Major League Baseball’s 2023 Winter Meetings get underway in Nashville this week, and the focus is on two big names who could switch teams this season: Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. Ohtani, the two-time American League MVP, remains unsigned, but the focus on Wednesday is Soto. The Yankees have been interested in the Padres outfielder throughout the offseason and are close to landing the star slugger. The two teams have been in talks throughout the day and were still finalizing a potential deal for seven players as of Wednesday night.
The Yankees have been the team most linked to Soto, and their interest remained after the Red Sox traded for outfielder Alex Verdugo on Tuesday night. The Vertugo trade has been the most notable transaction of the winter meetings to date, uncharacteristically slow as teams, agents and players await Ohtani’s decision. The Dodgers, Blue Jays and Giants have all reportedly met with Ohtani in recent days, and the current Angels are still in the mix to re-sign him.
Once Ohtani is signed, the free agent market could really open up, especially for Japanese franchise Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Many of Ohtani’s teams are also said to be in Yamamoto, who could land a deal in the $250-$300 million range.
CBS Sports offers live updates on the latest rumors, signings and trades through the winter meetings this week.
