MLB Signing Deadline?
By Colin Dixon January 31st, 2019
Pictures Via @MLB Twitter
We are just a couple weeks from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training and just under a month from all players reporting as well.
Over the past couple years the trend of waiting as long as possible to sign a contract has become super popular and it has led to top free agents still being unsigned at the moment with Spring Training coming up soon.
This brings up the question, should the MLB input a signing deadline for its Free Agents?
I think yes. Teams should not be nearing Spring Training not knowing who is going to be there on their spring roster. I understand this rule would be hard to put in place but we have waited months on months waiting for the top Free Agent players to sign and they have not done anything.
Bryce Harper and Manny Machado were the headlining players for this year's Free Agent class and both of them have met with multiple teams but neither has done anything since those meetings. Both players have offers on the table but are still weighing out all the options they have.
It is not a secret that both these players want as much money as they can possibly get but it is ridiculous that we as fans of the game do not even know where two of the best players will be playing in 2019.
If a deadline was implanted into the MLB offseason it would mean teams would have to act fast and same with players. The Winter Meetings this year was a joke and normally that week is a major week of signings and trades but this year basically nothing happened and it was a hyped up week for nothing.
Manny Machado is not expected to sign anytime soon and everyone is just waiting to see what he is going to do. But, do not expect anything from him anytime soon as he might holdout into Spring Training at this point.
On the other hand, Harper is expected to sign soon as he will be taking what is expected to be his last meeting with a team today, which is the San Diego Padres. Harper started this offseason saying no to a 10 year $300 million offer from the Nationals and has not gotten anything close to that since to my knowledge.
All fans are hoping that these players can sign soon so that everyone will know who will be playing where in 2019 but this trend of waiting as long as possible will keep trending unless the MLB does something to stop it.
We are just a couple weeks from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training and just under a month from all players reporting as well.
Over the past couple years the trend of waiting as long as possible to sign a contract has become super popular and it has led to top free agents still being unsigned at the moment with Spring Training coming up soon.
This brings up the question, should the MLB input a signing deadline for its Free Agents?
I think yes. Teams should not be nearing Spring Training not knowing who is going to be there on their spring roster. I understand this rule would be hard to put in place but we have waited months on months waiting for the top Free Agent players to sign and they have not done anything.
Bryce Harper and Manny Machado were the headlining players for this year's Free Agent class and both of them have met with multiple teams but neither has done anything since those meetings. Both players have offers on the table but are still weighing out all the options they have.
It is not a secret that both these players want as much money as they can possibly get but it is ridiculous that we as fans of the game do not even know where two of the best players will be playing in 2019.
If a deadline was implanted into the MLB offseason it would mean teams would have to act fast and same with players. The Winter Meetings this year was a joke and normally that week is a major week of signings and trades but this year basically nothing happened and it was a hyped up week for nothing.
Manny Machado is not expected to sign anytime soon and everyone is just waiting to see what he is going to do. But, do not expect anything from him anytime soon as he might holdout into Spring Training at this point.
On the other hand, Harper is expected to sign soon as he will be taking what is expected to be his last meeting with a team today, which is the San Diego Padres. Harper started this offseason saying no to a 10 year $300 million offer from the Nationals and has not gotten anything close to that since to my knowledge.
All fans are hoping that these players can sign soon so that everyone will know who will be playing where in 2019 but this trend of waiting as long as possible will keep trending unless the MLB does something to stop it.
