With the Winter Meetings set to begin Monday in Dallas, senior national reporter Mark Feinsand took some time on Friday afternoon to answer some fan questions on the latest Reddit AMA session.
Here are some of the best questions and answers from Friday’s lively chat.
Some questions and answers have been edited for clarity.
Q: Last year’s Winter Meetings were mostly just a long few days and then the Juan Soto trade. Is there any reason to expect more action this year?
Feinsand: Absolutely. Think back five years to the 2019 Meetings, when Stephen Strasburg, Anthony Rendon and Gerrit Cole agreed to deals on consecutive days. They were all clients of Scott Boras, who happens to have a number of this year’s top free agents. Soto, Alex Bregman, Corbin Burnes, Pete Alonso and more … I could see a couple of them signing during the Meetings. Once the Soto domino falls, I think we’ll begin to see some of the other big names start to come off the board soon thereafter.
Q: Do the Orioles still have as good a shot as anyone at signing Burnes? And if not, do you think they pivot to trying to sign a free agent like Max Fried or trading for someone like Garrett Crochet?
Feinsand: It’s hard to say what the Orioles will do in terms of spending because we have no track record with this ownership group to fall back on. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Orioles do spend some money this winter. Burnes is definitely still in play, as is Fried. Crochet would also make sense, and given the depth and quality of Baltimore’s farm system, the Orioles are probably better positioned to acquire Crochet than any team out there. They know the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays are trying to be aggressive this offseason, so the Orioles have some work to do, especially in the rotation.
Q: Is the Yankees’ plan still that if they don’t end up signing Soto, they would largely turn their attention towards getting a replacement at first base such as Alonso or Christian Walker?
Feinsand: I’m not sure that’s the only part of their Plan B if they don’t re-sign Soto. I have heard that [Willy] Adames intrigues them, though it’s unclear whether they would put him at shortstop and move Anthony Volpe to second base, or put Adames at third base and shift Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second. I would also expect the Yankees to pivot to Burnes or Fried, and then look at Walker for first base. Soto is a great player who makes every team better, but if the Yankees don’t get him, they will have a lot of payroll flexibility to address a number of other areas.
Q: With the Dodgers’ creativity when it comes to signing superstars, can we expect a more active offseason among teams or will it be the same teams in contention for superstars?
Feinsand: The Dodgers have certainly been creative with some of their contracts, but they’re still spending a lot of money to make these deals. Whether a chunk of it is deferred or not, some of these deals are still more than a number of teams would be comfortable doing. Remember, it’s one thing for a team to want to include deferred money in a deal, but the player has to be OK with that, too. A lot of players want their money now, not 10 years down the road. In terms of the top free agents, I would expect it to be a lot of the same teams as usual, though there’s always a surprise or two in there.
Q: Have you heard anything about the Astros?
Feinsand: First base remains a focus for the Astros, with Walker among their top targets. It doesn’t sound like Bregman is headed back to Houston, though depending on how his market plays out, I think a reunion is still possible. They have offered him a six-year deal worth about $156 million according to my colleague Brian McTaggart, so there is definitely still interest. Should Bregman leave, third base will obviously be a need, as well.
Q: Do you believe the Pirates will make a significant move for a hitter, either via free agency or trade? Or will they spread around money on several lower-end free agents like years prior?
Feinsand: I would think the latter is more likely. The Royals’ approach last winter may serve as a strong blueprint for small- and mid-market teams; rather than throwing a lot of money at one player, identify three or four mid-level free agents that can strengthen your roster overall. I loved what KC did last winter and picked the Royals to make the playoffs because of it. At least I had one good pick in 2024.
Q: Are you hearing anything about teams interested in Bregman or Justin Verlander?
Feinsand: Some of the Soto suitors could look at Bregman once that is finalized, and the Tigers have interest — but may not be prepared to spend what it will take to get him. I still won’t count out the Astros, who actually have an offer out to him already. The Phillies could be a possibility if they’re able to trade [Alec] Bohm. Like most of these situations, it’s a lot of, ‘This could happen IF that other thing happens first.’ It’s still early December, so there’s plenty of time for things to change.
As for Verlander (and Max Scherzer, for that matter), I think they will be viewed as contingency plans for teams that miss out on Burnes, Fried, Jack Flaherty, Nathan Eovaldi, Nick Pivetta and Sean Manaea, who are considered to be the top six starters still out there. A team that signs one of those pitchers could still look to Verlander or Scherzer to help fill out the rotation, but the future Hall of Famers are no longer viewed as No. 1 starters.
Q: With the Padres again under possible financial constraints, and with their bullpen depth being immense even after the loss of Tanner Scott, trading closer Robert Suarez could make sense for them. What teams could be interested in Suarez? And with the recent report from Joel Sherman that the Cubs are “determined” to trade former Padres target Seiya Suzuki, could a deal centered around Suzuki (or Cody Bellinger) for Suarez (+?) work?
Feinsand: I never rule anything out with the Padres, as A.J. Preller is among the most creative and aggressive executives in the game. Given the relatively thin relief market this winter, any team with a good bullpen arm to deal will be in position to do very well. Depending on how the salaries work out, something along those lines would be possible. Because when it comes to the Padres, anything is possible.
Q: The prevailing narrative around the Blue Jays in free agency is always that players don’t want to go north of the border or play in Canada. I feel like this ignores the fact that for a long time the Jays, organizationally, wouldn’t go beyond a five-year deal or offer truly competitive contracts. The past five years has seen a complete shift in that with the Jays setting franchise records for contract size and going the extra year for Hyun-Jin Ryu and George Springer. Now that they’re offering competitive deals they don’t seem to have a problem attracting top players. Rogers is the league’s richest ownership group and has begun acting like it. Why has this narrative not started to shift given that the circumstances around the team have radically changed?
Feinsand: I think the biggest issue that some players have at the moment with the Blue Jays is the uncertainty about their roster in the near future. Their two biggest stars, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, are both entering the final year of their control, so will either/both be on the roster in August, let alone 2026? The Blue Jays seem to have plenty of money to spend and Toronto is a wonderful city. Nobody is questioning either of those facts. But if you’re a free agent, you look at things like the farm system, the roster construction, etc., in helping determine whether you think a team can contend for the life of your contract. Some of that uncertainty — Chris Bassitt is also a free agent next year, while Kevin Gausman’s deal is up in two years — might have more to do with any skepticism that Soto or any of the other big free agents would choose Toronto.
Q: Are you hearing anything about the Phillies?
Feinsand: The Phillies are an interesting team this offseason. There has been talk of trading Alec Bohm and/or Nick Castellanos, as they try to alter the profile of their lineup beyond the big boys (Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber). Philly is one of the few teams without any real rotation concerns, and while they weren’t in on Juan Soto to any major degree, I think we could see them emerge as a contender for other hitters such as Alex Bregman or Anthony Santander depending on what trades they can make. They also have to address the bullpen, which could be losing both Carlos Estévez and Jeff Hoffman.
Q: What’s your bold prediction for the Winter Meetings? Do you have any?
Feinsand: I will spend too many hours in a hotel lobby and my feet will hurt by Tuesday night. The biggest question for me is whether I will find time to sneak away to get some BBQ at Lockhart Smokehouse.
Q: With the market for free-agent starting pitching being costly, how will that impact trade offers for guys like Garrett Crochet?
Feinsand: Every time a starter signs a free-agent deal with eight-figure AAVs, Chris Getz has to smile a little wider. Chicago should be in prime position to make a great deal for Crochet, but I don’t know if that happens until Burnes and Fried sign. Whenever it happens, the White Sox should do very well.
Q: Are the Tigers actually realistic candidates to land any of the impact bats out there, whether it be Bregman or Walker, or even Ha-Seong Kim?
Feinsand: I don’t see why the Tigers wouldn’t be a realistic candidate. Detroit probably moved a year ahead of schedule by making the postseason last year, giving the front office the task of getting them back there in 2025. Whether it’s Bregman, Kim, Walker or someone else remains to be seen, but I would be surprised if the Tigers didn’t make some kind of impactful move this offseason.
