Well, that escalated in a hurry. MLB's busiest offseason day since last year's winter meetings included a trade for 2015's top overall pick, the Yankees getting Starlin Castro, the D-Backs acquiring yet another really good pitcher, and the Cubs exacting revenge for their playoff loss by stealing Ben Zobrist from the Mets.
And who said the offseason was boring? The dust still hasn't settled in Nashville and, with any hope, it won't for another 48 hours. But until the next avalanche of winter dealings happen, here are three quick takeaways from Tuesday's flurry of wheeling and dealing:
The New York Mets are the best losers
No team personified the crying Jordan meme this year quite like the Mets. From the Carlos Gomez trade falling through to Wilmer Flores actually crying, Matt Harvey convincing Terry Collins to make a decision he'd ultimately regret, and Daniel Murphy going from GOAT to goat, the Mets had an All-Star season of losing. On Tuesday, they spent the day texting Zobrist and strutting around the Opryland Hotel pounding their chest, telling anyone who would listen they were the front-runners to sign the most versatile player in baseball. In just a few hours, the Mets would watch the Cubs swoop in and land Zobrist while their crosstown rivals acquired Castro. The Mets have never been so Mets.
Most creative manager now has the most versatile team
The Cubs somehow added to their 95-win total Tuesday with the stunning acquisition of Zobrist, a premier switch-hitting talent capable of playing both middle infield and corner outfield positions. And while the Cubs shipped Castro to the Yankees, Joe Maddon still has three capable players up the middle in Zobrist, Addison Russell, and Javier Baez; a potentially frightening platoon in left with Zobrist and Kyle Schwarber, depending on the matchup; and at least three young players in Baez, Schwarber, and Jorge Soler who could be flipped for established pitching. The Cubs now boast a splits-proof lineup, the NL Cy Young winner, and reigning Manager of the Year. Not bad for a team that already signed John Lackey for nearly a third of the total sum the Giants gave Jeff Samardzija.
D-Backs might have won the NL West in one week
Think that statement's bold? Consider this: After dealing top prospect Dansby Swanson and Ender Inciarte to the Braves for Shelby Miller, the Diamondbacks just armed themselves with a No. 1 and No. 2 starter without surrendering sought-after outfielder A.J. Pollock. Despite keeping their All-Star center fielder, the D-Backs will likely soon regret paying Zack Greinke $34 million per season and trading the first overall pick in this year's draft. They might even regret it a few Octobers from now when the rebuilding Atlanta Braves take the National League by storm. But you know when the D-Backs won't regret it? Next October, and quite possibly, the one after that, too.
