Baseball's winter meetings, annual gatherings that include a trade show, job fair and player trades, are scheduled to open in downtown San Diego Sunday.
It will be the first time in nearly three decades that the world's largest gathering of baseball executives will be here. Organizers expect more than 3,000 people will attend, with the activities across the street from Petco Park at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and San Diego Convention Center.
The event comes after an exciting postseason that saw the San Francisco Giants win the World Series for the third time in five years, along with a stirring run to the "Fall Classic" by the onetime doormat Kansas City Royals.
The meetings open Sunday morning with a workshop on the business of baseball at the convention center.
An awards banquet is set for Sunday night at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, with honorees including Pacific Coast League President Branch B. Rickey, PCL Director of Business Melanie Peiffer Fiore, the San Jose Giants and the Durham Bulls.
The trade show and job fair open on Monday.
With team executives all in one place, the winter meetings often lead to trades, or at least early discussions that results in trades later in the off season.
Among the questions surrounding possible baseball moves that could be answered at the meetings include:
- Who will snap up remaining big-name free agents like starting pitcher Jon Lester, third baseman Chase Headley and outfielder Melky Cabrera.
- Whether the Dodgers will trade outfielder Matt Kemp or another star at his position.
- If the Red Sox will unload an excess outfielder, possibly Yoenis Cespedes, to the Padres.
- Whether the Braves rumors about the Braves sending outfielder Justin Upton packing turn out to be true.
- If the Phillies move pitcher Cole Hamels, a Rancho Bernardo High School product.
