DALLAS — The Hilton Anatole has become Major League Baseball’s top destination this week as teams converge for the winter meetings with writers, agents and even some fans circling the vast lobby floors.
The biggest offseason news came down Sunday night, when the New York Mets and star free agent slugger Juan Soto reportedly agreed on a 15-year, $765 million deal, which would be the largest contract ever given to a professional athlete.
That was a key talking point when managers started meeting with the media on Monday.
Nationals manager Dave Martinez reflected on when he was Soto’s first manager in the big leagues back in 2018.
“This kid, he was different,” Martinez said. “The ball comes off his bat differently. The way he approaches the hitting was way different than a lot of kids I’ve seen. But the one thing that I always remember about him, the first conversation I had, the first thing that came out of his mouth when I asked him what motivates him, what drives him, and he just came out and said, ‘I love baseball.’ Truly you can see it in him. He loves playing the game.”
The Red Sox were among the clubs in the mix for Soto. Boston manager Alex Cora didn’t get into specific details, but he enjoyed the organization’s pursuit of the four-time All Star.
“It was fun in a way, you know, to get to know people and players of that status,” Cora said. “It’s amazing. The kid, he gets it. He gets it. Let me put it that way.”
Royals manager Matt Quatraro, meanwhile, spoke about the impact such a monumental contract may have on smaller market teams in order to compete in today’s market.
“We have to be creative. We have to put the best 26 guys on a roster or the best 40 guys on a roster, not the best one or two,” Quatraro said. “At the end of the day, you have a chance to compete against those guys. Soto is going to hit four to five times a night. Those are impactful at-bats, but there’s other ways to combat that with a full 26-man roster.”
Sasaki Posted
Outside of the Soto reaction, Monday’s other main storyline – at least going into the afternoon hours – centered on Japanese ace right-hander Roki Sasaki officially being posted. The 23-year-old phenom is available to sign as a free agent from Tuesday through 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 23.
The rumor mill was churning with plenty of speculation and talk about where Sasaki might sign. He was just one of many big-name players being discussed on Monday.
The list of top free agents behind Soto includes pitchers Corbin Burnes and Max Fried and infielders Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso and Christian Walker. On the trade front, much attention is being placed on White Sox left-handed starter Garrett Crochet.
It was a relatively quiet Day 1 through the standard working hours, although things are always subject to change at meetings of this nature.
Tito is Back
Terry Francona joked that his desire to manage again resurfaced when his daughters went on a 10-day trip to Europe.
“I watched the grandkids. That was the one day I thought maybe I’ll go back to baseball,” Francona said, laughing.
All joking aside, Francona said it simply happened that when the Reds reached out, the timing felt right. He’s healthy and refreshed as he’s set to enter his 24th season as a manager.
“I had a really good year and maybe I just needed that,” Francona, 65, said. “Then, when these guys called, it just felt right.”
Honoring Mays
The winter meetings kicked off with MLB announcing that its annual charity auction during the event would help revitalize Willie Mays Park in the late Hall of Famer’s hometown of Fairfield, Ala.
At a news conference, April Brown, MLB’s senior vice president of social responsibility and diversity, said the vision for the project includes access for all levels of players, from youth leagues to advanced levels.
“This effort will not just be MLB alone,” Brown said. “We have the blessing of so many connected to his legacy and that have the mission to instill the love of our game that Willie had to all of the youth in the area growing up in the neighborhood where he grew up.”
The auction, which features items from every major league club, runs through Thursday.
–Drew Davison, Field Level Media