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Winter Meetings – As the Expos GM, I certainly needed to attend this two-day meeting in Las Vegas, but was funny(maybe sad) the fact that no team had any interest in any of the players we had, at least for now. And the other GM’s actually new not to even bother, as I wouldn’t be doing any trading, until I could see during the season, what I actually had out there.

*Only notable trade among the seven or eight that went down, was the Braves sending SP Rick Porcello to the Cardinals for Kolten Wong and minor leaguer Joaquin Villareal.

December 18th to the 21st – So after the expansion draft, the next day, I immediately got on the phone to the various agents that represented the players that we had bid on at free agency. And before I go any further, let me just give you my philosophy of how I negotiate with agents to get not only the player we want, but what I feel is the best deal for our team, and really that makes both sides feel they won!

1. Know your club’s position and interests and set concrete goals – I have a list of every free agent that I believe not only could help our team, but we would have a realistic chance of getting. I’ve also had my tech guys crunch numbers ahead of time as to what players that have similar stats, years at the professional level, and what they're getting paid. If I have to pay an extra million, two, or three to get a certain player, what will that do to the other players I’m looking to sign? By setting concrete goals in advance, you won’t be swayed by other’s influence tactics, vivid stories, and hard-bargaining techniques.

2. Research the Other Side – Know the agent! Research the other side thoroughly to get a better understanding of the leverage of the parties going into any discussions. Through research, you may also find information about the other side's negotiation style, tactics and inclination for getting a deal done.

3. Come up with a Cooperative Strategy - I believe a cooperative style is best for negotiations. After all, the goal is a finalized deal where both sides feel as though they have won. Figure out your best alternative to a negotiated agreement, which is really the point in time where it makes more sense to walk away then strike a deal, and be cordial in trying to get the best deal for the club.

4. Listen and Respond, But Don’t Interfere - People often like to hear themselves speak. They may believe they are "winning" by spouting out more words. Let them do it. Do not interfere. Take notes on the important points that reveal the other side's position and interests, and use the extraneous information against them. This can lead to valuable concessions that gets you and the club to where you want to be in a negotiated agreement.

So, with all that said, let me update what has gone on in the three days leading up to the Rule V draft!

Free Agents Signed:

Jhoulys Chacin – SP – 3.85/3 - Myself and my team’s negotiating skills were put to the test on this one. Chacin’s agent came back with a four-year deal, with 4m each year. That blew our initial deal of 2.95 for three out of the water. But after several phone calls, we were able to come a bit to common ground. We gave Chacin 3.85 for three, but the last year is a team option with a $565k buyout. More that I wanted, but with what’s out there right now, again, he may be our #1 to start the season!

Bryan Menendez – MR - 2.15/2 – Just slightly more than our original offer. Menendez is excited about moving to Montreal, and working with our pitching coach, Dave Righetti.

Wilin Rosario – C – 850k/1 - Rosario wouldn’t accept a minor league contract, so he settled for $850k for one year.

Ruben Saavedra – 2B – Minor League Concert – Fairly simple deal here. We are excited about this signing.

Was hoping to close more deals before the Rule V draft, but there are several that are really close, and I feel pretty good going into the draft.

December 22nd - Rule V Draft – Much like the Expansion Draft, the draft was not chalk full of future All Star’s but there were some players who we felt could help us immediately.

Round 1 – Caleb Lopes(25) – 2B/3B/SS – Originally signed by the Phillies in 2014, he was traded to the Cardinals in 2019, and has spent his entire career in the minors. A player that can play multiple positions, that has terrific speed! He hit .274 at AAA Memphis with 40 stolen bases.

Round 2 – Alex Goodman(25) – SP – Goodman has had an interesting path in getting to AAA Rochester in the Twins organization. At the age of 18, he started in independent ball, until he was discovered by a Twins scout at the age of 22. Some seasoning at the low minors, he began to throw a fastball in the mid 90’s, a sinker, and a fairly nasty curveball. Our scout liked him as well, so we’re hoping he can anchor the back end of the rotation.

December 22nd to 24th – So Christmas came a little early for the Expos. The free agent dam certainly broke for us. After countless hours on the phone, we were able to get seven players to sign with it. The last deal I closed was on Christmas Eve morning, as I prepared to board a flight to Philly, and then home to Chester County. And it was one I was hoping to get all along, Sonny Gray. And they accepted our initial offer of $2.75m for two years.

Here’s the other six signings we made before the Christmas holiday. And you can't have enough pitching!

Corey Oswalt – MR
Richie Mirowski – MR
Hiromasa Saito – MR
Edward Santos – MR
Jose Iglesias – 3B
Kevin Pillar – LF

Everyone but Saito took our initial offer. We knew that we were in good shape with the contracts, and with Saito we offered $2.0m for two years, but we had to bump that up to $2.2m for two years.

Here are some notable signings from around the league. Players on everyone’s wish list, but too expensive for most of us.
Trevor Story – Rockies – $26.2m/4 years – 46 HR’s, 130 RBI’s, .312, 7.3 WAR
Buster Posey – Cardinals - $25.2m/4 years – 24 HR’s 71 RBI’s, .324 5.0 WAR
Johan Camargo – Astros - $15m/5 years – 28 HR’s 99 RBI’s .301 5.6 WAR

As I flew home that Christmas Eve morning, I was proud of our team and the way we got things done fairly quickly. There are still a couple of deals hanging out there, and I still feel we need to make a bigger splash on a veteran player. My owner wants a “recognizable” player, that will put fannies in the seats. But that’s easier said then done. To talk a veteran player at the higher level, to come to an expansion team, that realistically is years away from becoming a contender, is always going to be a tough sell. But we’ll see what’s out there as time goes on.