Where Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and Yoshinobu Yamamoto rumors stand as Winter Meetings begin

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The MLB Winter Meetings are where the magic happens. Small deals have been made here and there, and plenty of groundwork has been made. However, the Winter Meetings are when blockbuster moves are made.

The meetings begin Monday in Nashville, Tennessee, and three names far and away lead the pack among the most talked about: Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Ohtani is a free agent for the first time, Soto is again on the trade market, and Yamamoto is a Japanese import who, if you don't know now, you will soon.

So, here are the latest rumors surrounding the three hottest commodities in baseball:

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From left to right, Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are the hottest names at the MLB Winter Meetings.

If Ohtani's contract is not record-breaking, it would be a surprise. Right now, the most lucrative contract ever is Mike Trout's 12-year, $426 million deal he signed in 2019. Not only do people expect Ohtani to sign a deal for $500 million, but some even think his deal could start with a six.

The Angels, Dodgers, Cubs and Blue Jays are all reportedly in the Ohtani sweepstakes. The World Series champion Rangers, Mets and Red Sox have all apparently decided to turn their focus elsewhere.

Last month, Ohtani earned his second unanimous MVP Award in the last three seasons, as he led the majors in 2023 with a .654 slugging percentage and 1.066 OPS; his .412 on-base percentage was second; his 44 homers were fourth; and his .304 average was ranked ninth. 

He pitched pretty well, too.

The right-hander owned a 3.14 ERA and struck out 11.4 batters per nine innings. Among