With the Orioles set to open the Winter Meetings on Monday, here has already been some excitement surrounding executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette, who was the subject of headlines Sunday when reports surfaced that he was a candidate for the rumored vacancy of Toronto’s president/CEO job.

Taking a victory lap of sorts from his Yankee Stadium desk late last week, general manager Brian Cashman acknowledged that it seemed splashy to add setup man Andrew Miller and shortstop Didi Gregorius in the same day, but he also said that the Yankees are nowhere near done with their dealing.

While much of their offseason work is already done, Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik and his staff have arrived at Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings with a clear agenda to add another offensive piece to the puzzle, if possible.

Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein knows the Winter Meetings well. The team did make its big splash in early November by signing free-agent manager Joe Maddon, but the Cubs’ contingent heads to San Diego with some items remaining on its to-do list.

The Braves have already been quite active during the Hot Stove season, and president of baseball operations John Hart and his staff are expected to remain aggressive during this week’s Winter Meetings, which began on Monday morning in San Diego.

As Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and his top front-office aides arrive in San Diego for the Winter Meetings, the club’s pursuit of relief pitching figures to be front and center as every team and player agent are under the same roof for the next few days.

A baseball source said there is nothing imminent as far as the Nationals trying to trade any of their players who are eligible for free agency after the 2015 season, a group which includes right-hander Jordan Zimmermann and shortstop Ian Desmond. The Nationals are willing to listen to trade offers on any of their players, but that doesn’t mean they are going to make a move. In fact, the same source said that the Nationals are still trying to sign Zimmermann long term.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame intends to announce the first phase of its Class of 2015 on Monday, during the first day of the annual Winter Meetings. The 16-person Golden Era Committee will meet on Sunday and vote Monday only hours before the 11 a.m. PT announcement.

The 2014 New Era Pinstripe Bowl will see two Northeast heavyweights go at it when Penn State and Boston College take the field Dec. 27 at Yankee Stadium.

If the new-breed general managers catch the spirit of Jack McKeon in his old stomping grounds, the 2014 Winter Meetings could generate real substance, after an offseason dominated by free agency and mega contract extensions.

John Hart is back at work this winter. With the assistance of GM-in-training John Coppolella, he is reshaping a Braves team that hasn’t won a postseason series since 2001 and, frankly, needed some long-term guidance.

With the Astros in search of a lock-down closer and a veteran leader, David Robertson is an absolutely perfect fit for Houston, both on and off the diamond.

The Blue Jays reportedly are actively seeking a replacement for longtime president and chief executive offer Paul Beeston. According to a report from ESPN, Toronto’s search has progressed to the point where it is identifying possible candidates. The report also suggests that the Blue Jays have asked for permission to talk with Baltimore’s Dan Duquette and Chicago’s Ken Williams, though both men downplayed any potential match on Sunday.

Executive vice president Ken Williams will not be leaving the White Sox for the Blue Jays to replace CEO Paul Beeston and is focused on helping the White Sox improve over the next four days at Major League Baseball’s annual Winter Meetings.

The PR departments of all 30 Major League clubs have banded together for a third year in a row to raise money for cancer awareness and research. This year, however, there’s an additional sentimental element that has been added, stemming from sad circumstances surrounding one of their own.

Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette, who has won two Executive of the Year Awards this winter, is a strong candidate to become the Blue Jays’ next CEO and team president, according to a report from ESPN.com on Sunday morning.

A packed room filled mostly with job seekers received earfuls of advice from a group of high-ranking female executives Sunday at the Winter Meetings during a roundtable presentation entitled “Who Needs A League of Their Own? Women at the Top of their Game.”