MLB GM Meetings End With Plenty of Talk but Little Action

A lot of buzz, but not much sting.

That's one way to characterize what went down at Major League Baseball's General Managers Meetings this week.

Zero trades were made. A few mid-level free-agents were signed. A lot of talking happened, and not just by agent Scott Boras.

Industry people say that, as a result, all of the talk sets the stage for a couple of busy weeks before the owners' lockout goes into effect Dec. 2. Like the proverbial herd of buffalo being run off a cliff into a valley.

It's hard to glean anything definitive from the three pitchers who signed free-agent deals, but for two of them, it could be a sign that teams don't want to spend a lot on bullpens. Three deals in total are modest, and the outlay in dollars was also.

Right-hander Evan Phillips turned his 26 innings post-Tommy John surgery into $35 million over the next three seasons from the Atlanta Braves. That's a little bit risky, but an average annual value of $11 million and change isn't a huge premium. Three years is always a lot for a relief pitcher.

You'd think 35-year-old right-hander Emilio Pagan could get a two-year deal, and maybe he could have had he waited, but there's not much time to wait. With so much uncertainty about the 2027 season, Pagan jumping at a one-year deal from the Detroit Tigers could start (or continue) a pattern this offseason for free-agent relievers in their 30s.

Ryan Weiss spent two years in the KBL, and now has a chance for $1.85 million and a spot in the San Diego Padres rotation. Or he could be sent to the minors. AJ Preller often checks outside the box for pitching depth.

We definitely know the Houston Astros have a new manager. They've hired Brad Ausmus after interviewing Albert Pujols and others. Ausmus is not a sexy hire; he's been an MLB manager before with mixed results. In 2014, he made the playoffs with the Tigers, but that organization started a steep decline immediately thereafter. Ausmus' record from that? Well, let's just say MLB managers are at the mercy of how good their players are. And their front offices.

On that note, the Astros seem to be on the verge of a decline, like the Tigers a decade ago. Where is Astros owner Jim Crane taking the organization?

The real big news of the offseason, aside from how the Collective Bargaining Agreement will pan out, is where left-hander Tarik Skubal is going, and how the rest of the expected free-agent and/or trade frenzy shakes out.

The GM Meetings are almost never an event where transactions actually happen. Perhaps they can be called a disappointment this time anyway, given the kind of activity expected this offseason. Or maybe it's a sign that teams are afraid to commit big dollars to middle-of-the-road players given the uncertainties ahead. The Skubals are going to get paid, which could leave the Pagans with some take-it-or-leave-it decisions.