The 2023 MLB General Managers Meeting serve as a platform for the top baseball executives to convene and engage in broader discussions about the sport.
The Winter Meetings primarily focus on the detailed aspects of building rosters for the upcoming season and beyond.
Agenda of 2023 MLB GM Meeting
At this year’s event in Scottsdale, Arizona, these executives will spend most of their time in meetings.
The agenda of the meeting discuss evaluating rule changes from the 2023 season and deciding on the postseason format. They addressed various other issues related to the game of baseball.
Free Agency begins
Some years, free agency begins after the annual major MLB general managers meeting, especially if the World Series continues for a while. However, this year, the Rangers’ quick win over the D-backs in the World Series wrapped things up.
Monday marks the end of the five days where free agents can only discuss money with their old teams. This implies that all 30 teams now have access to free agency.
It is important to note that this doesn’t mean free agents will immediately sign with new teams this week. Instead, most agents will be in Scottsdale, talking to teams to see if there’s interest in their players.
This is the start of the process for free agents to explore new opportunities.
Free agents received qualifying offers.
In advance of initiating substantial discussions with other teams, numerous free agents faced a crucial procedural step.
Teams had until 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday to offer contracts to their free agents. Qualifying offers let them get compensation if the player signs with another team.
Teams offered qualifying offers to seven top free agents. These offers have a value of $20.325 million for the current season. Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Aaron Nola, Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, and Josh Hader got these offers.
Free Agents eligibility discussed in the 2023 MLB General Managers Meeting
We cannot offer a contract to players who received contract offers or were traded last season this winter.
Prominent athletes such as Stroman, Belt, Greinke, Pederson, and Kimbrel have previously received qualifying offers.
Teams traded free agents Montgomery, Candelario, and Giolito, making them unable to receive qualifying offers. The 2023 MLB General Managers Meeting are significant for the upcoming offseason despite typically lacking major news.
Trade discussions and team executives during GM meeting
As mentioned earlier, player agents will hold conversations with team executives concerning their free-agent clients. But, it’s important to mention that the main talks in these meetings are usually about trade discussions and negotiations.
Teams prepare for player trades and transactions that can significantly affect their rosters and the league in the upcoming season.
Team executives only sometimes have the opportunity to gather in one place at the same time.
During this week, they get to meet, chat over drinks or dinner, and discuss potential trades. The goal is to determine which players we can trade and calculate the cost to acquire them.
We don’t expect substantial trade deals to occur this week. Exploring and comprehending possible trades that might transpire shortly is a crucial move for teams to begin.
New Faces that attend the MLB GM meeting
Chris Getz and Craig Breslow have attended GM Meetings in the past. However, this time, they hold the positions of top decision-makers for their respective teams. Chris Getz represents the White Sox, while Craig Breslow represents the Red Sox.
This week marks a shift as Getz and Breslow are now in charge of leading Chicago and Boston.
Their primary goal is to guide these two major-market teams back to the postseason, especially after both teams faced challenging seasons in 2023.
David Stearns, who used to be the head of the Brewers, is now the president of baseball operations for the Mets. He came in to replace former GM Billy Eppler.
Stearns possesses the expertise; however, the Mets, under the ownership of Steve Cohen, are financially robust. This provides Stearns with an unprecedented chance to recruit free agents.
The Marlins recently let go of GM Kim Ng after she chose not to continue in her position for 2024. However, they seem to have promptly found a new leader just in time for the Major League Baseball GM Meetings.
According to a source, Miami is hiring Peter Bendix. He is currently the general manager for the Rays. Miami is hiring him to be the president of baseball operations for the Marlins.
Search for manager vacancies.
Some teams have a more urgent task than getting new players: they have to find a new manager.
The Angels, Astros, Brewers, and Padres are all in the hunt for new managerial talent. The MLB GM Meeting do not hold formal interviews. However, team executives are likely to discuss the hiring of managers as an essential topic.
It’s not uncommon for these executives to seek advice from their counterparts, gathering insights on potential candidates and gaining outside perspectives on those they have already met or plan to meet in the future.
Additionally, some managers might make appearances at the 2023 MLB General Managers Meeting to engage with their front offices. However, these four teams are still in the process of finding the right skipper to lead their squads.
