2015

At the Winter Meetings in Nashville, TN, the Pirates trade 2B Neil Walker to the Mets in return for P Jonathon Niese; the Yankees send reliever Justin Wilson to the Tigers for prospects Luis Cessa and Chad Green; and the Athletics send 3B Brett Lawrie to the White Sox for two prospects.

The Winter Meetings are in full swing in Nashville, TN, and a number of deals are announced. The Cubs sign free agent 2B Ben Zobrist to a four-year deal, then trade incumbent Starlin Castro to the Yankees in return for P Adam Warren and a player to be named to clear out a starting spot for him. In another trade, the Diamondbacks acquire Ps Shelby Miller and Gabe Speier from Atlanta, but the price is steep: starting OF Ender Inciarte, SS Dansby Swanson, the top pick in the 2015 amateur draft, and minor league P Aaron Blair. The Cardinals trade OF Jon Jay to San Diego for 2B Jedd Gyorko, the Mariners land P Evan Scribner from Oakland for minor league P Trey Cochran-Gill, while C Tyler Flowers signs with Atlanta for two years and P Mark Lowe joins the Tigers, also on a two-year deal.

Amanda Hopkins is hired by the A’s as a full-time major league scout, becoming the first female to hold that position in over seventy years. The 22 year-old former Central Washington University softball captain, whose dad is a scout, joins Edith Houghton and Bessie Largent, who held similar positions with the Phillies and White Sox, respectively, in the 1930s and 1940s.

A trade between the Reds and Dodgers for All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman is held up when a police report emerges that the player fired a gun eight times after a domestic altercation on October 30th. While no charges were made a the time, the incident is still under investigation by police and Chapman also faces a possible suspension under Major League Baseball’s new domestic violence policy.

The Diamondbacks obtain right-handed starter Shelby Miller from the Braves for outfielder Ender Inciarte, pitching prospect Aaron Blair, and Dansby Swanson, the first player selected in this year’s MLB June Amateur Draft. The deal marks the first time a #1 overall pick has been traded within the first year of their career, a move made possible because teams are now allowed to trade recently drafted picks after the World Series.

The Veterans Committee fails to elect any of the ten candidates from the “pre-integration era” up for consideration for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. Early baseball pioneer Doc Adams comes closest with 10 votes out of the 12 required.

The Red Sox trade P Wade Miley to Seattle, along with P Jonathan Aro, in return for Ps Roenis Elias and Carson Smith.

2015 – Another day, another free agent pitcher signs a huge contract. Today, Jeff Samardzija inks a five-year deal with the Giants worth $90 million. The deal, which is pending a physical exam, follows on the heels of even larger contracts signed by David Price and Zack Greinke in previous days.

The Diamondbacks make a splash on the free agent market as they shell out $206 million to sign P Zack Greinke for six years. Greinke’s annual salary of $34.3 million will make him the highest-paid player in the game.