The MLB winter meetings started on Monday and it has not disappointed one bit. Unlike last year, there has been movement since day one. The big free agents like Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg, and Anthony Rendon have been signed to massive deals already. Even though the free-agent market isn’t close to done, a lot of people are focusing on the trade market. There have been talks of big-name players being talked about since the off-season started. Things are heating up in San Diego and it is great for the game. Here are the latest trade rumors swirling at the winter meetings.
Latest Trade Rumors At The Winter Meetings
Nolan Arenado
The Colorado Rockies are reportedly open to discussing a Nolan Arenado trade. Teams would have to give up A LOT for a cornerstone piece like Arenado. It may be unlikely the Rockies trade one of their best players in franchise history but for the right price like any other player, it could happen.
Lindor Rumors Continue to Swirl
A Francisco Lindor trade has been talked about for a while now and this off-season might be the time. The Cleveland Indians want to shed some cap and get some young, talented pieces in return and who better to bring in more than Lindor. The Los Angeles Dodgers have made it clear that they are going in on him. They will have to give up two big prospects for him. The Atlanta Braves may be another sneaky team to land Lindor but talks have stalled between the two. This will be a very fascinating story to follow.
A Cubs Tear Down?
The Chicago Cubs reportedly have made it known that they are willing to trade All-Star third basemen Kris Bryant. He has been talked about since the beginning of the off-season and now it’s in full swing. With the Cubs getting new management and turning a corner, they might be willing to tear it all down starting with Bryant. The Washington Nationals have been keeping tabs on Bryant just in case they couldn’t sign Rendon but now that they know Rendon is gone, he might be the focus. It seems like the NL East loves Bryant cause the Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are talked about as a destination. He is a great player on the hot corner and would be great for any team. Another note is that they are willing to listen to offers on catcher Willson Contreras. Two huge trades could be going down in Chicago.
Red Sox Rumors
The Boston Red Sox have been fielding offers on players to get under the luxury tax. There have been rumors for years about the Red Sox trading David Price. He is owed $96M over the next three years. Many teams have targeted Price for a while and more so this off-season. If they deal him, they can either attach a player that has value or pay some of his money. No real traction has been generated yet but there is some expected soon.
Another player that has recently popped up on the trade market in the off-season is Mookie Betts. He is one of the best players in baseball and many teams would be smart to make a move. He has one year left on his deal which means his next contract would likely be over $300M. Getting Betts for a year for a contending team would still be great and make them world series bound but the Red Sox have a very high price on Mookie. He’s willing to talk with the Red Sox on an extension but a trade has not been ruled out.
The Winter Meetings
Last year, next to nothing went down at the winter meetings. Big free agents signed after the new year and it took a while for things to get going. This year, big free agents are signing just a couple of days after the winter meeting started and big trade rumors have been talked about. This has been one of the best winter meetings in recent memory and probably one of the best ever and it’s not even over yet. There is plenty still to be done as fans get exciting for the season in a few months.
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