Around the SaberSphere 12/3: The Winter Meetings, Non-Tenders, Hall of Fame

Dan Evan of Baseball Prospectus gives us some inside information on what the Winter Meetings are all about: Baseball Prospectus | 108 Stitches: Pulling Back the Curtain on the Winter Meetings

These are marathon, 15-to-18-hour days for most clubs, lasting well after midnight and sometimes deep into the night as they weigh their opportunities. It is a fun time to hear people voice their position and their philosophy as to why one opportunity is a better one than another. You have to know your staff; their decision-making style and personalities. Sometimes the quietest person carries the most weight.

Marc Hulet of FanGraphs lists off some prospects who could impact trades at this year's Winter Meetings: Six Prospects to Target in Winter Meeting Trades | FanGraphs Baseball

The MLB Winter Meetings are upon us and one things is certain: General managers will spend a great deal of time discussing potential trades. Below are six names that won’t be the centrepiece of any deals as B/C grade prospects but they still have value to big league organizations. They don’t belong in the same sentence as other top prospects that could be had in the right deal – like Royals outfielder Wil Myers or Diamondbacks pitcher Trevor Bauer – but they could end up being useful future big league contributors.

Chris Quick of ESPN discusses the value of the players who were non-tendered this year: Value to be found in non-tendered players - SweetSpot Blog - ESPN

Teams will non-tender players for a multitude of reasons -- injury, cost, and roster crunches are among the most popular -- but savvy teams will be able to cruise this new pool of free agents to find value. And make no mistake, there is value to be had among the recent crop of non-tendered players.

Joe Posnanski discussed how amazing the 2013 Hall of Fame class could really have been in the 2009 THT Annual. Joe and the Hardball Times were generous enough to re-print part of that piece: The greatest class of all time? (Part 1)--THT

But, for a few minutes, I would ask you to forget all that. This is a story about what Hall of Fame Induction Day 2013 might have been, had it not been for all those things I promised not to mention. If everything was a little different, Induction Day 2013 might have been the most amazing crossroads in baseball history.

Grant Brisbee of Baseball Nation looks back at the last two decades of the Pirates and free agency: The last two decades of the Pittsburgh Pirates and free agency - Baseball Nation

The 10 best Pirates free agents all fall into one of two categories: Players who did well on a one-year contract before leaving, and players who did well for a half-season before being traded away. At no point was there a franchise-changer or a long-term building block.

To those of you reading this who are in Nashville, get off your computer and enjoy the meetings!