LAS VEGAS — Today marks the start of Major League Baseball’s General Manager Meetings in Las Vegas.
No, it’s not the Winter Meetings, its more famous cousin — that comes next month in Orlando.
But if MLB gets its way, the GM Meetings may start to grow in prestige. Not because of the actual meetings — which we’re not privy to and are probably fairly dull — but because the event is now framed around MLB’s glitzy and well-promoted awards show on Thursday at the Cosmopolitan.
Hosted by Dodgers star Mookie Betts and comedian Roy Wood Jr., this will be the show’s third year in Las Vegas and its most glamorous yet. It’s also the first time the event has been scheduled alongside the GM Meetings, a clear sign that MLB wants as many baseball figures as possible — including star players — to be in town this week.
The awards announced Thursday will include the Hank Aaron Awards (best overall offensive players in each league), the Comeback Player of the Year Awards, the Rivera/Hoffman Reliever of the Year Awards, the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award, and the All-MLB First and Second Teams, recognizing the season’s best players at each position.
That doesn’t include the traditional Baseball Writers’ Association of America honors — Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and MVP — which will be unveiled throughout this week.
As for the non-awards portion of Vegas week, executives from all 30 clubs are getting their first opportunity for in-person discussions as the free-agent season begins.
While few deals are expected to happen on the spot, team officials and agents will use the week to lay the groundwork for trades and free-agent signings, exchange ideas on league matters, and begin gauging interest in potential moves. It’s essentially where offseason plans start taking shape before the more action-packed Winter Meetings.
The executives — often team presidents rather than general managers — will also meet with reporters on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Scott Harris, the Tigers’ president of baseball operations, is scheduled to speak Wednesday for the first time since right-hander Jack Flaherty exercised his $20 million club option and second baseman Gleyber Torres was extended a $22 million qualifying offer.
Torres has until Nov. 18 to decide whether to accept the Tigers’ offer. His representatives are expected to use this week to gauge interest from other clubs before that deadline, helping clarify whether he has a viable multiyear market or if his best option is to return to Detroit on the QO. His decision will shape how the Tigers approach the rest of their offseason, including whether to pursue bigger infield additions once the GM Meetings conclude.
Skubal, who is expected to win his second consecutive Cy Young Award on Wednesday — perhaps once again unanimously — will also be at the center of the conversation this week. He’s entering his final season of team control, and while a long-term extension with the Tigers appears unlikely, it seems just as improbable that Detroit would trade him unless presented with an earth-shattering offer.
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