MLB winter meetings recap

Sam Campisano, Sports Editor

As baseball’s executives converged on National Harbor, Maryland on Sunday, two things seemed imminent: the signing of slugger Edwin Encarnacion and a blockbuster trade involving former Pirates MVP Andrew McCutchen.

Neither of those moves came to fruition before the end of baseball’s Winter Meetings on Thursday. Instead, the busiest week of the offseason saw the largest contract in history for a relief pitcher (until it was broken a few days later), one team that built arguably the best farm system in baseball in a matter of days, and an abundance of other moves.

The first big domino to fall was closer Mark Melancon, who inked a four-year, $62 million contract with the Giants, who addressed a bullpen that was the club’s biggest weakness in 2016. Melancon was part of a trio of elite free-agent closers that also included Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen. When it was signed, Melancon’s deal was the largest ever for a reliever.

Just a few days later, fans awoke to the news that Chapman, the Cuban fire-baller who routinely hits 100 MPH on the radar gun, had shattered Melancon’s record by signing with the Yankees on a five-year, $86 million deal. It was the biggest free-agent splash of the meetings. Chapman will find himself in a familiar position, as he had previously pitched for the Yankees last season before being traded to the Chicago Cubs and picking up a World Series ring.

To put his contract into perspective, Chapman will make over $17000 every time he throws a pitch if he throws the same amount of pitches he threw last year.

Of the three elite closers who were available before the Winter Meetings, only Jansen remains unsigned– and it may not stay that way for long, as Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Miami Marlins have offered Jansen a deal similar to the one Chapman received.

The Winter Meeting’s blockbuster trade involved the White Sox sending perennial Cy Young candidate Chris Sale to the Red Sox for a multitude of top prospects. While Boston picked up an ace and five time All-Star to compliment 2016 Cy Young winner Rick Porcello and 2012 Cy Young winner David Price (they were called a “super team” by Yankees GM Brian Cashman), Chicago was able to raid the Red Sox farm system, acquiring MLB.com’s number one overall prospect Yoan Moncada and pitcher Michael Kopech, who ranks third on Boston’s top prospect list.

Less than two days later, the White Sox managed to spin reliable but uncelebrated outfielder Adam Eaton to Washington in exchange for MLB.com’s number one overall pitching prospect in Lucas Giolito.

The Nationals also gave up their third ranked and sixth ranked prospects in the deal, leading many to question the judgement of the Nationals front office.

The moves have paid immediate dividends for the White Sox. Experts like Passan now consider their farm system to be one of the best in baseball.

Other notable moves include Rich Hill resigning with the Dodgers, Ian Desmond signing a five-year deal with the Rockies, and the Kansas City Royals trading closer Wade Davis to the Cubs.