Recapping each club's most memorable Meetings

December 8th, 2017

As the baseball world prepares to gather in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on Sunday night, MLB.com is looking back at the most memorable Winter Meetings moves in each franchise's history. Here's a rundown for each club:
Angels: On the final day of the 2011 Winter Meetings, news broke that the Angels had agreed to a 10-year, $254 million deal with slugger . An hour later, reports surfaced that they had also landed left-hander -- the top pitcher of that year's free-agent class -- with a five-year, $77.5 million contract. It represented a massive coup for the Angels and then-general manager Jerry Dipoto, who was just six weeks into his tenure in Anaheim. More >

Astros: The news broke late on a Wednesday night at the 2011 Winter Meetings in Dallas. Jeff Luhnow, a 45-year-old executive with the Cardinals, was set to become the first general manager hired by the Astros' new ownership group led by Jim Crane. More >
Athletics: Already equipped with Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, the A's sought a left-handed complement to their right-handed power duo in the offseason of 1987, reaching for a trade with the Reds that would net them Dave Parker. More >
Blue Jays: Toronto's pursuit of Roger Clemens in 1996 arguably was its most successful signing, but the club's most dramatic might have been A.J. Burnett in 2005. At a time when the Blue Jays were not considered a big-market team, or had big-market expenses, then-general manager J.P. Ricciardi wanted to prove otherwise. More >
Braves: With media members, scouts and fellow executives within sight and wondering what they might be discussing as the 2003 Winter Meetings pushed forward, the Braves' John Schuerholz and Walt Jocketty of the Cardinals worked out a deal involving J.D. Drew, the outfielder Atlanta needed for its depleted lineup. More >

Brewers: With apologies to Cecil Cooper, Ben Oglivie, Carlos Lee and Zack Greinke, the Brewers' most memorable Winter Meetings deal came on Dec. 12, 1980. Then-general manager Harry Dalton sent Sixto Lezcano, Lary Sorensen, Dave LaPoint and David Green to the Cardinals for a seven-time All-Star catcher (Ted Simmons) and the next two American League Cy Young Award winners (future Hall of Fame closer Rollie Fingers and starting pitcher Pete Vuckovich) in a swap that sent Milwaukee on a path to its only American League pennant. More >
Cardinals: With little time to soak in the magnitude of their improbable World Series championship run, the Cardinals found themselves faced with organization-altering decisions at the 2011 Winter Meetings, tasked with replacing a Hall of Fame manager, as well as deciding how to proceed with a franchise player. More >
Cubs: In December 2006, Dr. Pradipkumar Jamnadas -- who told Jim Hendry to call him "Dr. J" -- performed an emergency angioplasty on the then-Cubs general manager, who didn't let the life-threatening situation stop him from signing free-agent left-hander Ted Lilly while on a gurney. More >
D-backs: Just before Thanksgiving 2009, Josh Byrnes, who was then general manager of the D-backs, called then-Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski to inquire about right-hander . The two had trouble finding an exact trade matchup, so they brought in Yankees GM Brian Cashman. Finally, at the Winter Meetings the following month, the three men got together in one room and worked out a blockbuster trade. More >
Dodgers: Just two months into his tenure as Dodgers president of baseball operations, Andrew Friedman took over the 2014 Winter Meetings with a flurry of moves that landed , , , , and others in Los Angeles. More >

Giants: As the 1992 Winter Meetings approached, Barry Bonds was expected to sign with the Yankees. Few ballplayers, if any, seemed as talented as Bonds, who was leaving the Pirates after winning his second National League Most Valuable Player Award in three years. However, word got out that a surprise team had joined the bidding for Bonds: the Giants. More >
Indians: Sandy Alomar Jr. was the signature piece in the 1989 deal that made for arguably the most memorable Winter Meetings in Indians history, and the move serves as one of the most important moments in club history. More >
Mariners: In the aftermath of Alex Rodriguez's then-record $252 million deal with the rival Rangers at the 2000 Winter Meetings, Mariners general manager Pat Gillick kept doing what he did best, lining up deals for what turned into perfect pieces for a Seattle club that shook off the loss of two superstars and went on to win a regular-season-record 116 games in '01. More >

Marlins: No Winter Meetings in Marlins history generated as much nonstop attention for the organization as 2011, when the club signed closer , shortstop and left-hander Mark Buehrle for a combined $191 million. Despite that effort, the organization was coldly reminded that "winning the offseason" is no guarantee of being a successful club on the field. More >
Mets: Deals at the 2013 Winter Meetings with and came a month after the Mets had agreed with another free agent, Chris Young, on a $7.25 million deal, marking one of the club's most active offseasons in recent memory. More >
Nationals: The Winter Meetings prize for Washington in 2016 was the completion of a trade for that sent three of Washington's top prospects to the White Sox in exchange for the highly regarded center fielder. The trade represented the most aggressive unloading of prospects in the tenure of Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo. More >
Orioles: On the heels of a 2003 season in which the Orioles' 71 wins were 30 games behind the American League East-winning Yankees and 24 back of the Wild Card Red Sox, the club was bold at the Winter Meetings, signing shortstop Miguel Tejada to a a six-year, $72 million contract. More >

Padres: In a two-day span during the 2014 Winter Meetings -- the first of his tenure as general manager of the Padres -- A.J. Preller finalized four trades, setting the framework for the busiest week in the franchise's Hot Stove history. More >
Phillies: The buzz for one of the most anticipated seasons in Phillies history started the previous December in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., at the same hotel that will host this year's Winter Meetings. In December 2010, the Phillies rekindled their relationship with Cliff Lee. More >

Pirates: The annual Winter Meetings are always heavy on rumors, light on rest and occasionally best remembered for the deals that don't get done. That was the case for the Pirates and Braves in 2006. Three days into that year's Meetings, the Bucs came close to a trade, watched it fall apart and left without finishing the deal. More >
Rangers: The 1988 Winter Meetings transformed the Rangers forever. In a matter of a few days, former general manager Tom Grieve traded for first baseman Rafael Palmeiro and second baseman Julio Franco -- and signed free-agent pitcher Nolan Ryan. More >
Rays: Tampa Bay has always maintained that it feels no pressure to get something done during the annual gathering because it is working to better the team throughout the entire calendar year. So normally, the Rays use their time at the Winter Meetings as an exploratory mission. Given that history, 2012 became one of the Rays' most active Winter Meetings. More >
Red Sox: For many reasons, the signing of franchise icon Manny Ramirez probably marks the most memorable Winter Meetings moment in the Red Sox's history, though last year's blockbuster trade for ace Chris Sale is right up there also. More >

Reds: In 2006, Cincinnati landed a wayward former top prospect named Josh Hamilton in the Rule 5 Draft. The No. 1 overall pick of the 1999 Draft by Tampa Bay, Hamilton had seen his career get derailed by drug problems and numerous suspensions, forcing him to miss multiple seasons while his life spun out of control. But the outfielder got clean, then sought -- and earned -- baseball redemption. More >
Rockies: Dan O'Dowd arrived at the 2001 Winter Meetings knowing the Rockies would be the talk of Dallas. But deep down, O'Dowd, then entering his second season as Rockies general manager, feared how the mega-bucks signing of Mike Hampton would play out when he took the mound. More >
Royals: In the final hours of the 2012 Winter Meetings in Nashville, Royals general manager Dayton Moore -- who had taken over the job to rebuild the Royals' organization in 2006 -- felt in is heart it was time to push forward. The trade that would do that sat in front of him. More >
Tigers: Ten years ago. the Tigers went to the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn., with all the appearances of a team tying up loose ends, having made big deals earlier in the offseason. Instead, they walked out of Opryland Hotel a few days later with . More >

Twins: Former Twins general manager Terry Ryan made it a point for the scouting staff to take the Rule 5 Draft seriously every year, and it paid off with one of the best acquisitions in Winter Meetings history when Minnesota acquired future two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana in the 1999 Rule 5 Draft from the Astros. More >
White Sox: The White Sox already had an active offseason in place by the time they arrived in Nashville for the 2007 Winter Meetings. Yes, they missed out with their pursuit of free-agent center fielder Torii Hunter. But with the Marlins' Miguel Cabrera as a trade target, these particular Meetings had a chance to reshape a franchise only a few years removed from the dominant run to a 2005 World Series title. More >
Yankees: It was late afternoon on Dec. 9, 2008, approaching the halfway point of the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, and Cashman felt his cellphone vibrate. One of 's representatives was calling with an invitation. More >