Updated November 12, 2026, 9:54 p.m. ET
LAS VEGAS — They ate dinner, rolled the dice, shot the slots and talked a lot before leaving Major League Baseball’s general managers’ meetings Thursday at the Aria Resort & Casino.
General managers and executives said they talked to every team and dozens of agents, but the only major decision was Atlanta signing veteran free agent Evan Phillips to a $35 million contract.
While the Milwaukee Brewers have become the gold standard, as Tampa Bay Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said upon leaving town, the World Series championship serves as a subtle reminder that minor moves, or even gambling by trading established veterans for prospects, can pay huge dividends.
Executives don’t know whether there will be a salary cap, a change in the economic system, or the status quo, but they know they must be ready to act and cannot afford to sit back and wait.
There will be a flurry of signings from Thanksgiving weekend until 11:59 p.m. on December 1, and potential trades await those who miss out on desired free agents.
“In terms of player evaluation, talking to agents and individual players,” said AJ Preller, the Padres’ president of baseball operations, “we’ve done what we do every offseason. It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen or what the exact system will be, but if we see something that makes sense, we’ll be prepared to act on it.
Here’s what we’re hearing as the leaders head home dreaming of Tarik Skubal anchoring their rotation for what could be a terribly long winter:
MLB Rumors from GM Meetings
– The New York Mets are downplaying their chances of signing Skubal to anyone who will listen, but their rivals believe they could be the Los Angeles Dodgers’ stiffest competition for his services. The Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays join the Mets with meetings scheduled with Skubal before Thanksgiving.
– Skubal and his agent Scott Boras are making it clear to teams that they’re not interested in a short-term deal, and yes, you’d better come up with an offer in excess of $325 million if you want a seat at the high-stakes table.
– The Toronto Blue Jays, who signed Dylan Cease to a six-year, $210 million contract last winter, are poised to be in the running for Skubal, and if they don’t land him, they’ll turn to Michael King, Trevor Rogers, Sonny Gray and Tyler Mahle. And yes, if Kevin Gausman and Max Scherzer want to come back, they will talk to them about it too.
“If you saw Scherzer’s last match,” Boras said, “you will understand that he is far from being eliminated by Max.”
– The Milwaukee Brewers are telling teams that All-Star catcher William Contreras is staying put and that they would love to sign him to a contract extension. However, they are listening to offers to get closer to Trevor Megill.
– The San Francisco Giants won’t trade ace Logan Webb no matter how many teams continue to ask for the ace. The Giants want to add starters, but subtract, and want to pursue at least two free agent starters, but Skubal’s price tag is too high for their liking.
— Alex Anthopoulos, Atlanta’s president of baseball operations, made it clear that Ronald Acuña Jr. is staying put, saying there have been no conversations about trading him and there won’t be.
– The Phillies may not be interested in bringing him back, but infielder Alec Bohm has become a big attraction with the Yankees and Mets, meeting with each team in Las Vegas. Bohm hit .248 with 15 homers and 88 RBIs, and had a tremendous second half hitting .298 with 41 RBIs.
– The Padres, with new owners Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano declaring they are “all in,” are interested in virtually every starting pitcher in hopes of remaking their rotation.
“I think the biggest thing with Kwanza and Jose is they got a taste of it,” Preller said of last season, “seeing a team get back to the playoffs, playing a super competitive series in the Division Series. They’re hungry to put a really good team on the field, understanding that it takes resources and it takes people to do it.”
– Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato is the position player everyone wants, and he is the first choice player for the Phillies, Yankees, Mets and Padres. He’ll probably end up playing the field, scouts insist.
– Rival teams say they’d be stunned if the Boston Red Sox didn’t trade Jarren Duran this winter after he hit a career-low .207 with a .266 on-base percentage and .361 slugging percentage. If they move Duran, that could put them in contention for free agent outfielder Randy Arozarena.
“He’s a model of consistency and he’s done it in a market where right-handed hitters are going to die,” Boras said of Arozarena. “He’s 20-20 every year, multiple All-Star teams…This rose has no thorns, and every team, frankly, feels really Randy.”
– The Chicago Cubs, who have five starting free agents, would love to bring back Clay Holmes and David Peterson.
– The Phillies have informed several agents that they do not believe prized infield prospect Aidan Miller will be ready to be an everyday player at the start of next season and that he will need more time in the minor leagues.
– The Minnesota Twins have told their agents they plan to spend money this winter, including bringing back free agent catcher Ryan Jeffers, who plans to reject their $23.15 million qualifying offer.
“We’ve made it clear we’d love to have him back,” general manager Jeremy Zoll said.
– The Tampa Bay Rays plan to keep ace Drew Rasmussen, who is one year away from free agency, but could trade Shane McClanahan or Ryan Pepiot to accommodate the return of free agent starter Nick Martinez.
– Free agent outfielder Ian Happ, a four-time Gold Glove winner with the Chicago Cubs, is attracting strong interest from the Seattle Mariners, who are eager to improve their defense.
“The left side of our infield, the left side of our outfield,” said Jerry Dipoto, Mariners president of baseball operations, “are two areas where we need. … A priority for us is to improve offensively, but the top priority is to strengthen our defense.”
– Teams have inquired about veteran infielder Ernie Clement from Blue Jays and Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson, while free agent shortstop JP Crawford is attracting interest, with the Mariners having no interest in bringing him back.
– Teams may be reluctant to trade for a player with only one year left on his contract given that the impending lockout could shorten the 2027 season, but then again, if you win a World Series title, it still counts the same.
“I’m not saying it’s not on people’s minds,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, “but I think everyone feels like at some point you’re going to have a season. So even if you have a shortened season, if you have a guy who helps you win a championship, you’re happy with that.
– The Padres are considering returning Fernando Tatis Jr. to the field if they land a free agent outfielder, moving him to second base. Although he was a Gold Glove outfielder, he had a .769 OPS in right field last season, but a .974 OPS at second base.
– With the Seattle Mariners expected to trade one of their starting pitchers for help from a position player, such as George Kirby or Emerson Hancock, Dipoto said during general managers meetings that valuable pitcher Ryan Sloan is off limits.
– Veteran reliever Jonathan Loaisiga was required to sign a minor league contract last spring with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but after his breakout season, producing a 2.42 ERA in 67 innings, he could now receive a multi-year big league deal.
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