With each passing day, the Major League Baseball offseason draws closer and closer to the winter meetings, scheduled for December 9-12 in Dallas, Texas. Although meetings tend to contain a lot of action, there is usually an uptick in activity as the holidays approach, with players, agents and teams wanting to finish their business before taking a few days to themselves. With that in mind, here are the best rumors from Monday.
Soto reduced to four teams
Four teams are seriously vying for outfielder Juan Soto, the top free agent on the market, according to USA Today. These four clubs are the New York Mets and Yankees, as well as the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox.
The Mets have long been considered the favorites to land Soto because of owner Steve Cohen’s willingness to spend the most money. The Yankees are the starters, though, which may or may not mean something considering Soto only spent one season there.
As for the Red Sox, We at CBS Sports argued last week that they should be one of the most aggressive teams of the winter..
Courageous people seek help on the ground
The Braves are looking for an outfielder, with a preference for a left-handed hitter, according to The Athletic.
As it stands, the Braves’ projected roster contains just four players who bat part-time or full-time in left: second baseman Ozzie Albies, first baseman Matt Olson and outfielders Michael Harris and Jarred Kelenic. The Braves recently signed left-handed outfielder Carlos D. Rodriguez to the big leagues, but he is expected to serve as organizational depth rather than a serious option most of the time.
Some of the more interesting outfield options include Jason Heyward, Max Kepler and Michael Tauchman, who was non-tendered last week by the Cubs.
