The 2019 Baseball Winter Meetings are officially here. December 8, 2019 has been a soft target date of baseball fans for the beginning-of-the-end of the Hot Stove season, with the expectation of free-agent signings and the old fashioned player trades. Rather than the Christmas visions of sugar-plums dancing in their heads, fans dream of Anthony Rendon, Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg added to their favorite team’s roster, regardless of the cost.

Last year’s Winter Meetings were a huge disappointment for fans, agents, players, and baseball journalists alike. To say that those meetings were dull is understated. Baseball analysts on MLB television and radio were left floundering for news; their only option was to rehash, over-and-over again, the suppositions that started before the last out had been recorded in the 2018 World Series. Baseball writers in-the-know were predicting signings and trades at any moment, but the highlight of those meetings was the anti-climactic Rule 5 draft. Fans were downright angry after weeks of build-up for player movement which ended up as nothing more than a mundane five days in December.

There have been encouraging signs that the 2019 Meetings will come much closer to meeting fans’ expectations. In the last few weeks, both the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres have been very aggressive in roster moves, the Cincinnati Reds signed second/third baseman Mike Moustakas, and there have been several under-the-radar trades. In addition, reports that teams are preparing to spend record-shattering nine-figure contract offers for the elite free agents out there.

What moves will the Dodgers make? With uncommon flexibility on its roster, highly regarded prospect depth, and well below the 2020 payroll Competitive Balance Tax threshold, they have many options to improve an already excellent roster. But a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher and a right-handed power hitter likely top their priority list.

Let the Meetings begin!

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