The Winter Meetings is an annual event that begins in just a few days on December 9, in Dallas, Texas. During the four-day event, many top-tier free agents will be available for face-to-face discussions with team executives, team staff, and player agents.
This availability between General Managers and agents is not common throughout the year, which makes the Winter Meetings a four-day frenzy. Working out specific details face-to-face instead of over the phone or texting is why we tend see big-name free agents signed quickly or blockbuster trades executed during this relatively small window.
Many names will be discussed in rumors during the Winter Meetings, but here are where the top three players still on the board could go.
Corbin Burnes
Corbin Burnes is one of just two premier starting pitchers left in free agency market now that Blake Snell has signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He finished 2024 with a 15-9 record, a 2.92 ERA, and 181 strikeouts over 194.1 innings. He's only 30, so he is still in his prime, even if he isn't the dominant pitcher who won Cy Young in 2021.
Burnes did dip in strikeouts this past season, as he had fewer than 200 for the first time in four years. His whiff percentage fell into the 74th percentile in 2024, a massive drop off from the 95th percentile mark he registered 2022.
The San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays, and Boston Red Sox are known to have had discussions with the right-handed starting pitcher. The Orioles are normally not keen on pursuing expensive free agents, though they could make an exception for their in-house ace.
MLB Network's Jon Morosi has reported that the Giants are trying to strike a deal with Burnes before Juan Soto signs in order to avoid a bidding war. Since Burnes and Soto both have Scott Boras as their agent, the former Orioles pitcher is being advised to wait to strike a deal until after Soto signs to leverage his status as the best free agent available.
The Giants are interested in Corbin Burnes, as reported by @Feinsand. Unlike some teams pursuing Burnes, the Giants are not linked to Juan Soto and can allocate greater financial resources to Burnes now.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 4, 2024
Then again, Soto and Burnes have the same agent. Burnes likely will have…
The Giants have their own leverage since Burnes pitched at nearby Saint Mary's College of California, but reports indicate it may be near the end of the Winter Meetings before a deal is completed.