2018 – Patrick Corbin, one of the most sought-after free agents of the current off-season, signs a six-year deal with the Nationals worth $140 million.
2016 – The Veterans Committee elects two executives, former Commissioner Bud Selig and GM John Schuerholz from the “Today’s Game” ballot featuring players and executives active after 1988. Schuerholz is a unanimous choice, while Selig receives 15 of 16 votes. Both will be formally inducted in July, 2017.
The Marlins hire the former steroids-tainted superstar Barry Bonds, who joins the staff of newly hired manager Don Mattingly as the team’s hitting coach. Some see the return of the 51 year-old all-time home king to baseball as a way for him to enhance his Hall of Fame chances, but his presence in Miami may also be beneficial for a 71-91 team that finished next to last in the majors in runs and home runs, and last in walks.
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.
1B Joey Votto of the Reds is named the winner of the Tip O’Neill Award as the top Canadian baseball player for the fifth time in six years.
2014 – Pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka returns to Japan after eight seasons in the major leagues, signing a deal with the Softbank Hawks of the Pacific League.
2012 – In the second day of the annual Winter Meetings, the Red Sox sign free agent OF Shane Victorino to a three-year contract and the Nationals sign P Dan Haren for one year. On the trade front, the Astros send P Wilton Lopez to Colorado for Ps Alex White and Alex Gillingham and the Marlins trade SS Yunel Escobar, acquired in last month’s 12-player blockbuster deal with Toronto, to Tampa Bay for minor leaguer Derek Dietrich.
Manny Ramirez applies for reinstatement from the voluntarily retired list. However, he will still be required to resolve his outstanding violation of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, announced on April 8th, and will need to serve a 100-game suspension if he signs a contract with a major league team.
The Miami Marlins sign free agent SS Jose Reyes, the National League batting champion, to a six-year contract worth $60 million. The Marlins are expected to move Hanley Ramirez to third base as a result.
The Red Sox acquire All-Star 1B Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego for three prospects, P Casey Kelly, 1B Anthony Rizzo and OF Reymond Fuentes; Kelly and Fuentes are former first round picks in the amateur draft and are considered prize catches for the Friars, although Rizzo will turn out to be the best of the three. The move also means that 1B Kevin Youkilis will move across the diamond to 3B, where he played in the minor leagues, and signals that the Sox have given up hopes of re-signing 3B Adrian Beltre, their best hitter last season. The deal will be official in two days when Gonzalez signs a seven-year contract with Boston, worth $154 million.