Free Agent market could move more quickly this year
There’s not a whole lot in the news right now. Free agency has officially gotten underway, but this isn’t a capped sport like football and basketball. There’s no flurry of activity as players try to sign before all the money is used up. Baseball’s offseason is one of a more deliberate pace, and next week’s GM Meetings is where the groundwork will be laid for the offseason to begin in earnest. Of course, while the pace is deliberate we’re all hoping it won’t be anything like last year, which was straight-up tortuous. According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo!, this offseason is expected to move quickly in the beginning. File this under I’ll believe it when I see it. I’m of the opinion that we saw a real change around the league last winter, and while that may have been a perfect storm that pushed the pace and contracts to an extreme I do think last winter was at least close to the new normal. Of course, none of us really know until it happens. Plus, the offseason could still move quickly with small contracts if veterans have accepted paydays they could have expected even 3-5 years ago won’t be waiting for them. Avoiding a repeat of last year would do wonders for my sanity, though.
Nolan Arenado not likely to be traded
This isn’t surprising news or anything like that, but Nolan Arenado is unlikely to be dealt this winter. The Rockies have made the playoffs for two consecutive years and should have eyes on doing so again in 2019, Arenado’s last year before he’s able to hit the open market. He’s reportedly had preliminary extension talks with Colorado, but the league is hoping those won’t stick. Consider me among those who hit the open market, too. The Red Sox aren’t exactly starving for a third baseman, but Arenado is probably my favorite player in baseball. Sometimes you just want your favorite player to wear your favorite team’s uniform, ya know? The rest would sort itself out. We’re a year away from this conversation, though.