Ten lingering questions from the Winter Meetings

Baseball’s Winter Meetings are wrapping up today, and the affair proved to be an eventful three days. Chris Sale changed teams, Ian Desmond and Aroldis Chapman signed new contracts and that was just the tip of the iceberg. (For the rest of the iceberg, check out our done deals post, which contains info and analysis for every signing and trade that happened at the Winter Meetings.) But as executives and writers alike flee National Harbor, Maryland, there are still a few questions that haven’t been resolved.

What will the White Sox do next?
Yahoo Sports’ own Jeff Passan says that the White Sox won the Winter Meetings, but there’s a lot more offseason left. Considering the big moves they’ve made so far — trading Chris Sale and Adam Eaton for healthy returns — they’re far from being done with their first rebuilding offseason in years. They still have assets to trade, like closer David Robertson, third baseman Todd Frazier, or if they’re really looking to start over, they could deal the powerful Jose Abreu or pitcher Jose Quintana. They might deal one or two of those guys, or they could deal all of them. Now that they’ve decided to rebuild, they’re in a great position: they’ve got attractive players that teams want, and that could result in a big prospect payday for the White Sox. – Liz Roscher

Where will Edwin Encarnacion end up, and will he get the contract he craves?
Teams started the Winter Meetings looking for alternatives to Encarnacion, who is the best free agent hitter left on the market and is looking for a contract in line with that. The Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Colorado Rockies all signed cheaper guys as first base/DH options, and so the market for Encarnacion’s talents has suddenly disappeared. Plus, Encarnacion isn’t the only guy like him available: Chris Carter, Mark Trumbo, and his former teammate Jose Bautista are all still out there, waiting to be signed. All is not lost, though: the Blue Jays apparently haven’t ruled Encarnacion out yet, and the Cleveland Indians are still in the conversation. Teams just have to decide if Encarnacion is worth the price of a hefty contract and the loss of a draft pick. – Liz Roscher

Will the Pirates still trade Andrew McCutchen?
The Winter Meetings started with a lot of talk about where the Pittsburgh Pirates would trade center fielder Andrew McCutchen, but as the days wore on, the rumors stopped swirling. The Nationals expressed interest, but the Pirates’ asking price was reportedly too high. And then the Nats turned around and dealt prized prospect Lucas Giolito to the White Sox for Adam Eaton, so they’re presumably out of the running for McCutchen. That doesn’t leave a lot of landing spots for McCutchen. The Rangers, who have lost out on Ian Desmond, could be a good fit, and the Cardinals are in need outfield help, but if the Pirates are looking for a blockbuster return, they may not find any takers. – Liz Roscher

Which team will Kenley Jansen choose?
Jansen, the closer who did so much for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2016 postseason, has a number of attractive offers out there. The Marlins have reportedly offered Jansen a five-year, $80 million contract, which is pretty close to Aroldis Chapman’s deal with the Yankees. The Nationals certainly want him, especially since they missed out on Mark Melancon, but it’s unclear if they’re willing to match the Marlins’ offer. And of course, the Dodgers want him back, but it’s not clear if they can afford him on their already hefty payroll. Jansen has his pick, but it’s anyone’s guess where he could land. – Liz Roscher

Will the Nationals continue to be aggressive?
The Nationals made one blockbuster trade at the Winter Meetings, but were seemingly involved in talks for every single player. They were mentioned as the runner-up for Chris Sale and Melancon, and were engaged in talks for McCutchen at one point. By trading for Eaton, the team has signaled its willing to go all-in now at the expense of the future. The Nationals already boast a strong club, but there’s always room for improvement. General manager Mike Rizzo has never shied away from making blockbuster moves, and you wonder whether he can still pull off another significant trade that puts the Nationals over the top. Just because the Winter Meetings are over doesn’t mean his phone line has to go quiet. – Chris Cwik

Will the Royals trade anyone else?
The Royals surprised many Wednesday by parting ways with closer Wade Davis in a trade with the Cubs for Jorge Soler. The move seemed to indicate that Kansas City was looking toward the future. Davis was only under contract for one more season, while Soler will be in Kansas City until 2020. If the Royals continue to take that approach, a number of significant players could be available. Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Danny Duffy are all entering contract years. The Royals haven’t been as active as some other clubs on the trade market, but they have some attractive pieces if they really decide to tear things up. – Chris Cwik

Are the Texas Rangers alive?
The Rangers won an American League high 95 games last year, but were quickly sent home in the playoffs thanks to the Cleveland Indians. With the club so close to postseason glory, it was expected the Rangers would try and make some big additions to push their club over the edge. Instead, the re-signing Carlos Gomez. That’s not a bad move, it’s just underwhelming considering the Rangers’ willingness to go after big names in recent years. There’s some concern that the Rangers don’t have the money to make a significant add, but it’s also possible that’s just a negotiating tactic they are using to drive down the price of the remaining free agents. If that’s truly the case, the team still has time to go out and make a big-time trade. – Chris Cwik

Will the Rockies continue to make additions?
The Rockies surprised everyone by signing Ian Desmond to a five-year, $70 million contract Wednesday. It’s the type of move typically made by a contender, not a club that won 75 games last year. Despite the team’s recent struggles, Colorado may be closer to the playoffs than you think. But in order to reach the promised land, they’ll need more than just Desmond. There have already been some rumblings that the club will deal an outfielder in order to grab more talent and move Desmond off first base. If they do that, it’s possible they could make a play for Encarnacion or Trumbo, or maybe trade for Abreu. If you’re going to go all-in, you might as well go crazy. – Chris Cwik

What happens with Dexter Fowler?
Fowler and his agent must have been salivated after Desmond received $70 million from the Rockies. Despite that, the market on Fowler has been fairly quiet over the past few days. That’s somewhat confusing, as both the St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays have been mentioned for the outfielder, and have a clear need for a player like Fowler. With Eaton now off the market and the Pirates unclear about what to do with McCutchen, Fowler suddenly looks like the best option for teams desperately in need of an outfielder. – Chris Cwik

What’s going on with the Dodgers and the Astros?
Given the flurry of moves made by Houston already this offseason, it was expected the team would continue to be active at the Winter Meetings. While the Dodgers haven’t done a ton this offseason, they are always a threat to make a huge move. Both clubs had relatively quiet weeks, though remain in rumors for significant players. Given what we’ve seen from Houston already, and what we know the Dodgers are capable of doing, you would have to assume both teams are lurking in the background, waiting to make another big move soon. – Chris Cwik

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik