On December 7th, the Winter Meetings will begin, and you have to wonder with all the early trade action with Kimbrel and Andrelton Simmons if more big trades will happen before Nashville. Can the GMs hold off another 17 days to get to Nashville and the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center to do some more blockbuster trades?
So far, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo has been quiet on major moves as so far. On Rizzo’s ledger is signing Sean Burnett and Reed Johnson to MiLB deals with Spring Training invites and adding Kieboom, Lee and Bostick to the Nats 40 man roster as a protection from the Rule 5 Draft.
If you’re planning to attend the Winter Meetings, the Gaylord Opryland, which is the largest US non-casino hotel in the US, it’s sold-out, and you’re going to have to stay somewhere else as we found out.
Hard to believe that the Gaylord Opryland and all 2,881 rooms and 220 suites are booked up already. Not only will MLB be there, but also Minor League baseball, 100’s of media members, and those in the trade will be there. It’s quite the spectacle and from the Gaylord Opyland website it looks like there will be some good angles for photos, here, and here…..
The good news for Nats fans is that the December 2016 Winter Meetings will be held in the DC area at the Gaylord resort in National Harbor on the Potomac in Prince Georges County Maryland.
As we discussed earlier this week, will Mike Rizzo look to Free Agency or trades to fill his spots for the left-handed bat he’s referred to as well as the needs in the bullpen? Free Agency or Trade Route? What’s the better path?
Our old friend Jim Bowden has compiled a list on ESPN Insider which you should subscribe to, and since this is a subscriber piece we deleted all of the write-ups and additional destinations except for the players that affect the Nats.
Jim Bowden’s 10 Big Name Trade List
| 1. Aroldis Chapman | Possible destinations: Nationals |
| 2. Carlos Gonzalez | |
| 3. Todd Frazier | |
| 4. Brett Gardner | Possible destinations:Nationals |
| 5. Ken Giles | Possible destinations: Nationals |
| 6. Tyson Ross | |
| 7. Jay Bruce | |
| 8. Starlin Castro | |
| 9. Brad Boxberger | Possible destinations: Nationals, |
| 10. Drew Storen | Possible destinations: Blue Jays, Cubs, Tigers, Astros, Giants, Diamondbacks. |
While we’ve discussed every name on this list before except Tyson Ross and Ken Giles in the past, Bowden hasn’t linked Carlos Gonzalez as a fit for the Nats which is fine, but he has included Giles as a fit for the Nats. Coincidentally, Tyson Ross is the older brother of Joe Ross. Also of note, Jonathan Papelbon didn’t make Bowden’s top 10 list.
