Sometimes the biggest story of the winter meetings isnt what happened. Its what didnt happen. What almost happened. Whats about to happen.So lets take a look at some of the fascinating winter meetings plotlines that are still dangling -- because the clear message conveyed by the executives who were stampeding out the door Thursday was this:The next week or two in this sport will be busier than the malls.Edwin EncarnacionThe good news is, Encarnacion is still the most game-changing bat on the market. The bad news is, hell have a tough time forgetting he once turned down $80 million for four years from Toronto. And if you can figure out where hes going to get that sort of haul again this winter, from a team willing to lose its No. 1 pick, youre smarter than the baseball people Ive been talking to this week.Four teams that could have been fits (Blue Jays, Yankees, Astros, Rockies) all turned elsewhere. So the theme I heard most from executives and agents is this: Encarnacion should stop counting money he never had, take a short or creative deal with a team like Cleveland or Texas, and then try this again next winter, with no qualifying offer attached.Andrew McCutchenThe Pirates and Nationals got so far down the line on a deal to send McCutchen to Washington -- for a package that would have been extremely close to what the Nationals offered for both Chris Sale and Adam Eaton -- that some of the Pirates delegation thought it was on the verge of happening. But once the Nationals decided they preferred Eaton and pivoted away, the Pirates had a whole different sort of challenge on their hands.By which we mean ... damage control.The Cardinals (Dexter Fowler), Rangers (Carlos Gomez) and Nationals (Eaton) no longer need a center fielder. And there is a glut of corner-outfield bats available for those who dont view McCutchen in the middle of the diamond. So the only place McCutchen is likely to move now is to one of the outfield corners in Pittsburgh. Its a good thing this general manager (Neal Huntingdon) and this manager (Clint Hurdle) are so adept at the art of people skills. Theyll need all of those skills to convince McCutchen hes as beloved as ever in Pittsburgh.The RoyalsTheyve already traded Wade Davis (for Jorge Soler). The question now is how many deals like that are yet to come? The consensus among teams that have talked to the Royals is that they are likely to trade no more than two additional players from their core, with Lorenzo Cain/Jarrod Dyson/Danny Duffy probably atop that list.But one club they spoke with says they are listening on everyone, even though theyre trying to figure out a way to retool but still keep enough of the band together to make one last run at October. If that doesnt work, though, then file away this prediction from one National League exec: In July, theyll be the biggest seller in baseball.The TigersWho out there would have bet on the Tigers trading nobody at these meetings? Not me. But thatll change in the next couple of weeks. Clubs that spoke with them see J.D. Martinez and left-handed reliever Justin Wilson as the most likely Tigers to dial up United Van Lines, with Ian Kinsler and Jose Iglesias as outside possibilities.But remember, as the White Sox, Twins and Royals all hit the reset button, the Tigers suddenly see an easier path to contention in the American League Central. And GM Al Avila told a number of teams theyre under no pressure to move money immediately. So this is not going to be a dramatic sell-off -- because the Tigers are still set on trying to win next year.The DodgersYou wont be shocked to learn that the Dodgers already are on the hook for more guaranteed 2017 payroll dollars ($187.4 million, according to Baseball-Reference.com) than any team in this sport. You might be shocked to learn that, at the moment, none of those dollars have been allotted toward finding a third baseman, second baseman, closer or primary setup reliever.But this is where we remind you that this front office thinks differently, and approaches roster-building differently, than any team in baseball. So the Dodgers have lined up layers and layers of options, contingency plans and trade/signing choices at every one of those spots. Translation: We have no shot at trying to predict whether theyll fill those holes with, say, a Justin Turner/Kinsler/ Kenley Jansen/Greg Holland quartet or a Todd Frazier/Brian Dozier/David Robertson/Santiago Casilla foursome. Or even none of the above.Just factor in that payroll management is a big part of this, as the Dodgers maneuver to stay below the 92 percent luxury-tax bracket (which kicks in at $237 million) in two years.Other teams to watchMets: Theyre still working to trade either Jay Bruce or Curtis Granderson -- and are confident they will eventually, once some of the free-agent options are off the board.Rays: Tampa Bay is taking its time, but is in good position to trade a starter. In order of likelihood (and price tag): Alex Cobb, Drew Smyly, Jake Odorizzi, Chris Archer.White Sox: How perfect is it that this team lurched into sell mode by dealing a guy named Sale? Whats next on their list? Other clubs see Robertson and Frazier as near locks to get traded. But Jose Quintana and Jose Abreu? Not so much.Astros: Houston is still shopping for top-of-the-rotation arms and trying to be imaginative. But its hard to envision the Astros giving up a package remotely comparable to what the Red Sox were willing to trade for Sale. Yet this teams lineup is so good, it wouldnt surprise anyone now if the Astros postponed their ace hunt until July.Rockies: The?Ian Desmond signing just doesnt compute unless it leads to other moves. So the Rockies immediately let clubs know theyd like to deal Charlie Blackmon for rotation upgrades. And there has been some buzzing that they could still sign Mark Trumbo to play first base and shift Desmond back to the outfield. But clearly, there is more to come 5,000 feet above sea level. Has to be. Right? Cheap Authentic Jerseys .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. China Jerseys . Tuesdays surgery at Atlantas Piedmont Hospital was performed by Dr. Xavier Duralde and Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Bernot. http://www.nfljerseysstitched.com/ . Wall made the comment in a speech to a Regina business crowd that included Lesnar. The U.S. wrestler and retired mixed martial artist says he was visiting his brothers farm in Saskatchewan and decided he wanted to hear what the premier had to say. Wholesale Jerseys 2019 . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. Cheap Jerseys 2019 . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period. It is a good time to be an All Blacks fan, weve got nothing to complain about really.It was good to see a contest in Hamilton last weekend and I thought the Argentinians did themselves proud for 50 minutes. But the impact of the bench and the class of the All Blacks to weather the storm and come through was quite pleasing to see.I enjoyed the game and it was great to see someone like Julian Savea find some form again. Once again Beauden Barrett was a class act and Ryan Crotty had a great game. Ben Smith just keeps on producing.Argentina were always going to target the All Blacks up front. They are big and strong and pride themselves on their set-piece. They like it in close and I think the frustrating thing for Aaron Smith was that they targeted in and around the fringes and they picked him out a few times.Really, running at Aaron Smith is something that should never happen in a game, you should always protect your half-back around those areas. But they certainly got through which means they broke some tackles.And when TJ Perenara came on for Smith he showed that he is as strong as many forwards. He can weather that sort of close quarter battle, hes a nuggety; a very powerful half-back. It was probably better suited for Perenara against the Pumas and if you get an opportunity in that environment, and they are few and far between, you take them with two hands.I always felt he was No.2 and he has had a great year and his form towards the end of Super Rugby was outstanding. It did seem when the side was first selected that Tawera Kerr-Barlow was favoured ahead of him, but I would have picked Perenara to be clearly the No.2 and he certainly proved it at the weekend.The planning that is going on in and around talent identification and bringing players through is a science in itself, but I think the All Blacks coaches are proving theyve got a really good grasp on not just the All Blacks in 2016 and looking at 2017, they are looking for the next World Cup and probably beyond which is something that has never really happened before.If you look at yesteryear and the way things used to work, youd get an All Blacks coach come in probably for a tenure of four years and then you would change him. There was always a call for his head and someone else to take over if you go through the Grizz Wyllies, the John Harts, the Laurie Mains. You can go all the way back for decades when there was always the case of: Who is the next All Blacks coach going to be?Now its more business orientated and if you look at Steve Hansen he is like a CEO with deputies around him. That means his job is not under threat and hes clearly developing. This goes as far back as Graham Henry because Henry always advocated helping to develop his deputies.He did that with Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith and it created a situation where any one of those three coaches could have been the All Blacks coach. Henry made everyone take ownership of that role and now Steve Hansen has carried on that momentum. It just seems to be a really professional way of running a sports team.Look at every other country. Michael Cheika has just come in after Ewen McKenzie. You can look at the woes of the South Africa coaches they have had over the last 10 years.New Zealand, by comparison, has got stability and business is good and growing. The structture in and around the management, and while nothing is perfect, it is as close to perfect as you can get.ddddddddddddThe New Zealand rugby public also seems much more attuned to what is going on, especially when you compare the All Blacks with the Warriors who now have another new coach. What the All Blacks have is something the rest of the world will be obviously jealous of: leadership.Its good management, professionalism and this goes right up to Steve Tew, the chief executive of New Zealand Rugby. He should take a real bow over whats been created with the on-field performance because at the end of the day hes the CEO and he has so much trust in Steve Hansen who is delivering on every front.Those guys are going to work with no monkeys on their backs, theyve got a clear job in hand and theyre developing deputies. Theyre actually thriving.It is a sport, but if this was business they could be described as raking in the profits because of the development they are doing in the form of players.So far as South Africa this weekend is concerned I dont know if we can expect much more than what we have already seen out of South Africa. Theyve got some injury woes and in the locking department they are two players out already. And Willem Alberts coming in, he is the sort of crash-and-bash player, the arm wrestle-type rugby player and thats what South Africa will look at.They will see what Argentina did and where they can put some pressure on the All Blacks. They will try and replicate that because it is, and always has been, a good part of their game. That arm wrestle type rugby is what theyre good at and Argentina showed theres a fat mans track right down the middle and if you can crack that and create something off it you can find holes in the All Blacks defence.They always rise to the play the All Blacks; theyre our greatest foe. Were going to get a Springboks team that will believe they can beat the All Blacks because unlike Argentina, there is no monkey on their backs. Theyve beaten the All Blacks time and time again over the years, although it hasnt been in recent years, but theyll be wanting to chance their arm and do their best.Ultimately, though, I think the All Blacks have got way too much firepower and they know what the Springboks will deliver and they will have done work on where Argentina exposed them.Its one thing analysing how the All Blacks got exposed last week but its another thing expecting the All Blacks to run out and let those sorts of errors occur again. They will have been well and truly addressed now and if youre looking one week behind it is too late in the All Blacks environment.One final point regarding the Chiefs post-season dramas, I think as a parent if there is any lesson that came out of that I sat my 16-year-old boy down and showed him exactly what could happen. I think if every parent in New Zealand could take some lessons out of it and pass that knowledge on then that is the only way we are going to change the culture in our community.It is a community issue, not just a rugby isolated issue, and I think whenever something bad goes on thats the best time to learn and pass on to those who are in the best position to learn. 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