MLB Winter Meetings Temperature Check

Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Roger l McNamara

A Busy Time of Year.  Sport fans and devotees have no shortage of attractions these days. World Cup Soccer; College Football Playoffs; other Bowl Games; the NFL beginning to zero in on likely Playoff entrants; the National Hockey League and National Basketball Association nudging seasons far enough along that both leaders and losers begin to appear in focus.  And, oh Yes, there remains preparation for the year end Holidays.  In no way posted as an intrusion, this article calls attention to yet one more event(s) begging attention --- Major League Baseball Winter Meetings.  The annual gathering led off Sunday December 4 in San Diego, CA, a demonstration that owners and executives know where agreeable weather patterns reside.  Discussions and decisions ground to a halt on Wednesday the 7th, some participants now returning to Winter’s relentless grip.  A few teams captured headlines worthy of widespread interest.  Beginning with our local Pirate standard bearers:

• A few weeks back a steady and reliable Pirate outfielder publicly requested a trade.  Switch hitting Bryan Reynolds, age 28, has been remarkably consistent over his four seasons in a Bucs uniform, with a batting average tightly ranged between .260 and .300, appearing in 145-154 games in the previous two seasons.  Last year’s RBI total came to only 62, seemingly light with 27 home runs, but as has elsewhere been noted on these pages overall team offense did not often bring him to the plate with runners on base.  In negotiating swaps with other teams Management could, and should, emphasize regular contact, as Reynolds’ plate appearance to strikeout ratio stands admirably at 4.60, placing him in the upper tier of all Major League outfield regulars.  There should be a decent market for a man of his experience and skill, and the Pirates are urged to consider all options placed before it.  He is not a fixture upon which to build a team rebound. For the rest the team remained largely --- and properly --- silent, claiming a huge reward at the end.  It won first place in MLB’s inaugural Draft Lottery, enabling GM Ben Cherington to plan on the #1 pick in the upcoming player draft.  Terrific news for Pirate hopes and hopefuls. 

Headlines From the Hudson.  Each New York City franchise captured the recent 10 day limelight: 

New York Mets --- coming off a Division crown but an opening round playoff loss at the hands of the Atlanta Braves, the New York Mets were greeted a few days prior to the Winter Meetings launch with   mildly surprising news that 34 year old right handed veteran starting pitcher Jacob de Grom opted for a warmer climate and what he expects to be greener pastures.  A five year deal was reached between him and the AL West Division Texas Rangers, whose 94 losses in 2022 left it 35 games out of first place. Yet optimism is budding in the Globe Life Field executive suites as the team’s farm system now grades out to 14th in the major leagues, its highest perch in a half dozen years.  De Grom may well believe a winner is brewing in the ovens down there, unless of course he was attracted merely by a string of Zeros to the right of the dollar sign.  His career totals are unspectacular, but a lifetime ERA of 2.52 ranks among the best, good enough to land him several All-Star Game appearances and occasional Cy Young Award votes. 

For the Mets it was rolling out one Texas door and rolling in another.  The team wasted little time in snagging free agent right handed starting pitcher Justin Verlander from the World Champion Astros.  The 39 year old veteran has divided 18 big league campaigns between the Detroit Tigers and Houston, and his 244 lifetime season victory total has been accompanied by 3 Cy Young Awards.  His pinpoint control is underscored by only 880 bases on balls issued in 482 career starts, fewer than two per outing.  The Mets can only hope that 3163 innings of work have not exacted a toll.

Probably the NY Yankees nailed the biggest media splash, when following months of speculation the Steinbrenner Empire came to terms with Aaron Judge.  The All-Star outfielder accepted a nine year pact in the range of $40 million per season, an effective guarantee that his entire playing career will be occupied wearing stripes in The Bronx.  From a variety of appealing standpoints Judge has unquestionably earned favored treatment:  hitting, outstanding defensive play including a powerful and accurate throwing arm seldom challenged on the base paths, team leadership, a winning motivation and a popular fan favorite --- all are fully stamped on his resume. It is widely assumed that he will be named Team Captain, in which role he would serve a worthy successor to a lineage of Lou Gehrig, Thurman Munson, Don Mattingly and Derek Jeter.  And yet --- and yet --- at now age 31 and with a history of protracted injury down time --- Yankee management may well have overstretched with a nine year contract duration.  Could the money have been more wisely deployed in fortifying the team’s rotation and relief corps?

Time will tell, as it often does.