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MLB's GM Meetings are here — and this time around, it's much more than just table-setting for the offseason to come. With a lockout potentially setting in on Dec. 2, the GM Meetings could well become the de-facto Winter Meetings, which could mean we see real action in both free agency and on the trade market. And we'll have you covered all week in Las Vegas thanks to the FanSided MLB team and insider Robert Murray, who will have live updates and rumors from Vegas.
Even if we don't see a flurry of moves, though, the GM Meetings are all about messaging — and reading between the lines. Are players like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Elly De La Cruz actually available? Who will pay up for Tarik Skubal, and how historic might his market get? Where will the likes of Randy Arozarena, Freddy Peralta and the rest of this free-agent class wind up? Oh, and don't even get us started on international stars like Tatsuya Imai, who have already been posted.
Now is when we'll begin to find out the answers, and when all 30 fan bases get a sense of how their offseasons might play out. To help you prepare, we've gone division by division to detail exactly what each fan base should be rooting for this week. (The teams are listed in order of how they finished the 2026 regular season.)
Usually winning a pennant would call for a big offseason. But that’s never how the Rays have done business, preferring to stay one step ahead to keep their shoestring budget in check. Will this winter be more of the same? If so, it could mean that Drew Rasmussen (with one more year at $20 million left before hitting free agency) is on the move. If not, they stand out as a great fit for any of the big bats who could be available via trade, from Neto to CJ Abrams.
–Chris Landers, FanSided.com sports editor
Whatever you want to say about Aaron Boone and fundamentals, the Yankees have flamed out in the ALDS in two straight years now for a very simple reason: They haven’t been able to hit enough. The return of Aaron Judge will help, sure, but New York desperately needs to replace Ryan McMahon with an impact hitter who can play second, third or even short. More of the same isn’t an option.
–CL
Forget how last season ended. With tons of pitching depth, a hopefully healthy season from Adley Rutschman and the debut of top prospect Franklin Arias, the Red Sox are poised to be very, very good team next year. That is, assuming they add the finishing touches to an offense that still feels like it’s one more impact hitter away. If that hitter could play second base and hit right-handed — Zach Neto, maybe? — all the better, but Craig Breslow can’t afford to run this lineup back.
–CL
The clock is officially ticking on the Elias era in Baltimore, especially with Gunnar Henderson now just two years away from free agency. The O’s probably aren’t winning big in 2027 if their homegrown core doesn’t take a big step forward, but they definitely aren’t winning big if Elias can’t finally get this rotation right. Shane Baz and Kyle Bradish still have upside left to unlock, and youngsters like Brandon Young and Trey Gibson are intriguing, but this team is crying out for a legit frontline arm — especially with Trevor Rogers now a free agent.
–CL
Toronto has never shied away from taking big swings in free agency, even if those swings don’t always connect. That should be doubly true coming off a year in which they were one of the biggest disappointments in baseball. The Jays have the makings of a darn good pitching staff next season. The offense needs a ton of help, though; will this front office continue to splash cash around, maybe on someone like Seiya Suzuki? There’s no Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto in this year’s class, but that’s no excuse to take your foot off the gas.
–CL
The Guardians got to within two games of winning a pennant … and yet, because they’re the Guardians, the biggest offseason buzz so far has been around trading center fielder Steven Kwan. Welcome to life under baseball’s least ambitious ownership group. Will things finally change with a salary cap (and salary floor) potentially on the horizon? Cleveland needs at least one big bat to give themselves a shot at contention next season, and maybe more if Kwan moves on.
–CL
The White Sox have a lot to feel good about after shocking the baseball world and getting to within one game of the ALCS. They also know exactly what they need to take the next step: pitching, and lots of it. No team got fewer innings from its rotation in 2026 than Chicago, and there are tons of question marks with this group entering the winter. This core deserves serious investment; will Getz, and owner Jerry Reinsdorf, meet the moment and make big swings at impact arms?
–CL
Which direction are the Twins headed? They seemed to be selling the team for parts at the 2025 trade deadline, only to make an (ultimately unsuccessful) Wild Card push last season. But getting serious about contending will require the Pohlads to decide they’re serious about owning a Major League team. Are they willing to spend some money for a change? If not, it’s hard to see this team going anywhere in 2027, and guys like Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez should probably become trade candidates.
–CL
The Tigers ended 2026 on a down note, to put it kindly, spiraling out of playoff contention and shipping Skubal to the Dodgers. But there’s still plenty to like about this team moving forward, from Kevin McGonigle to Riley Greene to a plethora of interesting young arms. But there isn’t enough talent here to really stack up with the beasts of the AL; will Harris be willing to get out of his comfort zone and make a run at a big trade candidate like Reid Detmers or a top free agent like Randy Arozarena?
–CL
The Royals feel like they’re approaching a crossroads after two straight dismal seasons following 2024’s run to the ALDS. The offense simply isn’t good enough around Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone; the rotation struggled mightily last season and is relying an awful lot on Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha defying Father Time. This era is going to crumble without serious financial reinforcements; will this front office and ownership group oblige?
–CL
It’s time for Houston to admit what fans already know: This team is probably going to get worse before it gets better. There’s simply not enough talent, and not enough money available to continue papering over the holes. A Jeremy Peña trade feels like a foregone conclusion, but the Astros should think about Isaac Paredes and Josh Hader too. Actually hiring an external GM candidate is a good start; now it’s time to let him remake this team in his image.
–CL
Texas is old, expensive and mediocre, which is an ugly combination. Even if ownership weren’t set on keeping payroll in check, there simply aren’t enough resources to get this team back into real AL contention. So the goal should be to retool and start building what comes next, and that means finding ways to get out from under big contracts like Corey Seager, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi — hopefully while getting something meaningful in return. The last thing the Rangers can afford is to simply run it back and hope for the best.
–CL
It was understandable for the Mariners to more or less run things back after coming within a game of making the World Series in 2025, but boy did it blow up in their face. Now, with Randy Arozarena off to free agency, it’s time for Jerry DiPoto to finally start taking some big swings. This offense is in desperate need of some more punch, even if Cal Raleigh, Josh Naylor and Julio Rodriguez get back to their All-Star forms. If DiPoto won’t pull the trigger on a trade sending an arm like George Kirby for an impact bat now, will he ever?
–CL
Langeliers is almost certainly available this winter, now just two years away from free agency. But that’s an indictment of this organization’s leadership more than anything, which should be spending to build a pitching staff around its homegrown lineup rather than already thinking about breaking that lineup apart. From a coldly calculating perspective, a Langeliers deal makes sense, but boy would it be depressing for a fan base that’s already been through enough.
–CL
Yeeting Arte Moreno into the Pacific is a huge first step. But eventually you need to start putting a plan in place, and we still don’t know exactly who will be calling the shots in Anaheim over the long haul. John Mozeliak’s status seems murky at best; is he the new man in charge, or still just a caretaker? The biggest thing the Angels can do this winter is establish a long-term strategy and hand the keys to a young, bright executive.
–CL
This team is good, as evidenced by their NL East division title, but they also haven’t won a five- or seven-game playoff series since winning it all in 2021 — despite making the postseason four times in that span. They have clear holes in their rotation, shortstop and left field. If properly addressed, this team can absolutely win a World Series. Will they properly address them?
–Zach Rotman, FanSided.com staff writer
Will a fifth straight disappointing postseason exit result in meaningful change? I don’t mean bringing in Carlos Mendoza to be the third-base coach or signing another outfielder to a cheap one-year deal, I mean meaningful change, whether it’s signing Seiya Suzuki or Randy Arozarena, or trading core players for new-look stars. Phillies fans know that this core’s window to compete is closing, so the last thing they want is to see virtually the same team with one or two minor changes.
–ZR
The Alcantara decision is an interesting one worth following. On one hand, he’s a great pitcher on an expiring contract likely to earn a ton of money next offseason, and given the Marlins’ historic reluctance to spending, it’s hard to believe they’d be the team to keep him. On the other hand, Alcantara is the face of a Marlins franchise that is closer to a playoff spot than you might think. Would Miami trade him when, with a couple of additions, this team could easily earn a Wild Card spot in 2027? I can see both sides of the argument, and it’d be great to have some clarity.
–ZR
The Nationals were one of MLB’s biggest surprises in 2026, winning 77 games despite a historically bad bullpen and despite selling at the trade deadline. Their offense led the Majors in runs scored for much of the year largely due to the contributions of James Wood and CJ Abrams. With both of them entering arbitration, their names have been floated around in trade rumors. Rather than trade one or both of them to set the franchise back into another rebuild, Nats fans would love to hear that they’re staying put and the team is willing to address the pitching staff financially.
–ZR
Funny enough, this was the question I had for the Mets last offseason, and the answer was unequivocally no. New York settled for a slew of players on short-term deals, and they had the worst offseason in the Majors in hindsight, resulting in a 74-88 season. The core of this team is actually quite good, but the Mets need a frontline starter, real bullpen help and another bat. Will Stearns be willing to give Tarik Skubal the kind of historic deal he’s going to be seeking? Will Stearns be willing to give a hitter a lucrative multi-year deal? Or is he just going to settle on bounce-back candidates on short-term deals again?
–ZR
From Josh Hader to Corbin Burnes to Devin Williams to Freddy Peralta, the Brewers have traded a slew of stars approaching free agency in recent years .And for the most part, they've nailed the returns for those players, allowing them to remain competitive. With William Contreras and Trevor Megill entering their final year of club control in 2027, will Milwaukee choose to do what they’ve excelled at in recent years and move them for prospects before losing them in free agency? Or now that they’ve won a World Series, will they keep one or both of them around? Brewers fans should trust Matt Arnold regardless of what he decides, but they’d still love to know what’ll happen with two key contributors.
–ZR
It’s been made abundantly clear according to multiple reports that the Cubs won’t be in on Skubal, but that doesn’t mean they can’t improve their rotation in a big way. Would the Cubs be willing to spend a lot of money on one or two B-tier free agents like Michael King, Freddy Peralta, Sonny Gray or Clay Holmes, or even trade for a Joe Ryan or Sandy Alcantara type? Relying heavily on Justin Steele, who hasn’t pitched since early in 2025, and on the possible return of Cade Horton, who is coming off an elbow injury of his own, isn’t good enough if they’re serious about contending.
–ZR
The Pirates got everything they could’ve asked for from Lowe, whose 35 home runs and 96 RBI led the team by a wide margin and helped Pittsburgh go from worst to sixth in runs scored. If Pittsburgh is serious about winning, how can they let this guy go? It’s one thing if he gets a massive nine-figure deal that the Pirates shouldn’t match, but if Lowe signs an affordable deal with a team that isn’t the Pirates, that’d be very bad.
–ZR
The Cardinals were much better than anticipated in 2026, and with an exciting position player core in place, they can be legitimate postseason contenders in 2027 if they upgrade their pitching staff. JJ Wetherholt is the only player they have under a solidified contract, so even after players in arbitration get their new deals, St. Louis will have one of, if not the, lowest payrolls in the sport. Given that, Cardinals fans would love to hear that the organization is ready to push its chips in and spend real money to improve a roster that can be quite good very quickly.
–ZR
I get it, Elly De La Cruz probably isn’t going to be a Red long-term given how reluctant they are to spend, and Cincy could very well get absurd offers if they made him available this winter. But he’s under control through 2029; why not give winning with him a real try, at least this season, and then re-assess next winter? It feels too early to give up on De La Cruz in Cincinnati, and I doubt there will be an offer out there good enough to convince me that trading him is the right thing to do.
–ZR
It’s no secret that the Dodgers would be the team most impacted by a potential salary cap, but with such a system not being implemented until 2028 at the earliest (if ever), fans would love for Andrew Friedman to go all-in once again, re-signing Skubal and potentially upgrading an aging lineup. Doing so might be wise long-term, especially if a cap does arrive, but the Dodgers’ window to win is right now. They might as well maximize their odds. We saw them sign Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz while also trading for Skubal after winning back-to-back World Series titles. Dodgers fans would love to see them be even more aggressive after an embarrassing NLCS exit.
–ZR
The Padres have as much money committed to players on long-term deals as any team in the league this side of the Dodgers. That money impacted how much AJ Preller could add around them, but now, a new ownership group is in place. They say they want to win badly and will do what it takes, but they need to put their money where their mouths are. The Padres need to completely revamp their rotation and could use another bat as well. How much can they realistically add?
–ZR
This was a question we had last offseason, and we didn’t really know the answer until after the new year. That’s a long time to string fans along. If the Diamondbacks have had enough of Marte’s antics, that’s fine; just make that clear. If they don’t want to sell low on Marte knowing that he’s lowered his value by missing time when not approved and that he’s coming off a down year, that’s fine — again, just make that clear. The last thing fans want entering what could be a prolonged lockout is to not know if one of the franchise cornerstones will be in town or not.
–ZR
Are the Giants going to decide to try to shed as many of their bad contracts (Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, Matt Chapman, Jung Hoo Lee) as they can and rebuild? Will they to keep those players around and double down by spending money in free agency? San Francisco was supposed to be a win-now team in 2026 but never came close to being competitive. Now, Giants fans want to see Buster Posey come up with a plan and stick to it.
–ZR
Are the Rockies going to try to meaningfully improve? If so, make it clear that the organization is going to spend a lot of money to address what’s currently a historically bad pitching staff. Their lineup is actually coming along somewhat nicely. If not, are the Rockies going to consider trades involving Hunter Goodman, Mickey Moniak and others for prospects? Colorado simply needs to pick a direction. The last thing they can afford to do is what they’ve done too much of in recent years: Sit on their hands.
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