Lots of Meetings, No Action

Major League Baseball's general managers held their annual get-together last week. This week, the team owners are meeting in Texas. The only thing that hasn't been met are fans' expectations. The Phillies have signed exactly (checks notes) zero free agents so far. This offseason has had all the drama of a lengthy rain delay.

Maybe something will happen at the Winter Meetings in San Diego starting Dec. 8. Or something will happen between now and Dec. 2, when teams have to decide whether or not to offer contracts to players under club control on non-guaranteed deals.

The Phils have 2 serious non-tender candidates in Cesar Hernandez and Maikel Franco. Hernandez could get as much as $11 million in arbitration. There's no way the Phils will give him that much when they're looking to add quality payroll this winter. Maybe they can swing a trade for him and get something of some value in return. I wouldn't count on getting anything at all for Franco.

And we're also waiting for a contract extension for Gold Glove/Silver Slugger catcher JT Realmuto. The Phils will probably wait on that until after they're done wheeling and dealing so they know how much to invest in him. Realmuto isn't going anywhere. He's the best catcher in baseball and by all indications, he's very happy in Philadelphia. I expect JT to get a 1-year contract in arbitration and then sign a longer deal sometime in spring training after all the other moves have been made.

So we sit around and wait for something to happen. It's about as exciting as a rain delay.