Major League Baseball’s 2023 Winter Meetings are underway this week in Nashville, and most of the attention is on the two biggest names that could change teams this offseason: Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. Ohtani, the two-time American League MVP remains unsigned, but the focus of Wednesday has been Soto. The Yankees have been interested in the Padres outfielder for the entire offseason and are close to landing the star slugger. The two teams have been in talks throughout the day and are still finalizing a potential seven-player deal as of Wednesday night.
The Yankees have been the most connected team to Soto, and their interest remained even after they traded for Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo on Tuesday night. The Verdugo trade has been the most notable transaction to date at the Winter Meetings, which have been uncharacteristically slow as teams, agents and players await Ohtani’s decision. The Dodgers, Blue Jays and Giants have all reportedly met with Ohtani in recent days, and the incumbent Angels are still in the mix to re-sign him.
Once Ohtani signs, the free agent market could really open up, especially for Japanese righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Several teams in on Ohtani are also reportedly in on Yamamoto, who could command a contract in the $250-$300 million range.
Follow along below as CBS Sports provides live updates on the latest rumors, signings, and trades through the Winter Meetings this week.
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