Everybody knows the MLB contenders will be focusing on signing the Carlos Correas, Kris Bryants, Clayton Kershaws, and Trevor Storys of the world when the lockout is finally lifted.
The true stars of the game will be getting the most attention: remember, despite any revenue losses by owners, some of them still will want to win, regardless of the number of games the season has.
However, the situation may not be as optimistic for veteran free agents hoping to strike a decent deal after the MLB lockout.
According to Buster Olney, who has talked to agents, they could be in for a tough free agency period when things restart.
“There is an expectation among agents that following the owners’ lockout, there will be teams that downsize their budgets (like the Marlins) to account for the losses — and it’ll be the veteran FAs, the rank-and-file players, who absorb most of the impact of that.”
There is an expectation among agents that following the owners' lockout, there will be teams that downsize their budgets (like the Marlins) to account for the losses — and it'll be the veteran FAs, the rank-and-file players, who absorb most of the impact of that.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 6, 2022
Market Dynamics May Not Favor Veteran Players
Some analysts and writers suggested that part of the reason why Derek Jeter decided to leave the Miami Marlins was because they had initially promised him a certain amount of money for roster upgrades, only to reverse the course after the cancellation of regular season games and lockout-related uncertainty.
Other teams will probably show a similar stance: knowing that they would have lost a lot of revenue after a long, grueling lockout, they won’t want to spend too much.
Guys, for example, like Andrew McCutchen, Jonathan Villar, Andrelton Simmons, and Corey Dickerson, who may still contribute to a major league team, will probably have a hard time finding a fair deal.
It’s certainly something to monitor over the weeks, as contenders could find some bargains near the start of the season.
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