Winter Meetings Begin

Just this week the general managers of all MLB clubs began what seems to be a pretty lack-luster winter meetings. Gazing through the list of players that qualify for free agency, it looks as though clubs are going to have to be creative if they want to make any sort of dramatic impact on the talent level of their club or hope their top prospects come through.
As expected, the focus thus far has been on the two premier outfielders available. Jason Bay had a Jason Bay-like year in Boston, and Matt Holliday had a pretty good stretch filling in for the STL Cardinals aside from a horribly misplayed ball in the OF at the worst time imagineable. The interesting side of this has been the view of things here in the Boston area in regards to Jason Bay going forward.
Let's face is, Bay is going to command a pretty hefty contract. He couldn't have hit the market at a better time in his career. Coming from out of the spotlight in the postseason with the Red Sox just boosted the chance that he will be offered a long term, big money deal from a club desperate for offense. Everybody seems to point to the Giants as players for Bay, but I do not think they will dish out the kind of money for an OF of Bay's caliber, especially considering how big left field is in San Francisco and that they have a team full of young players.
The simple point is that Jason Bay is not that great of a player. I always thought he was a type 1-A guy, who would be a great No. 5 hitter in a lineup with two sluggers in front of him. Giving him a multi-year high salary deal will be a huge mistake for whatever club gives it to him, because he is just entering his decline years and he has never been a big .OBP guy anyhow. He has holes in his swing (just like everyone does, aside from a few of the elite), but this isn't the type of guy I would invest major dollars going forward if I were the GM of any team aside from the New York Yankees. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of GM's pass on Bay and Holliday this offseason and try to get through this season with what they have.
One thing that will be sad is if STL does not get a hitter behind Albert Pujols. They feel the pressure from the fans, the media and even their own players. If they are patient and try to see if the price tag on either of those guys goes down, then they may strike and get a good deal. I doubt it though, especially since there are several clubs who feel they are just one bat away from being contenders. This is all good news for John Lackey, because there may be teams not willing to spend big dollars on the hitters, and would rather amp up their pitching instead. Lackey is a proven veteran and could offer a lot to a club with young SP's.

Not surprising moves made yet. The big guys went on the market, and there were some small moves. The Red Sox trading for Jeremy Hermida was a smart deal. They add depth and take a flier on a guy that has tons of talent and will be aided by a good hitting instructor.

Will update again when the rumors start picking up!