The Opener: GM Meetings, ROYs, Managers

Which squad would make sense in a Ketel Marte trade? Great deep dive from MLBTR’s Anthony Franco on the possibilities for 20+ teams. 1. Skubal the focus in Vegas The GM Meetings kicked off on Monday. Unsurprisingly, the most prized free agent on the market was a popular talking point. Tarik Skubal rumblings began pretty quickly after executives from around the league descended on Las Vegas. The Padres reportedly have interest in landing the two-time Cy Young winner. The Cubs? Not so much. Skubal’s status could hang over the rest of free agency, like it did heading into the trade deadline. 2. Rookie of the Year awards handed out Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle and Reds first baseman Sal Stewart earned Rookie of the Year honors last night. McGonigle delivered a 129 wRC+ with 18 homers and 12 steals as an everyday option on the left side of the infield. Stewart popped 32 homers and finished third in the league in RBI. The awards voting has resulted in three Prospect Promotion Incentive picks. The Tigers and Reds each got one for their ROY winners. The Guardians also got one after Parker Messick finished top three in AL Cy Young voting. 3. Manager of the Year decided tonight Awards season will continue with the Baseball Writers’ Association of America announcing the Manager of the Year on Tuesday. The AL candidates are Kevin Cash (Rays), Chad Tracy (Red Sox), and Will Venable (White Sox). On the NL side, it’s Don Mattingly (Phillies), Pat Murphy (Brewers), and Walt Weiss (Braves). It’s an interesting group. Two of the skippers were early-season replacements (Tracy and Mattingly). Cash and Murphy faced off in the World Series. Venable turned around a Chicago squad that had lost 100+ games the past three years. Photo courtesy of Katie Stratman, Imagn Images View Comments (7)