Executives and agents left baseball's general manager meetings last week more optimistic than they usually are. In recent years, it has felt more common for the sides to talk past one another -- failing to communicate the sort of information that can lead to a free agent signing -- and cause Major League Baseball's winter to grind to a halt before it even begins.
The conversations this year struck a number of people involved as productive. Teams identified their free agent targets. Agents suggested reasonable financial parameters. None of this means a fast-moving market will necessarily follow, but if one were to emerge, the clarity provided by the 72 hours in San Antonio offers a reason.