Winners and losers of the 2015 MLB Winter Meetings

Loser – Los Angeles Dodgers

There was a lot of expectations for the Los Angeles Dodgers coming into the winter, given their recent success and their propensity for spending big. After losing Zack Greinke to the division-rival Diamondbacks just before the meetings, the Dodgers looked to cash-in and make a move in Nashville.

It appeared that things were well underway for that move on Tuesday, when it broke that Los Angeles had agreed to a deal that would land them star closer Aroldis Chapman from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for a pair of minor league prospects. However, the deal fell apart when it was learned that Chapman had an offseason arrest for domestic violence, something that will certainly require an investigation from Major League Baseball and will undoubtedly result in a suspension of unknown length. The Dodgers were forced to walk away from it due to the uncertainty of Chapman’s status for next season.

Unfortunately for Los Angeles, they haven’t appeared to have much of a plan heading into the meetings aside from Chapman. While they have talked to the Marlins and shunned the asking price for Jose Fernandez, Los Angeles has been quiet, completing just two transactions by re-signing Chase Utley to a one-year deal and claiming Danny Reynolds off waivers from the crosstown Angels.

The Dodgers remain in the mix for a number of arms, including Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake, but viewed both as fallback options heading into the winter. Now, they may be the only moves to help salvage their efforts.

Next: Winner - New York Yankees