The winter meetings are here, which means teams will all go in for trades and free agents. As major free agent chips fall, the winter meetings mark some important times for certain teams.
Winter Meeting Headlines
It Feels Like Some Teams Are Losing In Free Agency While Other Teams Dominate
It doesn’t look like the best situation for some teams in the free agency. Specifically, the Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Yankees aren’t too happy with their current situation.
The Braves Situation: The Braves look like they might get worse in 2025. Sure, the team they have now should still be great, as they still have Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, and Ronald Acuna Jr. to head their great offense. However, the Braves lost Max Fried in free agency to the Yankees. In addition to this, Willy Adames signing with the Giants isn’t exactly good for Atlanta when it comes to their Orlando Arcia situation. Don’t forget left fielder Jarred Kelenic, and lastly, Sean Murphy who was abysmal having to be the starting catcher. The Braves might have to rely on bounce-back seasons from just about everybody to be good next season.
The Jays situation: They lost again… Shohei Ohtani and then Soto. The Blue Jays are already a mess and are missing out on free agents who might help fix that mess. The Jays may have to make trades and other things to be good in 2025. The biggest mess of 2025, well, might be the Jays.
The Yanks Situation: If you are a Yankees fan, then you probably want to throw darts at a big target: that target being Hal Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner has been able to sign Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge, and more. He also just signed Fried to an eight-year deal this offseason. However, the Yanks missed out on Ohtani, and pretty much lost big time to a team that is supposed to be the second-best team in New York, but is obviously the best team in New York. The Yanks losing Soto to the Mets is an embarrassing moment for a team that stinks compared to the old Yankees.
Sure, the Yankees made it to the World Series, but they did so by beating the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians, who both stink offensively. The Yanks need help. And lots of it. The Yankees pretty much need to work magic to heal the wound left by New York.
Cubs and Cardinals Trade, Mets Want More, and Eyes on Bregman
The Chicago Cubs feel reasonably held back by certain contracts, which is why Chicago is reportedly determined to trade either Seiya Suzuki or Cody Bellinger. The Cubs’ goal of getting better could be by trading away these players. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals, who looked like a team from a decade ago this season, are still looking to trade away Nolan Arenado. This would allow the Cardinals to rebuild around a less expensive team. After the Juan Soto signing, the Mets are now looking to improve more. Specifically, the Mets’ goals might be to sign Pete Alonso and maybe even look at DH’s. Lastly, after Soto falls to New York, Alex Bregman is likely the next best option for the Soto losers. This includes the Yankees, Phillies, and the Houston Astros, who all will evidently want Bregman on their 2025 team.
The Winter Meetings will mark a massive moment for many MLB teams. This year’s offseason will make or break some teams in 2025. Buckle up, baseball fans, it is going to be a fun ride.
Main Image: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
