MLB Winter Meetings preview: Ohtani news, trade speculation, and more
At last, following a month of comparatively little activity, Major League Baseball’s offseason is ready to take off. Executives and agents anticipate a flurry of big-name deals and free agency signings during the coming two weeks. Nobody knows if the next winter meetings, which take place at Nashville, Tennessee’s Gaylord Opryland Resort on Monday, will be packed with action or just a warm-up to the chaos that lies ahead, but either way, buckle up. It will happen soon.
The winter will be determined by three trades. There is a chance that the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes could soon come to an end with an incredible and unprecedented guarantee. Star outfielder Juan Soto is anticipated to be traded by the San Diego Padres in a move that some think will be completed by the end of the meetings. Additionally
The remainder of the market will work itself out as these changes take place. In the meanwhile, as the baseball community congregates in Music City, here is the most recent information on the names you should be hearing next week and those who will probably follow them.
Ohtani Shohei
The Ohtani spectacle is rapidly approaching its conclusion, and sources claim that the sum will rise well over $500 million once he eventually accepts a deal. According to one source, Ohtani is expected to sign a deal for at least $550 million. Another indicated that up to $600 million may be bid. No matter where it falls, it will surpass the $426.5 million that the Los Angeles Angels handed to Ohtani’s teammate, Mike Trout, for the highest guarantee in North American sports history.
It is natural that there were concerns that Ohtani’s reconstructive elbow surgery, which will keep him from pitching until 2024, would lower his worth as a free agency. However, those concerns have been disproven. A player of Ohtani’s caliber transcends the kind of uncertainty that would kill any other player’s chance to pursue free agency. He is a two-time American League MVP with exceptional skill both at the plate and on the pitching, in addition to his widespread international fame.
