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MLB Winter Meetings: Five biggest winners

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Baseball’s Winter Meetings are coming to a close, and boy were there a ton of big moves to break down. Here are the biggest winners of the annual deal-making session.

MLB’s annual Winter Meetings are coming to a close in Washington, D.C., bringing an end to a hectic week of deals and rumors. The Chicago White Sox were the busiest team by far, trading Chris Sale and Adam Eaton, signaling that a full-scale rebuild is about to begin. Many of the biggest free agents remain unsigned, but several new contracts were handed out.

The trades that were made at the meetings outweighed the new contracts in terms of potential to impact the 2017 season, and several key names like Edwin Encarnacion, Mark Trumbo, Kenley Jansen and Jose Bautista remain unsigned. For now, we can only speculate on where they’ll end up, and if they’ll find the dollars they’re seeking.

Oct 2, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (49) pitches against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at U.S. Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

5. Chris Sale

Chris Sale had one of the most intriguing years ever for a Cy Young candidate leading the league in complete games. He started things off right in spring training by getting in the thick of things during the Drake LaRoche batboy spat. Later in the year, he was sent home and eventually suspended by the team after cutting up an entire clubhouse full of throwback jerseys with scissors because he didn’t like the way the jerseys fit. Clearly, Sale and the White Sox front office didn’t see eye-to-eye about a lot of things last year.

After being traded to the Red Sox, Sale will finally get the chance to pitch for a contender and an organization with a clear focus. He becomes the ace of a staff that features David Price and the 2016 AL Cy Young winner, Rick Porcello. It won’t hurt Sale that the Red Sox have the best offense in the league. All the run support Porcello received last year was a big and overlooked key in his emergence as a 22-game winner.

If Sale hadn’t been traded, he probably would’ve said all the right things about staying in Chicago and working on winning there, but those words would’ve rung hollow. Sale is one of the fieriest competitors in the league, and he has to be over the moon about getting to pitch for the Red Sox, the early favorites to win the American League.

Sep 10, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Wade Davis (17) delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. Kansas City won 6-5. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

4. Chicago Cubs

The Cubs entered the Winter Meetings with only one apparent need — an elite closer. Having spent big last winter, it just wasn’t in Theo Epstein’s budget to spend big on one of the big three free-agent closers. It also wouldn’t hurt if the Cubs could unload some of their overflowing outfield depth.

Mission accomplished.

Chicago traded outfielder Jorge Soler to the Kansas City Royals for All-Star closer Wade Davis. The move gives the Cubs the closer they needed, while also unclogging the outfield. While Soler may someday blossom into the All-Star outfielder his raw tools suggest he may be, there was no room for him in Chicago with Kyle Schwarber coming back from his ACL injury. In three years with the Cubs, Soler slashed .258/.328/.434 with 27 home runs in 211 games, a far cry from what was expected of him. Soler was never going to get the at-bats he needed in Chicago to reach his potential.

Davis becomes the new closer for the Cubs, and they don’t have to commit to him long-term. The 31-year-old right-hander did spend most of the second half on the DL with a flexor strain. His numbers were off slightly from 2014-2015, when he went on an epic run with a 0.97 ERA across 139.1 innings. With an expiring contract, the Cubs get a chance to see what Davis has left this season before making a decision. No one in baseball is better at formulating a plan and then executing it than Epstein, and he got what he needed to get done at the Winter Meetings.

Nov 2, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman throws a pitch against the Cleveland Indians in the 8th inning in game seven of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

3. Aroldis Chapman

Five years and $86 million for a closer seems ridiculous on many levels, but the 2016 playoffs showed it has become virtually impossible to contend for a title without an elite strikeout closer waiting in the back of the bullpen. On a baseball level, Chapman is totally deserving of the title of highest-paid reliever in league history.

On a personal level, Chapman is widely viewed as a villain, but his domestic violence case from last offseason did little to tamp down his value.

The Yankees liked what they saw from Chapman during his brief time in the Big Apple last season, and executed their dealings with him perfectly. Even though he was dealt to the Cubs at the trade deadline, the Yankees were always viewed as a logical fit once free agency began. After giving up a group of mid-level prospects to acquire Chapman last winter when his value was at its lowest, Brian Cashman flipped him for Gleyber Torres, a top-20 prospect, then re-signed him without having to surrender a draft pick.

This is not an immediate win-now move for the Yankees, but they couldn’t pass up the chance to bring Chapman back into the fold. The 2017 season may not see them return to the postseason, but the Yankees will be World Series contenders before the end of Chapman’s contract, allowing them to make the most of his abilities.

Oct 7, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers center fielder Ian Desmond (20) hits an RBI sacrifice ground ball against the Toronto Blue Jays during the eighth inning of game two of the 2016 ALDS playoff baseball series at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

2. Ian Desmond

Ian Desmond? To the Rockies? To play first base? Yeah, right?

No, really. Ian Desmond signed with the Colorado Rockies for five years and $70 million to play first base. It’s a move almost no one saw coming, but it couldn’t be a better deal or landing spot for Desmond.

Desmond famously turned down a long extension with the Washington Nationals back when he was still playing shortstop. Then he struggled in his walk year and was forced to take a pillow contract with the Texas Rangers and learn how to play outfield on the fly. Luckily for Desmond, he was able to rebound offensively and showcased good athleticism at a new position. That allowed him to earn the long-term deal he’d been seeking.

As a player who bet on himself and turned down an extension rumored to be approaching $100 million, this has to feel great for Desmond. It’s still unclear whether the Rockies are serious about their desire to play him at first base, as they could trade Charlie Blackmon or Carlos Gonzalez and put Desmond back in the outfield. Either way, he has a new home for the next five years and gets the chance to hit in one of the most potent lineups in the league. Something tells me Desmond’s career-high of 25 home runs will be taken down in a big way at Coors Field.

Dec 6, 2016; National Harbor, MD, USA; Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn speaks with the media after the White Sox traded pitcher Chris Sale (not pictured) to the Boston Red Sox on day two of the 2016 Baseball Winter Meetings at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

1. Chicago White Sox

No one, and I mean no one, had a better week at the Winter Meetings than the White Sox. Entering the meetings, the biggest question surrounding the team was whether or not they’d be willing to pull the trigger on a complete gutting of the roster. Well, that question was answered emphatically.

Rick Hahn should be in the running for AL Executive of the Year even if his team loses 105 games next year for the way he handled his negotiations with the Red Sox and Nationals. He started the week off by convincing the Nationals they were close to landing Sale, giving himself a chance to see all their cards. Then, at the last second, he brought the Red Sox into the deal and got himself the best hitting prospect in baseball, Yoan Moncada. Not satisfied, Hahn returned to the Nationals and traded them Adam Eaton for an almost identical package to what was on the table for Sale.

All told, the White Sox landed Moncada, three potential aces in Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Micahel Kopech, and a few lower-level prospects who are also well liked in the industry. The trades have instantly given the White Sox one of the best farm systems in the league, and they may not be done. Deals involving Jose Quintana, Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier could follow. The next two years may be painful for fans of the White Sox, but get past that, and their future is exceedingly bright.

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