With the 2018 regular season only four weeks away, dozens of free agents remain unsigned. Among them are top free agents like Jake Arrieta, Mike Moustakas, Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn.
The MLB Players Association is running a spring training camp in Florida for unsigned free agents to help them prepare for the upcoming season, and at some point this week, the free agents will play two exhibition games against a Japanese amateur team. The Associated Press has the news:
The Major League Baseball Players Association says the games against JR East will take place at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The games will be open to media and scouts but not the public.
More than four dozen players remain unsigned among the 166 who exercised their right to become free agents last November. The players' association opened a training camp for free agents at the IMG Academy two weeks ago.
JR East is sponsored by Japan Railway, and players are considered amateurs who are paid as company employees.
The free-agent camp workouts are closed to scouts and the media. Any team interested in signing a free agent has been told to schedule a private workout. The two exhibition games will be open to scouts, however.
Infielder Neil Walker confirmed Tuesday he is at the free-agent camp, and said he was close to a deal with the New York Yankees before they traded for Brandon Drury.
Neil Walker who turned up at Camp Jobless today, said his most substantive conversations came with the Yankees until they acquired Brandon Drury last week.
— Billy Witz (@billywitz) February 27, 2018
It's unclear how many players are attending the free-agent camp, though agent Scott Boras has said his clients will not participate. Boras has his own facilities for his clients, which include Arrieta and Moustakas.
