Baseball's offseason has been slow and boring, with many of the top free agents remaining unsigned, just weeks before spring training is set to begin.
Yahoo Sports Jeff Passan took a deep dive into what's slowing the market -- including the idea of collusion, as well as Tony Clark and the union's concessions and Scott Boras' role in the whole thing. It's a must-read for anyone interested in the economic state of the game.
Within the piece, Passan also reveals that one unnamed top free agent is prepared to sit out the first half if they don't find a deal suitable to their liking:
Recently, one of the best free agents available this offseason met with a friend, and he admitted something shocking: He was preparing to sit out until the middle of the season. The market for his services this winter was so thin, the offers so incompatible with his production, that he worried he was going to need an external force to compel teams to pay him what his numbers say he's worth. Maybe it would take a playoff race.
Obviously there's no telling how legitimate the player's threat is -- it's possible the player is just venting, or hoping that the market will round into shape sooner than later, especially if their threat is co-opted by the other top free agents. But it's certainly notable, and it's just the latest hint that the league and union are likely heading for greater discord sooner than later.
