MLB free agency is finally seeing some action, with major deals going down. Some of these deals could have an MLB impact now and in the future.
There have been some record-breaking deals in the last week, especially involving pitchers. Stephen Strasburg was the first to get a big deal, returning to the Nationals on a 7-year deal worth over $200 million deals during the winter meetings. It does go along with the trend of players staying with the teams that drafted them. A good deal for the Nationals, since some expected Strasburg to at least test out the free-agent market. There could be similar deals for other players in the future because teams are willing to spend to keep their players.
Then there was the lucrative Gerrit Cole contract with the Yankees for 9 years and $324 million. It’s no surprise he went to the Yankees, but the commitment of the deal seems like a lot. This could inspire other pitchers to try and get more lucrative deals when they reach free agency.
The payoff for the league and teams may make the deals worth it. Especially if the team the player signs with finds a way to make the postseason, the financial payoff could bring a staggering MLB impact. The longer contracts present the teams with more opportunities to make the postseason for many years. While providing an impact both on and off the field, the financial rewards could provide resources to keep building a better team. It could especially help the small market teams. For instance, the Diamondbacks were able to get Madison Bumgarner for 5 years $85 million dollars.
This could be the start of a new trend in baseball for the next few years. There could be some interesting deals that could go down still. Keep an eye on the free agency market because more lucrative contracts could be in the works.
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