Has Baseball Finally Figured It Out?

Spring training began this week with pitchers and catchers reporting in Arizona and Florida.

Among the missing are two of the bigger names in free agency -- OF Bryce Harper and SS Manny Machado, who are both represented by agent Scott Boras (NOT the most popular guy with team owners). Also absent is 3B Mike Moustakas, who could still re-up with the Milwaukee Brewers, who traded for him during their amazing 2018 stretch run.

These are highly productive every-day ballplayers without a job as spring training begins. Granted, they probably need less time to get season-ready than pitchers. But the fact that they are still on the open market is truly amazing.

Perhaps the Powers That Be in Baseball have finally figured out that long-term, big-money contracts are not the way to go. Perhaps the days of the 10-year deal (Alex Rodriquez, Albert Pujols) might be over. The worst of these deals was Pujols, who the California Angels signed in 2012 (at age 32) to a 10-year deal worth $240 million. This albatross  won't expire until 2022, and the 39-year-old Pujols is still owed $87 million.

Ouch!

I think you'll see more short-term contacts, contracts in the two-to-four year range, with club and player options after a couple years. Better for teams in the long run, and players will always get paid.
Good example of this? The one-year deal the Brewers signed catcher Yasmani Grandal to. More club-friendly, and if he has a stellar season, then Grandal will make more on his next contract.