The pandemic has caused major disruptions to all of us. Entertainment alone is taking a real hit, as in-person events continue to be canceled or postponed. The 2020 Winter Meetings are no different. With so much uncertainty and the numbers of players in free agency at an all time high, this year's Winter Meetings, although remote have a lot of ground to cover leading into 2021.
"If there were ever an offseason when baseball needed winter meetings — if not to put people face-to-face for the purpose of making deals (which can be done, more or less, remotely), then at least to commiserate over cocktails in the lobby bar (which more or less can’t) — it is this one. And so, baseball’s coldest, loneliest offseason drags on," wrote The Washington Post on Saturday.
On Wednesday, another dozen or so hitters with similar skill-sets including former all-stars and World Series heroes were added to the long list of free agents with teams not claiming them based on financial stresses already imposed on teams. Big dollar signings similar to what we saw last year with Gerrit Cole, are just not possible as MLB continues to lose money each day this pandemic swells.
"Commissioner Rob Manfred has said MLB suffered $3 billion in operational losses as a result of a 2020 season shortened to 60 games and played without fans. Los Angeles Dodgers President Stan Kasten, in an interview with CNBC, pegged his team’s losses at “well north” of $100 million — and that’s the World Series champion," reported the The Washington Post.
Perhaps this is a time to pause and level the playing field a bit when it comes to player salaries and net worth. Everyone is feeling the pandemic in their purse let alone their hearts. Baseball is no different. "Rather than a cascade of free agents coming off the board, more names are being added, with Wednesday’s additions pushing the list of available major league free agents to more than 230," wrote the Post.
This will be an interesting week ahead. Guys like Gary Sanchez should consider themselves as fortunate as they already know where they will go in 2021. For the group of misfits that are now without a team, it looks bleak but at the same time it could be an opportunity to just event things out.
--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof
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