With most pitchers and catchers across MLB set to report to spring training on Wednesday, several notable free agents remain on the market.
Reigning National League Cy Young award winner Blake Snell and World Series champion Jordan Montgomery are still unsigned. Sluggers Cody Bellinger and J.D. Martinez also have yet to land new deals, as well as Platinum Glove third baseman Matt Chapman.
This isn't a new development. MLB free agency has been remarkably slow-moving in recent years with agents content to wait until the last minute for the best possible deals. The lack of action has made baseball's offseason arguably the least interesting out of the four major sports.
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Alex Cora is among those who dislike what MLB free agency has become. The Boston Red Sox manager shared his take on the matter while speaking with reporters Tuesday in Fort Myers, Fla.
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"I think that's where we're at as a business, right? It's not only us," Cora said. "There's 26 or 27 other teams out there that if you look at what they've done, what have they done? ... It's been very slow. It hasn't been fun. As a baseball fan, you like news, and the lack of news this offseason, is it good for the sport? No, it's not. It's boring, to be honest with you.
"But like I said, it's where we're at business-wise. Right now, there's a guy on the West Coast (Blake Snell) that he's controlling the market, right? He's been really good at what he does throughout the years and at one point, news is going to come out, guys are going to sign. I think there's gonna be 30 teams on Opening Day with 26 players and we're going to be fighting for the same thing."
The Red Sox, despite chairman Tom Werner's "full throttle" declaration before the offseason, haven't done much to speed up the free-agency process. Their only noteworthy addition was right-hander Lucas Giolito, who signed a two-year contract worth $38.5 million that includes a player option after the 2024 campaign.
There's still time for them to salvage their offseason by signing someone like Montgomery, though that kind of move appears unlikely at this point. Barring a surprise move, Boston seems destined for another last-place finish in the American League East.
Red Sox pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Fort Myers on Wednesday. The first full-squad workouts are penciled in for next Monday.