2019 MLB Winter Meetings: Day One Thread
Today marks the start of the true beginning of the “Hot Stove season”, as the 2019 Winter Meetings have officially started and will continue to go until this Thursday (12/12). An event tracker for what will be occurring over the week can be found on the official Baseball Winter Meetings website.
This post will be the first of five continuously updated threads that will be updated throughout each day of the winter meetings with posting links about new rumors, signings, trades, and speculations.
Todays events include the PBEO Job Fair, the Business of Baseball Workshop series, the MiLB Diversity in Sport Forum, an MiLB social, and a Banquet at night.
That being said, lets get to it!
MLB Signings:
1:37 PM – RHP Junior Guerra has agreed to a 1-Year deal (+ club option) worth $2.55 Million (+ $100,000 buy-out) with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Details first from Kyle Lesniewski. (2:19 PM Update: Contract details first from Nick Piecoro.)
9:56 AM – The Washington Nationals sign RHP Kyle Finnegan to a MLB contract. First with this news was Jessie Dougherty.
MiLB Signings:
10:12 AM – OF Keon Broxton and the Milwaukee Brewers Agree on a Minor League deal with Spring Training Invite. First announced by the Milwaukee Brewers via Twitter.
Rumors/Speculations:
9:42 AM – The Chicago Cubs are apparently not looking to bring back INF/OF Nick Castellanos. [Daniel Greenberg]
11:48 AM – The Boston Red Sox are in talks with RHP Rick Porcello, potentially on a short-term deal. [Jason Mastrodonato]
11:57 AM – Rumors about a Chicago White Sox and Marcell Ozuna deal look to be nothing more than rumors. White Sox have been primarily focused on pitching. [Jon Heyman]
1:49 PM – Yankees have a 7-Year, $245 Million offer (AAV of $35 Million) on the table for free agent RHP Gerrit Cole. Question is about if the Angels or Dodgers will offer more years. [Bob Klapisch]
3:20 PM – Player Agent Scott Boras talks about giving the Winter Meetings a movie title. 2018 was “Slow Burn”, 2019 is going to be “The Fast and the Furious”. [Jim Bowden]
5:31 PM – Time to walk back the offer on the table rumors from Bob Klapisch. Seems to be more of an estimate, but the Yankees are finalizing their initial bid. [Jon Heyman]
5:33 PM – Both Mark Feinsand and Bob Nightengale have backed-up the above report from Jon Heyman.
5:43 PM – Joel Sherman tweeted out about a lack of Yankees vs. Dodgers fights for top free agents in the last fifty or so years.
5:59 PM – LA Dodgers said to like Anthony Rendon, players willing to move positions to have him be a fit. [Jon Heyman]
6:01 PM – Yankees look to be the favorite landing spot for Gerrit Cole at this moment, other big player is the LA Angels. No official offers have been made. (Lack of Dodgers mention is interesting.) [Bob Nightengale]
6:07 PM – Washington Nationals are feeling more confident that they’ll end up bringing back Stephen Strasburg than Anthony Rendon. [Jon Heyman]
6:08 PM – The Nationals appear to be in a similar situation as the Yankees have with Brett Gardner in bringing back franchise favorite Ryan Zimmermann. [Jon Heyman]
6:57 PM – First rumors during the Winter Meetings about Didi Gregorius; the Cincinnati Reds have an interest. [Jon Heyman]
Hall of Fame (Veteran’s Committee Vote):
Announced tonight live on the MLB Network, the Modern Baseball Era Committee voted to allow the following players into the National Baseball Hall of Fame:
Marvin Miller
Ted Simmons
Congratulations to each of these players on their enshrinement into the annals of baseball history!
