MLB Trade Rumors Heading into the MLB Winter Meetings

The 2023 MLB Winter Meetings from the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center are upon us. The Winter Meetings are where the who’s who from the world of baseball converge on one place at one time for one week. The Meetings offer GM’s a dedicated place and time to hammer out deals in a quick manner. It’s controlled chaos, if you will.

Case in point, former Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck set up a table in the lobby of a Ft. Lauderdale hotel during the 1975 meetings. Veeck placed a sign that read “open for business” on the table and proceeded to make six trades during the meetings. In 2017, the New York Yankees acquired reigning NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins. And in 1990, Hall of Fame GM Pat Gillick —then with the Toronto Blue Jays— acquired Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter from San Diego in exchange for Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez. Alomar and Carter would go on to be two of the cornerstone pieces of Toronto’s back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993.

The 2023 MLB Winter Meetings likely won’t be any different. Here are the latest MLB trade rumors heading into the Winter Meetings in Nashville.

Juan Soto on the Move?

San Diego Padres’ slugger Juan Soto is the biggest name to keep an eye on during the Winter Meetings. The New York Yankees have reportedly been in deep discussions with San Diego to acquire the four-time Louisville Silver Slugger Award winner. The Bombers have long believed they’re the front runners to acquire Soto’s services, however those talks might’ve stalled according to multiple reports. Any slowdown in negotiations between the two sides could offer another ball club an opening to jump into the fray. A team like the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies have been connected to Soto according to reports from The Athletic’s Matt Gelb and ESPN’s Jeff Passan. After a disappointing close to their season in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Phillies could be looking to add a more consistent bat to the lineup. Philadelphia’s principal owner John Middleton and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski aren’t afraid to throw around money if it means another run at a World Series title.

Castellanos on the Block?

Speaking of the Phillies, if the Fightins are looking to make a move for Soto they would need to move multiple pieces including at least one outfielder from the active MLB roster. OF Nick Castellanos has been rumored to be the odd man out if the Phillies are to make a trade. Despite being an All-Star and having a bounce back 2023 MLB campaign, Castellanos struggled down the stretch for Philadelphia including a devastation 0-for-23 over the last four games of the NLCS. The Phillies were reportedly concerned with Castellanos’ inconsistency despite his bounce back regular season. Perhaps the Phillies are simply using Casty as some bait for …

Trout Fishing

Could/would the Los Angeles Angels move on from 11-time MLB All-Star Mike Trout? LA has reportedly told teams they’re intent of keep Trout in SoCal, however a lot of what happens with Trout likely hinges on what happens with free agent DH/P Shohei Ohtani. If Ohtani leaves the Angels, which is looking increasingly likely, will owner Arte Moreno lean on Trout as his superstar player or will he go all in on a rebuild?

The Phillies have long been connected to Trout, who grew up in Millville, NJ just a “short ride” down NJ-55 from Citizens Bank Park. Trout still calls the South Jersey area home during the offseason, attends Philadelphia Eagles home games, and is building a golf course in Vineland, NJ. A return “home” would make some sense. Other teams that have reportedly been casting the lure (sorry!) on Trout include the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants.

Starting Pitchers on the Trading Block

A bevy of starting pitchers are likely to be available on the trade block during the 2023 MLB Winter meetings. The names garnering the most attention are Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes and the White Sox’s Dylan Cease.

Starting with Burnes, the Brewers have spoken with multiple teams about their ace, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The 29-year-old former Cy Young Award winner is entering his final season under team control and is expected receive a big pay day on his next contract. Burnes is on the record stating an extension with the Brewers is not likely to happen.

Moving on to Cease, the Atlanta Braves are reportedly kicking the tires on the 27-year-old Milton, GA native. Other teams connect to Cease including the Los Angeles Angles and St. Louis Cardinals. Expect Cease to be moved, the White Sox are in the midst of a fire sale and talks of a Cease trade are “heating up,” according to Jon Morosi.

Ten Other Names That Could Be Moved

Here’s ten other names to keep an eye on during the MLB Winter Meetings. All of these players have been connected to trade speculation through out the MLB Hot Stove season.

• CLE SP Shane Beiber
• CLE RP Emmanuel Clase
• HOU 3B Alex Bregman
• HOU SP Framber Valdez
• NYM 1B Pete Alonso
• PHI SP Taijuan Walker
• TB SP Tyler Glasnow
• TB OF Randy Arozarena
• TOR SS Bo Bichette
• TOR 1B Vlad Guerrero, Jr.