Due to the slow-moving market, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred proposed a free agency deadline to expedite the process. Could this have an ongoing impact on future Milwaukee Brewers offseasons?
Man, it’s taking forever for some free agent players to find new teams. Spring training has begun, but stars such as reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell remain free agents. What if there was a way to assure that players signed sooner?
When Rob Manfred indicated that he would stand down as commissioner at the end of his current term, he also mentioned a potential deadline for free agents. While nothing is official, the fact that it is being discussed at that level warrants additional investigation.
While agents like Scott Boras may not like the idea, it does assist speed up the process and creates the hot stove atmosphere that fans seek during the summer. But what does this mean for teams such as the Milwaukee Brewers?
The Brewers are a small-market team. While they could afford almost every contract paid out in MLB history, the fact that other teams have much larger and deeper revenue sources makes it easier for them to offer such agreements. While the Brewers have spent money to add players (see Lorenzo Cain), it is rare for small-market teams to make a significant impact on the market.
A deadline may have a significant impact on how the Brewers and other small-market teams sign players. Here’s why a potential free agent deadline will alter the Brewers’ summer plans moving forward.
Goodbye Brewers Month.
Many fans are excited to see what players their favorite teams will add from the market. While the Brewers cannot afford top-tier talent such as Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, they have spent a significant amount of money to bring in productive players.
The Brewers have made multiple moves during the last seven offseasons. There’s the aforementioned Cain deal, in which the Brewers signed the center fielder to a five-year, $80 million contract. In 2021, the Brewers signed Kolton Wong to a two-year, $18 million contract with a third-year option. In 2019, Yasmani Grandal was signed to a one-year contract worth $18.25 million. Most recently, the squad signed Rhys Hoskins to a two-year, $34-million deal.
There is one clear thread throughout all of these transactions: they all occurred fewer than two months before catchers and pitchers reported to camp. Each occurred following the New Year. There’s a reason why January is informally known as Brewers Month.
