Virtual MLB Winter Meetings Somewhat of a Bust

The annual MLB Winter Meetings were different this year than in the past due to Covid-19 pandemic. Being of virtual nature, there were no media members on site to monitor every executive that headed in. Therefore, the difficulty to know exactly what transpired is anyone’s guess. However, there is little to believe that anything major happened this past week.

One thing that is certain is that there are many high-profile players that could be free agents. Yet, all we really know is the following: the Mets could ink James McCann to a deal. The Angels traded for Rasiel Iglesias. The Royals signed Carlos Santana, and the White Sox added Adam Eaton and Lance Lynn. That’s it. With all the hype of Winter Meetings, it ended up being somewhat of a bust, a big yawn-fest. Nevertheless, we take a crack at evaluating what went down at these virtual meetings. The White Sox improved with the addition of Lance Lynn and Adam Eaton and although they aren’t blockbuster moves, none of the other teams in the division did anything. Therefore, the White Sox could very well be the team to beat in the AL Central, mainly be default.

The Angels had one of the worst relief pitching in the league last season, so any solid addition to their bullpen would be a win. Signing Raisel Iglesias was a huge move, considering he had a 2.74 ERA last season and has blown only 16 saves in 122 career opportunities. The Angels blew 14 last year in only 60 games. Enough said. In New York, the Mets have shown interest in George Springer and Trevor Bauer and can be huge winners this off-season if they sign these coveted free agents. They could also be ready to sign James McCann, reportedly to a four-year deal. That’s not to say it’s the best move for the Mets, considering he’s 31 and is just a .249 career hitter with 65 home runs in six full seasons.

The Reds appear to be the big losers in the meetings after nearly certainly likely to lose Trevor Bauer and got little in return for Raisel Iglesias. After rebuilding to make the playoffs last season, now it appears they are starting from scratch after cutting payroll. Makes sense? I didn’t think so either. Generally during the Winter Meetings, so much takes place during that week including big moves, small moves and Hall of Fame votes. Trades are nearly completed and most of the off-season transactions were completed. This season, in addition to minor league affiliates being terminated, very few moves or even whispers of potential moves were all but non-existent.

With the uncertainty as to when and how the MLB season will progress due to the ongoing pandemic, teams are strapped in terms of budget, therefore signings will be minimal. Thus, the 2020 Winter Meetings probably shouldn’t have taken place, but they did in a disappointing fashion.