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MLB Front Office winners and losers from the Winter Meetings

After a flurry of activity in Dallas, a few GMs walked away with confidence, while others are beginning to feel the warmth of their seat.

ByBill Felber|
Jul 30, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns speaks to the media about the MLB trade deadline before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jul 30, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns speaks to the media about the MLB trade deadline before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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Five biggest Winter Meeting winners

New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto poses for photos with manager Carlos Mendoza during a press conference at Citi Field.
Dec 12, 2024; Flushing, NY, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto poses for photos with manager Carlos Mendoza during a press conference at Citi Field. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Team

Reason

1. New York Mets

Landed Juan Soto

2. Boston Red Sox

Won Crochet sweepstakes

3. Texas Rangers

Re-signed Eovaldi, their ace

4. Washington Nationals

Won the draft lottery

5. Toronto Blue Jays

Acquired Andres Gimenez

Winner: New York Mets

Mets President of baseball ops David Stearns made the headline-grabbing move when he got Juan Soto’s signature on a 15-year, $765 million contract. Soto has his flaws, but he was decidedly the best hitter on the winter market, and offensive skills like his tend to age well.

Only five players had a better WAR in 2024 than Soto’s 7.9, and none of those five were available, either as a free agent or by trade. Neither, for that matter, were any others who ranked among the game’s top 20 in WAR.

The Mets also won the PR game by depriving their crosstown rivals, the Yankees, of one of the centerpieces of their 2024 lineup.

Winner: Red Sox

Craig Breslow won the Garret Crochet sweepstakes and although the price was high — catcher Kyle Teel and outfielder Braden Montgomery, both top-five prospects in the system, headlined the package — trading a top prospect for an established front-liner is the kind of swap any front office executive will gladly make.

Crochet only won six games in 32 starts last season, and that doesn’t sound like much until you consider that he was pitching for the 121-loss White Sox. His 3.58 ERA would have ranked second on Boston’s staff for any pitcher working more than 140 innings.

Winner: Chicago White Sox

Given their 41-121 record of a season ago, the bar was pretty low for improvement by the South Siders. GM Chris Getz had to trade Crochet and he got a credible return, which also included a pair of high-upside prospects in Chase Meidroth and Wikelman Gonzalez. And, like Keel, Montgomery was a first-round draft pick out of college.

It may be too early to call the Crochet blockbuster a win-win deal, but it certainly has the makings of one.

Winner: Toronto Blue Jays

The Jays needed an infielder and they got a good one in Andres Gimenez, acquiring the second baseman in a swap with Cleveland.

Gimenez had an down-season offensively in 2024, hitting .252 with a .638 OPS. Both numbers were well below his recent averages. However, he continued his excellent glove work, compiling 18 Defensive Runs Saved and a third consecutive Gold Glove. That makes him a two-win player defensively and a four-win player overall.

Winner: Texas Rangers

GM Chris Young locked up his ace, Nathan Eovaldi, for three more seasons at a cost of $75 million. Eovaldi was 12-8 with a 3.80 ERA in 29 starts last season, so securing his continued presence was a must-do item on the offseason agenda.

Young can check that one off the list. Most of what remains for Texas to return to postseason contention in 2025 is outside Young’s control. The list of Ranger centerpieces who had rough seasons in 2024 is extensive: Jonah Heim, Marcus Semien, Adolis Garcia, Evan Carter, and Corey Seager, and others. When the heart of a championship team’s order collapses simultaneously, there’s not much a GM can do.

Winner: Washington Nationals

Team President Mike Rizzo literally won the lottery, coming away with the top pick in next year’s draft. To do that, Rizzo beat a system that made his team only the sixth favorite in the drawing. He didn't accomplish much on his own in Dallas, but sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good.

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