If history has taught us anything about the annual Winter Meetings, it’s that the biggest deals usually go down on the Thursday of the week-long event.

If it’s going to happen, it will probably happen today.

If you recall, the Angels’ Albert Pujols / C.J. Wilson combined $331.5 million deal went down on Thursday at last year’s Winter Meetings, as did several other big deals.

Now whether this has to do with some type of secret mystical magical strategy that general managers (think that they) possess, or if it is merely a matter of the general managers wanting to get home after being locked up in the same room with a bunch of egos as big as their own, who knows? (I suspect the latter); but it just seems that Thursday is moving day. By the way, Friday is a half day and anybody who has ever been to any kind of a convention or conference knows that it is a completely wasted day, with most folks scurrying to check out of their hotel rooms and getting to the airport, bypassing Friday’s scheduled events entirely – unless there is free food, of course.

But the important thing to remember about the Winter Meetings (even on Thursday) is that, just because the big deals can happen doesn’t necessarily mean that they will happen. Case in point – the Prince Fielder / Detroit Tigers deal last year, which didn’t happen until two short weeks before pitchers and catchers reported for spring training. But by and large, expect ‘the big one’ to happen today in Nashville – just be aware that it might not necessarily involve the Dodgers.

Why, you ask?

Well, when you look at what the Dodgers pulled off this past July and August, Ned Colletti showed up in Nashville with most of his Christmas shopping already finished. And even though he arrived at the Winter Meetings with (seemingly) the fattest wallet, he isn’t/wasn’t obligated to spend a nickel – regardless of all of the media hype and hoopla and rumor mongering. I mean really, when you look at the Dodgers roster, it’s already quite formidable. Sure they could use another starter or two, but in reality, if Ted Lilly and Chad Billingsley actually do show up for spring training healthy, the Dodgers current rotation isn’t all that bad. Don’t forget that the Dodgers sported a 3.34 team ERA in 2012 – third best in all of baseball; they just didn’t get any run support – something that the Dodger franchise has been famous for since the National League was founded in 1876 (that and LOB/RISP, of course).

Every indication is that deals involving Josh Hamilton, Zack Greinke and Justin Upton (among others) will probably happen today, so you might want to stay close to your computer or SmartPhone – because if it’s going to happen, it will probably happen today.

Stay tuned…

Chances are pretty good that Zack Greinke will either be a Dodger or a Ranger by the end of the day… or not. (Photo credit – Jeff Gross)