As expected, not much happened in terms of roster moves during this offseason's GM Meetings. Since they only took place a week after free agency really began, it would've been shocking to see a big name sign or get traded. With that being said, the GMs who were able to get to Las Vegas were all in one hotel discussing the state of their teams. Even though nothing major officially went down, rumors ran rampant all week.
With the information that was made public, we can declare the winners and losers of the week, predicting what'll happen this winter as a result.
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Winners from the GM Meetings
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles were one of MLB's most disappointing teams in 2025, going 75-87 and finishing in last place in the AL East. Injuries didn't help, but this team wasn't good enough as constructed anyway, particularly on the pitching side. In an effort to get back to the postseason, Mike Elias seems intent on improving the pitching staff even if that means doing something he's historically been uncomfortable with doing: spending big.
“We’re still down from where our 2025 payroll was. We’ve got quite a bit to go just to get back to 2025 levels, and I think that’s definitely a possibility if we want to go there, and we’ll assess opportunities beyond that,” president of baseball operations Mike Elias said at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Wednesday afternoon. “I think we’re just going to look at things on a case-by-case basis. The ownership group has a lot of willingness to invest, but also wants to win."
Elias said specifically that he'd like to add a frontline starter, and closer, and a veteran hitter. It sounds like a lot, and it is, but Elias says that Baltimore's ownership group has a willingness to invest and win. This might sound like GM speak, but rumors from MLB.com's Mark Feinsand back this up, too.
"Industry sources believe the Orioles will be aggressive in free agency as they look to return to the postseason following a disappointing 75-win season and last-place finish in the American League East," Feinsand wrote.
I can understand the lack of faith when Elias has historically been reluctant to spend, and Baltimore's new ownership group hasn't proven it's willing to go all-in, but early signs suggest big-money moves will be made. If Elias is able to accomplish his goals, the O's should be competitive, even in a brutally tough division.
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox got back to the postseason for the first time since 2021, but losing in the Wild Card Series to the New York Yankees, no less, is not good enough. Red Sox fans hope to see Craig Breslow make necessary moves to get the team back to compete for a World Series title, and sure enough, he seems intent on delivering.
Craig Breslow said at the GM Meetings that the Red Sox are prioritizing adding middle-of-the-order power and a SP to co-anchor the rotation with Crochet (via @alexspeier). pic.twitter.com/58crFzLi01
— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) November 11, 2025
Breslow said that the Red Sox are prioritizing a middle-of-the-order power bat and a starting pitcher to co-anchor the rotation alongside Garrett Crochet. Yes please!
The Red Sox had a top 10 offense, but ranked just 15th in home runs, and that was with Rafael Devers in their lineup for three months. With no Devers, the Red Sox must add power. Whether it's Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso, or someone else, it seems that Breslow knows that.
As for starting pitching, Breslow has been on the prowl for a No. 2 starter since the trade deadline. He was unable to get a deal done then, but with plenty of options to choose from this winter, why can't a deal get consummated now? He has the reputation for being stingy, and I can understand why, but he was able to get Crochet and Alex Bregman last winter, wasn't he?
It'd take Breslow and owner John Henry getting uncomfortable to deliver on these goals, but Breslow is certainly saying the right things. Let's see if he gets the job done.
Detroit Tigers
Once the Detroit Tigers were eliminated from the postseason, the Tarik Skubal discourse began. At a certain point, it felt like when and where the back-to-back Cy Young winner would get traded, not if. Fortunately for Tigers fans, it sure sounds like Skubal is staying put, based on what FanSided's Robert Murray had to say.
"What happens with Tarik Skubal is the question on almost everyone’s mind at the GM Meetings. My feeling early this offseason has been that the Detroit Tigers will hold onto the star left-hander, who is one year away from free agency. But the team will get inquiries and could the team get blown away with an offer it can’t refuse? With the best pitcher in baseball, you can’t rule anything out," Murray wrote.
Murray made it clear that nothing can be ruled out and that the Tigers could conceivably get blown away by an offer, but it's likely that they're going to keep Skubal. This sounds like a win-win.
Either the Tigers get an absurd haul for a player who, as much as we'd like him to stay in Detroit long-term, is probably going to be wearing another uniform in 2027, or fans get to watch the best pitcher in baseball rep the Old English D for at least part of one more year. That sure sounds better than the Tigers selling him out of desperation or refusing to even listen to offers.
Losers from the GM Meetings
Pittsburgh Pirates
On one hand, the Pittsburgh Pirates made it clear that Paul Skenes is not going anywhere. That, obviously, is a good thing. Trading the pitcher who just won the Cy Young award in his first full season wouldn't be a great look. With that being said, the report about a former Skenes teammate saying the right-hander wants to play with the New York Yankees is not good.
“Trust me, he wants to play for the Yankees,” the Skenes teammate said. “I’ve heard him say it multiple times.”
Did this actually happen? I, obviously, have no way of knowing for sure. It's worth noting that Skenes did deny it. With that being said, Skenes, a player under team control through 2029, has no incentive to tell the truth regarding whether he said that or not.
If it's true, that is not good. This means Skenes is disgruntled and already thinking of life after Pittsburgh. Even if it isn't true, there's a good chance that Skenes isn't exactly thrilled with the state of the Pirates' franchise right now, as they've gone a combined 147-177 with a pair of last-place finishes in Skenes' two seasons. The Pirates better start winning very soon, or else the trade talks will only get louder.
San Diego Padres
It was revealed on Thursday that the San Diego Padres are exploring a sale of the franchise. This doesn't mean anything definitive, but it obviously means that more likely than not, a new ownership group will take the reins in San Diego. This could be good news or bad news for the Padres.
If the new ownership group is willing to stop at nothing to win, obviously, this is a good thing. Spending a lot of money leads to winning more often than not. However, finding such an owner is no guarantee. If the Padres are stuck with a penny-pinching billionaire just looking to make a profit, how can they seriously compete in the same division as the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers?
The uncertainty could lead to potential roster cuts in order to dig the team out of a substantial debt hole. With the contracts of Manny Machado, Yu Darvish, and Xander Bogaerts being relatively unmovable, Fernando Tatis Jr., the face of the franchise who is entering the sixth year of a 14-year, $340 million pact with San Diego, has seen his name dangled on the trade block. It goes without saying that trading him with the goal of saving money would be a bad thing.
Beyond the baseball implications of this possible sale, the Seidler family opting to even dangle the franchise, not even two years after Peter Seidler, a man who did whatever he could to try and field a winner in San Diego, passed away, is frustrating.
Scott Boras
Is it just me, or is the Scott Boras shtick starting to get old? He's one of the most successful sports agents in history - there's no disputing that - but did anyone find his annual pun-filled press conference funny this time around? It felt as if they left a lot to be desired. Even beyond the bad puns, did anyone buy what Boras was selling when talking about some of his clients?
When discussing Cody Bellinger, Boras went as far as to say he's "the only 5-tool outfielder on the free agent market." Um, did Kyle Tucker sign without us knowing? Bellinger is a really good player deserving of a large chunk of change, but Tucker is this offseason's white whale. He's not going to make Juan Soto money, but he's going to be the highest-paid player by a wide margin. He also happens to be more well-rounded than Bellinger.
Tucker is the clear-cut better hitter. Bellinger might have him beat as a defender, but he's far from elite in center field nowadays. As for speed, Bellinger might be faster, but Tucker has three straight seasons of at least 25 steals (Bellinger's career-high in stolen bases in 20) and his baserunning run value (78th percentile) ranked higher than Bellinger's (69th percentile) per Baseball Savant.
It didn't stop there, though. In an attempt to make another one of his clients, Pete Alonso, look good, Boras said that he believes concerns about his defense are overblown because the New York Mets continued to play him at first base.
“When you look at the number of first basemen that can play 100 games, you have to rank Pete up there in the top seven or eight,” Boras said Wednesday. “There aren’t many first basemen that can play first base and keep the position.
Scott - Alonso only played that many games at first base because the Mets needed his bat in the lineup and didn't have a replacement. His bat is awesome, and his durability is incredibly underrated, but the fact that he played a lot of games there does not mean he's a good or even serviceable defender. Teams want him for his bat, and understandably so. There is no need to try and convince us otherwise.