Meetings Preview:  The Major Leagues Baseball Winter Meetings is the time of year where all the offseason action takes place.   Big signings, trades, news and rumors which is very fitting because this year’s 2018 meetings are taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Mandalay Bay Resort Casino.   

However, some big news trades and signings have already taken place before the fun in the sun began.  The first big signing was given to the 29-year-old left-hander Patrick Corbin,who signed a 6-year 160-million-dollar deal with the Washington Nationals, which was finalized on Friday December 7th.  

Which was surprising to some fans considering the Nationals finished in 2nd place last year in their division and their super star Bryce Harper is expected to take his services somewhere else in the 2019 campaign.      

The other big deal was via a trade between the New York Mets and the Seattle Mariners.  The Mets are looking to contend this season and needed some big moves to help that plan come to fruition.  Two of many big needs for the Mets this offseason are a second baseman and solid closer, which the Seattle Mariners both had in stock.  

The Mariners had to look themselves in the mirror this offseason and decide two things.  One, make more big moves and try to contend in 2018, or move in another direction and rebuild.  It was obvious that they chose plan B, rebuild. 

The Mariners and Mets agreed on a block buster deal on December 2nd that sent second baseman Robinson Cano and closer Edwin Diaz to the New York Mets and 20 million in cash consideration.  In exchange for MLB outfielder Jay Bruce, MLB reliver Anthony Swarzak and three prospects, pitcher Gerson Bautista, pitcher Justin Dunn and outfielder Jarred Kelenic. 

Another trade that happened before the winter meetings began involved the Seattle Mariners.  But this time the young and upcoming Philadelphia Phillies were on the other end of the deal.  

In this deal the Mariners acquired slugging first baseman Carlos Santana and outfielder J.P. Crawford in exchange for shortstop Jean Segura and two pitchers, Juan Nicaslo and James Pazo. 

The Mariners where at it again when they traded arguably their biggest Major League asset they had, that would be their ace starting pitcher James Paxton.  Seattle traded Paxton to one of the most historic franchises in major league baseball history, the New York Yankees. 

In this deal, the Marines sent outfielder Dom Thomson-Williams, right-handed pitcher Erik Swanson and the diamond in the deal was left handed pitcher Justus Sheffield who is ranked No. 27 according to MLB pipeline’s top 100 list.  

One of the last big deals to go down before the 2018 MLB winter meetings was with the Arizona Diamondback and their first baseman and franchise player Paul Goldschmidt.  The Diamondbacks traded their “top dog” Paul Goldschmidt to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for starting pitcher Luke Weaver and catcher Carson Kelly.  This move was very surprising to baseball fans, also it was a very good for the “red birds” in the eyes of most baseball fans.   

The Cardinals did need some offensive help coming into the 2019 season and to them Paul Goldschmidt was that guy they were looking for.  Even though the Cardinals already had a first baseman in last year’s MVP candidate Matt Carpenter, “Goldy” gives them a big bat and a solid gold glover at first.  

This year’s hot stove should be piping with big name free agents like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado on the market.  And if any of these moves are an indication of what’s to come Vegas and baseball’s winter should be hotter than ever. 

Picture from: https://www.bucsdugout.com/2018/12/10/18133636/pittsburgh-pirates-winter-meetings-2018-day-one