NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Gaylord Opryland boasts of two million twinkling lights for its holiday show, 11 restaurants and all of the “Shrek” characters on site to pose with you for photos.
From today through Thursday, however, this ginormous hotel shifts gears and appeals to an entirely different crowd. Here, you should find all 30 Major League Baseball general managers and managers, every big-time agent and plenty of other random characters from the national pastime.
Here, we might see enough transactions to overwhelm even the toughest fantasy baseball team owner.
So what precisely can we expect in these next five days at the Winter Meetings? Let’s break it down:
Big-name free agents who could sign:
1. Zack Greinke, RHP. Both Southern California teams and Texas are in hot pursuit, which is why the soft-spoken right-hander could land one of the biggest contracts in history.
2. Michael Bourn, OF. The Nationals, the favorites to sign him, are no longer a threat after acquiring Denard Span from Minnesota. Perhaps a Phillies reunion?
3. Josh Hamilton, OF. He remains one of the most intriguing free agents in recent times. His exact market remains murky.
Big-name PLAYERS WHO COULD BE TRADED:
1. R.A. Dickey, Mets RHP. The reigning NL Cy Young Award is discussing an extension with the Mets, who also will gauge the knuckleballer’s trade market during the week.
2. James Shields, Tampa Bay RHP. The Rays have tremendous pitching depth and need impact bats. Shields is under control for two more seasons.
3. Shin-Soo Choo, Cleveland OF. The Indians are not yet ready to contend, and Choo can be a free agent next winter.
TEAMS FLEXING THEIR FINANCIAL MUSCLE:
1. Dodgers. They’re the new Yankees. Greinke appears the top target, but they could afford any starting pitcher (Anibal Sanchez? Kyle Lohse?).
2. Texas. The Rangers could get Greinke with a huge package or retain Hamilton with a high-dollar, low-years arrangement.
3. Boston. The Red Sox have flexibility thanks to their August salary dump onto the Dodgers. Nick Swisher and Mike Napoli are targets.
TEAMS CLIPPING COUPONS:
1. Yankees. They will look to replace Swisher with low-budget options in right field and the same goes for Russell Martin at catcher.
2. Mets. With David Wright signed, don’t look for them to engage in any high-end free-agent sweepstakes.
3. Miami. The Marlins held two news conferences (for Heath Bell and Jose Reyes) at the 2011 meetings in Dallas. This year? Bet the under.
TEAMS THAT WANT PITCHING:
1. Detroit. The Tigers would like to re-sign RHP Anibal Sanchez.
2. Toronto. Even after getting Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson from the Marlins, the Blue Jays are open to bringing in another starter. Sanchez could fit here, too.
3. Angels. Losing Greinke, after trading key prospects for him in July, would be a considerable blow.
TEAMS THAT WANT HITTING:
1. Seattle. The Mariners have to boost their anemic offense. They’re in on Napoli and Swisher.
2. San Francisco. The defending World Series champions have outfield voids to fill.
3. Baltimore. The Orioles non-tendered Mark Reynolds, who delivered for them last year.
GENERAL MANAGERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT:
1. Dayton Moore, Kansas City. He’s determined to trade from his prospect base for a frontline starting pitcher.
2. Billy Beane, Oakland. What will he do to maintain his surprisingly surging A’s?
3. Brian Cashman, Yankees. Can he succeed with a chopped down budget?
MANAGERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT:
1. Davey Johnson, Washington. He will retire after next season. Will he kick things off with some crazy, bold proclamation?
2. John Farrell, Boston. He will do everything possible to not stick out, a direct contrast to his predecessor Bobby Valentine.
3. John Gibbons, Toronto. Granted a second chance, he will talk up his newly fortified Blue Jays.
OTHER ACTIVITIES AT THE MEETINGS:
1. Tomorrow, the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee will announce if anyone from its Pre-Integration ballot has gained induction.
2. On Tuesday, the Hall will announce the broadcaster who receives the Ford C. Frick Award for lifetime excellence.
3. Also on Tuesday, the Baseball Writers Association of America will announce the winner of its J.G. Taylor Spink Award, named after the late editor of the Sporting News, which honors a baseball writer or writers for “meritorious contributions to baseball writing.”
kdavidoff@nypost.com