The lobby of the Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando should have been a pressure cooker. Instead, it felt more like a slow-cooker. Usually, the winter meetings are where the biggest blockbusters happen, but this year? Honestly, it was kinda weird. While we saw a few massive dominos fall, the MLB winter meetings rumors coming out of Florida suggest that most front offices are playing a high-stakes game of chicken that is stretching well into January.
You've got guys like Kyle Tucker finally finding a home, but only after weeks of "will they, won't they" speculation that drove fanbases crazy. The Dodgers, because of course it’s the Dodgers, finally pulled the trigger on a four-year, $240 million deal for Tucker just a few days ago. But that didn't happen in Orlando. It happened while everyone was back home, nursing their post-holiday hangovers.
What Actually Happened with the MLB Winter Meetings Rumors?
If you were looking for a frantic flurry of trades, the actual meetings were a bit of a letdown. Most of the "chatter" was just that—chatter. Executives were basically sitting in hotel suites complaining about how slow the market was moving.
Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers' president of baseball operations, summed it up perfectly when he noted that it’s hard to get traction on trades until the top free agents start coming off the board. It’s like a traffic jam where everyone is waiting for the guy in the front to just hit the gas.
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- Kyle Schwarber went back to the Phillies on a five-year, $150 million deal.
- Edwin Díaz shocked some by heading to the Dodgers for three years and $69 million.
- Pete Alonso decided to leave Queens, signing a massive five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
The Alonso move to Baltimore is the one that really changed the vibe. Seeing the "Polar Bear" in orange and black is going to be jarring for Mets fans. David Stearns and the Mets front office had a rough week in Orlando, losing both their franchise slugger and their elite closer.
The Trade Market is Still Smoldering
Even though the meetings ended without a "Chris Sale to the Red Sox" level blockbuster, the seeds were planted. We are seeing some serious heat around starting pitching and infielders right now.
Tarik Skubal is the name everyone is whispering about. The Tigers haven't said they won't trade him, which in baseball speak means they are absolutely listening to offers. But the price? It’s astronomical. If you want Skubal, you’re basically handing over your top three prospects and maybe a young MLB-ready arm.
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Then there’s the Ketel Marte situation. The Diamondbacks have been adamant about keeping him, but the Red Sox are circling like sharks. Rumor has it Craig Breslow is considering a package centered around Jarren Duran to pry Marte away from Arizona. It makes sense for Boston; they desperately need a middle-of-the-order bat, and Marte is arguably the best second baseman in the league right now.
Why is everything taking so long?
It's the "Boras Effect," mostly. Scott Boras represents a huge chunk of the top-tier talent, including Pete Alonso and the recently signed Bo Bichette. Boras is famous for waiting. He wants the market to ripen. He wants owners to get desperate as Spring Training approaches.
This year, that strategy has led to a "glacial" pace, a term that was thrown around constantly by reporters on the ground. Teams are being more creative, though. We’re seeing more talks about "creative structures"—think opt-outs, heavy deferrals, and performance-based escalators.
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The Mets Pivot and the Phillies' Quick Reaction
The Mets didn't just sit on their hands after losing Alonso. They pivoted hard to Bo Bichette, locking him up for three years and $126 million. The plan is to stick him at third base, which is a bit of a gamble, but they needed the star power.
Meanwhile, the Phillies showed everyone how you handle a missed target. They were aggressive on Bichette, but the second he picked the Mets, Dave Dombrowski called up J.T. Realmuto. Within hours, the veteran catcher was back in Philly on a three-year, $45 million deal. No drama. No weeks of rumors. Just a veteran team taking care of business.
Actionable Insights for the Rest of the Offseason
If you’re trying to track where the remaining stars land, keep an eye on these specific dynamics:
- The Japanese Posting Window: The clock is ticking for Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto. Murakami’s window closed in late December, but the fallout from these international stars determines how the rest of the "power bat" market settles.
- Starting Pitcher Scarcity: Now that Ranger Suárez is a Red Sox and Dylan Cease is a Blue Jay, the pool is shallow. Framber Valdez is the last true "ace" on the market. If your team needs a frontline starter and misses on Valdez, they’ll have to overpay in a trade for someone like MacKenzie Gore or Freddy Peralta.
- The Orioles’ Next Move: They got their bat in Alonso. Now they need an arm. Don't be surprised if Baltimore becomes the most aggressive trade partner in the league over the next ten days. They have the prospect capital to outbid almost anyone.
- The "Third Tier" Bargains: Guys like Jorge Polanco and Luis Arraez are still out there. As the big spenders finish their shopping, look for mid-market teams like the Mariners or Twins to swoop in on these high-contact hitters on shorter, high-AAV deals.
The winter meetings may be over, but the actual work of building a 2026 contender is just getting into the chaotic phase. Keep your notifications on; the next "unnamed team" is usually about to strike right when things seem the quietest.