10 most important people at the winter meetings

Major League Baseball's winter meetings open Sunday as executives and agents gather in Orlando, Fla., with the aim of conducting trades and signings over the five-day event.

There was no shortage of action during last year's meetings as Mark Melancon, Rich Hill, Carlos Beltran, and Matt Holliday all signed, while the White Sox dealt Chris Sale and Adam Eaton in separate deals. Expect there to be plenty of action once again. Now that Shohei Ohtani and Giancarlo Stanton have found new homes, the floodgates are expected to open this week, with plenty of signings and trades to come.

With that in mind, here are the 10 most important people to watch at this year's winter meetings.

Derek Jeter

The Miami Marlins' new ownership has cleared close to $300 million in salary off the books in the last week, but don't expect Derek Jeter and Co. to put down the phone just yet. With Stanton and Dee Gordon both out the door, clubs are likely to inquire about several remaining attractive pieces on the Marlins' roster. Outfielders Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna should draw plenty of interest, while relievers Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa could be packaged in order for Miami to rid itself of more money.

Scott Boras

No man will be more popular in Orlando this week than Scott Boras, who represents the winter's biggest free agents. Boras has Eric Hosmer, J.D. Martinez, and Jake Arrieta all under his watch, so expect teams to have to open their wallets should they want to sign any one of these All-Star talents.

Jerry Dipoto

Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto did everything he could to try and land Ohtani, but was ultimately forced to watch him sign with a division rival in Los Angeles. Now, the man who has made a living making trades will have to progress with his offseason wishlist without the two-way star. Dipoto has made more than 40 trades in his two-plus seasons in Seattle, so expect at least one deal for the Mariners this week.

Brian Sabean

The San Francisco Giants had a trade in place to acquire Stanton, but after the slugger nixed the deal, executive VP of baseball operations Brian Sabean will need to find another way to add some much-needed power to the lineup. The Giants finished last in the majors in home runs in 2017, so expect them to show interest in Martinez. The club also needs help at third base, center field, and in the bullpen. San Francisco has shown interest in free agent Lorenzo Cain, in addition to Jackie Bradley Jr. of the Boston Red Sox and the Cincinnati Reds' Billy Hamilton.

Yu Darvish

Despite his struggles in the World Series, Darvish headlines the starting pitching market and should be one of the highest-paid free agents this winter. The 31-year-old owns a career 3.42 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across 131 starts, and is coming off a year in which he finished 12th in the majors in strikeouts. There's likely to be plenty of interest from clubs like the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and Milwaukee Brewers.

John Mozeliak

Just like the Giants, the St. Louis Cardinals were spurned by Stanton. Expect Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak to be in search for a bat at the meetings, with interest in either Martinez or Hosmer. After missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, the Cardinals could be aggressive. They've shown interest in the Toronto Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson in the past, and could try to reengage once again. Mozeliak might also want to contact the Baltimore Orioles about Manny Machado or the Tampa Bay Rays on Evan Longoria in an attempt to acquire that coveted third baseman. With the groundwork already laid with the Marlins in the Stanton talks, maybe the Cardinals ask about potentially landing either Ozuna or Yelich.

Dave Dombrowski

With the rival Yankees making a major play by trading for Stanton, plenty expect Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski to respond by making a big play of his own. Pulling the trigger on a blockbuster deal has never been a problem for Dombrowski, and there's plenty of options on the market. After the Red Sox struggled to hit home runs last season, Martinez makes sense. But with their outfield set, the Red Sox might center their focus on Hosmer. Expect the unexpected, as Dombrowski shocked everyone last winter by trading for Sale.

Matthew Silverman

The Tampa Bay Rays appeared to be on the verge of a potential sell-off before the Stanton signing, and now with the reigning NL MVP in the division, Tampa may have no choice. Rays president of baseball operations Matthew Silverman would be wise to field offers for a number of his veterans, including Longoria, Chris Archer, Alex Colome, and Kevin Kiermaier. The Rays haven't made the playoffs in four seasons and might need a complete teardown in order to set themselves up for future success.

Wade Davis

The free-agent market isn't rich with relievers like last season, but Wade Davis is among the league's elite closers and is available. The 32-year-old right-hander owns a 1.65 ERA and 0.99 WHIP over the last three seasons, converting 76 saves. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Rangers, Cardinals, Cubs, and potentially the Houston Astros are all in search of a top arm for the back of their bullpen.

Derek Falvey

Coming off a surprising wild-card berth in 2017, the Minnesota Twins are prepared to be aggressive this offseason. Chief baseball officer Derek Falvey proclaimed earlier this winter that the team plans to be aggressive in its pursuit of a front-line starter, making Minnesota a candidate to negotiate with the likes of Arrieta, Darvish, or second-tier starters like Alex Cobb, Lance Lynn, and Andrew Cashner.