With the MLB Winter Meetings scheduled to get underway this weekend in Nashville, fans can expect the Hot Stove to be heated to the max as MLB executives, agents, players and media get together in Music City.
Every year it seems that there is at least one big signing that happens during the Winter Meetings. This year, however, with free agent pitchers already finding homes before the end of November, there could be a frenzy of signings as teams don't want to get left behind in pursuit of some of their biggest targets.
So who will sign during the Winter Meetings, and which teams will check a box off its offseason shopping list? Here are five predictions for players who will sign during the upcoming Winter Meetings, as well as which teams will land them.
Josh Hader will sign with the Texas Rangers
Arguably the biggest name out of all of the relievers this offseason will sign with the team that is looking to shore up any weaknesses as they aim to defend their World Series title.
Hader going to Texas may not be much of a surprise when the deal is said and done as the Rangers have been linked to Hader on multiple occasions, but it will certainly be one of the signings that could shape the American League West (and postseason) in 2024.
Eduardo Rodriguez will sign with the St. Louis Cardinals
With the Cardinals backloading the Sonny Gray contract, it makes sense that St. Louis can go out and sign another arm to truly firm up its rotation. Rodriguez would give St. Louis the completely rebuilt rotation it was planning to acquire this offseason, with the southpaw joining up with Gray, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson as the new faces of the rotation under the Gateway Arch.
Throw Miles Mikolas in there as well and St. Louis could well have its rotation in place for the 2024 season before the festivities end in Nashville. That's something that other hopeful National League contenders such as the Los Angeles Dodgers can't say just yet.
St. Louis grabbing Rodriguez not only benefits them, but keeps him away from the Dodgers. The signing could cause a domino effect with the Dodgers then wanting Shohei Ohtani even more as they look ahead to the 2025 rotation.
Jordan Montgomery will sign with the Texas Rangers
This is something I predicted in an earlier article and I'm going to stand by it as the Rangers won't just boost the bullpen by signing Hader, but they will also bring back one of the 2023 postseason heroes in Montgomery.
It was clear during the postseason just how comfortable that Montgomery had become in the Lone Star State and, even though the Cardinals and Yankees would love to have him return back to them, those days are clearly in the rearview mirror.
If you haven't picked up on a pattern yet, it's clear that Texas general manager Chris Young isn't going to rest on the laurels on winning the World Series last year. Talking to some of the Rangers in the locker room during the postseason, it was obvious that seeing the division title slip away in the final few games last season ate at the team.
With the rival Houston Astros yet again winning the AL West in 2023, there are still plenty of goals left for the Rangers in 2024, and signing a pair of pitchers pushes Texas toward accomplishing them.
Blake Snell will sign with the Boston Red Sox
Somehow there is just a feeling that Snell returns to the American League East where he made a name for himself earlier in his career with the Tampa Bay Rays. Boston's new management team can't just sit status quo this offseason. A splash will be needed, and landing the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner will be just that.
As much pressure as there is in the Bronx for the New York Yankees to get back to the postseason after a disappointing year, the same could certainly be said for the Fenway Park diehards as well. That postseason push begins by landing one of the top arms in the game today in Snell, knowing that the Yankees will likely be in a bidding war with the New York Mets and others to get Yoshinobu Yamamoto. A preemptive strike in what could well be an arms race among two bitter rivals is never a bad thing.
And yes, there's something about knowing that Snell would match up against the Rays quite a bit moving forward that is certainly intriguing as well.
Rhys Hoskins will sign with the San Diego Padres
If you were wondering if any of the signings weren't going to be pitchers, we have good news for you here.
The fit for Rhys Hoskins in San Diego makes a lot of sense as the Padres will be looking to lower salary while also finding bats that can make a difference from the designated hitter spot. That will be occupied by Manny Machado early in the season as he makes his way back to 100 percent from offseason elbow surgery, but having Hoskins on the roster can give the Padres options at designated hitter and even first base if Jake Cronenworth opens the season by struggling as he did in 2023.
Hoskins can sign a short-term, prove-it deal with the Padres that could benefit both sides in 2024. It worked for Cody Bellinger with the Cubs in 2023, and Hoskins (like Bellinger) is represented by Scott Boras, who now has a blueprint to work with teams for players looking to rebound from injury (like Hoskins) or down seasons (like Bellinger).
Boras even said at the GM Meetings in Arizona that there was a chance Hoskins could sign a "pillow" contract (subscription required).
And speaking of Bellinger, you obviously notice he wasn't a part of this list. Bellinger, Ohtani, Yamamoto and plenty of other moves are still to come this offseason, and those could be gifts that MLB fans unwrap as the holidays approach.
