Machado and Harper sill unsigned, the MLB free-agent season remains
As a lifeless Super Bowl officially ended the football season Sunday, baseball’s buzz-free winter limped toward the finish line.
Camps open across Florida and Arizona next week, though dozens of free agents remain unsigned, including the best outfielder, Bryce Harper, and premier shortstop Manny Machado.
If you neglected to follow the hot stove, rest assured nothing of consequence has happened since the Red Sox beat the Dodgers in the World Series.
It’s the second straight free-agent freeze, and fingers are being pointed in several directions.
Some blame it on the cold, numbers-driven front-office types and megalomaniacal owners. Others suggest it’s an under-the-radar war between the two high-profile agents of Harper and Machado, desperately trying to massage the venti-sized egos of their superstar clients with the richest contract.
Or perhaps it’s just the two players themselves – dreaming of becoming the highest-paid athlete in baseball history no matter where they wind up. In case you forgot, Harper was predicted to sign a 14-year, $420 million deal with the Dodgers by Mlbtraderumors.com, while the same site had Machado getting 13 years and $390 million from the Phillies.
It’s obvious by now the lack of bigname signings has managed to spoil the only thing baseball has going during the winter – the traditional guessing game over who goes where.
“Two of the best players in the game, and (teams) have very little interest in them, from what I hear,”
Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant recently said of Harper and Machado. “It’s not good. It’s something that’s going to have to change. I know a lot of the other players are upset about it.”
That change would likely have to come in the next collective bargaining agreement, as the current five-year deal ends Dec. 1, 2021. A work stoppage before then is a possibility, though no one wants to think about that with spring training on the horizon and the new season ahead.
Asked about the players’ disgruntlement at Soxfest, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn acknowledged it’s real.
“Our job is to put the best team together possible under the current rules,” Hahn said. “There does seem to be some discontent, especially the veteran free-agent segment of the player market, with how these rules affect them.
“So as a result, there probably does need to be a serious conversation