The biggest domino has fallen, and it's landed in the Bronx.
The Yankees and right-hander Gerrit Cole agreed to a record-setting nine-year, $324 million deal late Tuesday night, landing what could be the final piece of their championship pursuit.
So while all eyes will now be on the Bronx come the start of the regular season, what will come next at baseball's Winter Meetings in San Diego?
Unlike last year, when Manny Machado and Bryce Harper waited until well into the new year to find their new teams, this year's Winter Meetings have been much more active, with Cole obviously being the biggest splash.
So how does Cole's decision to join the Yankees affect the rest of this year's meetings? Here are some of the potential ripple effects of Cole's deal:
What comes next for Yankees?
The Yankees were said to have put all non-Cole business on the back-burner until the ace signed, and now that he's in pinstripes, the Yankees can move on to other needs.
Brett Gardner is of course a name to keep an eye on. SNY's Andy Martino reported on Tuesday evening that the Yankees are likely to bring Gardner back, and now the team can try to make that happen.
Another big question for the Yankees is whether or not Dellin Betances comes back to what was the best bullpen in baseball in 2019. The Bombers still have Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, and Adam Ottavino in the back end of their pen, but bringing Betances back could take things one step further.
The biggest question with Betances, though, is his health. The 31-year-old pitched in just one game for the Yankees last season, as injuries completely derailed his season.
Madison Bumgarner staying out west?
If the Yankees were to miss out on Cole, which we now know they did not, they were likely to turn their attention to Madison Bumgarner.
Now, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic has reported that the Dodgers, who were a finalist for Cole, are likely to turn their attention to the left-handed Bumgarner.
The biggest question now seems to be whether or not the veteran would choose to sign with the Dodgers, after the lefty spent his first 11 years with the San Francisco Giants, the Dodgers' biggest rival.
What's next for Angels?
All along, it sounded as if the Angels were the team that posed the biggest threat to the Yankees in landing Cole. After all, Cole was born in Newport Beach, Calif. and was thought, at one point, to have a preference to go back to the west coast.
So what do the Angels do now?
They've reportedly been linked to a number of free agents, including pitchers like Bumgarner and Hyun-Jin Ryu, as well as big-name third basemen such as Anthony Rendon and Josh Donaldson.
Rendon may now be the next big domino to fall, and the Angels could certainly make him an attractive offer.
More pressure on the Red Sox?
So now that the Yankees are seemingly the clear favorites in the AL East, how will this affect the Boston Red Sox?
The Sox have reportedly been looking to shed some of their bigger contracts of late, with David Price trade rumors being floated. Other reports have mentioned that the team could look to trade outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.
Rosenthal has reported that the Sox haven't made much progress in trade talks yet, but now if they feel like they won't be a true contender in the division, could they be even more motivated to trade Price?