MLB: Does Winning the Winter Meetings Guarantee Wins in October?

2012 Winter Meetings

Winter Meetings Winner:  Toronto Blue Jays

Moves:  Acquired R.A. Dickey from the New York Mets

Record (2013): 74 – 88, 17 games back of the AL Wild Card

World Series Winner:  Boston Red Sox

This deal actually happened shortly after the Winter Meetings finished but the Jays were still basking in the glow of their trade with the Marlins to acquire SS Jose Reyes, SP Mark Buehrle and SP Josh Johnson at the end of November and were the rumored front runners for 2012 Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey throughout the Winter Meetings.  Of course, not only did Toronto not solve a 20 year absence from the playoffs but they finished last in the AL East and to add insult to injury, traded Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud in the Dickey trade who would help the Mets make it to the World Series in 2015 just as Toronto was peaking under their current construction.

The AL East team that might have performed the best at the 2012 Winter Meetings was the Red Sox, who signed Shane Victorino and Mike Napoli. Both played roles in Boston’s run to the title in 2013.