Last year's general managers meetings in Indian Wells, Calif., offered plenty to follow for White Sox fans -- and not just because of the blockbuster Blake Tekotte-Brandon Kloess deal.
It was more newsworthy because it was the first big offseason event steered by Rick Hahn instead of Kenny Williams. There wasn't a whole lot of activity, but Hahn did have a platform to elaborate on his vision, both regarding the on-field product and the front office's changing infrastructure.
This year, Hahn is old hat. Given that the GM summit, which starts today in Orlando, is the lesser of the offseason's two big meetings, there could be little Sox news out of the next three days. If that's the case, it won't mean that the Sox are standing pat, as Daryl Van Schouwen ominously notes:
Granted, the White Sox general manager landed his big free-agent fish in $68 million Cuban first baseman Jose Abreu. While that acquisition helped save face, the blush from the embarrassment of 2013 hasn’t worn off yet.
Hahn and the rest of the hierarchy, including chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, have never been more humiliated by what happened on the field. Hahn will explore all of his options, including discussing trades about any of his players except for Abreu and Chris Sale.
Groundwork will be laid in any case, perhaps for some possible megadeals.
Ken Davidoff offers an FAQ for the GM meetings, saying the Japanese posting system, instant replay and home-plate collisions will be among the topics on the agenda. He also expects all 13 players who received a qualifying offer to reject them. They'll have to make up their minds by 5 p.m. EST on Monday.
The big-assed trade rumor du jour has the Cardinals attempting to solve their shortstop problem through the most high-profile acquisition possible -- Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki. Jeff Passan says the elements may be there, but Purple Row says it isn't going to happen.
With Jurickson Profar needing a permanent home sooner rather than later, and the wonderfully named Rougned Odor and Luis Sardinas looking like guys with futures, the Rangers have options -- including possible trades including Elvis Andrus and/or Ian Kinsler. Passan mentioned the Cardinals as a possible suitor for a shortstop if the Tulo talks hit a dead end. Lone Star Ball predicts that Profar, Andrus and Kinsler will still be Rangers come spring training.
Jon Heyman says all signs -- including Scott Boras -- point to the Yankees being major players in free agency, which might be as good a reason as any to avoid it. Speaking of Boras...
... he no longer represents the market's leading man, Robinson Cano. The second baseman split from Boras in favor of hybrid representation from CAA and Roc Nation, affording Jay Z his first entry into Major League Baseball. If you don't care for any of the names in this blurb, I still recommend reading Jerry Crasnick's article about the developing rivalry, as it includes a lot of good information on how agents work.