After the Texas Rangers won the World Series, there was a lot of excitement around baseball for an MLB free agency headlined by stars like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Cody Bellinger. With teams like the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets in the rumor mill, many expected big moves.
Ohtani and Yamamoto came off the market relatively quickly following the MLB Winter Meetings. Once those dominoes fell, most anticipated that the likes of Snell, Bellinger and Matt Chapman would find homes soon after. Instead, all three players are still available in MLB free agency with spring training underway.
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While there are multiple teams in the mix for Snell, including the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants, the rumor mill is still relatively quiet on the other top free agents. As the lack of activity becomes a bigger topic with Opening Day approaching, Red Sox manager Alex Cora offered a blunt assessment of the MLB offseason.
“It was boring for the business, for the game, and there’s a lot of good players out there who should be somewhere getting ready for the season. No news is not good for the business.”
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora on lack of activity in MLB free agency (H/T USA Today)
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It’s a sentiment many baseball fans likely share, including supporting of the Red Sox. Boston recently agreed to terms with All-Star closer Liam Hendriks on a two-year deal, but Hendriks isn’t expected to pitch until late in the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
As for the overall inactivity in free agency, a variety of rationales for it have been offered. Some blame agents like Scott Boras, who have held out for months in contract negotiations and refused to back down from their prices. Others cite an unwillingness from owners to spend or even compete, leading to many of the free agents not even having one viable offer. Either way, as Cora said, it is not helping baseball as an entertainment product.
