The 2023 Major League Baseball Winter Meetings are being held this week in Nashville, and most of the attention is on the biggest name in baseball free agency: Shohei Ohtani. The two-time consensus MVP remains unsigned but more serious suitors are starting to emerge. The Dodgers, Blue Jays and Giants have all reportedly met with Ohtani in recent days, and the current Angels remain poised to re-sign him. In addition to Ohtani’s free agency, Padres star Juan Soto is very much available on the trade market.
Ohtani could sign a deal this week, and is expected to make his decision by mid-December. The time frame for a Soto trade is unknown, however, there is always a chance he can be retained in San Diego. The Yankees have been more closely linked to Soto, although as of Sunday, The two sides were far apart in trade negotiations. Things have been relatively slow in the first month of the season, perhaps because teams — and other free agents — are waiting to sign Ohtani. Things were also slow on the first day of the Winter Meetings, but transaction traffic is expected to pick up on Tuesday and Wednesday. Once Ohtani is signed, the market could really open up, especially for Japanese right fielder Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It is said that many of the bands based in Ohtani are also based in Yamamoto.
Follow below as CBS Sports provides live updates on the latest rumors, signings and trades during this week’s Winter Meetings.
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