MLB clubs this offseason have "waded into the free-agent market with their wallets open," as the "pace of the action is dramatically different this winter" compared to recent seasons, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com. Through Saturday, 77 players had "already agreed to terms," which is about 40% more than last year. Some agents believe part of the reason for the spending is to "soften the players' concern over the relative lack of activity in the free-agent market the last few years, in advance of the labor talks." Olney: "As the theory goes, the more money that the big-name players in the union have at stake in any labor war, the less likely it is they would embrace a possible work stoppage." Club execs "counter that the current trend is an organic response to this particular market" that has seen agent Scott Boras "working aggressively early." More clubs also "seem to be eschewing the tanking strategy, perhaps drawing on the examples" of the Rays and A's and "recognizing there are multiple paths to success." Olney: "Whatever the reasons, the dollars continue to flow" (ESPN.com, 12/29).
A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING: In Boston, Alex Speier wrote MLB is "experiencing a through-the-looking-glass offseason." On one hand, the free agent market has been "as lively as it's been in years." More "traditional spenders" like the Yankees, Angels and Nationals have "led the way." But teams like the Blue Jays, D-backs and Reds also have "contributed to a boom market for free agents," proving that "small- and mid-market teams are spending." At the same time, some of the game's "most revenue-rich clubs" like the Red Sox and Astros have been "open to conversations about shedding signature players from their payrolls." Speier: "How to explain the dichotomy? In some ways, the openness of recent title contenders to such drastic roster shakeups reflects a late stage in the development of homegrown cores in an era where teams are treating the luxury tax as a major constraint." The result has been a "most unusual offseason in which typical assumptions about who will and won't spend have been flipped" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/29). CBSSPORTS.com's Dayn Perry wrote teams like the Cubs, Red Sox and Dodgers "have so many guaranteed paths to profitability that engaging the fan base via a vigorous and dedicated offseason isn't necessary." When they "need cover for not doing so they can point" to the luxury tax (CBSSPORTS.com, 12/29).
