All the MLB teams have arrived at their Spring Training facilities and have begun workouts/warmups; the first Spring Training game will take place later this week between the Dodgers and the Padres in Arizona. Those two teams will begin playing games early because they will open the MLB regular season early with a game in Seoul, Korea on March 20th – – eight days before the rest of the teams start the 2024 campaign. As folks begin to assess how their favorite team might perform this year, they might want to focus on the quality free agents that are still unsigned even as team workouts have begun.
The annual “free agent frenzy” got off to a fast start this year with Shohei Ohtani’s megadeal, the Phillies’ resigning of Aaron Nola and the Dodgers’ acquisition of Yoshinobu Yamamoto. After those events, things quieted down significantly to the point that when teams opened training camps, there were still several quality free agents with nowhere to report.
- Tim Anderson: He had a bad year in 2023 (OPS = .582) but he is a two-time All-Star shortstop, and he is 30 years old.
- Cody Bellinger: A former Rookie of the Year and a former MVP, he is only 28 years old and his OPS in 2023 was .881.
- Matt Chapman: A four-time gold Glove winner as a third baseman, he is 30 years old.
- J.D. Martinez: At 36 years old, his value is as a DH these days; in 2023 his OPS was .893 and he drove in 103 runs.
- Jordan Montgomery: A left-handed starting pitcher whose ERA in 2023 was 3.40 over 188.2 innings, he is 31 years old.
- Blake Snell: A left-handed starting pitcher who has won the Cy Young Award twice in his career and who had the lowest ERA of any starter in the NL last year, he is 31 years old.
I am sure there are other potentially valuable players looking for landing spots out there, but the half-dozen listed here would seem to be late in finding a home.
Moving on … Bob Molinaro had this comment in the Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot last week:
“Relentless: The NFL season never ends; it just switches gears. Next up are the mock drafts and the always-riveting discussions over quarterback hand sizes.”
Of course, his comment about QB hand sizes refers to the NFL Combine which begins next Monday and will run through March 4th. However, he failed to refer to the improper – – yet ongoing – – negotiations between teams and agents for potential free agents who will formally achieve that status on March 11th. There are a lot of quality NFL players whose contracts expired at the end of last season. Let me list a half-dozen here that I think will help whatever team acquires their services:
- Josh Allen OLB: Not to be confused with the QB of the same name, this OLB for the Jags plays the run and the pass very well.
- Kirk Cousins QB: An intriguing possibility, he has been under-appreciated for most of his 12-year career … and … he will be 36 years old next year and he will be coming back from a torn Achilles tendon.
- Mike Evans WR: He has been in the NFL for 10 years; he has had 1000 or more receiving yards in each of those 10 seasons; he will be 31 years old next year.
- Chris Jones DT: A star addition for any of the 32 NFL teams.
- Justin Madubuike DT: Maybe not quite as good as Chris Jones, but he is a stud on the DL.
- Josh Reynolds WR: He averaged 15.6 yards per catch for the Lions in 2023.
If those names do not satisfy every craving, imagine the debates that fans might generate as they ponder the value of other selections. For example, a team that needs a WR might choose between Tee Higgins, Calvin Ridley or Michael Thomas. If your favorite team needs a running back, would you prefer Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs or DeAndre Swift?
Let all those debates and rumors begin …
Switching gears … When the Niners/Chiefs Super Bowl Game went into OT, CBS had the opportunity to air ads that had been purchased on a contingency basis. Those ad slots were ”premium slots” because their existence meant that the game in regular time was close/exciting and of course the overtime would be attractive to the audience. Lots of folks were tuned in.
According to one of the business sites, CBS earned an “extra” $60M for the ads it aired because the game went to overtime. I can only imagine the high fiving that occurred along CBS’ “Mahogany Row” as that $60M bonus went on the books.
Finally, here is a random comment by the financier, J. P. Morgan:
“I don’t know as I want a lawyer to tell me what I cannot do. I hire him to tell me how to do what I want to do.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………
just wondering if there’s a pattern… how many of those 6 MLB free agents are represented by Scott Boras Badinov… and wouldn’t it be ironic if Boras was married to Natasha and if he represented Bob Moose and Jeff McNeil of the Mets whose nickname is the Flying Squirrel??
Gary:
Snell and Montgomery are definitely Boras’ clients. I THINK that Chapman is too but cannot find confirmation of that quickly.
For the record, Scott Boras’ wife is named Jeanette so your attempt to tie him to Bullwinkle and Rocky – – while admirable – – is not gonna work.