The Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis is set to become the command and nerve center of the baseball world as the annual Winter Meetings begin Monday, December 7th. What happens in Indy won't stay in Indy. Reverberations will be felt all over the baseball world.
Nobody can predict if indianapolis will be the epicenter of an earthquake or the launching pad for hand grenades that fizzle and fail to detonate. Too many Winter Meetings have launched with high expectations and ended with all the air out of the party balloons.
Seattle General Manager Jack Zduriencik enters the week having shed the salaries of Adrian Beltre, Eric Bedard, Russell Branyan and Kenji Johjima. At the end of last season he was able to jettison Jarrod Washburn. While he won't be playing with Monopoly money, he certainly has sufficient resources to put his stamp on the franchise. Zduriencik has done an outstanding job of providing direction and taking measured risks in his limited time at the helm. Reports indicate that Chone Figgins has reached an agreement with the Mariners, with an official announcement to come soon. As of this writing, the report remains speculation and it hasn't been confirmed. However, should the Mariners sign Figgins he will have an outstanding environment to get leg hits and use his speed. Jason Bay remains on the radar screen of the Mariners as a loud outfield bat could certainly help. Bay is from Canada and the Seattle location won't hurt in the recruiting phase. The M's still need a first baseman. Zduriencik signed Branyan when the market for the streaky power hitter was tepid, at best. It would not surprise that Branyan returns to Seattle. Finally, the Mariners can use a starting pitcher. The target may well be John Lackey. Think of a horse like Lackey in a playpen as huge as Safeco.
Among the General Managers with a bit of pressure coming in to the meetings is the Cardinals John Mozeliak. What happens with Matt Holliday could impact his roster for years to come. How often does a club have the opportunity to have back to back sluggers like Pujols and Holliday in the same lineup? The problem? Mozeliak has to deal with one Scott Boras. Boras is known to take his clients to the 11th hour and extract the last dime on the table. Unless Holliday gives his agent instructions to the contrary, why wouldn't the negotiations for Holliday linger until Cinderella finally makes it home? If St. Louis has to move on without a response from Boras and Holliday, what options remain? Jason Bay? How do they fill the void created by a potential departure of Holliday? How long do they wait? Houston faced a similar problem when Carlos Beltran was a free agent. He took the club to the last minute before signing with the Mets. By that time all the available options had found new homes. Watch the St. Louis situation carefully.
What do the Cubs do with Milton Bradley? Players with the ability to hit the baseball and put up some numbers have a way of finding a place to play. In this case, that place for Bradley won't be in Chicago for the Cubs. However, he could fit in Texas or even in Tampa. Some club will likely open wide and swallow hard as there will be money from Bradley's contract to be eaten by both the new club and the Cubs. Just a year ago if you will recall, Bobby Abreu was on the open market and unable to land a contract. The Cubs opted for Mr. Bradley. Abreu has cashed in with a new contract based upon a fine season in Anaheim while Milton Bradley waits.
What does Toronto do with Roy Halladay? Halladay has indicated he will not negotiate with the club once the season begins. The window of opportunity to gain his approval for a new contract comes now. Do they trade him now or wait to see what happens after he plays out his existing contract? There should be a number of suitors for Halladay. Don't discount the Yankees. Last I checked they only used 3 starting pitchers in the World Series. That speaks to their rotation issues. It's actually silly to speculate. The team that gets Halladay will have to pony up major prospects and probably at least one or more major league ready players. Given that scenario last July, didn't the Phillies and Red Sox fall short of the mark? There is certainly a new sheriff calling the shots in the Toronto front office. Alex Anthopoulos is a man with a plan. He has likely done his homework and he knows the direction in which he wants to take the franchise. The decision making begins but does not end with what to do with Roy Halladay.
The Mets have to do something, don't they? Can they afford to begin the season as they left the last? Yes, they get some players back from injury like Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes. But who throws the ball from the mound to the plate?
To my mind, the Rangers have one of the deepest and richest organizational talent pools of any club. They are also handcuffed with financial woes, just like the Mets. But something interests me. Mel Didier, a man I totally respect and a life-long baseball guru has departed Texas and is now an advisor to Alex Anthopoulos in Toronto. Mr. Didier knows the Texas system inside and out. It might not be out of the realm of possibility that Toronto and Texas do some business. Halladay?
And where does Bay land? Does he remain in Boston? Is he an option for St. Louis if they lose Holliday? Does Holliday replace Bay in Boston?
Bay-Holliday-Hallady-Lackey? Pull one of those aces out and the whole house of cards may come tumbling down. We'll see. But you may be able to play with the house until we're all ringing in the New Year. It happened last year, didn't it?
We'll watch the meetings all week and react to what happens or doesn't happen. Please feel free to comment below.