Things to watch after winter meetings

— -- SAN DIEGO -- Major League Baseball's winter meetings wrapped up Thursday with a grand December tradition -- executives and scouts sprinting through a hotel lobby with wheeled suitcases, stopping briefly at the checkout desk and then elbowing each other out of the way in search of cabs to the airport.

This was a winter meetings that even Bill Veeck could love, with lots of imaginative moves and chaos in abundance. It hardly mattered that the activity took place in a romance-free environment, with deals unfolding in the solitude of suites via cell phones and text messages rather than the old-fashioned way -- on cocktail napkins in the hotel bar.

Now that Jon Lester, Matt Kemp, Jimmy Rollins and so many others have found new homes and we can pause for a deep breath, what's on tap for the next few weeks?

Here are 10 things to watch between now and New Year's Day -- or, based on Scott Boras' track record -- Valentine's Day.

1. The Max Scherzer and James Shields vigils

Or is it James Scherzer and Max Shields?

With Lester off the board and Brandon McCarthy, Ervin Santana, Francisco Liriano, Jason Hammel and Justin Masterson spoken for, a once bountiful free-agent pitching crop has thinned out considerably.

Based on Boras' lofty Peyton Manning comparison, Scherzer's free-agent journey will take some time to unfold and include lots of dialogue at the ownership level. And Boras clearly is taking aim at Clayton Kershaw's record $215 million contract, which reigns supreme as the highest ever for a pitcher.

Good luck figuring out where Scherzer goes. The Yankees, Dodgers, Nationals and others are sure to be mentioned in the coming weeks, but none of those teams has gained a smidge of traction yet. One person familiar with the Tigers' thinking says he will be "shocked" if Scherzer winds up back in Detroit.

Shields has some more obvious landing spots available, although the Lester-Cubs union and Boston's flurry of pitching additions might have removed a couple of suitors from the equation. San Francisco and Toronto both would be nice fits for Shields if those teams can make the money work.

2. What's going on with the Giants?

The World Series champs are in scramble mode after falling short in the Pablo Sandoval and Lester pursuits. They also liked Masterson and were involved in the Yasmany Tomas sweepstakes only to see those two players sign elsewhere.

So where do the Giants go now? They like Chase Headley, but they're not sufficiently smitten with him to go beyond their financial comfort zone. On the free-agent market, Jed Lowrie is a viable third-base option for San Francisco. Asdrubal Cabrera, not so much.

The Giants lack the prospects to swing a big pitching trade, so Shields makes a lot of sense sliding in behind Madison Bumgarner and Matt Cain in the rotation. If the Giants want to add depth at the back end, they can always renew acquaintances with Jake Peavy.

One thing the Giants won't do is panic or make a move without a solid front-office consensus. That's the way they roll.

"We have a lot of options," said general manager Brian Sabean. "We have a lot of things in the works. The new baseball season goes much later into the calendar year. The winter meetings used to be the finish line. They're not anymore."

3. The Phillies' roster remake

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. finally began making a dent in his aging, bloated roster by trading Rollins to the Dodgers and Antonio Bastardo to Pittsburgh. Catcher Carlos Ruiz and outfielder Marlon Byrd, while well-compensated and up there in years, both are tradable commodities.

The Cole Hamels saga is more complex. With so many other good starters available through free agency or trade this winter, Amaro will have to pick his spot and determine whether he can get maximum value for Hamels now or at an undetermined future date.

"Cole's record and accomplishments speak for themselves," said Phillies interim president Pat Gillick. "Anytime you have a player with those type of credentials, he's a very valuable asset. If we decide to make a move at some point, you have to get a lot in return."

4. Will Baltimore add a bat?

The Orioles will benefit from the return of Manny Machado and Matt Wieters from injury and (they hope) a bounce-back year from Chris Davis. But they still lost 40 homers when Nelson Cruz signed with Seattle and lots of patience and on-base ability when Nick Markakis left for Atlanta. The O's have talked to Philadelphia about Marlon Byrd, and they're among the teams keeping an eye on Melky Cabrera and Michael Morse -- free agents at different places in the financial spectrum.

Dan Duquette, Baltimore's executive vice president for baseball operations, expects Cuban outfielder Dariel Alvarez and first-base prospect Christian Walker to get extended looks in spring training. Although both players are likely to begin the season at Triple-A, the Orioles hope one or both of them can seize the opportunity in the same way Steve Pearce emerged in 2014.

"They're pretty good hitters," Duquette said. "These guys are young. They've got talent and they've got power. You've got to be able to play a position and play defense if you're going to play for Buck [Showalter] with the Orioles. Those guys can do that."

5. Boston's unfinished business

The Red Sox have added Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez to their lineup and Wade Miley, Rick Porcello and Masterson to their starting rotation. But they still have a glut of outfielders and a rotation filled with midrotation guys. No one is convinced that GM Ben Cherington and his group are through making changes to the roster.

6. Seattle's finishing touches

The Mariners were busy boys before the meetings, signing Kyle Seager to a $100 million extension, adding Cruz on a four-year, $57 million deal and picking up J.A. Happ from Toronto in a trade for Michael Saunders. They've been linked in trade talks to hitters ranging from Justin Upton to Dayan Viciedo to Ian Desmond, with Taijuan Walker's name invariably coming up in speculation depending on the return. And they continue to monitor Melky Cabrera's free-agent market.

"If nothing else happens and we are where we are, I think we've improved the club," said GM Jack Zduriencik. "We think we're in a good spot coming off the year we've had. Our bullpen is in place. Our rotation is in place. We have starting pitching depth. We can do some things to get better, and we'll try. You never say no. You always leave the door open."

7. The Dan Haren watch

Haren, 34, is strictly a back-end starter now, but he's an intriguing case because he's dealing with such novel circumstances. The Marlins acquired him from the Dodgers in the Dee Gordon trade, and now they're waiting to see if he'll retire or make the trek cross-country and pitch in 2015. If Haren is done, the Marlins will take the $10 million Los Angeles is sending along to pay his salary and be free to spend it elsewhere.

"I'm not really giving it a timeline," said Michael Hill, Miami's president of baseball operations. "When I spoke to him, he said he wanted to talk to his family and think things over. Out of respect to him and that process, we'll allow him to do that. He'll let us know when he's ready."

The biggest item left on Miami's agenda is adding a run-producing first-base bat. Justin Morneau trade rumors made the rounds in San Diego, but didn't get much traction. Adam Lind and Brandon Moss have been moved, Adam LaRoche is off the free-agent board and Ryan Howard no longer fits the "impact guy" designation, so Hill and Marlins general manager Dan Jennings will have to be creative in finding a hitter to help protect Giancarlo Stanton in the order.

8. Does Justin Upton stay or go?

The Atlanta Braves made lots of noise before the meetings by sending Jason Heyward to St. Louis and signing Nick Markakis to a four-year contract. They're open to fielding offers on Upton, and perhaps the phone calls will increase now that Matt Kemp and Yoenis Cespedes have been dealt.

Upton has one year left until free agency, but he would be a significant add for the Mariners, Rangers, Orioles, Padres or another club with ambition and a desire to add a slugger. The Braves, meanwhile, are trying to strike a balance between being competitive now and really competitive when they move into their new ballpark in 2017.

9. The Andrew Friedman experience

The Dodgers already have made enough moves to last three winters, but Friedman and his group never stop trying. Even after trading Matt Kemp to San Diego, the Dodgers are still motivated to move Andre Ethier or Carl Crawford if the right deal presents itself. And if they want to build a super rotation, they could always jump into the James Shields hunt or the middle of the Hamels trade talks.

Friedman's overarching goal at the moment is two-pronged: (1) Collect as many good players as he can, regardless of whether the Dodgers have an immediate opening or need; and (2) put the Dodgers in a position where they're lighter on their feet and they can spring into action quickly when they see players they value down the road.

10. Melky Cabrera's excellent (or not-so-great) adventure?

Cabrera is the biggest free-agent hitter left on the board. Will he join his good buddy Robinson Cano in the Seattle lineup, or return to San Francisco, where things ended on an ugly note with a PED suspension during his first go-round? Or maybe, like Nelson Cruz, Cabrera finds salvation in Camden Yards with the Orioles.

If an interested team were comfortable plunking down the $60 million or so that Cabrera reportedly is seeking, he already would have a home rather than be waiting for a resolution to his job search.