FA’s headline winter meetings

Associated Press

DALLAS

Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and Jose Reyes could find a landing spot for the future. Gil Hodges, Ron Santo and Minnie Minoso could lock up a legacy forever.

Baseball’s winter meetings open today, a four-day session that often turns into a fan’s delight. There’s always the promise of blockbuster trades and major free-agent signings — even if they don’t happen, the rumors and speculation keep things interesting.

A couple of trades have already been made since Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series. Huge deals, not yet.

“It may have something to do with the top free agents not having moved, Pujols and Fielder and Jose Reyes,” New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said. “It may just be the tension — not the tension, but the dynamic between clubs and free agents. The free agents would like to think that a certain market exists. And the clubs, at this point, are holding out some hope that that market doesn’t exist.”

Also today, the Hall of Fame’s Veterans Committee will reveal whether it has elected any new members.

Hodges, Santo, Luis Tiant and Jim Kaat are on the 10-person Golden Era ballot covering 1947-72. The 16-member voting panel talked about the candidates Sunday and turned in the secret ballots.

Minoso, Ken Boyer, Tony Oliva, Ron Santo, Charlie Finley and Buzzie Bavasi also are under consideration.