MLB Insider: What I'm hearing on Alex Bregman, Angels, Garrett Crochet, Mariners and more

SAN ANTONIO – Less than a week after the World Series ended, teams and agents have gathered in San Antonio to lay the groundwork for the offseason.

Deals are rarely made at this time of the year. But initial conversations around baseball are happening and should lead to trades or free-agent signings in the coming weeks. Here’s what I’m hearing from Day 1 of the General Manager Meetings.

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Houston Astros

The Houston Astros have had “a lot of discussions” with free-agent infielder Alex Bregman and his representative Scott Boras, according to general manager Dana Brown. 

“They have been productive and we hope that some good things happen,” Brown said. “I think we have a really good chance.”

Elsewhere for the Astros, the team has a surplus of pitching and has not ruled out possibly trading from that strength to upgrade a different part of the roster. “Nothing is off the table. It has to make sense,” Brown said. “We have to feel like we’d get two potential players for this one player or something like that. I’m not aggressively trying to get rid of starting pitchers. But if we have an opportunity to plug some holes and it makes sense for the club, we’ll do it.”

Los Angeles Angels

Mike Trout is “gearing toward being ready for spring training,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said. 

Perry Minasian found out from his brother, Zack, that he had a “good shot” of getting the Giants’ general manager position. “It was awesome. I couldn’t be more excited for him. I know how much work he put in to get to this point. To do it in a place that I know he loves, he loves San Francisco. He loves the city. He loves the people in the office. He loves the organization. To do it there, to do it with Buster Posey, that’s pretty special.” 

On the possibility of making a trade with Zack, Perry joked: “He’s going to be tough. I’m not closing any doors but he’s a tough one to deal with.”

On the remaining offseason priorities, Minasian said that he’s looking to improve every part of the roster after a 99-loss season. “Power was one for me that I would still like to add more of it if I can. We were 29th in slug last year, so (Jorge) Soler made sense. … We could use help in the rotation, bullpen, depth, infield, outfield, all of it. I’m not closing any doors.”

Chicago White Sox

There is a “long list of teams” that have expressed interest in Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet, general manager Chris Getz said. There have been more teams to check in this offseason than at the trade deadline, Getz added.

“It’s important to know that he’s one of the best starters in the game,” Getz said,” and I could very easily see him making an Opening Day start for us as well.”

Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners are prioritizing offensive upgrades, specifically in the infield, general manager Justin Hollander said.

“We feel really good about the way our outfield is coming together,” Hollander said. “Julio (Rodriguez) in center. Victor (Robles) in right. Randy Arozarena in left. We also have Luke Raley, who can play out there in addition to playing first base. We feel like it’s a pretty high-end outfield. … Our infield situation is a little less certain right now and finding a way to add some certainty and offense to that group is a priority this winter.”