For years, it was believed that the big-market teams in MLB had all the money in the world; and small-market clubs couldn’t even pay for soda.
If the last couple of years have taught us something, is that every team in MLB can afford a top free agent or two, plus lock up their guys if they really wanted to compete year in and year out.
The Texas Rangers, who have done nothing but lose since 2016, have spent almost $700 million on three players in the last two offseasons.
Even the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Tampa Bay Rays extended Ke’Bryan Hayes and Wander Franco, respectively.
There is no excuse.
The Boston Red Sox are the perfect proof of how big-market teams have to start worrying about losing their own free agents.
Just when talks with Xander Bogaerts started to heat up on Wednesday, the San Diego Padres said “hey Xander, here is $280 million; are you coming with us?”
By the way, he said yes, and left the Red Sox just like that.
Money Can Come From Unexpected Sources In MLB
It’s hard to say no to $280 million, but the point is that that kind of money can come from even the most unexpected sources.
“It’s really a shame that the Red Sox keep having to lose their best guys to these big market teams that have unlimited money while us small market teams just grow stars for them. MLB should really do something about this,” Bally Sports’ Pete Blackburn tweeted.
It's really a shame that the Red Sox keep having to lose their best guys to these big market teams that have unlimited money while us small market teams just grow stars for them. MLB should really do something about this
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) December 8, 2022
Heck, the Baltimore Orioles were connected to deGrom at one point.
The Oakland Athletics signed Aledmys Diaz.
The Colorado Rockies signed Kris Bryant last year!
There are more examples.
Blackburn’s tweet was clearly sarcastic, but it’s hard to refer to the Red Sox as a “small market team” when they invested more than $100 million in Masataka Yoshida and over $30 million in Kenley Jansen just hours before losing Bogaerts.
Their mistake was not locking Bogaerts up before this past season.
They are living the consequences.
