The agitating pace of major alliance free agent signings is beginning boil over.
Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant is the most recent star player to voice his worry that Bryce Harper and Manny Machado stay unsigned with not exactly a month to go before spring preparing.
“It’s really weird,” the 2016 National League MVP said Friday at the Cubs’ winter fan convention. “Two of the best players in the game, and they have very little interest in them, from just what I hear. It’s not good. It’s something that will have to change. I know a lot of the other players are pretty upset about it.”
Bryant was likewise inquired as to why the free-agent market has backed off impressively the most recent two years.
“Not enough teams trying to be competitive,” Bryant said. “There’s a lot of teams out there that have the money to spend, but they’re not doing it. It’s just very confusing to me, you know? If I was an owner, president, GM, I would love to have Bryce Harper or Manny Machado on my team. Just playing against them, they’re very frustrating, and they’re the best talent out there. It seems like there’s only a few teams that really want them.”
Bryant and Harper are both spoken to by agent Scott Boras, who said last January “non-competitive cancer” is ruining baseball.
“You work for that moment in your career,” Bryant said. “You feel like every team should want you. For them to not have that, it could be disheartening for them. … It’s not about the greed. They’ve put in the work to warrant contracts that are worthy of it.”
Evan Longoria of the San Francisco Giants likewise said something regarding the circumstance on his Instagram post that highlighted an image of Dallas Keuchel, Craig Kimbrel, Harper and Machado.
“We are less then a month from the start of spring and once again some of our games biggest starts remain unsigned. Such a shame. It’s seems every day now someone is making up a new analytical tool to devalue players, especially free agents,” Longoria’s post said.
Pitchers and catchers report the seven day stretch of February 11 and six of the best 10 free agents stay unsigned.
