MLB Free Agency is Dying

Free agency, through the last two years, has been extremely harsh on 30+-year-old players. Players, such as Jake Arrieta and Dallas Keuchel, have had to wait longer than expected to sign a contract. Others, like Mike Moustakas, have had to sign contracts for much less than they expected. This has been mainly caused by teams getting smarter and fewer teams willing to spend money. Teams have begun to realize that players in the mid-late 30s are less likely to produce and not worth big contracts. This has caused teams to be less likely to give out big money to older players, meaning that old players will either have to retire or settle for a lot less money than they wanted. The other reason for the death of free agency is the rebuilding of teams. Rebuilding teams often trade their best players for prospects and try to compile as many losses as possible. As a result, they aren’t willing to spend on free agents, meaning that free agents aren’t getting as many jobs. Also, since the best teams are able to fill their holes through trades, there is no longer a reason to pay free agents.

This has struck fear into the hearts of many players across baseball. Players have signed extensions left and right in order to avoid free agency. Players like Aaron Nola and Alex Bregman signed contracts that could prove to be extremely team-friendly. Players fear that if they reach free agency, they won’t get the contracts that they desire. These past two free agencies have scared players into signing extensions and getting guaranteed money.