MLB rumor roundup: 3 things to watch at 2023 MLB Winter Meetings on Day 1

NASHVILLE — Could the MLB hot stove ignite with a fury on Monday as the 2023 Winter Meetings kick off inside the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center?

Here is a trio of storylines I am following as MLB's biggest event of the offseason gets underway.

MLB rumors: How close is Shohei Ohtani to signing a massive deal?

Could we be in the final days of the sweepstakes to see which team lands Shohei Ohtani for the foreseeable future? MLB insider Jon Morosi teed up what could happen in Nashville on Sunday when he sent out a message on social media stating that, "Ohtani is likely to decide on a team within the next week, according to one source engaged with the top end of the free-agent market."

Now, whether that really happens this week remains to be seen. However, it's expected those whispers will either get louder or softer on Monday, letting us know if we will really see MLB's biggest contract ever handed out here in Nashville or later in the offseason.

With a few teams (the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs among them) still linked to Ohtani, there is still plenty of jockeying left to do for one of those teams to land Ohtani. What we hear on Monday could define which team has an advantage and how soon things could move forward for the reigning American League Most Valuable Player.