MLB: The Four Best Moves of the Winter Meetings

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Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

The MLB Winter Meetings is the Holy Grail for baseball fans. Outside of the trade deadline, the Winter Meetings are the most exciting time for fans. If there are any blockbuster trades, it will happen at the Winter Meetings.

The 2016 Winter Meetings did not disappoint us baseball fans. With so many moves, it was hard to keep track of exactly what was happening. Good teams just got better, and some teams started the rebuild of dreams. The landscape of the MLB has shifted, and promises a great 2017. Baseball fans should be very eager and excited for is what to come next season.

Epic blockbusters occurred along with other smaller trades. Even big name free agent signings occurred, bolstering teams for their pursuit of championship gold. Critics have picked apart these trades, and have exploited them as good or bad. Of course, every MLB team likes to think that they were the winner of a trade. However, there was some pretty bad trades (see: Washington Nationals trading for Adam Eaton).

Instead of exploited any potential bad deal however, we shall look at the best deals of the Winter Meetings; whether it be free agent signings or trades. Some deals may seem like win-win situations, when in reality they were not. Despite that, the deal can still be considered great as one team accomplished a great deal at the expense of another club.

With all of that being said, we should pick apart these deals and attempt to rank the five best deals of the Winter Meetings. Based on bias, some of these deals may not seem like the best to everyone. However, attempting to take a completely unbiased approach to the Winter Meetings is the most efficient method. Therefore, let’s look at the five best deals from the 2016 Winter Meetings.

4. Yankees Signing Aroldis Chapman

Something about this deal just makes me chuckle. People have been criticizing the amount of money that the Yankees signed for Chapman. Five years, 86 million dollars is the terms of that the Yankees and Chapman agreed to. With his history of off field issues, and the apparent upcoming signing of Bryce Harper, critics have been bashing the Yankees for this deal. However, after trading Chapman last July for Gleybor Torres, the 17th ranked prospect in baseball, this signing seems so perfect.

The Yankees practically allowed the Cubs to rent their closer for a hefty price. The Cubs gave up one of the best prospects in baseball for a closer they arguably didn’t need. Chapman honestly didn’t even do that well in the postseason. He blew a save against the Dodgers in-game one of the NLCS, and nearly lost the Cubs the World Series. Ultimately, the Cubs gave up Torres for a power throwing arm they probably didn’t even need.

So not only did the Yankees get a top prospect, they got their power throwing arm back in pinstripes. Sure, they paid a hefty fee for him, but they are the ultimate winners of this Chapman sweepstakes. Now they have the power duo of Dellin Betances and Chapman to close games, and could even deal Betances for even more young talent. Yes, the Yankees paid a great deal for a closer, but they also received a great young talent for six months without Chapman.

3. Giants Signing Mark Melancon

While Melancon isn’t the superstar that Chapman is, his signing will have a much greater impact on not only the Giants but the league. Going into the All-Star Break the Giants had the best record in all of baseball. A second half collapse, caused owning the most blown saves in the league, led the Giants to only be a wild card team. With a closer like Melancon, who knows if it would have been yet another even year for the boys in the bay.

With a proper closer, the Giants could have had the best record in the big leagues. Even if they were still a wild card, they likely would have prevented the collapse that was game four. Winning two in a row, the Giants would have had all the momentum in the world. They very likely could have taken the Chicago Cubs in the first round, extending the streak and the even year streak. Melancon, who was lights out all season, prevents the Giants from having such a disaster in the ninth inning.

While he won’t be perfect, Melancon’s 47 saves with only 4 blown saves shows much promise for the Giants. With a more consistent arm to close out games, the Giants can see themselves make the playoffs in an odd year for the first time since 2003. With perhaps one or two more impact pieces, the Giants could even become favorites to win the World Series along with the Cubs and Red Sox. Melancon may not have that huge superstar factor, but definitely has a tremendous impact on the landscape of the MLB.

2. Cardinals Signing Dexter Fowler

Before I get started, I know this deal happened the day after the Winter Meetings – however most of this deal was likely negotiated within the four days, hence it’s inclusion. Aroldis Chapman isn’t the only player leaving the Cubs after winning the World Series. However, losing Dexter Fowler to the Cardinals must hurt for Cubs fans much more. Being the table setter for the Cubbies the last two seasons, Dexter Fowler has won over the hearts of Cubs fans and players. Whether it was his season long consistency, or his lead-off home run to start game seven of the World Series, Fowler has never failed to provide his worth to the Cubs organization.

This is what must make it sting so much for anyone associated with the world champions. Some may have already accepted his departure before he left, but signing with the rival St. Louis Cardinals must leave a sour taste.

However, for the Redbirds, this deal is a very good one. They instantly ignited the start of their line-up by signing arguably the best lead-off man in the game. Fowler sums up the outfield perfectly, and provides the perfect blend of hitting ability and speed atop the line-up. One can think this is the Cardinals revenge for the Cubs stealing away Jason Heyward. Fowler however will likely way out perform the disappointing season Heyward had.

This deal not only makes the Cardinals better, but makes their powerhouse foes worse. While the Cubs did sign Jon Jay, this does not make up for the loss of Fowler. The Cardinals effectively knocked out two birds with one stone – making themselves better and worsening the Cubs.

1. Boston Red Sox Trading for Chris Sale

It happened, it finally happened. For the first time in forever we can finally stop speculating about whether or not Chris Sale will be traded. If you follow anything else I write, you probably know I already said this deal wasn’t that great. This sounds contradicting I know, but while this trade wasn’t the greatest for the Red Sox, it still was great for the White Sox and the best of the Winter Meetings. If you want to know what makes it overrated, that is in the other article, this however shall examine why it was the best.

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First of all, this is the kind of blockbuster that makes baseball seem so great. The two Sox teams were invovled in a deal with an elite pitcher and arguably two elite prospects. The Red Sox traded their future for the present, and the White Sox traded a few extra wins for many more wins down the line. Add this to their deal with Washington (which was so ridiculously bad on Washington’s part I could not include it on this list) and the White Sox look set for the future.

Sure, the White Sox dealt the best talent to come out of their farm in a long time and the face of their franchise. But in return they gained the spotlight, they gained the credibility that has caused them to be compared to great rebuilds of the past. They may not win in the near future, but if they can keep a core of prospects without getting to excited for trade targets they can win within five years.

The White Sox must model themselves after their Chicago counterparts. Theo Epstein did a great job of turning a team of lovable losers into World Champions for the first time since 1908. With the perfect blend of home-grown talent and big name acquisitions the Cubs turned into what they are today. While it is unfair to compare the White Sox to the Cubs, building around a core of young players, picking a choosing when to lure in big name free agents with the promises of winning, is the way Chicago can turn the ship around. Trading Sale ignited this fire, and it is going to be hard to stop it.

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