a certain type of profile. It’s open to whatever the board presents you with.” – Kavner
5.
Yankees hitting lineup still in oblivion
On Tuesday, Yankees GM Brian Cashman was noncommittal about what his coaching staff will look like next season, and that includes the fluid situation in his hitting group. As of now, the club is still deciding how to handle the coaching duties. James Rawson has served as the Yankees’ hitting coach through the 2024 season, but his contract expired after this season.
“James Rawson is a free agent,” Cashman said Tuesday. “He’s talking to other clubs at the same time. We’re also engaged in the market, and we also determine internally what’s best and best for us. So it’s not settled yet.”
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner pointed to the Yankees’ offense as the reason for their early playoff exit after their 93-win season this year. Late last month, Steinbrenner expressed deep frustration with the pitchers, saying the unit was “inconsistent for long periods of time” and “detrimental to achieving many things, including the ultimate goal of winning a championship.”
It’s not the first time Steinbrenner has blamed the Yankees’ offense for falling short of their championship goals, but his criticism nonetheless brought Rawson and the rest of the Yankees’ coaching staff into the spotlight. with Giancarlo Stanton missing almost the entire season with calf strains and Aaron the judge playing in just 66 games due to a rib fracture and a calf strain, the Yankees’ offense recorded a 101 wRC+ this season, which indicates they were just one percent better than league average.
“I know one thing we’re going to do is we’re going to be immediately better if we have a healthy Aaron Judge,” Cashman said, stating the obvious. “That’s a clear statement. It will lengthen and deepen our lineup. But it’s my job to improve all aspects of it and not just count on his return to fix everything.” – Thosar
