MLB Free Agency: Jake Arrieta warns young players to watch market
The past two MLB Free Agency markets have been unexpectedly different than in the previous years.
Jake Arrieta entered MLB free agency at the end of the 2017 season. After pitching for two seasons with the Baltimore Orioles and five with the Chicago Cubs, he spent four months hoping for a deal. His wait was worth it, but he wasn’t signed by the Phillies until March 12, 2018 – after Spring Training began.
On Saturday, Arrieta sent a message to the young players who have yet to experience free agency:
All of you 1-3 yr players out there better be paying attention to what’s going on in our game. You’re next. @MLB
— Jake Arrieta (@JArrieta34) January 12, 2019
His warning is clear. Free agency signings have changed. Players are getting shorter terms – many only as long as a one year. And, the dollar amounts are changing. Add to that the record profits of $10.3 billion that were reported earlier in the week and it is easy to see that something is wrong.
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Yes, there were good contracts handed out in the 2017-2018 season. Arrieta made $30 million with the Phillies in 2018, and he is signed through 2022 – his age-36 season. In 2019, he’ll make $25 million with an opt-out clause at the end of the season, but he’ll still have three years and $65 million left on his contract.
But, Arrieta did not receive that contract until two weeks before the regular season began. That is one of the problems. Team owners have money. Lots of money. And, many seem reluctant to part with it to put together good teams.
Consider the two top free agents, Manny Machado and Bryce Harper. No matter what you think of them personally, they are good baseball players. Machado played in 162 games in 2018 where he hit .297/.367/.538 with 37 home runs and 107 RBI. Harper played in 159 games in 2018. He hit .249/.393/.496 with 34 home runs and 100 RBI. What team wouldn’t want either of these two? Apparently, almost all of the 30 MLB teams have zero interest in signing two young, talented, and exciting players.
Yes, Harper and Machado are both asking to play on winning teams for a lot of money ($300 million) and a lot of time (10 years). But, with $10.3 billion, every single team should want one of those players. Both Machado and Harper draw fans to seats, and they help their teams win.
The fact that Harper and Machado only have one or two teams showing interest is another problem.
J.D. Martinez was the Harper and Machado of the previous off-season. In 2017, Martinez hit .303/.376/.690 in 119 games with the Tigers and the D-backs. He hit 45 home runs and 104 RBI. Yet, only ONE team wanted him. ONE.
That’s pathetic.
Team owners should want the best players on their rosters. They should want the players that draw fans. Yet, owners do not seem to be interested in putting a good product on the field. If that were the case, more teams would have been in on Martinez. And, more teams would be in on players like Harper and Machado. Consider, too, that players like Dallas Keuchel, Marwin Gonzalez, Jose Iglesias, and Nick Markakis are still on the market.
Yes, fans will support their teams, but they want a good product. As a Tigers season ticket holder, I only went to games when teams came to town that I wanted to see. With Miguel Cabrera on the DL and a triple-A team on the field, I barely went to any games and I couldn’t give away my tickets. As a baseball lover who lives half equidistant between Detroit and Chicago, I’m waiting to see what the White Sox team looks like before I decide what team gets my money for the season.
Along with the Harper and Machado signings, there is another free agent to watch: Mike Moustakas, who just might be the canary in the coal mine. His 2018 contract was an insult to his abilities, and he is still unsigned for 2019. Every baseball player should be frustrated by Moustakas and his 2018 contract. If it could happen to one player, it could happen to all of them.
Next. The shrinking contracts for power hitters. dark
Arrieta is right. He might not be the best spokesperson to address this issue, but it doesn’t mean he’s wrong. As a fan, I’d like to see the best product on the field. Owners do not seem to have that same goal. That’s a problem.